Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Apr-Jun 1930)

April 26, 1930 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD 39 w THE THEATRE “Keep Plugging” Should Be Everyman’s Creed, Says this Exhibitor, and He Knows! “We just have to keep on plugging and doing bigger and better things.” That word, passed on to The Theatre by the manager of a theatre in the South — a member of The HOE Club, by the way — is many a mouthful in these days of real competition in the exhibition field. “We just have to keep on plugging!” There is a philosophy that applies to every type of theatre, deluxe metropolitan and cosmopolitan house with every latest innovation, as well as the small town theatre with its limited circle from which to draw patronage. It goes for the exploitation man with thousands to put into his campaign, just as truly as it holds true for the little fellow who must count almost down to pennies in putting his show before the public. It’s the Same for Everyone At the same time it confirms what this department so often has said : Every theatre, whatever its size, Can make its patronage greater by consistent and intelligent exploitation. Even if the manager must do his own art work, then he should do it as well as he can and with his eyes open for hints from others — such hints as the members of The HOE Club willingly place before their colleagues. Sonny Shepherd (the official handles on his name are J. M., but what of it?) is manager of the Grand theatre atl West Palm Beach, Fla., one of the Wolfson-Meyer circuit and a house that is exclusively for colored people. There is many an interesting angle to the handling of a theatre of that kind, but the principle is the same, whatever the type of patronage. Gets Good Type of Patronage Here’s what Shepherd tells us about his job down there in the Southland: “I was wondering if it would be of any interest to you to explain about what I think is a little different type of operation. “I am manager of a theatre exclusively for colored people. We get a nice crowd of help from the Palm Beaches in the season, and they are a very educated type of people and demand the best in entertainment. “I get some nice talent for the stage and also in music with very little cost involved. I have an orchestra I have helped work up among some of the colored boys and they play for me two nights a week, as I sold them on the idea of rehearsing here on two nights that I do not use sound pictures. In turn I help advertise their dances by making a ballyhoo for them and myself on the day of their dance, getting one half of a sign on a big truck. I am enclosing a picture of one of the ballys. “Also I get a kick out of doing my own art work, and am enclosing some samples of that. I have not been much of an artist in my life but that saying, ‘Necessity is the Mother of Invention,’ has found a place with me. Attends to Sound Himself “I also attend to my sound, having a set we assembled ourselves. Am an operator and enjoy working in the booth. We try to give service in this operation and have some compliments from lots of theatre executives. Which sorta makes us feel good, but really we know that we just have to keep on plugging and doing bigger and better things. “I do not have any union to contend with. I am my own operator, have my own musicians, and we have some of the country’s best vaudeville among the colored ( Continued on page 44, column 1) “We just have to keep on plugging.” That’s the idea of Sonny (J. M.) Shepherd of the Grand theatre at West Palm Beach, Fla. And it’s the philosophy that makes success for any man’s theatre, regardless of location or clientele. Shepherd says he’s getting a kick out of doing his own art work, even if he never has been an artist. On the right is a panel he made on “Fox Follies,” and on the left is a bit of his work on “Salute.”