Fox West Coast Theaters Now (April 16, 1930)

NOW SHOWMANSHIP.. PLUS EDUCATION BOARD APPROVES TIE-UP that is ideal plan for insuring support of p.-t. a. on special children’s mat. and assuring success of kid shows # An Idea that is the perfect- ed consummation of the Fox West Coast Theatres institutional policy of reaching right to the very fountain-head of the most desired supporters has been evolved by Speed Borst, manager of the Fox BEL- MONT Theatre, Los Angeles. Co-operating with the neigh- boring Parent-Teachers Asso- ciations, he presents four special children’s matinees each month. The P.-T. A. advertises them in all its bulletins as well as in every school room, in addition to supplying both metropolitan and regional newspapers with publicity stories. The theatre and the Association split fifty- fifty on receipts. The Associa- tion applying its share to the “Nutrition Fund,” which is de- voted to providing proper food for needy and sickly children. The Los Angeles Board ~of Education has officially gone on 'o:d as ^-sing the scheme, and is recommending it to all Parent-Teachers Associations in the city. Such recognition was obtained by the P.-T. A. tying up with the BELMONT Theatre. The first matinee was held Friday afternoon, April 4th, and more than 1,600 hundred school pupils were in attend- ance. As a means of building the- atre prestige this idea is almost unbeatable. It accomplishes the two objectives for which all true showmen should strive— increasing box-office receipts and enhancing the theatre’s rep- utation as a community asset. Not alone are the children im- pressed with the theatre’s pol- icy, but it cannot help but have a stimulating effect on adult patronage. No manager any where on the circuit can afford to pass up copying this plan. Whether there is a Parent-Teachers As- sociation or not, there surely is # MENTION has previously been made of the old-time fiddlers’ contest which Chet Miller, managing The Fox Theatre, North Platte, Ne- braska, was arranging. That town has been a tough nut to crack. Its patronage is drawn practically 100 per cent from farmers, but the manner in which Miller is increasing busi- ness as well as prestige is noth- ing but good showmanship. Here’s his graphic description of the contest: “I had thirty-two fiddlers, and they were some fiddlers. We did a fine business on it. We didn’t have a lot of town trade, but, boy, we sure pulled the farmers and people from the small towns around. It was the best stunt yet to build good will with the farm- ers. We had many people who had never heard a talking picture before. some similar welfare organiza- tion that can be contacted and the same endorsement should be obtained from school au- thorities. The following letter from Lucille E. Missman, Secretary of the Virgil Junior P.-T. A., is indicative of the spirit in which the Association holds Borst’s action: “We are all most happy over the satisfactory results of the picture show given for the children last Friday and feel that it is greatly due to your friendly efforts and cooperation that success was attained. Your spontane- ous and helpful suggestions for pro- cedure and cheerful interest is a source of much inspiration to us. Our president, Mrs. Gillispie, and our executive board wish you to know that we are indeed most grateful to you for what you are doing and an- ticipate with interest our further association.” They came in overalls, boots and what-nots. Whiskers and all. “I think it was a very good thing, as we are going to. get a lot of these farmers back. Some didn’t know where to buy the tickets, or how to get in the theatre after they bought them. I overheard one farmer make the remark: ‘I don’t know whether I want to go in there or not, as I am afraid it’s too swell for me, and I wouldn’t know what to do after I got in.’ We made him feel easy right away on that point. “We were not getting the farmers’ trade as we should, for the simple reason that they thought we were too swell, and that if they came in they would be embarrassed. So they stayed away. And we need the farmers’ trade down here. “They got an awful kick out of the show. It was the talk of the coun- tryside. The papers gave me fine sup- port on it. And we had the opposi- tion pretty much worried. He passed the word around that it was a hick stunt. But I noticed he checked us both nights, and admitted afterwards that it was a good stunt. The only thing he was sorry for was because he didn’t think of it first.” There’s more than the mere reporting of a good stunt, ably managed, in Miller’s story. He sets a mark for managers oper- ating under similar conditions to shoot at in emulating his idea. The fiddlers’ contest in itself is nothing new. Its been done many times before in just as many different ways. Right at the start of his story. Miller admits it didn’t pull in many of the local regulars. He’s prob- ably got them coming anyway. The tactics in which the oppo- sition manager indulged shows which way the wind is blowing in North Platte. Showmanship in the last analysis means developing busi- ness. That’s just what Miller is doing. Furthermore he is directing his efforts to the places and people that need most at- tention. 9 ONE OF the first principles of showmanship is that no matter how attractive the offer- ing, the first task is to make your patrons stop and lend an ear. Otherwise you haven’t a assistant is instrumental in success of BIRTHDAY FESTIVAL # ANOTHER brilliant birthday party was staged at the Fox Uptown Theatre, Los An- geles, by manager Art Wenzel with the able co-operation of his assistant manager, Ray Perkins. The occasion was the birthday anniversary of Mme. Jean Gerne, noted civic welfare worker. Seven hundred and fifty Camp-Fire Girls, six Superior Court Judges and a group of leading club women attended the matinee, helping to make the presentation of a gigantic birthday cake a notable affair. A delightful program was ar- ranged featuring William Boyd in His First Command and the famous Meglin Kiddies in a series of song and dance spe- cialties. Wenzel gives assistant man- ager Perkins credit for securing the noted guests and girls. HERALDS chance. The FOX PALACE 1 HEATRE in Johnston City, Illinois, is right in the midst of territory where competition is most keen. Practically every show that its manager, John Meinardi, gets, requires a novel campaign to fully realize on all its possibilities. On Half Way to Heaven he conceived a unique scheme. In- stead of distributing his heralds in the ordinary manner, he had them scattered from an airplane. The wording of the throw-a- way made it novel, “This ad- vertisement is coming to you from Half Way to Heaven — the picture showing at the Fox PALACE.” It clicked. Not break- ing any records, but arousing enough interest to give the house one of its best weeks in months. Evidently he is not showing Mickey Mouse Cartoons, nev- ertheless, Meinardi is organizing a Junior Saturday Matinee Club. Membership cards and’ buttons are issued and the youngsters of Johnston City are enthusiastic about the club. The club purposes and activities are quite similar to the many Mickey Mouse organizations elsewhere in the circuit. FIDDLER CONTEST BIG STIMULATOR bringing many new patrons to theatre aids also to break down barrier that kept rural population from coming USES SKY IN APT MANNER as airplane scatters advertising from half way to heaven feature boosted in most realistic manner to public