Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Mar 1932)

66 MOTION PICTURE HERALD February 27, 1932 THE JUNIOR SHOW by RITA C. McSOLDRICK NATIONAL THEATRE MEMBER 1931-1932 Ihii Cerfifie that THE best way to tell a story is to illustrate it. We, who have a professional and prideful interest in motion pictures, know something about that ! For several months this department has been accumulating and dispensing information on the building of the Junior Show and the Family Audience Nights to encourage the exhibitor on his way to the building up of new audiences. The young people of today are the adults of tomorrow and tomorrow is never so very far off. In these months of our experimenting we have found many enthusiastic theatre men who are averaging a thousand children a week in their theatres. They realize that this number multiplies four times over through the week in adult reaction ; that the child is the best booster the theatre man could have. The following story from the Loew's National Theatre of Boston, Massachusetts, from L. W. Richmond the manager, is an illustration in point. "You Can't Kid the Kids" Here is the finely philosophical viewpoint of the manager of Boston's National theatre, who has developed a constructive program and has watched it flower to a splendid success. He says : "Try to kid the kids and you will find that you are only kidding yourself, or your box office. The average theatre today has to depend on the children's trade to keep the house 'out of the red,' but since the talkies have been produced the attendance has been dropping off more and more. With few exceptions, the pictures that are being produced today are not appealing to the children and they not only know it, but they let you know it as well. 'Skippy's' and 'Sooky's' are few and far between, and the theatre manager who depends on pictures of this type will have plenty of idle seats on Saturday matinees. "Give the youngsters an inducement. Start a Booster Club at your theatre and double or triple your business in no time. It is a natural magnet for the youngsterSj if organized and conducted in a business-like manner. HOW TO ORGANIZE AND CONDUCT A BOOSTER CLUB TO KEEP THE CHILDREN INTERESTED 1 — Applica-flon Blanks "Application blanks as pictured above are distributed to the children, filled out, and kept on file alphabetically for future reference. This makes an ideal mailing list and can be used for various purposes. 2 — Membership Cards "After application blanks are distributed, children are asked to bring them in on some designated day, properly filled out, and they receive their membership card. The children consider these of great value and keep them, knowing that certain privileges are granted to members of the Booster Club. "Printed on the reverse side of membership card is the club creed, which is as follows : / will ahmys be a good honest child, in my home, in school, on the playgrounds, in the theatre or wherever I tnay be. I will strive, alimys, to make tnyself a better and more useful little citizen. I will respect my elders and help the aged and crippled zvhcnever possible. 1 will respect and assist children smaller than myself. In short, I will be a good American Booster. "Every Saturday Matinee, names of members having birthdays during the week are call ed from the stage, and every boy or girl whose name is called comes on the stage and receives a pair of passes so that he can invite his mother or father to any_ performance the boy or girl might desire. Birthday lists are made up from the application blanks which are kept on file. Meeting During School Vacations "Special Booster Club meetings are called on certain mornings during school vacations. Various matters are discussed with the children, special films shown, special speakers. For instance, last meeting's speaker was the manager of Massachusetts Safety Council, with special film instructing children how to be careful to avoid accidents, etc. Refreshments are served free through tieup with candy and ice cream manufacturers. These meetings draw big crowds and are great advertisements. Special Awards for Children Getting Best Report Cards "Special prizes or passes are given to children receiving the best marks in school. Of course, this meets with the approval of your local schools, and at the same time keeps your theatre in the mind of the child. Poor Children Admitted Free "Booster Club members are asked to report to the Chief Booster if they know of any children in the neighborhood that are being deprived of theatre entertainment because their parents are too poor to give them the price of admission. Arrangements are made whereby the poor children are admitted free. Free Show to All Members After School Every Tuesday "Children are admitted free every Tuesday after school merely by showing their membership cards at the door. Special announcements are made at this time about coming attractions, etc. Season Pass Contest "Conduct a contest with a special prize of a season pass to be awarded the winner. Contest on essay of certain number of words : 'What suggestions would you make for the betterment of the Booster Clubs ?' This creates a lot of talk and gets the children more interested in the Booster Club. Booster Amateur Club "I believe the most interesting part of the Booster Club is our special amateur shows conducted on the stage every Saturday Ma tinee. Make an announcement on your screen asking for names and addresses of amateur talent. You will really be surprised to know how many children there are in your community that have possibilities for a stage career. These amateurs will make up a show of five or six acts once a week that will be entertaining to the adults as well as the children. In my opinion it is one of the best box office attractions for children today. "The Booster Club was started at the National Theatre in Boston, with 300 members about three months ago. Today we have a membership of 1100 and are still growing. "Boost your box office receipts with a Booster Club. "Make sure that you don't promise the children anything that you cannot fulfill. Remember— 'You can't kid the kids!'" V Oregon's Story Miss Myrtle Buckmiller, president of the Baker Theatres Co., Inc., of Baker, Ore., sends the following forthright story which adds one more colorful bit to the mosaic pattern of this whole plan. Miss Buckmiller is not engaged in an experimentation. She has demonstrated a fact, and it is an engaging fact worthy of your serious consideration. She says : "We have a completely successful children's club in our town, and I am very glad to give you the detailed workings of it, for if we know of anything these days that will help our fellow exhibitor, I think it is a duty to pass it along. Here is the essential fact. Our town has a population of 7,000. Out of this number we draw a children's matinee of 1,000. "One year ago the first of November, I organized a Mickey Mouse Club. Up to that time our children's patronage had been very small in the 50 cent house. It worried me considerably, so I thought best to organize something. At that time the cities were going strong for the Mickey Mouse Clubs. Our club has been a huge success. We have over 800 members and the patronage keeps up in the summer as well as in the winter. By organizing the kiddies club we have increased the afternoon and night performances at least 60 per cent and haven't hurt the smaller house at all. "I personally supervise the club, direct the orchestra and produce stage attractions out of the club members. Keep them all working and make them all feel the club is theirs and they are needed to carry it on. It is surprising the talent one finds among the kiddies. "We are getting great cooperation from the Service Clubs and various organizations and the parents are with us 100 per cent. Our club furnishes entertainment for Kiwanis, American Legion and ever so many affairs. We were called upon to furnish the parade for last Fourth of July Celebration and it was a great success. "I arrange to have about thirty minutes of stage entertainment put on by the children, such as puppet shows, songs, dances, music, and all in costume and the stage set nicely for the occasion. Then I show them such pictures as Mickey Mouse each week even if we do repeat the picture; serials such as 'Buffalo Bill,' 'Heroes of the Flames,' 'Mystery Trooper,' 'Vanishing Legion' and 'Spell of the Circus' ; features such as 'Huckleberry Finn,' 'Sooky,' 'Tom Sawyer,' 'Alice in Wonderland,' Aesop's Fables, Chimp Comedies, Gang Comedies, in fact, anything that greatly appeals to children. "About once a month I give them something ; in the summer, popcicles or' ice cream bars and candy packages or popcorn, and by working with the dealers of the town I get them for a cost not to exceed three cents apiece. I gave them star photos from Paramount that cost once cent apiece, in fact, just a gift of any kind, as children are very easily pleased." Miss Buckmiller's opinion on this whole subject is professionally important. She is the president of three theatres, the Clarick, Orpheum and Empire, operating in Baker, Ore. This department welcomes the stories of exhibitors who are finding the selected program a profit or a problem. Send us your side of the question. We believe we can help.