Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1931)

June 6. 19 3 1 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 61 HOWMANSHIP — FIFTEEN YEARS AGO! I Creating patron-interest in the theatre and it's attractions via a I very unique method was the achievement of the Victoria Theatre I in Buffalo, N. Y. . . . Here's the gag; they invited criticism oi I their pictures through the theatre's house organ. . .• . A well I laid-out form did the trick . . . and from records before us it was I a peach of a stunt, too. . . . Jimmy Pilling of the Orpheum Theatre I in Vancouver, back in 1916 BR (before Radio) admitted all war I veterans free to witness the official Canadian War Pictures when I they played at his theatre. , . . Another of his local good-will I stunts was the inviting of opposing ball teams on the opening day I of the season. . . . These and other local twists helped make the I Orpheum the outstanding theatre of that city for many years. . . . I Now we learn that Johnny McNear, Jr., guiding the destinies of I the Mystic Theatre out in Petaluma, Cal., decided that a vest I pocket house organ was a good idea and forthwith put in into I operation. . . . He was a great believer in the patron carrying I those little programs around with them as he alwaj^s felt the I larger programs were discarded or lost about the home. . . . Well I ... they still think the same way in many spots right now and I we've many a vest-pocket program to prove it. . . . Ballyhoo I being the order of tlie day. Manager Alendenhall of the Opera I House (my gosh, where have all those opera houses gone to?) I in Pacific Junction, Iowa, dressed a flock of youngsters in appro I priate outfits and sent them through the town to sell some interest I in "Overalls." . . . Xow some one up and ask us what those kids I wore. . . . Here we are asking modern showmen to pay more I attention to the possibilities of local shots for interesting events I in town and lo ! and behold! (with apologies to Oscar Doob) I we find that another showman of 15 years ag^ found this a I marvelous slant in his business. . . . We have reference to W. W. I Watts, owner and manager of the Vaudette (there's another name I that's getting hard to find) in Springfield, 111. . . . He had a I cameraman on hand whenever a big event was taking place in I Springfield . . . and how he cashed in on this stuff is everybody's I business and should be right now. . . . And now, Eddie Hitchcock i please note. . . . Here we come with Manager Von Herberg of I Seattle, Wash., and we want you to know how he tied up with I the exchange to give "The Island of Surprise" a great send-ofT. I ... He arranged for the delivery of the films via a sled and dog I team. . . . Now we ask you . . . wouldn't that be a great gag, 1 even today? . . . Sure it would and it was just as good then. . . . I Of course, we almost forgot to tell you that snow is important 1 for this stunt, so if you are ready to pull it, you will have to make i pretty definite arrangements with your local weather-man. . . . i Oh, well! . . . Good old "Von" is still setting a pace or two in i Seattle. ... If your local electric plant goes flooey and you have I no juice for your machines, take a tip from Manager Hyde of I the Rink theatre in Lindsey, Cal., and run your auto into the I theatre and let the headlights give the necessary illumination I while a vaudeville act entertains the cash customers. That's what I he did back in 1916. . . . With all the fan-fare of the present-day I movie premiere. Manager Rhodes of the Coliseum Theatre in i Seattle started off "The Great Divide" with a smash opening, i ... But how could they do it without the usual radio announcer? i ... you will ask, . . . but keep on asking; ... we can't answer 1 it anyway . . . and then again . . . who cares? . . . Get ready for 1 a great, big, unusual surprise. ... In the immortal year of 1916 1 the startling discovery was made that Courtesy was an asset 1 in conducting a theatre . . . and now in the less startling year g of 1931 a lot of managers still don't know anything about it. . . . g To add atmosphere to his showing of "Aloha Oe," Manager Gra M ham of the Merrill Theatre in Milwaukee carted a victrola from S a local music store and concealed in back of this screen where g it played Hawaiian music. ... It was "a decided hit with the M spectators." . . . That's what the story said . . . and why should g we doubt it? . . . "How does he do it" is the title of this little g antique. ... It seems that a showman, answering to the name of g C. White, and doing business in the town of