The Exhibitor (Nov 1938-May 1939)

BETTER MANAGEMENT 17 "Love Affair” Reading, Pennsylvania C. G. Keeney, Park, for the RKO show, had the following angles: A bedroom suite ticup in the window of a department store, a tieup with the local cinema shop; a window in a local variety store; a co-op advertisement with a furniture store; jewelry store tieups; playing of records from the show; a wedding cake for exhibition in a downtown window, among others. Highlights in House Operation Saving On Electricity With the summer coming on, houses can save money on their electric bills by attempting to control the demand factor by watching the maximum demand. By keeping the demand as low as policy until the end of the maximum demand period during the on-peak hours in favor of the maximum demand during the off-peak hours, there can be savings effected. Exhibitors in various spots can save themselves money by going into the problem as it affects their individual communities. Highlights in Publicity Ideas Professor Whizz From NSS Professor Whizz, a character created by National Screen Service, will soon be presented to exhibitors as a new and different way to lick the summer bugaboo. The application of this idea takes into consideration the investment thousands of theatres throughout the country put in cooling systems, and enables them to sell their cooling systems in a new and individual manner. Highlights in National Tieups "Streets of New York” Among the tie-ups arranged for Monogram’s "Streets of New York” by Ruth Schwerin are several in which femme lead Margie Reynolds models beach robes, coats, handbags, pearls. Miss Reynolds is also photographed using a Columbia compact, a three-way tie-up with Monogram, the compact manufacturers, the New York World’s Fair. Weisenbach & Company are the beach robe manufacturers; Cohn-Rosenberg sponsor the new bubble pearls; handbags were made by Ritter and Ritter. Another national tie-up was made with the Saybury Company for which Miss Reynolds will model Saybury Hostess coats. "Love Affair” "Mystery Plane” For the first of the "Tailspin Tommy” series, Monogram jumped off to a good start by promoting a national tie-up with S. Weitz, coat manufacturers. John Trent, star of the film, modeled topcoats for blow-ups, displays, ad mats, etc. The Sherman bow-tie people, largest company of its type, distributed framed easel displays, window cards, etc., with pictures of John Trent wearing their product. Model airplane companies, various other outfits also tied up to help promote this air thriller. "Zenobia” A national newspaper, radio, magazine tie-up featuring Jean Parker, June Lang has been arranged with Lux. Jean Parker is being featured in a nation-wide magazine advertising campaign of the Richard Hudnut perfume outfit. Old Gold cigarettes are featuring pictures of Jean Parker in newspaper advertising throughout the country. Weekly mags, window, counter display blow-ups, subway posters are being used in an advertising campaign publicizing Calox tooth-paste. Harry Langdon is being featured in the Glaflex camera advertising. Pictures of Jean Parker are appearing on all packages of Ry-Crisp, a nationally known reducing food. Jean Parker, June Lang modeled E. B. Meyers’ beachwear, Calcraft bathing suits. All campaigns give credits to the stars, "Zenobia.” Highlights in Selling Shorts The March of Time, No. 7 Gardner, Massachusetts Among those things done by manager Curtis Morse, Orpheum, Gardner, Massachusetts, for the "Young America” clip of The March of Time, No. 7 ,were the following: A week in advance, in the inner lobby was placed a scroll carrying endorsements of professional, civic leaders of the great New England furniture town. During the film’s run, the scroll was placed in the outer lobby. During the engagement, the local Boy Scouts presented after each screening a stage tableau, which elicited much favorable comment. In addition to complete billing in the Gardner News, regular lobby accessories were used one week in advance, and in the outer lobby during the engagement. The commercial trailer was used. (A picture of the scroll and a story of the Morse tie-ups was used for the subsequent The March of Time release on "Background for War.”) "The Lone Ranger Rides Again” Williamsport, Pennsylvania For the Republic serial, "The Lone Ranger Rides Again,” which continued the adventures of the radio’s No. 1 cowboy, the Keystone, went in heavily for newspaper advertising, using teaser ads as well as prominent billing in the theatre’s regular space. Other tie-ups were effected with Lone Ranger Club of the Air and the company sponsoring the local radio show. Four-page colored comicstrip tabloid papers were distributed by the hundreds. A tie-up with an ice-cream manufacturer resulted in free samples to children having proper cards. "The Practical Pig” Waterbury, Connecticut Three baby pigs, decorated with bright red satin ribbons, were led about by attaches of the Loew-Poli as ballyhoo for the Walt Disney production, "The Practical Pig.” Other things done by manager Ed Fitzpatrick included the following: He used 40 14 x 22 window posters in strategic spots throughout the city. A counter display was effected with a "five and dime,” other establishments. Mention of the cartoon was made on the marquee a week in advance. Two special 40 x 60’s adorned the lobby. Ten thousand special heralds were distributed. Two weeks’ plugs were obtained over WATR. Rochester, New York For a week prior to the opening of "The Practical Pig,” manager J. Golden, RKOPalace, arranged a display of three live pigs in the lobby. Other items on the Golden program were a children’s broadcast from WHEC, with the reaction of children at a special preview being aired; for two weeks prior to opening a special flag was inserted in the newsreel announcing "the return of the 'Three Little Pigs.’ ” Highlights in Management Ideas Service for Doctors Hagerstown, Maryland Warner Brothers’ Maryland, George N. Payette, Jr., city manager, has a valuable service to aid physicians. Assistant manager Albert Baltzley, who superintends this service, has made quite an interesting statement in which he says that nearly 7S per cent of all calls coming in for physicians who happen to be in the house, are because of delivery cases at the hospital or at homes. Chief of service Claude Poole is in direct charge of this service. The majority of physicians are known by house employees. As soon as a doctor enters to see a show, the chief of service or an usher locates his seat exactly, by row and aisle. This information is taken to main office and filed. Should a hurried, emergency call come in for a doctor, the employees locate him quickly. Selling the Kiddies Brooklyn, New York Making a play for larger children patronage, manager Harry Kriegsman, Claridge, struck upon an idea which pulls out the SRO sign every Saturday matinee. He has a photographer take a picture of the audience (being a fairly small house, most of the kids get in the picture). Circles are drawn around the heads of several kids, a slide is made of the picture. The following Saturday, the slide is flashed upon the screen, free passes awarded those whose heads are encircled. Kriegsman made plans for a kiddie Easter party, 12 huge Easter eggs to be awarded to lucky winners, free candy given to all, a special cartoon show screened. Institutional Bailies Hagerstown, Maryland George N. Payette, Jr., Maryland,, obtained a nice break in the "All In a Day” column of the Daily Mail, in which the author of the column plugged a number of the pictures announced at the Warner convention as forthcoming productions. In "Colley-See-Um” a sports column in the same paper, was given a swell plug to the sport short on the training of field dogs shown at the Academy. Author described the interesting points of the short and gave a plug to the theatre. Sidman’s Press Box Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Bob Sidman, Senate, sent in a new idea (at least to this department) when he announced that he had made arrangements for a Harrisburg critics, Paul Walker, to write his review of a picture while using a typewriter in the balcony of the theatre, looking at the show. Result was a play-by-play description of "Love Affair,” with plenty of space in the paper. We think the idea may well be copied by theatremen in other towns. April 12, 19)9