Exhibitors Herald (1927)

42 EXHIBITORS HERALD August 13, 1927 f THE THEATRE] ^Q.AJJ)epartment of Practical Showmanship J Merchants’ Nights Swell Purse of Theatreman in Town of 4000 ONCE a showman, always a showman. The expression describes exhibitor A. D. Baker, director of the Baker theatre, Lockhart, Tex., to a “tee.” He first saw the little Texas town years ago when he brought the first automobile the town had ever seen. Baker charged the inhabitants 25 cents for a mile ride in his gasoline buggy and cleaned up. But Baker liked the town so well and the people enjoyed his car so much, he decided Lockhart would be a good place in which to live. With the capital he had amassed from his historic automobile, he erected the town’s first motion picture theatre, and he and the theatre (although he has built three new ones since) have been doing business in Lockhart ever since. He has continued to use his showmanship with increasing skill and intelligence ever since it showed him the possibilities in a “first automobile.” Baker’s last bit of showmanship, a campaign recently executed was probably one of the most successful he has ever staged, and it can be as successfully worked by any exhibitor in a relatively small town. * * * In the six weeks’ campaign Baker made a net profit of over $1,000. Briefly, the campaign was a merchant’s tie up. A merchant’s night was held every Tuesday night for six consecutive weeks. Each merchant paid $5 a week or $30 for the campaign, which made the total receipts for the six weeks $1,740. For this $5 each merchant was given 500 admission tickets, which he in i People came from “the forks of the creek” on the night of the Wedding. This photograph was made at 5:30 in the afternoon and the doors did not open until 7:30. Notice the “limousine” reserved for the hridal party. turn gave to his customers with every 25 cent purchase, up to a $5 purchase. Above a $5 purchase, the customer received one ticket for each additional dollar purchase. Thus a customer received 20 tickets on a $5 purchase and 21 tickets on a $6 purchase. New tickets were printed each week, so that the ticket was good for but one night. Five hundred tickets were enough for most of the merchants, but several of the largest stores were allowed several hundred additional tickets, the merchants paying for the printing of the additional ones. The box office was closed every Merchant’s Night, and only a ticket issued by a merchant was good for admission. “The Merchant Night exploitation was a success exceeding all my expectations,” declared Baker. “I issued 185,000 tickets to the 58 merchants during the six weeks that the campaign lasted. Four shows, two in the afternoon and two at night, were held each Tuesday. The seating capacity of the theatre is 800 seats, but by packing the theatre to the utmost, more than 1,000 people saw each performance. The closest possible estimate shows that more than 25,000 people attended the performances. “People came who were not regular picture fans — people who seldom if ever attended. I can name eight grown people who came to the shows who had never seen a motion picture before in their lives. We picked our pictures accordingly, trying to win over these irregular attendants and get them into the picture habit. We opened the series with, ‘The Lost World.’” * * “The stunt was successful from every angle. A majority of the merchants were highly pleased and gratified over the results. Country people came pouring into towm every Tuesday early in the day from miles around. Mr. Colley, manager of the Lockhart Produce Company, says that he bought more turkeys, chickens. Just before the bridal party left the theatre. Over 2,000 people, who could not get in, waited on the outside to greet the bride and groom with rice and old shoes. More than 1,000 others packed the theatre to see the wedding. A. D. Baker