Exhibitors Herald (1927)

December 31, 1927 EXHIBITORS HERALD 35 [THE THEATRE Q_AjT)tpartmmt of Practical Showmanship Do You Know Your Patrons’ Tastes? It would be safe to assume that a large majority of the people in this country have heard of the “Big Parade,” yet when C. S. McLellan, owner of the Rex theatre, Eagle Lake, Tex., made a house to house canvass of his city, he found that 72 per cent of those who answered his questio nnaire had never heard of the picture. This is no reflection on the picture, but it does show how little an exhibitor may know about his patrons, and for this reason, a questionnaire such as McLellan submitted to the citizens of his town is of vast importance to an exhibitor. In the August 20 issue of Exhibitors Herald an account of this house to house canvass was given. McLellan’s idea in holding the canvass was “not only to ascertain the number of people in my town, those of certain ages, their tastes in entertainment, etc., but to give me a personal campaign on ‘The Big Parade’ and ‘Ben Hur,’ as each representative has a sales argument on the pictures which she will endeavor to put over before leaving the home. I already have the pictures bought, and as they are slow in releasing the pictures generally here in Texas, I will be among the first small cities to show them. It being a hard matter to sell country people on the increased admission, the lady canvasser also will try to sell them to the extent that there will be no kick when the pictures are shown at the admission of $1.” In reporting on the results of the canvass, McLellan has this to say: “Roadshowing a picture does not sell it to the ordinary country people. Seventy-two per cent reported they had never heard of ‘The Big Parade,’ and 72 per cent of those that saw it here said they were very much dis Announcement An important announcement will be made in “The Theatre" in the next issue of EXHIBITORS HERALD. This announcement will mark the inception of a new feature service to be carried by “The Theatre" to further the cause of motion picture theatre exploitation and to furnish theatremen with ideas and exploitation plans that have been put in practice and proved successful. You will want to take a part in this new service. Watch for the announcement to be made in this department next week! appointed, and had seen better entertaining pictures. “Without an exception, each report against Sunday shows was made by someone who never comes, or hasn’t come here in the seven years I have owned the theatre. I have only been open on Sunday for two years. After trying to sell them on the idea that the two mentioned pictures were of $1 calibre, I only charged seventy-five cents for ‘The Big Parade’ and lost plenty 1 make The following suggestions as to why I do not attend the picture show more regularly: 1 make the following suggestions i attend the picture shbw more i i to why I do not attend the picture shbw more regularly: .5 </ NAME ADD^S Number in Famil^all residents of Adults <3 ChiWewr . . ^ I Prefer Vaudeville t^^Pictures I Prefer In Motion Pictures: Westerns ..... Deep Dramas Comedies . . . Feature Comedies Costume News .... Variety reels . Serials .... Prefer to go to show on . . night. Am Opposed to Sunday mows. i dj attend them. I Do Thif toko advantage of BARGAIN WEEKS at ia^20c. ajvuoiJL (^/vujaln^ I have heard of the picture BIG PARADE. 1 have rrTT. heard of BEN HUR. I would — like to see both these pictures in Eagle Lake if they are shown before any other city in South Texas, not including Houston, and would pay 50c and $1.10 to see same. i make the following suggestions as to why I do not attend the picture show more regularly: ciLL-' 1 make the following suggestions as to why I do not attend the picture shbw more regularly.: i make the following suggestions as to why 1 do not attend the picture show more regularly: OA* ??0 iake the following suggestions as to why I do not d the picture show more regularly: . . . In the center of this reproduction is seen the questionnaire used by C. S. McLellan, owner of Rex theatre, Eagle Lake, Tex. This one was answered by the mayor of the city. The small clippings show a few answers made as suggestions as to why the theatre is not patronized more. of money. I charged fifty cents for ‘Ben Hur’ and made a legitimate profit. “I have worked on each individual with a special mail campaign, using the questionnaire he signed as a basis. That • is, if he preferred a news, I let him know the make, age, date, etc., that I show a news, and each week mail him a synopsis of my current issue. Sunday objectionists were cut from my Sunday mailing list, and those complaining of lack of funds and high admissions were reminded of Bargain Weeks with complete selling data. “The campaign offered me most valuable information, but would have been useless had I not used that information to follow up. “My local editor has requested me to write an editorial column for his paper once a week, using my name, but I do not know the success I will attain. It seems a great chance for me to put my name before the public here, providing I can refrain from putting in too much selling talk on the show. “Many people were of the opinion that the campaign I put over was to ascertain their feelings toward the Sunday show. Those were handled as tactfully as possible. I was carried into corporation court last year on this score, but the jury found me not guilty on a technicality. Since then there has been little agitation.” The idea of classifying patrons according to their personal taste in entertainment is an extremely good one. The saving in advertising and the making of the advertising more effective is apparent to anyone. In this way McLellan’s advertising has 100 per cent appeal. Now You Tell One! Pardkm Us For IN WE JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU CHARLEY MURRAY and GEORGE SIDNEY Will Be at The MORRISON THEATRE Mon. Tues. Wed. Oct. 17-18-19 IN A LAUGH PANIC “THE LIFE OF RILEY” P. S. — Save this Button for Emergency for it’s sure a “ BUTTON BUSTER.” (Over) Novel card used by the Morrison theatre, Alliance, O., when it ran “The Life of Riley,” the First National picture starring Charlie Murray and George Sidney. The button was sewed to the card.