Associated First National Franchise (1921)

6 First National Franchise Semi-Monthly IF I were to be asked for the best formula for breaking into print, I would say: "Play fair with the newspapers." Soon after I entered the moving picture business I made a discovery. It was this: The best medium of publicity in the middle-sized city is the press. When I made that discovery I turned the bulk of my advertising appropriation newspaperward and I never have had occasion to regret it. The fact of the matter is that the results have been so satisfactory that each year has seen the newspaper allotment increased until now it exceeds 90 per cent, of the whole appropriation. Then I made another discovery. Newspaper men invariably are human. When they find a customer is giving them the long end of a deal they are anxious to reciprocate. When they find a theatre owner pinning his faith to printers' ink — I mean ink that is paid for in perfectly good dollars — they are not slow to come through with a type of co-operation that spells more dollars at the box office. As to "breaking into print" — well, I don't. The Orpheum, however, is in practically TF we all knew WHAT TO DO as an exhibitor we would all be exhibitors. Then we could stand 'em up ten deep. I'm not an exhibitor, but observation and experience has taught me what I would do if I were. For a starter I would have a clean theatre. If a body must endure dirt don't make him pay for the privilege. I have seen many a theatre playing $5 pictures to a 5c crowd and merely eking out an existance while a can of paint, a broom and a bucket of suds used to advantage might attract just the people he would like to see enter his doors and who hold back because GERMS look bigger than his Attraction. Then for number two. I would not pick my attractions from a price list. I do not mean that price would not interest me, but what I was getting would interest me more. I would not lose sight of the fact that a picture bought must be sold again to the public — and believe me that selling again is a mansized job when you buy white elephants labeled Attractions. I just couldn't see a picture with "low price" as its only attraction, but if a fellow said he had pictures the public wanted to see, I'd sure sit up on my hind legs and take notice. Many times the possibilities in a high priced picture dwarfs the cost to pigmy size, and just as many times the low price of a really good picture blinds an exhibitor to its real worth as a box office attrac Breaking Into every issue of the Fond du Lac papers with paid copy and usually copy that isn't "paid" along with illustrations from time to time. What is more, I get the best co-operation on those pictures that are most deserving. How does it happen ? Well, it's this way. Those newspaper fellows don't have to be told that I consider the newspaper ace high when it comes to effective publicity. They are dead sure my judgment is good on this count; they are willing to gamble on it when it comes to pictures. Result: When I back up that judgment by walking into the counting room with a bang-up big schedule some telepathy stunt is pulled off and the Orpheum gets a few extra readers with perhaps some good sized illustrations. In other words, the newspapers base their judgment on my pictures very largely in the manner in which I back up my own faith in them. And they don't go wrong unless I do, which is very seldom. I have educated my patrons up to a point where they place confidence in what I say in my publicity. They take me at my word. When I tell them a picture is good they believe it, and that belief finds expression in long lines of people waiting for the doors to open. I can't afford to have them disappointed, even if I were disposed to slip one over occasionally, which I am not. I believe in playing perfectly fair with the public as well as with the newspapers. In that way I am on perfectly good terms with both. My box office receipts prove conclusively that "honesty is the best policy" even for a picture house. Exhibitor tion. A man will tell you — "Yes, I made money on that one, but look what I paid for it." Perhaps the next day he showed a picture the public would have enjoyed seeing, but it cost him so little in rental he forgot to tell the people anything about it and they in turn forgot to come. It is an almost universal fact that the effort an exhibitor puts forth to exploit a picture is gauged entirely by the initial cost of the picture itself. When a man comes in my office and says: "Quote me a few big pictures and then sonv 'program stuff' ", I've a quick mental count on his box office receipts. A few big days that help keep the sheriff away — a flock of lean ones that show what a D er er poor business man he is. The moment you cease Newspapers Returning to the subject, "Breaking Into Print", I might say that I make it a point to never ask for anything but value received. At that I feel quite positive that oftentimes I get much more. Take, for instance, two pictures which were shown at the Orpheum to capacity houses. I refer to "Go and Get It" and "The Yellow Typhoon." I gave both of them much publicity — paid publicity — in the newspapers. There was first a long line of teasers. Then came big copy that told the story in compelling fashion. It didn't take the newspapers long to discover that I was backing these pictures to the limit. It didn't take them any time at all to decide that they would back me without any limit. And they did. I happen to be a member of the Rotary Club and asked the members and their ladies to be my guests at "Go and Get It". The newspapers played up the story before and after of their own accord. I had made good on my promises and they went me one better. The .newspapers send their critics to review my pictures and these pictures receive favorable comment — when they deserve it — otherwise they don't. It is my business to see to it that the pictures are of the meritorious type. When I have done this, the rest is easy. I have frequently had occasion to express my appreciation of favorable comment. I do not recall ever having gone into a newspaper office determined to "stir things up" because my advertisement did not happen to meet my approval from a typographical standpoint or because it had a wrong position. When I have a complaint I state it in a business way and invariably I receive business courtesy in return. I Would— to care a tinker what you show on certain days just so the price is right the long suffering public is going to get careless about seeing your show except on special days. Program stuff, if properly sifted and the proper amount of brain-leaven added, will rise above the margin set by its price. There are plenty of good pictures at reasonable prices to fill any man's program. A good rule is not to buy a picture you would not be willing to sit through yourself. Separate the wheat from the tares and when you get the wheat advertise it as wheat. Don't.be afraid to advertise a good picture just because it failed to cost you a small fortune. Big returns on small outlay show real showmanship. I call to mind one of the first pictures we released — A Frozen Warning. We sold this picture to a small town exhibitor. He saw it was a good picture regardless of cost to him and set about the business of exploiting it. Used it on a July day. Gave his front a frozen appearance with cotton icicles etc., splashed over with Christmas tinsel (cost about $5 he told me). It was so hot on the outside they just had to go into that cool looking retreat — and they did — I won't sav how many dollars worth of them (I didn't believe him myself until he showed me roll). The day's receipts paid a month's expenses and then some. Last, but nevertheless a prime factor, is the necessity of serving the public cheerfully. f Were An