Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1949)

18 Money Dates for December Unless the coal and steel and other strikes are settled (let's hope they are by the time these words appear in print), the traditional two-week pre-Christmas slump may slump even lower in many situations. Add unemployment to the economic picture and prospects appear even worse. But don't despair. Smart showmanship has survived such conditions in the past, and it will continue to do so. Experienced theatremen who have found by trial and error through the years that losses can be considerably reduced by utilizing activities tieing-in with the Christmas season, should redouble their efforts to bring patrons into their theatres. And those who are more or less new to the game will find this year's pre-Christmas period a fitting time to initiate themselves into the activities that keep grosses above water. Many of the ideas below will help. DEC. 7— PEARL HARBOR ATTACKED, 1941. Contact any service men's defense organizations and suggest they observe the occasion in some manner. Offer use of theatre, if desired by them, and collaborate in every way possible. DEC. 12— MARCONI'S FIRST SIGNAL across the Atlantic in 1901 — the birth of vvireless, now called radio. If obtainable, display in lobby early models of radio sending apparatus plus a present one. For school essay contest: Great inventors and discoverers in radio, including radar; on Marconi and his inventions. Small radios might be promoted for leading prizes. DEC. 12— WASHINGTON MADE FIRST SEAT OF GOVERNMENT in 1800. Try for a newspaper-school history class contest on how the capital's site happened to be chosen, and Jefferson's part in it. or on why there is agitation at present for changing the capital site to a more central location, and the reasons advanced for such a change. DEC. 15— BILL OF RIGHTS DAY, first enforced in 1791. Have a copy of the bill printed in large type and display it in the lobby, and ask libraries and book stores to display copies of it. Get a prominent citizen to talk briefly on the bill and what it means to our democracy ; newspapers would devote space to such a speech. Seek cooperation from a local radio station, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Parent-Teacher Ass'n, school heads and women's clubs. DEC. 16— BOSTON TEA PARTY. 1783. Promote tea from a dealer and give a tea party at the theatre, writh prizes for patrons having the best Indian get-ups. As a variant of this hold a kid Indian costume contest, with promoted prizes. A school history class essay contest on the causes leading up to the party is worth trying for; newspapers and radio stations wou'd cooperate, and writers might earn school credits. DEC. 17— WILBUR WRIGHT'S FIRST FLIGHT. 1903 (wh!ch is also American Aviat'on Day). Newspaper-school essay contest on 46 years* development in flying: on the development in the various types of airplanes, including jet nlanes and fighters: a drawing contest of Wright's Kitty Hawk airplane and/or a giant modern one. Sponsor a toy plane-making contest and display the entnes in the lobby with promoted building tools as the prizes. Contact airplane training schools, airpoi-ts and travel bureaus for some observance of the day, and to cooperate in the model plane contest. If there is a nearby airport, arrange for a p'ane to drop heralds, some containing theatre nasses, over the city. DEC. 25— CHRISTMAS DA Y— Christmas pres«■ Its havo been opened. Christmas dinners eaten, and ■ chool children on holiday will want some nlace to vo. Make that place the theatre by offering a comedy and cartoons — anything to make patrons relax an^ eniov themselves and forget the holiday tax on th(! wallet. DECORATIONS: Give marquee, lobby, interior and light fixtures a fesfve aopearanre with festoons, holly wreaths, nines. If a large bell is obtainable place It m lobby, have it rung, not tolled at intprvals. Erect an im-'tation fireplace in lobbv with cutout San»a Cla'is stuffing' stockings with g'fts (or a live "Santa," if pref?r?ed). Another attePt'ongptt»r from kids: a miniature hn.ise with Santa climbmg down the ch-'mnpy — or w'th S'nta and his r<.mri.>ers on the roof. Place l-'ghted and decorated Lhn-=tmas tree in lobby, with theatre's card of grPP*-"" t'v ppfrotis. MUSIC: Music furni=:hes a large part of the seasonal jollity. Hold a Christmas carol party with smgers from choral societies, schools, churches; promote prizes. Get loan of a phonograph and records from dealer and give morning concerts in lobbv, using carols and Christmas songs and music. If there s any sort of comm-nity service off^r use of theatre in mornings, vtdth Christmas and religious songr "Special shows: Give them during the week before Christmas. A free show for k-ds with Santa Claus distributing promoted gifts wiU parn theatre goodwill and probably new patrons. Oder special rates for theatre parties from commercial and other establishments; many business, fraternal and civic conrerns sponsor snch parties as Christmas gifts to their emoloyes. If there are a number of such parties stagger them on different days. For a midweek children's matinee hold a Santa Claus contest and promote prizes for the youngsters having the best cosfmes. CHARITY: Pass on some of the seasonal good feeling to inmates of orphanages, homes for the aged and for shut-ins by giving one or more free shows for them, promoting transportation in return for credits. Press and radio will publicize it. Set aside one performance when all those bringing gifts for charity are admitted free (limit it to kids, if desired) ; get mothers' clubs, fraternal and religious organizat'ons to cooperate and designate tho charities to benefit. Garments m-ght be sent to schools to be given to needy pupils. Volunteer to help in any charity drive, especially in the collections of baskets of food and clothing for the underprivileged. MERCHANTS: Merchants are desirous of pushing their holiday sales. Tie up with them by giving them tickets at reduced rate to be given to their customers who buy goods to a specified amount, with the merchants advertising the theatre's features and holiday activities. Make use of the promoted lobby Christmas tree by promoting gifts from the merchants to be hung on the tree and given to children. G've a midnight show for last-minute Christmas shoppers provided enough merchants will cooperate. A Santa Claus workshop in