Exhibitor's Trade Review (Mar-May 1922)

April 15, 1922 EXPLOIT A TIOIS 1413 Exploitation Reaching the Grand Army of Music Fans What Would Happen if the Motion Picture Theatres Could Reach the Phonograph Record Devotees? By HOWARD McLELLAN THERE are three great armies of fans in America — the movie fan army, the phonograph record and music fan, and the baseball fan. The motion picture theatre takes care of its own fans; there is very little chance of a tie-up whereby the theatre will reach the baseball fan, but there is an excellent opportunity for the theatre to make a national and local tie-up that iALWAYS A GOOD COMEDY STEOAL ADDED FEATVKE BRUNSWICK M February Records This is how the Blackstone, in its newspaper copy, exploited the Blackstone Concert Grand Phonograph and the latest Brunswick records as a "special added feature" will reach the music fan, particularly the phonograph record fan. In fact the tie-up that will reach the record fan is under way on a bigger scale than was ever before contemplated. It remained for Kenyon W. Mix, a young man out in Mishawaka, Ind,, who has studied the theatre and phonograph record field, to see this tie-up and his investigation has led to the manufacturer of the Seabrooke concert grand phonograph which is already in operation in some of the large theatres in the East and Middle West. The writer had an opportunity to see this new stunt in operation in the Blackstone Theatre in South Bend, Ind. In that picture house, the largest in South Bend, one of the concert grands has been furnishing record music for several months. Its music is even better than the home phonograph provides, and by means of a special horn and sound fan the melodies are driven out into the auditorium so perfectly that those sitting high up in the pit — two hundred feet from the Blackstone screen — can hear the faintest note; can even hear the operator changing the needle. Through advertising tie-ups with the local record dealers in South Bend, the newest records are given their first public hearing and big splashes of publicity have resulted in the local papers and those in nearby towns. Business for the theatre has improved and the sales of records have likewise been increased materially. How Will the Music Tax Work Out Now? It is possible that the concert grand phonograph idea, fully discussed in this article, will solve some of the music tax troubles besetting the motion picture theatre owner. The manufacturers of the new device are now investigating the music tax situation. Likewise Exhibitors Trade Review is looking into it, believing that if the invention does obviate the tax our readers should know it. We will have more to say about this feature of the project later. As a result of the South Bend experience the instruments are being installed in theatres in Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Toledo and Kalamazoo and may very shortly make their appearance on Broadway, New York. How Idea Was Bom Mix is an advertising man, also an oflftcial of the great Dodge Manu 'Ho Dog— Ho VIctroU" Victrola Red Seal Records Ud7 BlMf*"— . LOW— 1135 9CHUMANN-HTnNK---CalA u Uu Nlfht"— «T33t-41-3& BEINALD ■Wt*aiiNHiTH-"Wli*M Mf Dmr • •139. .'IMULITA OALU-CUBCl— -Ol' (JWoHm"— A SobiIwtb At0t~WH*— HXWtALEY STRING Ql ABTET^H^Tdn > i^t^ft" " U«>>tw747» —II 7Z 1IRC0KD8— XO MATTER WHAT ILMCi OF INSTRUMENT THKY OWN ' Bf^M Ihta Ktthlne rou "Ml mn>"'*« «hy LyERYONE BUYS VKTOR RZCORDS— NO HATTER VfH.\ TJ-iAKE OP IWSTBlWErtT THEY OWK' ParUculArly NoUce ■nd ilK auifc DOES NOT SOl'ND -jnTFLED"— Tha 1« -h, ihf TONt IS CE3T' This is how the record dealer reciprocated with the Blackstone by using the house cut and announcing that the latest records could be heard at the theatre facturing Company which practically owns the city of Mishawaka and employs 11,000 men. The possibility of the motion picture theatre using the record as a means of attracting phonograph record fans