Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Oct-Dec 1928)

52 EXHIBITORS HERALD and MOVING PICTURE WORLD October 20, 1928 THE THEATRE Incorporated in this department of practical showmanship of Exhibitors Herald are the Moving Picture World departments. "Selling the picture to the Public," and "Better Business Builders." College Nights with Newsreels, Dances Boost Student Trade Are you getting your share of patronage from the young folks, that most important block of your community's population, which has a very vital influence on your business as a whole? Few theatres can afford to overlook the young people, and as a general rule it pays to make a definite appeal to them. There are many ways of doing this. Many theatres work through the colleges and high schools. It is one of the surest ways of successfully appealing to the boys and girls of school age. THE Granada theatre, one of the Marks Brothers houses in Chicago, is using this method with a large share of success. The Granada is a large deluxe neighborhood house on the North side of the city, and a few miles further North in Evanston is Northwestern university, with an enrollment of several thousand students. The theatre had always received a good patronage from these students, but like all good theatre managements, it was not satisfied with just a good patronage. The management felt that if an especial appeal was made directly to the students, the patronage could be increased in large and paying measure. Consequently, J. J. Hess, advertising and publicity director for the theatre, and his staff set about to win that extra patronage. * * * The first move was to designate Friday night as Northwestern Night. But merely designating a certain night as Northwestern Night would have little effect in itself. Things had to be done to prove that Northwestern Night was something more than a name. The feature of Northwestern Night became and is now a dance held directly after the last stage show in the grande lobby of the theatre. Dancing starts at eleven o'clock and lasts until one. Music is furnished by the regular stage show band. Usually an act or two from the stage show appear during the dance to give impromptu bits from their regular act. Ballroom dancers have proved popular with the students, but they enjoy seeing at close range any act that might be on the bill. * * * A special Northwestern newsreel made on the campus is the feature of the show itself on Northwestern Night. These newsreels are designed to get as many prominent students in the picture as possible, thus insuring a large draw from the newsreel alone. Each week the members of one fraternity and one sorority are photographed in front of their house, and shots of the football squad, members of the girls archery club, art classes and other groups are photographed and included in the newsreel. The theatre is decorated in the school colors, pennants are hung in the lobby and foyer. School songs are played by the organist or the stage band, and the acts usually make some play to the students. In all, the students are made to feel that Northwestern Night is really their night. A little later in the football season, when the interest is at its height, it is planned to give away horns and school souvenirs for use the next day in the football game. Cheer leaders will be put on the stage to lead the students in school cheers. Northwestern Nights are advertised in the Chicago papers and the Northwestern Daily, the school paper. When the first Northwestern Night was held three weeks ago, more than 300 stu dents were counted on the grande lobby dancing, and the number has appreciably increased the following two weeks. But this number does not represent the entire increase in patronage, for the school patronage has noticeably increased for the other nights of the week. There is every promise that Northwestern Nights will grow into a large business builder for the theatre. It is already true that many more students have been acquainted with the theatre and that many new steady patrons have been made. The Friday night affairs have also drawn a large number of high school students who like to mingle with the college people. Ballyhoo for "Whip 99 For publicity in connection with "The Whip," First National picture now showing at the State theatre, Cleveland, a horse and jockey were paraded up and down Euclid avenue. The jockey was dressed in a bright red outfit, and the horse had posters and labels on his saddle, advertising the picture. Northwestern Night at the Granada theatre, Chicago. These are held every Friday night when the students see special newsreels made on the campus and dance after the show in the grande lobby. It has built business in student patronage. The photograph is a typical Friday night scene in the theatre's lobby.