Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1943)

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November 27, I 943 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 61 MANAGERS* ROUND TABLE *An international association of showmen meeting weekly in MOTION PICTURE HERALD for mutual aid and progress CHESTER FRIEDMAN, Edrtor GERTRUDE MERRIAM, Associate Editor OP December Outlook December is just a few days off. The holiday shopping season is always a direct challenge as theatre opposition. Inclement weather is another reason why folks like to cling to the warm comfort of their homes. The December opposition will be met and overcome by hard working, clear thinking showmen who have already formulated plans to divert a share of the circulating money into theatre cc> ;-ce$. Notices which are presently reaching our desk inform us that the men in the field are taking nothing for granted, and that despite the fact that business has been above par, they are readying old and new devices to offset any tendency towards a box office slump. From the west coast come reports that "fur coat give-aways" are in abundance. Here in the east, toy matinees, free candy, jewelry and sundry gifts will be offered as added stimuli to lure the customers. Throughout the country, individual theatres and circuits will offer Christmas gift books which have proven popular in past years. We have long felt that December is one of the brighter months in which the showman can really show his speed. He may also benefit materially by submitting his promotions during this period to the Round Table, for consideration in the Quigley Awards competition. Truth or Consequences Last week's news reports told a story of a West Coast theatre manager who was cautioned by the local Parent Teachers Association to put a damper on kissing by 'teen-agers in his theatre. The warning was accompanied by an offer to have its memoes patrol the theatre if management was unable to curb the youngsters. In reply, the manager observed that the ladies were 40 years too late and offered a free pass to any one of them who would swear she had never been kissed in a theatre. In these troublesome days, with the juvenile problem one of the worst that theatres have ever had to contend with, we think a manager might have avoided embarrassing the ladies, regardless of how right he may be. A little encouragement is all that the youngsters need to go further. The theatre owners may have cause to regret the manager's seemingly cute repartee. We have mentioned before that ridicule may prove to be a more potent weapon when threats and force fail in cases of juvenile trouble-makers. The Parent Teachers could probably do a more effective job by embarrassing the youngsters where other methods have not been successful. Selling Those Gift Books We have been looking through a manual prepared by Jimmy Narin, advertising director for Famous Players Canadian. The manual was prepared to stimulate the circuit's theatre-ticketsas-gifts-plan, an annual promotion. A note from Jimmy advises that the circuit has improved increased total sales every year. It is not difficult to perceive the reason for this. Staff members are encouraged to sell the books outside of the theatre. They are given ten percent of whatever amount they sell. The circuit also offers several hundred dollars in prize money for those whose total sales are the highest. Managers also benefit through the Sharing Plan which has been in effect for several years, allowing them to include with their grosses all the sales effected by their respective staffs. There never has been an incentive discovered that is more effective than one in which the people who do the cooking get a part of the gravy. ■ ■ ■ Holding Down Inflation It remains for Roy Campbell to demonstrate again the showman's ability for inventive ingenuity. He has been troubled by youngsters who like to blow up and expiode their empty pop corn bags, a constant source of nuisance to both himself and his patrons at the Shafer theatre, in Garden City, Mich. Roy now punches small holes in the bags before they are filled, and when the kids try to blow them up, the air just won't stay in. —CHESTER FRIEDMAN