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.
The small town or neighborhood theatre has many more important problems that are not of major con- cern to the first-run exhibitor. It is essential to know the type of picture the regular week-end patrons like best and what the regular mid-week patron wants to see. The small town and neighborhood exhibitor must keep in mind that many of his patrons come to the movies the same nights each week and he must keep them satisfied by presenting the type of program they prefer. Some communities are predominantly Catholic, Protestant, or Jewish — which might have a considerable influence upon the type of entertainment they like best, and it is important to consider what nights to run different types of pictures. The economic level of the community is an important consideration also. The likes and dislikes of a mining town are usually different from those of a col- lege town. Proper pictures for the children on Saturday when mothers go shopping are a must. If the exhibitor knows his community well, consideration of all of these determining factors will be second nature when pro- gramming his theatre. Both deluxe first-run and neighborhood showmen should make every effort around holidays to book at- tractions that are gay and appealing to the family group, for at these times people are in a holiday mood and looking for this type of entertainment. A most important part of properly programming any theatre is the correct spacing of the various types of pictures. Several war pictures following one another tends to keep away a certain segment of any potential audience. Everyone likes strawberry shortcake but a month of the same desert at every meal might turn a person against strawberry shortcake. A patron must be provided with a diversified menu of good entertainment. Every meal is better when it is served with a good appe- tizer and a refreshing salad. The theatre adds short sub- jects and news reels to the program as something extra to round out the movie menu. Here again, knowing the community is important in booking the right subjects. The exhibitor who books short subjects with only running time in mind is not programming his theatre. Short sub- jects should be selected to diversify the program and attractively supplement the feature attraction. In building a program it is well to keep it flexible. If a policy of one, or four pictures per week should prevail, be prepared to change this policy if the type and quality of the picture justify. Remember, you are catering to the taste of your patrons. Try always to make your judgment fit in with their wishes and desires. The key to the situation is to know the community and the people in it; to keep yourself up to date with what is going on with other exhibitors, with producers, and distributors; to use this information and knowledge wisely and to be big enough to correct your own mis- takes. There is no substitute for good programming.