Building theatre patronage : management and merchandising (1927)

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18 Building Theatre Patronage People were beginning to come to the motion picture theatre in an attitude of mind with which they visited the stock company legitimate theatres. Exhibitors were persuading newspaper editors to carry stories about the motion picture on the amusement pages. Such stories added a certain dignity to the photoplay and made it recognized as a companion to legitimate theatre productions. These stories were placed at first as a concession to theatre advertising. It was then agreed that they had little reader interest. But as stars became better known, and important productions were released, there developed a reader interest which justified allotting space for these stories. Another influence for building theatre patronage was thus permanently established. Admission Price. Better productions justified higher admission prices. Increased receipts and the possibilities of appealing to wider patronage made advertising more important. Greater advertising expenditure was justified. In earlier days, if an exhibitor spent an extra $10, it meant that he required more than 200 extra patrons at five cents admission to justify the expense. But with the admission price raised to twenty cents, 200 extra patrons meant a $40 increase. This was worth striving for. There was an attempt at more intensive, more efficient and more varied advertising. Exhibitors were not trained advertisers, but they made a sincere effort to improve by studying the trade paper suggestions. As theatres grew larger, exhibitors became really important figures in their communities. They began to take a part in community activity. There were free matinees for inmates of institutions, school contests, holiday programs at the theatres and a general attempt to develop good will. This important influence for building theatre patronage also helped to discourage unfavorable legislation. The years before 1915 might be called the "Period of Free-Lance Exploitation." Each exhibitor relied upon his own ingenuity and worked without the help of experts. Many advertising activities were copied from the circus campaigns; for instance, the blind man stunt, the jackass stunt, peep-hole stunts, mystery stunts and others. Circus ideas were tried by