Clarkson, Neb., with ■ a total population of 800, conducted, profitably, a theatre of 600 B seats . . . again we ask . . . "How did he do it?" . . . Programs. S newspapers and the use of telephone calls, constitute his chief g assistants in accomplishing this seemingly impossible job of g running a 600-seat theatre in a town of 800. A. H. Brown (seems g as though everyone with the initial A. H. made money in the g show business) and R. A. Babbitt pulled a good one when they g started operation of two theatres known as "The Washington S Regent" in Washington, D. C. . . . The same program was pre M sented in both houses . . . thereby making up the necessary capacity g needed for the booking of expensive pictures. . . . C. W. Taylor, g of Omaha, asked, "What woman is not interested in clothes?" B ... We don't know the kind of answers he received . . . but kid g ding aside, it was in connection with playing up the gowns which g Edna Mayo wore in the picture "The Strange Case of Mary g Page," . . . which lent itself nicely to fashion tie-ups . . . and M right at this time we all know the value of this angle. . . . Oh, g well . . . we've, said about enough for one week and our fingers g (two of them) are getting tired of pounding this 1— ; — sy type g writer, so we'll sign off until next week, when we will be back g with a fresh crop of 15-year-ago gags. . . . 'Slong. Morris Kaufman Is Good Detective For Red Headed Femmes A followed-out threat to go right down in the audience and pick out every red-headed girl in the house brought a great kick to the Brooklynites attending a show recently put on by Manager Morris Kaufman, of the Fox-Stratford Theatre, Brooklyn, N. Y. And we're here to tell you that Morris carried out his threat. Morris was staging a "Millie" contest, in connection with the showing of the picture by that name, and had made a tie-up with a local beauty parlor to make awards to the girls possessing the most beautiful head of red hair. A trailer, lobby decorations and heralds spread the news of the event. On the night of the contest Kaufman announced from the stage that unless all red-headed girls immediately stepped upon the stage he'd personally do a bit of investigating. And he did, with the aid of his projectionist who followed him through the audience with a spotlight, making certain that all red heads make a move towards the stage. The stunt made such a hit that most husbands voluntarily encouraged their wives out of sheer sense of pride in the occasion. Inasmuch as each red head had her own boosters in the audience, the box office played a merry melody. . Oke, Morris ! Maybe you have the makings of an M. C. or a movie actor, who knows ? Another tie-up recently made by Kaufman at the Stratford Theatre was a deal put over with a perfume shop whereby a sample package of perfume and face powder was given to all female patrons for four days prior to the opening of "Inspiration." This also made a hit with Stratford patrons and materially helped boost business for this picture. All right, Morris. We'll do just as you tell us — tell the world of showmen that you are not asleep and that you are going to continue to shower the Club with plenty of good merchandising ideas. The Club knows that you are on your toes and will look forward to hearing from you regularly. We'll be checking up on you. As you make vour rounds be sure to remember us to all Club members. The Club Presents Charles J. Holtz, North Sacramento occupies a prominent position on desk. That's the proper spirit ! office and the gold fish. We like for pets. We guess they're all Charles J. Holtz, manager of the Del Paso Theatre, a Blumenfeld Circuit house in North Sacramento, Calif., sends the Club his photo, which we are reproducing on this page. We are glad to note that a Round Table membership certificate the right hand corner of Charley's We also note the well appointed fish, too, C. J., but never had any right. Charley sends along some program material which we have closely scanned. We will state right here that C. J. is one of the best programmed managers we've written about in some time. He uses a well laid out monthly calendar, calling attention to China and Silver Nights, a wieekly program, and a vest pocket edition of the monthly program. Oke ! Charley, your patrons will never go wrong on dates with this system. Another thing we'd like to mention concerns the reader in the local paper. You and the editor must be hitting it up all right, judging from the length of the article. Let's hear what else you are doing out in North Sacramento. And thanks for sending the photo.