Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

"Is this what you Di'ougiit me nere for?' he asked. "What's wrong with it?" It's dull. It's stupid. There's nothing to it. ' Higgins' Products contain no harm- iv\ ingredients.' So what, Mr. James?" ■'Well," said Steve coolly, "whether it's good or bad copy is a matter of opinion; biit I happen to have enough faith in it to guarantee to triple your business within sixty days." "Ti-iple my business?" scoffed Higgins. "With this?" "Why, yes. I happen to know that your firm is in a bad way. Therefore I'm not asking you to put up any money." Higgins winced at the statement about his firm, but did not attempt to deny its accuracy. Steve's second statement astounded him. "What's the catch?" he asked sus- piciously. "There is no catch. Here it is in a nut- shell : I guaranteed to triple your sales within sixty days without any cost to you. All I ask is twenty per cent of the new business." "Twenty per cent!" Higgins blinked again and again. "Pretty steep " "After all," interrupted Steve, "it's twenty per cent of business you're not doing now." Higgins nodded. He didn't believe his sales could be increased to such an extent in so limited a period, but it wouldn't cost him anything to let Steve try. He handed back the despised lay-out, and he said with a shrug: "Well, what can I lose?" " You have nothing to lose," Steve assured him. "It's a deal. Draw up your contract." The contract was drawn up and signed before Mr. Higgins left the office, and early in the afternoon four picked sales- men and an attractive brown-haired girl became assembled in Red's room. A map of the United States occupied a consider- able portion of one of the walls, and Steve stood beside it as he explained exactly what was wanted. Red studied the re- actions of the men he had lined up and was satisfied with his choice. The campaign having been expounded, Steve checked the assigrmients. "Mr. Marshall," he said, "yoy handle the New England district?" "That's correct, sir," responded a very alert-looking man, "working out of Boston." "Mr. Hinkley?" A little man with bird-like eyes and a very pointed nose replied that he was to cover the Southern States, with the city of Atlanta for his headquarters. "Are you familiar with the district?" SLSked Steve. "That's where I come from," said Hinkley. "McNeill?" "The Rocky Mountain area, out of Denver," returned a long, lean, and very dapper man. "Hanford?" "Pacific Coast, out of San Francisco." This from a red-headed man with a freckled face and a most engaging grin. "Well," said Steve, "I guess that about covers the country." He turned towards the girl. "And you, Miss Daniels, are helping Mr. Barrett." "Yes," confirmed Red, "and doing a very good job." , . , , Virginia Daniels flushed with pleasure but the praise was merited. "That's fine," said Steve. "Now you gentlemen all know exactly what you're going into. You know exactly what j"ou have to do." "Yes, sir," chorused the four. "And you're prepared to leave at once?" ** Yes sir." "All right. This is a whirlwind cam- paign and we've got to put it over within two weeks or else it's no good." " We understand, sir," said Marshall. "Keep in touch with Mr. Barrett by air- mail. \nd that's all, genUemen—except that I wish you good luck." Novcmr>ev 25tli, li)39. BOY'S CINEMA The four men and the girl rose from their seats and followed one another out from the room. Steve looked at the map, rubbed his hands, and remarked: "Well, Red, with this set-up we should have results within three weeks." In their respective territories the sales- men got to work upon a whispering cam- paign similar to the one that had v/recked Brewster Products, Incorporated, and it was all directed against the House of Crandall and in favour of Higgins Pi'oducts. Marshall's favourite approach was: "Do you know what I heard the other day? Crandall lotions contain lead and will ruin your skin." Hinkley confided to perfect strangers: "A woman told me that her daughter used Crandall's lipstick and she got an infection." McNeill's line was to praise Higgins E*i'oducts without seeking orders. "They're the only toilet preparations that are absolutely pure," he would assert. "No poisons, no harmful ingredients." Hanford: "The doctor asked her what kind of lotion she used, and she said it was Crandall's." Red invaded New York with Virginia Daniels, and between them they spread rumours detrimental to the House of Crandall all over the city Steve's simple lay-out for advertising the Higgins cosmetics acquired a point and a selling force, and the whirlwind cam- paign was so successful that five weeks after it had been launched Walter Jonathan Higgins handed its originator a cheque for nine thousand two hundred and forty-seven dollars as his share of in- creased profits. "Not bad for the first month, eh, Mr. James?" boomed Higgins. "And if it's twice as much next month 111 be twice as happy to pay it." Red was back from New York and was perched elatedly upon a corner of Steve's desk. Steve