The Film Daily (1931)

THE Sunday, January 11, 1931 &£5 DAILV Applying Showmanship to the Lobby of the Theater By GABE YORKE (Reprinted from Eastern Edition of Fox's "The Last Word") rHE first essential of a lobby is cleanliness. Your doorman and ■shier should be constantly on the ookout for cigarette stubs, candy ind chewing gum wrappings, leaves, ticket stubs, ;newspapefrs and any )ther kind of dirt that may fall unloticed on the lobby floor. Your rames should be dusted. The glass >n them polished. Your lobby should be spick and span. You can't expect the women, ilways watchful for dirt, to attend theater or send their children where dust exists. And that goes for the sidewalk under the marquee, too. Give It a Holiday Atmosphere The next thing to consider is the atmosphere of the lobby. Like certain homes you like to visit, your lobby should have a homey and welcome feeling of which people are conscious immediately. More than that. It should breathe entertainment. A holiday spirit. Every day should seem like a special occasion. And it should be busy, colorful, and stir the imagination. But displays of washing machines, electric refrigerators, bathroom fixtures, etc., do a lot to kill that holiday atmosphere. It reminds women j0f housework and the kitchen. Just 'what they have come to the theater jto avoid. If you have tie-ups offer'ing these home furnishings as prizes, announce them on an easel with the address of the store whose Ishow window displays the prize article. The merchant will appreciate it for it sends people to his place of business. And it kicks the dull care out of your own show window. Plug Your Current Attraction Many managers try to sell too many attractions in their lobby. Just as they try to sell too much in their newspaper ads. Reserve the front of your house for the current attraction. On your marquee give the name of the picture. With the star or important players, if they mean >\ enough. Often the supporting cast doesn't mean much. And you have a great opportunity to include a selling line in the lights. Do that as often as possible. The ad trailer copy should help you out. Of course, a selling short or special newsreel item sometimes rates the lights. Advertise Complete Program Besides lobby cards and stills, you Lobby is Show Window Your lobby presents a tremendous selling opportunity. Consider the lowly retail store with its attractive show window. Not much space but with care and money wisely spent, thousands of passersby can tell at a glance the quality of the merchandise for sale. You have more space and greater opportunities. Your lobby is your show window. Dress Well If you are as particular about how your lobby is dressed as you are about your own personal appearance, your theater will attract new patrons daily. should have a panel or two on the house front containing your complete program. It's surprising how many people come into the house just to see a pet short of theirs. And be sure it's lettered neatly and legibly. The top of your marquee is an ideal spot for 24-sheet cutouts, it they are good. They sell to the people who whiz by in automobiles or street cars. And those on the other side of the street. It is a good jdea to keep some tricks up your sleeve for special occasions. Such as a banner from the top of the theater down to the marquee. And a sign that hangs from the marquee. Or banners along the marquee edge. In decorating for Christmas, harvest time, or unusual pictures, it is seldom wise to use a lot of doo-dads hanging from 'the bottom of the marquee. They obstruct the light. And the spot underneath the marquee should be the brightest spot in town. Try Arresting Catchline Doing the unusual in good taste is always good showmanship. As a stunt, we strongly recommend a 30 by <*0 easel witlj an arresting catchline . . . tied up with your picture. If you saw a sign, "YOU'RE A LIAR . . ." in big type on a sign, you'd stop to find out why. You don't have to call people liars, but you should have some curiosityawakening lines tied up with the picture. BUT keep everything small but that eye-catching line, on the easel copy. Otherwise your secret's out. Work this gag consistently, and you wil'l find that people form the habit of stopping to read what new gag line you have. Which means they read your selling copy, too. Keep Copy Short in Wall Frames In the inside of your lobby, do not advertise pictures more than a week in advance, except in unusual cases. You can do this in wall frames. Or on easels. But your best spot is just over the doors, leading into the theater proper. And the set of doors leading to the street. The title and stars, with the dates, should be all the copy needed. Examine your wall frames. These are usually made of painted compo board with cut-out spaces