Boxoffice (May 17, 1952)

great odds. The three drive-in musketeers with ballots. L to R: Joe Nickolick, Ted Graulich and Bill Wunderlich. From the Exhibitors’ Campaign Scrapbook SEV URES ates ' AODND 2 witates | RORY foot Tiers bag Fer Behind ae tas Bee 59 bs OD ber Daniel tine | tales Gerded Tira Mog teers Sl Lae * About 710 I Led bate te bral You ton Ve on Toe kan 7 bower am tarcee be heed tne Demty ‘ ha es Your Vote Atked ) On Frat Tere tine oa i o H ~ | ee Letters to the editor were a potent factor in success of drive. Front-page articles, photographs a-plenty helped build interest. HOUND 5. CONT D WHAT’S BEST FOR EVANSVILLE IS BEST FOR YOU UTE PEPISIOHN THE EVANSVILLE COURIER | Daylight Sacing Tine Can Help Our City to Prosper exd Grow... ; . : Theat ecifits aap eae eahp erage C TY COUNCIL VOTES STANDARD TIME RACs -! ; se > re ee been meter. i 5 Pare, Reman beset Sree ae ee Cras fee emo Catan ee : Coe Jp tw Feat netgear, > ee wR oncoare: bh . HAMBER OF COMMERCE | cl Victory! Council votes standard time—the C of C shifts position. Full-page advertisement of Chamber of Commerce placed during poll, BOXOFFICE :: May 17, 1952 How Three Exhibitors Won A Daylight Saving Fight In Evansville, Ind., Three Lone Drive-In Operators Successfully Take on the Chamber of Commerce | EVANSVILLE, IND.—Three lone drive-in exhibitors have just demonstrated what can be done to successfully state an industry point of view to a community, against Three exhibitors—Joe Nickolick of the Sunset Drive-In, Ted Graulich of the Family Drive-In and Bill Wunderlich, co-owner of Evansville Smartest—have just taken on the Chamber of Commerce in a fight to defeat daylight savings time for Evansville.’ It was a David vs. Goliath type of a battle, in which the theatremen took the campaign direct to the public and won. It is an example of what can be done by exhibitors who are faced with fast time proposals in other communities—if they are willing to spend some money for the campaign, and do the job intelligently. Nickolick, Graulich and Wunderlich put up $3,000 in cash and hired a public relations man to help them do the job, but they figure now it was worth every penny. Not only will standard time ease their drive-in operation, but they feel they have widely publicized the outdoor theatre as 2 public institution. The three men worked fast to win their campaign. Early in April, the Chamber of Commerce, representing virtually all of the important business and industrial leaders in the community, opened a campaign to obtain daylight savings time for the city. The daily press announced that DST was virtually assured “as the C of C recommends it again.” It was at this point that the drive-in operators decided it was time for action. They formed the Evansville Ass'n of Outdoor Theatres, went before the city council with @ formal protest. Next they went to the editor of the Evansville Courier and suggested a citywide poll, to determine whether the townspeople wanted DST time or not—‘“and we'll abide by the decision,” they said. The editor took’ them up on the poll idea. The arrangement Was that the theatremen mail out the ballots and pay for the mailing cost, and the newspaper would stimulate interest in its news and editorial columns. The poll was announced on April 7. A mailing company Was engaged to send out 40,000 ballots and by April 17 the first results were reported in the press. In the meantime, the Evansville Courier ran editorials on the ballot, the Letters to the Editor columns were filled with pro and con arguments and the Chamber of Commerce took a full-page advertisement to state its case. On April 18, it was announced that the opponents of fast time had won 16,580 to 10,340. The following day, the Chamber of Commerce held a meeting and reiterated its position but when the city council on April 21 voted a “surprise blow” with an 8 to 1 vote to stay on standard time, the C of C had a change of heart and abandoned its stand. It proved to Exhibitors Nickolick, Graulich and Wunderlich that the industry can suecessfully put up a fight for what it believes Is unfair to its business and win public support. 27