The film daily year book of motion pictures (1932)

SPECIAL STUNTS — Adolescent Club Most of the club ideas have been confined to getting the younger children in; which is a perfectly goo^ idea. But there is just as much money paid by boys and girls between 12 and 18. There is no reason why the semigrownups should not be interested in a club idea, too, if the stunt is suited to their more mature development. The gag is to form a picture study club, with an enrolled membership oledged to a study of the pictures. It should be placed under the management of some tactful woman who knows her pictures. The club should visit the theater on a designated night and either before or after the showing meet for a discussion. If before, the club leader tells all about the play. If the meeting follows the showing, it should be devoted to the expression of opinions. In either case, prizes are awarded for the most intelligent criticisms, idea to count for as much as literary expression. □ — Social Secretary You can cash in on the bridge clubs through this idea. Engage a girl with a wide social acquaintance to act as Secretary. She contacts merchants, arranging for donations of beverages and solids for the party, and then sells the women's clubs the idea of having a party at the theater with refreshments. The girl takes care of all routine, including press work. The payoff is not merely the sale of admission tickets for the party, but the building of your house as a smart place to frequent. □ —Club Talent Nite You can give a new slant to the old Amateur Night idea by styling it Club Talent Night, and where possible, ascribe the acts to various local clubs and organizations. Where there is no such affiliation, you can cover it with trick billing for the act such as "Newton's Own Maurice Chevalier," etc. Acts should be carefully picked, and kept strictly amateur. Hold auditions each Monday. Give suggestions and coaching to selected acts, and advertise in the program, with eight to ten names on each bill. Award cups as prizes. This stunt capitalizes the local appeal to the limit, and can be worked by any neighborhood house willing to go to the trouble of making the gag look important. □ — Dance Lessons By securing a local dancing instructor who will work for the attendant publicity, you can build up a dancing class for the kids>that will net a lot of publicity. The youngsters are given lessons on the stage Saturday mornings, with the kids getting everything for the 15 cents admission. The stipulation is that every child must be accompanied by an adult, who pays regular admission. □ — Song Recording If you have an organist, secure for him one of those phonograph devices which are capable of an immediate playback, similar to the style once current in theater lobbies. The organist gets the audience to sing a pop number on his promise to let them hear how it sounds, and immediately replays the effort from the disc over the amplifiers. Any audience will go for this, to hear themselves singing. — Rotarian Luncheon A goodwill gesture can be made by inviting the Rotary Club to hold a luncheon on the stage instead of in a hotel as customary. They can transact their regular meeting, and then stay as guests to see your feature, in fact this idea can be extended to include a variety of local organizations. □ — Local Critic With theaters looking for new gags for matinee appeal, it might be a good chance to start a series of lectures on picture appreciation. Get the local critic, or someone who has a working knowledge of pictures and enough name to put up a front, to talk on what makes a good story and why, with the suggestion that there will be better pictures next season worked in well disguised. Stunt will appeal to the would-be femme highbrows, and it may give a boost to the coming product without appearing to do so. □ — Password Reductions Something new in the form of a two-for-one is the radio reduction night, operated in conjunction with a local station. Station gives a five minute chat about the bill two or three times daily and winds up with the statement that it has arranged with the theater to make a special reduction to the air audience. No red tape. All the patron has to do is to attend a certain performance, give a password and obtain two tickets for the price of one. The password is changed weekly where the stunt is run more than once. Of course 699