for stills and the picture title. In many cases there is a space for stills at the very top of the panel, where nobody can possibly examine them closely. Don't put the stills in there. Instead insert a hand-lettered card with a short piece of copy . . . maybe six or seven words. Change Your Stock Frames Often Incidentally, change these stock frames as often as possible. If you have a house artist, all it costs you is the compo board and some poster color. Frequent change keeps the house looking alive. And change the shapes of the cut-outs, too. Don't stick to squares and rectangles all the time. Try an oval, a triangle, a diamond. After you have a half dozen sets of these compo frames you have a stock that will last you a long time. As long as the colors stay fresh-looking. But whatever your lobby in preference to any pictures you use, make sure that you do not use any thumb tacks or nails in displaying them. If a picture is worth space in your lobby it is worth being displayed properly. Use a regulation picture frame, or if this is not available, cut out spaces on compo board and put your stills in these spaces. Baby Spots Are Effective Much can be done with cut-out photo enlargements or art work for special occasions. It is a good idea to have one or two baby spots in the house for just such occasions. Unless you are featuring a special price policy, it is usually wise to place your price scale in a small frame in the box-office. Black letters on a gold background make a good combination. And use small letters. By the time people get that close to the pay box, it is not easy to back away. Floodlight House Front A splendid gag for your house front, if you can afford it, is to throw floodlights against the front wall on any speo'al occasion. Just how cheaply you can rent them dependentirely upon local conditions. But for demanding attention this has no equal. The lights, of course, are placed on top of the marquee. When you have food matinees, or in similar instances, it will pay you to construct a compo board booth. Make it large enough so that what you are collecting or distributing , in be contained in it. The double result is gained of keeping your lobby looking orderly and of having an easily-seen center for collection. Promote Local Displays Watch the newspaper and beep in the good graces of local organization', so that you Know the sources of lobby material. For example, it is possible to promote a lot of gun-. pistols, cannon, etc., from the Amer ican Legion if you have a war picture. Lobby material can also be promoted from the earlier-run houses, often at no cost. Even if you pay a nominal fee, you are much the gainer. And it is wise to have a store room for your pennants, hangers, paintings, etc., to keep them fresh and bright looking. Don't store everything. But keep the things you know you'll need from time to time. Value of Color in Lobbies The value of color in lobbies cannot be overestimated. However, it is necessary to use care in your color combinations. Women, especially, are sensitive to and are attracted or drawn to colors they like. But in keeping contrasts, aim for one dominating color feeling throughout your display. In summer, this should be one of the cool colors: blue, green, violet. In winter, for warmth: yellows, oranges, reds. But not in such violent amounts that they kill your other displays. Not only your frames, but your decorations and your lights should harmonize with your color scheme. Not the lights under the marquee, though. Keep them as brilliant as possible. Ir your hand-lettered art cards and displays, the wording should always be in the bright color. Following are some suggestions: Against a black card: gold, white, light blue or silver letters. Against light blue: dark blue. Against dark blue: light blue, white, orange or gold. Against light brown: green, gray, dark brown or silver. Against light gray: dark blue, gold, or red lettering. Against dark red: darkgreen, white, or gold letters. Against wdiite: Emerald green, navy blue, crimson red. Use Atmosphere in Lobbies Another point of utmost importance is atmosphere in lobbies. In other words, catching the spirit of the picture. Get people's imaginations working in advance. Make them anxious to go into the house and live the strange adventure that are Suggested by the lobby. You do not need a large lobby. What you do with the .-pace is what counts. In fact, in a large lobby it is often much more difficult to get that intimate atmosphere. It is interesting to note that in practically every case where a house record is broken, the theater had a well-conceived atmospheric lobby. In side Out People determine how the inside of your theater looks by the condition in which you keep your lobby. A clean inviting lobby is a magnet.