Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1930)

Record Details:

Something wrong or inaccurate about this page? Let us Know!

Thanks for helping us continually improve the quality of the Lantern search engine for all of our users! We have millions of scanned pages, so user reports are incredibly helpful for us to identify places where we can improve and update the metadata.

Please describe the issue below, and click "Submit" to send your comments to our team! If you'd prefer, you can also send us an email to mhdl@commarts.wisc.edu with your comments.




We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.

Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.

November 29, 1930 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD 43 w BOX OFFICE PROMOTION Capitol Gives 400 Overcoats to the Jobless; A Good Deed and Good Exploitation Just now, while winter is bellowing its first chill blasts, there comes the opportunity for people in the motion picture industry to aid in relieving unemployment in their localities. Exhibitors have gained a name for their willingness to assist in community enterprises. A number of theatre operators expressed at the recent MPTO convention their intention of helping the jobless. The exploitation value alone of this will mean much to them. Many others are following in their footsteps. Fred Perry, manager of the Capitol theatre, Binghamton, N. Y., is one of these. In his theatre, Perry assembled a motley collection of 400 used overcoats which were distributed to the unemployed. This netted him a wealth of publicity in local papers and several pictures showing the line of men waiting outside the Capitol for their "new outfits." Two Tickets for Every Coat Perry's method of obtaining the coats was just as novel as the idea of giving them away. He offered two free tickets for every old coat brought in. One of the news stories describes it as follows : "Realizing thet suffering which the winter may bring to the city's unemployed due to improper clothing: the Capitol, operated by the Binghamton Theatre Company, is inaugurating a campaign to provide the needy with overcoats. The Capitol will be the center for collection of these overcoats and later for their distribution to the unfortunate. The theatre will give two tickets to each person who brings an overcoat to be given away November 14 to 19, inclusive. This is an opportunity to do an act of brotherly kindness." Then Came Another Story Three hundred applications for coats were received in advance. After the first few days of contributing to the fund, Perry found he would be 200 coats short unless something was done. Again the newspapers sent out a call and the response more than filled the order. Another promotion method carried out for relieving the unemploved was a benefit dance. It was organized by Kornblite and Cohen, operators of the Capitol and the Binghamton Theatres Company. The news story, a long one, said in part: "An ouportunitv to 'get into the movies' is "being offered by Messrs. Kornblite and Cohen of the Binghamton Theatres Comnanv in connection with steps to establish a fund for the relief of unemployment, it was announced todav. The fund is to be administered by officers of Binghamton Post No. 80, American Leeion, according to Fred Perry, manager of the Capitol theatre. Dance Swells Fund "The initial move will be in the form of a dance to be staffed Friday night of this week in the General Cigar Company's factory. At Front of the Alhambra theatre, Milwaukee, for the showing of Universal's "The Storm." Genuine fir trees were cut down and treated with white lead to create an ice effect. Credit some more clever promotion to Fred S. Meyer, manager of the Alhambra, who also acts as Western exploitation director for Universal. this dance motion pictures will be taken of the dancers and the pictures will be shown at the Capitol theatre next week. Prizes will be awarded for the most unique costumes and dancers will have a chance to see themselves in the movies. "As an added feature, the theatre management has planned to present at each benefit, including the Friday night dance, selected vaudeville acts which are playing at the Binghamton theatre." Such stunts as Perry and the Binghamton Theatres Company have used are not beyond the reach of any exhibitor. They may need to be cut down to a smaller scale, but they will make good exploitation. They offer the showman a chance to establish himself in the esteem of his fellow citizens and then there is alwavs satisfaction in giving the other fellow a lift. Trv it! 99 Creager in Wilmington Alfred Creager has been named to succeed Ben Hook as manager of the Murphy house, Wilmington, Ohio, the latter being assigned^ to manage another theatre in the Chakeres chain in Springfield, Ohio. Hook had been in charge of the Murphy for about seven months. Putting Green in Lobby Helps Boost ' 'Love in the Rough Russell Lamb, manager of the Fisher theatre, Danville, 111., installed a putting green in the lobby for his showing of "Love in the Rough," a golf comedy. The artificial green was a one-hole affair, with three hazards. Every patron who made the hole in one was given a free ticket to the show. There were a lot of golfers who came to see the picture and they made good use of the miniature course. But they were not the only ones. Further playing up the sports angle of the film, Manager Lamb negotiated a tieup with two local distributors of Spalding sporting goods and obtained window displays of golf accessories, with stills and posters scattered about. Bails and clubs were given to patrons in a prize Contest. Bit