murmured his thanks and made out a guarded receipt for the cheque. "I have a hunch it'll be even more," he said. "I don't care," declared Higgins. "I'll pay it gladly." He pocketed the receipt. "The wholesalers tell me that the Crandall people are howling their heads off. Tlieir lines are just not selling." "Their loss is your gain," commented Red. "It shows the value of proper advertising methods." "Yes," said Higgins. "Look, 1 have another proposition for you. A friend of mine, Mr. Miller, of the Miller Steamship Company, is up against cut-throat com- petition from the Basque Lines. I sold him your proposition on the same per- centage basis " "Thank you. Mr. Higgins," Steve cut in quite calmly, "but I'm not interested in any more percentage deals." "Well, Mr. Miller might go as high as thirty per cent " " Still I'm not interested. I made you a percentage deal because you were one of our first customers. From now on I want a retainer." Higgins blinked. "How much?" "All. say fifty thousand." "Fifty thousand dollars?" Higgins was aghast. "Well, I'm afraid that's out of the question. However, I'll see what he has to say." He shook hands with Steve and Red in turn and took his departure. Steve tilted his chair behind his desk, and hooked his thumbs in the armholes of his waistcoat. "How did you like what he said about the Crandall people?" he inquired. "Say, that was music in my ears!" rejoiced Red. "After what they did to you, I'd like to " "Wait a minute. Red, wait a minute." Steve unhooked a thumb to raise a re- straining hand. "For all we knov/ they might have done us a big favour." Every Tuesday "BAIT! " SIX months after Fred Bowman had suggested to George Harley the whispering campaign that had driven Steve out of the cosmetic business, that exuberant young man sailed noisily into the general manager's office one morning, and flipped a hand. "Good-morning, Harley," he said airily. "What's good about it?' snapped Harley. " Got any bright answers thought up for the boss?" Bowman's high .spirits evaporated and his face fell. He had forgotten that the head of the House of Ci-andaU was due back from Europe that morning. "Nope," he confessed. "Have you?" " Well, we certainly can't tell the truth," growled Harley. "We can't say that Brewster " "Oh, how do you know it's Brewster?" "Who else would.be after our scalps?" Bowman straightened his tie in front of a little miiTor, and his silence iriitated. " Well, think of something! " the tub'oy little general manager barked at him "You started all this!" "Listen!" Bowman swung rqiind to point an accusing finger. "I can't start anything around here without youi" okay, so don't try to put all the blame on me!" "Well " - Harley began furiously; and then the bell of the telephone on his desk caused him to break off with a gulp, and he controlled his voice to say into the instrument: "Yes? Oh! Okay, thanks." He replaced the telephone and he drew a long breath. "It's the boss!" "Well?" shrugged Bowman. "Before we go out there let's get one thing straight — not a word about Brewster! Right?" "Right," agreed Bowman. "Lets go." It was Bemice Laker, Harley's secretary, who had spoken on the telephone—from the general office. She had heard light footsteps in an adjoining room that had not been tenanted for a full six months, and she knew that the head of the House of Crandall had returned. The door between that room and the general office was opened, and into the full view of six members of the staff stepped a young w6man in tweeds who was an absolute vision of beauty. A smart little black hat was tilted sideways upon a head of hair that was naturally golden; furs were draped loosely about slim shoulders. A pair of .soarkling blue eyes ranged the desks, and "everybody rose. She had a word for all six, and all six seemed delighted to see her. " Good-morning, Miss Crandall," said Bemice. "So nice to have you back." Laura Crandall bestowed a smile. "How are you, Bernice?" she inquired, and her voice was soft and musical. Out from the general manager's room came Harley and Bowman, doing their best not to betray any misgivings. "Freddy!" she exclaimed. "George!" And she swept over to tiiem to offer both hands. " Well," said Harley, " you certainly look as if the trip agreed with you." "Did you have a good time?" asked Bowman. "Marvellous!" she declared. "This time I really saw places. Cannes—Buda- pest—Cairo But wait till I tell you about the wonderful tie-ups I've made to distribute our products." She turned towards the room she had just left. " Gentlemen, step into my office. I want to hear all about everything that's happened." She looked round the sunny room as they followed her into it. The walls were grey, the furniture was upholstered in grey, the carpet was purple and thick- piled, the curtains at the windows were patterned in both colours. It was a rest- ful room, and it pleased her. "My, it's nice to be back," she said, as she made her way over to a long inlaid desk and sat down at it. "It seems like old times! "