Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1945)

no in international association of showmen meeting zveehly MOTION PICTURE HERALD for mutual aid and progress :5TER FRIEDMAN, Editor GERTRUDE MERRIAM, Associate Editor ' .ID .13 QP orry! Wrong Numbers Awhile Mr. Chester Bowles of the Office of Price Administration f ousy with figures and statistics by which he hopes to establish ■sitings on box office admissions, there are a few facts he might 3-isider which appear to have been overlooked. The industry also appears to have overlooked the fact that oecial privileges which have been granted to servicemen during le past four years by way of reduced admission prices are keepg the average admission price considerably lower than the figure rich the box office sign proclaims. The amusement industry is unique in its concessions to men in riform, and, since exhibitors have been prompted by patriotic natives, they should at least be entitled to equitable accounting ■om Mr. Bowles or any other agency which believes it can show 38.5 per cent increase in theatre admissions. Another item which should be included in computing such tatistics is the thousands of servicemen who are admitted to the heatres as non-paying guests. The Capitol theatre in New York, or instance, plays host to 7,000 men in uniform every week through ickets which are distributed by the Women's Defense Recreation .eague and other organizations. This is indicative of the generous ipirit of theatremen all over the nation. Cities which are popular with servicemen on furlough, and others vhich are located adjacent to Army camps and Navy bases, laturally will show much higher percentages of uniformed men vho are given the special price concession. As an illustration, onehird of the audience at trie New York Paramount theatre is com:osed regularly of servicemen who are admitted at 50 cents including tax) at the evening performances; regular admission to ne public is $1.20 (including tax). The theatre net is, respectively, \2 cents and $1.00. With the current proportion of one serviceman o two regular patrons, the average theatre net is slightly less than 51 cents per admission. Nor does this latter figure take into account approximately ?,000 free tickets which are turned over to the servicemen's ecreation organizations. The Paramount theatre pre-war admission for the evening show ,caled at 90 cents, plus tax. Mr. Bowles' recent statement that admissions had increased i8.5 per cent (including the tax rise) undoubtedly is based on ;tatistics of his own. The facts seem to indicate that in the nterest of accuracy more research is in order. "How Can We Do It Better?" The motion picture industry has been one of the foremost proponents of public relations for several decades. Realizing that contact between customer and employee is the key to continued patronage and goodwill in the post-war era, Railway Express Agency, Inc., recently published a booklet for distribution among employees, titled "How Can We Do It Better?". The pamphlet stresses courtesy as the underlying factor in creating and maintaining previously gained good impressions. It cautions that indifference and independence in business under the flimsy excuse of war exigencies will be reflected in resentment of the public when the day arrives to judge service rendered on past as well as present performance. The manual presents in interesting fashion all the practices of good business tactics, good manners, telephone technique, personal appearance, cheerfulness on the job and patience, and plays up the necessity of being thoroughly familiar with details, rules and regulations and other pertinent information necessary in a specialized field of endeavor. To most people, Railway Express Agency conjures up no more than a picture of freight trains, heavy motor trucks and drivers collecting or delivering packages. In work which differs so widely from our own, it may come as a surprise to learn that both have problems in common. AAA Lt. Doug George, former Round Tabler, now with the Navy Incentive Division in Washington, offers a suggestion whereby managers can increase theatre grosses, at the same time promoting the institutional prestige of the theatre and aiding the war effort. Lt. George's idea is to have the manager interest local defense plants in taking over the theatre for morning or Sunday showings of special films which the Navy makes available for war workers. In one city, where there is a local ordinance against commercial films on Sundays, a group of industrial firms recently joined forces in sponsoring a series of these shows. The theatre was rented for the purpose on Sunday afternoons. The audiences which attend these showings are exclusively those concerned with war production and the firms supply the tickets and do whatever is necessary to promote the shows. —CHESTER FRIEDMAN OTION PICTURE HERALD, MARCH 24, 1945 63