Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1931)

68 MOTION PICTURE HERALD June 2 7, 1931 BELIEVE IT OR NOT! (With apologies to Ripley) Here is a perfectly nice theatre ad, complete in every detail with the "slight" error of the theatre's name being omitted. It was used by a large theatre in the southwest. Either the theatre in that town is so well known that signature cut or theatre name is not necessary, or else, the manager respon , sible just plumb forgot it. And then again, maybe the newspaper is to blame. We'll always oblige with a good a'ibi if you're stuck. Line forms on the left. But, seriously, this is something that can happen to lots of showmen unless they safeguard themselves by approving all copy from proofs before it goes to press. Just suppose it occured in a city with a dozen theatres. The customers would have a lot of fun trying to find out w here they could see an attraction so well worth patronizing as this picture. Incidently, the ad was a three column by eight inch affair. Plenty large to attract attention. We are in receipt of some interesting comment on the "Silence Trailer" from Bernard Buchanan, manager of the Colonial Theatre, Buffalo, N. Y. Buchanan ran his trailer for the first time a few weeks ago and tells us it was an innovation along trailer lines. He states that comments were most favorable, and that it added a finishing touch of refinement to the entertaining atmosphere which prevails at the Colonial and Columbia theatres. Club members will be interested to know how the trailer was spotted in Buchanan's house. He uses a double feature policy and it was customary to run the advertising song reel and slides between features. The silence trailer was attached to the song trailer and on arriving at the word "Silence," all sound was shut off until the words "This house, etc.," appeared on the screen. The horn switch was then thrown in and the fader gradually worked up to peak volume, which was timed so as to arrive at Buffalo Audience Liked Buchanan's "Silence Trailer" CLUB EMBLEM PIN!!! C/m r/7/s Bl,ii,k: Managers' Round Table Club MOTION PICTURE HERALD 1790 Broadway, New York Kindly send mc, postpaid, Club pins, for which I enclose payment at $1.00 per pin. Name of Member . Theatre Address City the end of the trailer. From the auditorium, Buchanan states, it had the very desirable and marked effect of convincingly emphasizing to patrons the value of "Silence." The trailer is being distributed by one of the foremost sound equipment manufacturers on a three-day rental basis at low cost. The company also has posters and mats at cost price. Footage of the trailer runs 70 feet. Should Club members wish further information same can be obtained bv writing in. Chenoiveth, Veteran Showman, Sends Club Photos Of Old Gags A department recently incorporated in Club pages, "Showmanship 15 Years Ago," not only brought an interesting letter from a veteran showman but |)rompted him to follow up with an assortment of old-time photos which we feel sure will prove enlightening to the modern manager. We refer to H. A. "Chene" Chenoweth, a young fellow of seventy-one summers who manages the Empire Theatre, Block Island, R. I. "Chene" not only operates the Empire but as a further outlet for youth manages a bowling alley and oversees a tea room in the rear of the theatre. According to all this, there isn't a chau'.-e of placing Chene's name on the retired showman's list at this writing. Not by a long shot ! The Club has referred to "Chene" as the "peppy manager of the Opera House in Westfield, Mass.," whose ideas on showmanshipwere much in demand fifteen years ago. Some of the photos which we are reproducing in a la}-out on this page date back as far as 1908 and while offering a strikiiig contrast to de luxe methods of today, were effective in producing desired results. State . Reading across the top of the reproduced photos note the little colored children used to ballyhoo Marguerite Clarke when "Uncle Tom" played the W'estfield Strand about the year 1910. Next to this is evidence of an effort to stimulate Kiddie interest through the holding of a dog show. In the center strip is an atmospheric display on "Hell's Hole," crude perhaps when compared to present day methods, but a forerunner of what was to be done along these lines. Next to this one is a snap of some stunt that blocked traffic in Thompsonville. "Chene" doesn't tell what it was. More atmosphere is used for that old picture of Mary Pickford's, 'Tess of Storm Country." Note fishing shack, nets, etc. They also had Baby Nites in the old days, as you can see by the next photo ; also Salvation Army benefits. Well, "Chene" it's all very interesting to us and we're sure that brother members are going to get a good sized kick from your first contribution. We don't get a chance every day to welcome an old-time showman like yourself and sincerely hope that you'll not forget the Club in days to come. Now that the season is getting under way in Block Island, you'll soon be hitting your stride.. Keep us posted as to what's doing down there this summer. Until, then, so long.