Motion Picture News (Jul - Sep 1930)

66 Motion Picture News August 16 , 1930 MANACEiJJ' POUND TABLE CLUB Concealing Names In Want Ads Are Boost To Business A very good way of securing publicity, and at the same time boosting up the theatre's good-will stock with the local newspaper, was used by Roy L. Smart, manager of the Broadhurst Theatre in High Point, N. C, on a recent campaign. Through the tie-up, the theatre netted the following space: On Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, approximately three inches on the front page. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 18 inches on some page other than the amusement page. The paper used a four-inch display on the classified page and mentioned the name of theatre quite a number of times in the classified columns. Each day the paper used in its classified columns a list of twenty names. The people whose names appeared received one ticket with the following restrictions: "The ticket is dated and is good only within three days after the name was published. It is not transferable and must be called for at the newspaper office in person by the one whose name appeared. At the present time Smart is using simply the name between classified ads ; this being in order to make them easy to find. Soon however, he expects to use each name in a separate little message of which the following is a sample: "REWARD! You will be rewarded by bargains if you read these ads. If you find your name you will be entitled to a complimentary ticket to one of those good Broadhurst shows. We have a ticket for A. B. Smith." The newspaper was more than pleased with his plan, particularly since it helped their advertisers. We are glad to see that Roy is continuing his up-to-the-minute showmanship, and we know he will continue to be an active contributor to the Club pages. One of the reasons for C. J. Latta's success as a showman is the fact that no matter where he goes he can generally secure the co-operation of every local newspaper. His latest stunt was engineered with one of the New Haven sheets and enabled him to secure model airplane display for his mezzanine floor in the Roger Sherman Theatre. Latta Secured A Corking Aviation Display For House The paper had been running a model airplane building contest in conjunction with a local organization, composed of young boys, called the "American Sky Cadets." The boys had entered model planes in the event and on the day of the judging Latta offered to entertain the Cadets at his house on the Saturday morning directly after the planes had been picked. The newspaper readily consented to his plan and for three days they ran a special notice about it in their columns. In this manner Latta secured some valuable newspaper space absolutely free of charge. On the day of the contest the Cadits, carrying a banner labeled: "The American Sky Cadets, Going to See 'Young Man of Manhattan' at the Roger Sherman Thea tre," marched to the house and posed in front of it for the photo we are showing with this story. The photo appeared later on in the newspaper and Latta managed in this way to get a follow-up. When his regular patrons saw the beautiful display of model planes that he had arranged on the mezzanine they were very enthusiastic in their praise of it and the subsequent word-ofmouth comment which followed when they told their friends about it, in no small measure aided towards bringing up the box-office receipts. We want to thank Latta for passing this along to us and we know that the future holds lots more of his live-wire ideas in store for us. A couple of photos that do an awful lot of talking is the way we might describe the two pictures that accompany this story of the work which George Laby is doing at the Olympia Theatre in Boston, Mass., to bring in the business. In the photo on the left you can note the way he plugs his cooling plant by means of a refrigeration lobby where the keynote is coolness and nothing else but. Study it carefully and Atmospheric Front AndArtist In Lobby HelpedGeorgeLaby perhaps you can find an angle or two in it that may help you in plugging your own cooling plant. We would also like to call your attention to the corking way he plugs his current picture by means of special set pieces which are placed over the box office. The big cut-out in the center is illuminated at night and the stars' names is conspicuously displayed. This medium has been found to be a very effective flash especially in view of the fact that many thousands of autos pass the spot daily. The other photo shows the way he plugged his coming attraction "With Byrd at the South Pole" by means of a lobby sketch artist who drew pencil portraits of the patrons, free of charge. Laby got in his plug for the picture by mimeographing the lower half of the sheet on which the portrait was drawn with copy on the film. The portion of the lobby where the artist's work was very attractively made up. An elevated platform was erected with a proper scenic background, and special murals with copy and stills on the coming attractions placed on the wall. We are glad to see that Laby is keeping up his corking show merchandising and let's hope that his activities will be broadcast from the Club pages in the future as often as they have in the past.' Right, George? Willis Had Town Laughing At His Novel Lobby Trick Making use of a gag that will fit on any picture enabled C R. Willis, manager of the Strand Theatre in Meridian, Miss., to create a good deal of interest in his coming picture. A corner of the lobby was partitioned off with compoboard — lettered to explain nature of the contest. Small holes were cut through the compo board and these were covered with screen wire to prevent anyone using a stick to investigate; and besides, looking through the screen also tended to give it a more mysterious effect. Looking through these holes, one perceived what appears to be a water faucet suspended by a very fine wire (no pipe connection). Pouring from this faucet is a continuous stream of water. The sides and top were draped with black cloth and a blue flood light covered with blue gelatine which tended to give it a further mysterious effect. The stunt created plenty of attention and was known as "The Mystery Faucet."