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

April 26, 1930 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD 43 Ad Layouts And an Editorial “GOOD TIMES” HERALD Published by The Brown Theatrical Company, ZaneBville, Ohio. F. M. Ransbottom, Pres. Caldwell Brown, Gen. Mgr. AN EDITORIAL Written by Caldwell Brown, General Manager of The Brown Theatrical Company, Zanesville, Ohio. I wonder if it has ever occurred to the average theatre-goer just what unseen work has been done for hint before he views a picture on our .screens. I wonder if he ever considers the labpr performed by our large corps of competent workers that he really never sees. I wonder if he considers the vast sums of money we have invested in real estate and in costly equipment for his pleas-' ure and enjoyment. I also wonder if he ever considers that we have nearly one hundred people on our pay roll and that the amount we pay out in weekly salaries compares very favorably with the payrolls of many of our smaller industries here. And finally, I wonder if he knows that practically every cent we collect in admissions, with the excepttion of our film rentals, is spent right back here in Zanesville and Southeastern Ohio. ’ These are some of my thoughts as I sit down to write this article. I have a feeling that the public thinks of theatres generally as places of amusement only. Perhaps this is largely our own fault as our greatest efforts are put forth by newspaper advertising, bill posters and special stunts to attract you and other people into our theatres to see some entertainment we may have to offer. As a matter of fact I feel that we are really as important as industry or commerce or any other legitimate business enterprise not only to Zanesville, but to Southeastern Ohio. We make our money here, and, as stated above, we spend it here. In the start of this article I said something about the unseen and unnoticed work we do for you in trying at all times to present clean enjoyable amusement for you and your friendsr Last year alone we paid for and rejected over forty pictures that did not measure up to our standards of amusement values. These pictures were never shown in Zanesville and will never be shown here for the reason that we did not want to give you inferior amusement in our theatres. We paid for these pictures and took our loss on them for your protection. Do you know that on an average of three nights per week we remain in our theatres until one or two o’clock in the morning looking at advance pictures and rejecting those that do not come up to standard 1 By this we do not wish to infer that large numbers of pictures are poor, for the standards and amusement values of pictures are getting better each year, but we do this advance screening cheerfully for your protection in order to eliminate the few poor ones. Of course our judgement is not infallable but the mistakes we make are honest ones and the public is more inclined to note our mistakes rather than praise our pfforts on its behalf. A word of encouragement now and then helps a lot you know. Have you ever thought of the amount of money we have invested in Zanesville in theatres and equipment? The Liberty Theatre alone represents an investment of nearly half a million dollars and this theatre was built by Zanesville contractors and by Zanesville labor. Quite different from many new theatres that have been built in other cities where outside contractors and outside labor was employed. While we own no other theatres here still the others are all leased from local people and our rents go to them to be used in this city. Did you know that Zanesville was practically theTirst city of its size in the United States to have talking pictures? That we cheerfully took the chance when the first talkers were announced and spent twenty thousand Mollars in purchasing talking equipment for the Liberty Theatre, Then when we saw the talking picture was a success we quickly equipped the Imperial and Quimby Theatres so that I believe Zanesville has as many or more theatres presenting talking pictures than any other city of its size in the state. All this additional expense has been shouldered by us and I believe our admissions are the same or perhaps a little lower than other cities of our class. You are all familiar with our policy of one standard admission regardless of how big and how costly the picture might be. Pictures that are shown in New York at one dollar, two dollars, five dollars and in some instances at even ten dollars per seat, are shown regularly and promptly in our theatres at regular standard admissions. In all my experiences theatrically in Zanesville in the past twelve years there is but one matter of regret — the passing of the road show or the legitimate stage attraction. This is a condition beyond any one or many men’s control. Ten or twelve years ago we were able to present fifty to sixty road shows in a season. Five years ago we were fortunate if we could get twenty. Last season, even though we implored the booking offices for showa and hounded them with letters, telegrams and long distance phone calls, the sum total of our efforts was six road shows and I regret to state that with the exception of two they were very poorly patronized. So it loojks as if road shows and touring attractions were definitely through in towns the size of Zanesville. If the reader will take the trouble to investigate the conditions in other Ohio cities the size of Zanesville, he will find ttyat many of these cities have not had a legitimate show in the past two or three years and many of them have not had one in five years. To carry the Investigation further he will find that our largest cities, as Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, St. Louis, Columbus and many other have had a very hard struggle to keep their legitimate theatres filled with shows this season. We must all remember that any theatre, no matter where it is located, can not present road shows unless these shows are on the road. In closing this little article I would be very ungrateful if I did not express just a word of appreciation to the public and to our faithful employees. First to each and everyone of bur employees a word of thanks for your unselfish and continued loyalty. I know the work is hard and hours irregular and the things that come up each day to annoy and irritate, but each and everyone of you have never failed to measure up to that oldest axiom in show business "the show must always go on.” To the public, our patrons and our friends I want you to always feel that the Zanesville theatres are your theatres and we at all times pledge our b6st efforts in every way to give you the best in entertainment, pictures and service. We want you to feel that you are really our partners in this enterprise and we at all times welcome your suggestions and criticisms If we please you we are glad, -if we disappoint yoa in any way we are always truly sorry. Running theatres is hard work but we like it. Caldwell Brown, general manager of the Brown Theatrical Company at Zanesville, Ohio, prints the above editorial in his “Good Times ” Herald, and there’s a lot in it that any manager would do well to place before his public. We’re confident that Brown will be glad to have you use it in your own house organ. This shows how the management of the Royal theatre at Dallas, Texas, played up R K O’ s “Rio Rita.” Note how the advertisements ure connected by a similar treatment. “/ am watching your ideas and stunts every week and I believe it is time for me to do something again for The Theatre,” writes Albert Knapp, ad man for the Palace at Fredericksburg, Texas. “Since the New Palace theatre opened in Fredericksburg we are doing mostly newspaper advertising, and we find this very satisfactory, also 24-sheets. The small town theatre gets the best advertising out of the weekly newspapers. We find that the weekly newspaper in our town reaches nearly every home and is a very interesting and instructive weekly. I think it is by far a better way to advertise than mailing lists.” What do you think of Knapp’s conclusions? or**** Saturday, Feb. 22. KEN MAYNARD Id “Senor Americano” The battle for land and gold in old California A great Western Talking and Singing Picture! Admission 16c and 40c Sun. -Mon. Feb. 23-24 Wl L L I A I BOYD Also All Talking Cbfnedy and PARAMOUNT NEWS. Admission 16c and 40c Tues-Wed. Feb. 25-26 Come On Yoa Sheiks and Sbebaa! HERE IS “College Love” The All Talking College Picture with Pep, Fun and Listen to this; Songs by the University of California Glee Club! AU that and then some. In TALKING COMEDY and Ttaur.-Fri. Feb. 27-28 Admission 15c and 40c