Exhibitors Herald (1927)

EXHIBITORS HERALD 43 August 13, 1927 eggs and other country produce on the six Tuesdays than at any other time that he has been in business. Other merchants reported similar cases.” The huge success of the campaign was partly due to the great amount of promotion work and advertising done to put it over. Many exhibitors who have tried such campaigns have met dismal failure, and in nine times out of ten, the reason is that not enough promotion work was done. But Baker did not allow the campaign to drag for a minute. He kept it the talk of the town for the entire six weeks. “Billings and advertising started two weeks prior to the first show," relates Baker. “I billed it like a circus, using about six times our regular lithograph advertising on the opening picture. Full page newspaper advertising was carried before the opening. Circus style handbills, reproduced from the newspaper and full size, were distributed over the entire county, and in every small town nearby. Special window cards and snipers were employed. I made announcements in the theatre at every performance.” ^ ^ ^ To stimulate interest further each week, some sort of stunt was planned for each Tuesday. The most successful, an event that will be town conversation for years, was a wedding on the stage held at the first night performance the second Tuesday. Prior to the opening of the campaign, an offer of $100 was made to any couple that would marry on the stage during a Merchant Night performance. Just two hours before the theatre was opened the first night, a couple presented themselves ready to accept the offer. “But over 2,000 people were already on the outside waiting to get in,” declared Baker, “and I did not want to hold the wedding when I already had such a wonderful house for the opening night, so I stalled them oft' for another week. “To make sure that the couple would not fail me, I succeeded in getting hold of the license and keeping it. The next week I advertised the marriage extensively, and by withholding the names of the couple, I succeeded in arousing the curiosity of the entire county. Everyone was speculating as to whom the couple could be. “The next Tuesday night, the night of the wedding, crowds began to gather four hours before the night performance. I had the block in which the theatre is located roped off from automobiles. In front of the theatre, a disreputable old car, of the college variety with signs and tin cans hanging from it, was placed for the use of the bridal party. The couple was married by the county judge, and then passed down the isle to the outside where over 2,000 people greeted them with rice and old shoes. This crowd did not include the thousand or more in the theatre. I believe this is a rather successful event to be staged in a town of 4,000.” Every exploitation scheme that Baker has ever staged in the years that he has been in Lockhart has possessed the one real secret of success in all exploitation— community welfare. Baker never stages an exploitation that will benefit him alone. Of course, each one is designed to build his own business, but each exploitation possesses some phase that is beneficial to the community or some organization. The above exploitatation brought more people to Lockhart than any one other thing has ever done. It stimulated merchants’ business, and it made friends for the town as a whole among hundreds of country people. Twenty-five thousand people saw the show, thousands more came and were turned away. The people of Lockhart call Baker “Colonel,” and in the South that name is given to town characters whom every one loves and admires. Colonel Baker deserves it. It fits him like the smile he always carries. PHONE 105 PROGRAM FOR JULY. 1927 S I O 5 SUN ^ ^ 31 Program Calendars Keep Patrons Posted How often have you exhibitors had a patron say to you? “I surely did intend to see that picture you had last night, but I forgot all about it.” Many, many times we know. And when one person says that, it means that many others had the same experience. And more important, it means that the exhibitor is not using enough exploitation for his pictures. To keep his patrons from forgetting his picture program, Barney Gurnette, manager of the Lodi theatre, Lodi, Cal., uses a monthly calendar upon which is printed his entire program for the month. The calendar is suitable for hanging up in the home. It is nine and one-half by 11 inches, and contains as many as nine small zinc etchings of stars in the date squares. These calendars and small pocket isze ones are mailed to his patrons each month. Here is Mr. Gurnette’s letter. Editor, THE THEATRE, Exhibitors Herald, 407 So. Dearborn St., Chicago, 111. Dear Sir: I have been a reader of the Exhibitors Herald for the past 11 years and I have received a great deal of help from its pages. Your house organ exchange idea fills a long felt want and I shall be pleased to exchange programs with other members of the exchange. Will you kindly send me the details? Enclosed herewith you will find a copy of our current calendar together with our programette. A copy of each goes to our mailing list, balance to house distribution. Wishing you every success, I am Very truly yours, BARNEY GURNETTE, MANAGER, LODI THEATRE. A new list for the house organ exchange, Mr. Gurnette, is being prepared and will be published in a forthcoming edition of the HERALD. This list will contain all names that have been run in the past and the additions. It is published about every fourth issue of the HERALD. Thanks for the letter and calendar, Mr. Gurnette. We will be glad to see others that you prepare in the future.