Exhibitors Herald (1927)

November 12, 1927 EXHIBITORS HERALD 41 [THE THEATRE1 )e/>artmew£ of Practical Showmanship ^ THEATRES FORM MATINEE CLUBS AND BUSINESS BEGINS TO SOAR THE patronage of the Julian and Buckingham, neighborhood theatres of Chicago, managed by Charles Ryan, on Sunday afternoons has grown with leaps and bounds during the last few months. Now the theatres are doing practically a sell out business for these performances. This popularity has been won by the formation of a Sunday matinee club for children at which in addition to the regular program an “Our Gang” comedy is run. The club is also tied in with the showing of serials. Briefly the plan is this: At the beginning of each serial, every child is given a colored card, printed upon which are 10 small squares. Each succeeding Sunday, one square on the card is punched when the child buys his ticket. When a child has every square punched at the end of the 10 weeks, he is given three admission tickets to following Sunday matinees. To further stimulate attendance a colored card is posted in the theatre box office each Sunday. Every child possessing a card of the same color is admitted free. Thus if a child comes every Sunday during the 10 weeks, he is sure of being admitted free one time during the period, besides the three admissions that he receives at the end of the period. For the first several weeks, the number of cards entitling the holder to admission is small, thus regulating the number of free admissions. Toward the end of the period, the number of cards corresponding to the color that calls for admissions is larger, but since by that time many of the cards have been lost, the number of free admissions is automatically cut down to the desired number. The following letter to The Theatre from Ryan further explains the Sunday Matinee club : Editor, THE THEATRE, Exhibitors Herald, 407 So. Dearborn Street, Chicago, 111., Dear Sir: Knowing that it would be of interest to you, I want to relate to you an idea and stunt I achieved in exploiting the “ Our Gang” re-issues. My slogan and aim in conducting Chicago residential theatres in the past 17 years has been: “ Make the kiddies happy and comfortable and at the same time keep them quiet. The child of today is the man of tomorrow. Make your theatre a gathering place for the little folks at the matinee performances, and you will create for your theatre priceless goodwill from them and your community.” I decided to fulfill and carry out my ideas, and I saw that to eliminate competition, I must add something to my program that the surrounding theatres could not duplicate. I announced through the medium of programs and film trailer that starting on a certain Sunday we would organize an “Our Gang” club. I explained to the juvenile patrons that the 50 following weeks at The membership card used by the Buckingham theatre in Chicago in connection with its “Our Gang” Sunday Matinee club. the Sunday matinee we would show in addition to our serial, feature, comedy and news an “Our Gang” comedy. “Gang” comedies as you well know were first released seven years ago. To the children ranging from seven to 10 years of age these re-issues of “Gang” comedies were something they had never viewed before. At the present date after showing 28 of the “Our Gang” re-issues, the Matinee club has been figuratively and literally a huge success. The “Gang” comedy at times steals the show from the feature picture. Children now prefer the Julian theatre on Sunday afternoons in prefernce to four other theatres within a radius of two city blocks, simply because the “Gang” comedy is the magnet that attracts and holds their patronage. Very truly yours, CHARLES RYAN, Managing Director of the Buckingham and Julian theatres. This letter is proof of the contention put forth in these columns many times that one of the first duties of an exhibitor is to Exhibitor Puts Over “Movie Week' in Town; Is Genuine Success L. Charles Straw, manager of the Colonial and Lyceum theatres at Port Arthur, Ontario, staged a “Movie Week” that proved to be a genuine success. He made the suggestion, with the cooperation of the local newspaper, that every resident of Port Arthur attend a film performance at least once during the special week. He added a community service twist by suggesting that public-spirited residents make it possible for every poor person to see a show as a means of happiness and inspiration. The result was spontaneous, many deserving families being brought to the theatres. Theatre Gives Free Show for Mothers While it has long been the practice of exhibitors to give free performances to children, the idea of entertaining mothers in the same fashion is not so widespread. Charles York, of the Dome theatre, Oceanpark, Cal., recently did a good turn for his theatre by entertaining mothers. Guests at the affair were all mothers, and all more than 35 years of age. The program was followed by a reception at which the guests met a star and a director in an informal manner. Several hundred bay district mothers took advantage of the invitation. cater to children. “I have been an exhibitor long enough,” says Ryan, “to see children who patronized my theatre grow up and bring their own children to my theatre. If a theatre succeeds in getting the children of the neighborhood, the children will bring their parents to the theatre.” Although Ryan’s Matinee club has been used with “Gang” comedies, the same idea can be used in connection with serials alone, or even without any special kind of attraction. It is an exceptionally good means of boosting matinee attendance. Ryan says that having the children carrying the cards for 10 weeks at a time is extremely good advertising. The children take the cards to school with them, and take a great deal of pride in them. The more squares they have punched in the cards, the prouder they are of them.