the lobby has been found valuable by various theatres ; get merchants to underwrite such a shop and give the services of an employe to impersonate Santa Claus making or mending toys. Have peep holes through which children can watch, or give an air of mvstory by covering the peep-holes vyith special reducing lenses. Promote from dealer or restaurateur a perfect dinner table, with phony but realistic food, to be set up in the lobby; place cards might bear the names of the players in the current feature film. Hold giveaway night of live poultry for Christmas dinner, with dealers donating the fowls. Promote a bang-up restaurant dinner for the winner of some contest — the fattest man, the man w'th most children or anything else that occurs to the mind. SERVICE: As a community service and goodwill builder offer the public free checking service for their holiday purchases. Advertise it with cards and in newspaper ads. Arrange to sell postage stamps in lobby — the post offices always being jammed just before Christmas. Advertise the Christmas programs of churches, fraternal and other organisations (with theatre's program included in anv calendar of events) ; organizations should help defray the cost. Giving away Christmas wreaths in lobby has been found a swe'l way to make friends. Use Christmas seals; sell them in lobby. Insist on courtesy and kindness on the part of all theatre personnel. HELP SANTA: Post a Santa Claus in the lobby to listen to the kids' requests for specific gifts, and then phone the requests to the parents; or, have kids phone from a booth in the lobby with a staff member as Santa Claus at the other end of the wire who later gets in touch with parents. Be sure to get names and addresses. Try the letter-to-Santa Claus stunt in cooperation with a newspaper. MISCELLANEOUS: Invite persons born on Dec. 25 as theatre's guests. A toy electric train in lobby will draw in the kids. Use advance trailer urging patrons to shop and mail early. Tie un with Western Union, in return for theatre credits on telegram blanks, urg'ng the public to wire their Christmas greetings. Hold fashion shows, auction nights for charity : sell blocks of tickets at special rates for Christmas gifts. DEC. 31— NEW YEAR'S EVE. People are out for a good time and business should be of a nature to warrant a midnight show, picking a broad comedy as the feature. At close of show have patrons sing Auld Lang Syne. Have an old man with long white beard and an appropriately garbed child to represent the old and the new year, with the child reciting some new year resolutions — one of them to see the good pictures booked for the theatre. The manager, in person or off stage as a voice, should pronounce theatre's resolution to book the best pictures obtainable. Print a card of new year's resolutions, including that of theatre manager to book the best pictures he can get for the coming year. Anniversaries and Special Occasions Dec. 3 — Illinois joined the union, 1818. Dec. 5 — President Martin Van Buren, born, 1782. Dec. 7 — Delaware admitted as a state, 1787. Dec. 9 — First U. S.-made locomotive completed at West Point Foundry, 1830. Dec. 10 — Mississippi became a state, 1817. Dec. 11 — Indiana joined the union, 1816. Dec. 11 — American Federation of Labor established. 1886. Dec. 12 — Pennsylvania admitted as a state, 1787. Dec. 14 — Alabama admitted to union, 1819. Dec. 18 — New Jersey admitted as a state, 1787. SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, November 26, 1949 20th-Fox's 'Doll foi Eveiy Orphan' Tienp A tieup designed to "put a doll in the arms of every orphan" for Christmas has been entered into by the New York J ourml-American, R. H. Macy & Company and 20th Century-Fox, with distribution of the dolls, donated by the city's children, being made through the Welfare Department. This promotional activity for "Oh, You Beautiful Doll" is an appeal to children to help spread Christmas cheer to underprivileged children. The first 5,000 to take their dolls to the collection depots — the Roxy Theatre, the 66 Skouras theatres and the five Macy stores in the metropoHtan area — will be given passes to attend one of two special showings of "Oh, You Beautiful Doll" at the Roxy Theatre. The doll-collecting stunt is being publicized by the Journal-American in its pages and on its trucks, in Alacy's advertising and store displays and by lobby cards in all participating theatres. The dolls will be picked up at the collection points by 20th-Fox and the judges will make their selections on Dec. 16, when the contest ends, before turning the dolls over to the Welfare department for distribution. Three grand prizes for the "Most Beautiful Dolls" will be "Toni" or "Baby Coo" dolls, doll dresses, sets of dishes, etc., and permission to select any item in Macy's toy department. Merchandise donated by Macy's and the Ideal Toy and Novelty Company will be awarded to runners-up. Multiple-Star P.A.s For 'Johnny One-Eye' Multiple-star personal appearances in various parts of the country will be made by Pat O'Brien, Wayne Morris, Dolores Moran and six-year-old Gayle Reed, stars of United Artists' Benedict Bogeaus production of Damon Runyon's "Johnny One-Eye," in national publicity promotion for the picture. Miss Moran will open her tour in New York on Dec. 10, with interviews, radio and television appearances ; O'Brien's itinerary will include San Francisco, the midwest, Boston and New England, while Morris will cover the southwest and Gayle Reed the south, starting in her home city, Atlanta, where city officials are expected to proclaim a special Gayle Reed Day for its baby star. Chain-Break Gimmick Effective on 'Pinky' For the opening of "Pinky" at the Fox Theatre in San Francisco, the local 20th CenturyFox exploitation representatives followed the radio chain-break gimmick employed in New York, Boston and Los Angeles with good results. The policy is to purchase as many spot announcements from all stations as possible, proclaiming: "Due to the unprecedented demand for seats, 'Pinky' will start at 8:30 A.M. at the Fox Theatre."— SF. Rural Rouser Programs fully paid for by merchant advertising are being used by Schine's Bud Sommers to bring in the rural trade around Richmond, Ky., to the Madison and State theatres. Sommers did not overlook freshman registration week at Eastern Kentucky State College, tossing out a "Welcome Class of '53" in a box in a recent program.