The Exhibitor (1959)

LAYING IT On The Line A New Concept Every time a theatre shutters an autopsy should be held. Pronounce¬ ments that the closing was due to lack of audience is like saying that a man died from heart failure. Everybody dies from heart failure, as does every theatre close when its audience has vanished. Theatremen in the area should convene after each closing and examine the entrails — the policies and administration — of the deceased. In all likelihood findings would reveal that the house's demise was due, at least in part, to faulty service tendered its patrons. The current situation demands that each exhibitor pursue an active and aggressive policy of patron service and conveniences, one that will keep the theatre and its product before the public's eye at all times. The wisdom of such a policy has been amply demonstrated in separate areas. Such innovations as a saturation "business building effort," so successfully used in the promotion of single films, have be¬ come as much a part of patron service as making certain that he is well served and seated during his stay in the theatre. This definition of patron service enlarges the concept of the term and reaches out to encompass the audience in an effort to bring it into the auditorium. It is a function that has previously been recognized as the responsibility of the major producing companies. The efforts of these Hollywood-based firms are no longer sufficient to meet the more immediate, provincial needs of today's motion picture theatre. Greater emphasis on local appeal, which has become the primary audience attractor, is now essential. It is a function that only the operator who knows his particular area can fulfill. In the drive to establish a more intimate rapport with his audience, the individual exhibitor must first be made aware of his new functions and then taught the means with which they may be exploited to the utmost. To exhibitors everywhere the modern operation has come to include promotion and public relations for his features as well as proper maintenance of his physical theatre. Although we are concerned here exclusively with keeping the operator informed of the latest improve¬ ments that can be made within his immediate realm, we recognize that we cater to only a part of his larger function. However, before the exhibitor can even attempt to fulfill his role completely, he must make certain that his plant is in top operating condition. His concern must begin always with his immediate assets and these are the facilities he has to entertain and satisfy his patrons once they have passed under the marquee. The theatre is still the heart of the patient and remains its major organ. It is here that we must please all of the people all of the time — pithy philosophical maxims notwithstanding. PHYSICAL THEATRE • EXTRA PROFITS • Sectional de¬ partment of MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR, published once a month by Jay Emanuel Publications, Inc., 246-48 North Clarion Street, Philadelphia 7, Pennsylvania. All contents copyrighted and all reprint rights reserved. THEATRE SEAT SERVICE CO A Division of 160 Hermitage Avenue Nashville, Tennessee It’s like MONEY in your POCKETS! The highest return your money can earn is in the business you know best. Yours is Theatre. Ours is Theatre seating and rehabilitation. You can’t find a better or safer tieup ... to protect your investment and assure your highest possible earn ings. Let’s talk it over. How about right now? WRITE, WIRE or PHONE ALpine 5 8459 MANUFACTURERS Foam Rubber & Spring Cushions, back and seat covers. DISTRIBUTORS Upholstery fabrics and general seating supplies. Read PHYSICAL THEATRE and EXTRA PROFITS Every Month Changeable Letters STANDARD or BAU00N Attraction Boards Avail¬ able. Write for Literature and Prices. The BALLANTYNE CO. 1 71 2 Jackson St. Omaha 2, Nebr. *1 July 15, 1959 PHYSICAL THEATRE • EXTRA PROFITS DEPARTMENT of MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR PE-5