Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1945)

In Spring the Manager's Fanc^ Turns to Special Exploitation \ Seymour Morris, director of advertising and publicity for the Schine circuit, Gloversville, N. Y., recently compiled a number of suggestions which are set forth in the company's house organ, intended as a guide in promoting and institutionalizing the theatre during the spring months. The ir1ormation is here passed on to the readers of the Round Table, for study and adaptation during the coming season when patrons might normally be expected to seek outdoor activities rather than the films for diversion. WE KNOW as well as you do how hard it is to get skilled mechanics to do work these days, but you will agree with us that when it comes to freshening up the theatre front, or the lobby, or the marquee ceiling, you don't have to get a painter who is an artisan in order to do a freshening-up job. There always has been and always will be, somebody in the theatre who is pretty handy at these odd jobs. The first thing you should do is thoroughly inspect your entire theatre and see what work is necessary. Then lay out your plans accordingly. Maybe the woodwork just needs some washing, and a new background will make it look like a new frame or a new lobby. Those theatres that have sign shops and can make up their own artistic-looking backgrounds, should do so. Give it that snap that will appeal to every eye. Make the theatre front so flirtatiouslooking that the temptation will be too great to resist. Check over the arrangements of your lobby. Maybe you can convert from 40 x 60's to 30 x 40's, or from 30 x 40's to lithographs, or maybe you can take a single 40 x 60 frame and make a unit display out of it. Whatever you do, the idea is to get away from stereotyped-looking lobby displays that you have had for so long. You want your displays to command new attention. Therefore, they must be different from what you have had before. Give the Lobby a Personal Survey for Changes What we suggest you do is get out in the middle of that lobby floor, all by yourself, sometime, and just start turning around. Observe the displays carefully, and hold a conference with yourself as to what's wrong with them, and what improvements can be made. We will make a wager with you that if you stand in that lobby long enough, looking at those displays . . . you will see more changes to make than you ever conceived. That is probably just the way your steady patron feels when he comes into your lobby, change after change, and continually sees the same type of displays. Remember, the theatre front and the theatre lobby are your show windows. Take care o{ them . . . keep them neat. Keep them attractive . . . don't clutter them up. Dress up your windows with the same care and study that your department store down the street gives to their windows. ANNIVERSARY WEEK According to our files, many theatres will have anniversaries coming up between now and September 1. This is a swell time of the year to put on an Anniversary Week, because you can really dress your theatre up in gala costume. After you have your definite date set up, go out and make this a real civic affair. Work up double page trucks, souvenir programs with merchants' ads defraying the cost. . . . Decorate the theatre with flags and bunting. . . . Get newspaper stories, giving the history of the theatre, and be sure to have your papers emphasize the important contribution that your theatre is making to the war effort. Please be sure to let us know when you contemplate running Anniversary Week so that the booking department will be sure to set in the finest attractions that are available. VICTORY GARDENS Those of you who went out last year and took advantage of the Victory Garden tie-up which we had with the Beech-Nut Co. know what this idea did for us. We enjoyed some very fine promotions with the various Victory Garden Committees, 4-H Clubs, Granges, feed stores, Garden Clubs, etc. Some of the managers went out and promoted full page co-op ads with the various merchants cooperating who were also awarding merchandise for giveaways. The first thing to do is contact your merchants and get them set up for a certain giveaway, such as implements, to be awarded as grand prizes. Then contact your other organizations for a speaker who will just give a short discourse on Victory Gardening. The newspaper publicity and ads come after this. We don't know whether or not we will be able to obtain copies of the Beech-Nut Factory's Garden Booklets, but we are contacting this source. Don't wait too long to make your Victory Garden tie-up, because if you do, somebody's going to beat you to it, as was the case in some situations last year where some of the retail merchants put on their own Victory Gar DON'T FORGET THE KIDDIE MATINEES Children are great show boosters. Here are some proved formulas for attracting juvenile patronage for special morning shows. 1. Merchant sponsored contests. Pet shows, plane building contests, etc., doll contests, stage quizzes and the like. 2. Comic book giveaways, candy or toy giveaways. 3. Free admission to the first 10 or 20 kiddies on the ticket line. 4. Cartoon shows and Sing Fests. 5. Chapter Plays. 6. Western Feature as added attraction. 7. Kiddie stage revues (tie up with local dancing schools). 8. Special stage attractions; puppet shows, magicians, clowns, animal acts, etc. den promotion. Remember that you can fol up on a good Victory Garden promotion having a miniature fair at the end of the y with the various people exhibiting the prodi which were grown from the seeds that W given to them at your theatre. This was I carried out last year in many spots, and found that the 4-H clubs were especially in ested in this promotion, and took an active i in it, increasing our Saturday business t< great extent. Spring brings forth the flowers and so she your lobby. Promote your leading florist put floral decorations in the lobby, box-ol and around the theatre. Give him credit cai There are several dates coming along wrj offer special opportunity to give away q sages: Mother's Day, Memorial Day and : specific time you can tie a promotion in v Navy Mothers, Soldiers' wives, etc. Attac] card to the corsage or flower with theatre 3 florist tieins. Rogues' Gallery Angle Stresse On "Murder, My Sweet" In connection with her opening of "Mure My Sweet" at the RKO Albee, Provider R. I., Rita Morton's campaign included spec teaser ads four days in advance using "rogues' gallery" angle, which was also u for principal ads the day before and day opening. The entire trolley and bus system, 520 c riers, used the theatre card on the picture ; f leading downtown restaurants used theatre i print for the picture on their menus; a spec radio campaign was placed with three lo stations, using the discs furnished by RK and Liggett's Drug Store devoted part of book window to a display of stills on picture, etc. Matlack Ties "Seeing You" To Red Cross Blood Bank A stunt which created considerable comm and brought forth a letter of thanks from Public Relations Chairman of the Red Cn was that arranged by Jack Matlack in conn tion with the engagement of "I'll Be Seei You" at the J. J. Parker Broadway theat Portland, Oregon. Jack had small cards printed up with cc reading : " 'I'll Be Seeing You' ten wee from today for your next donor appointme American Red Cross Blood Donor Servi P. S. 'I'll Be Seeing You' (starring Gin§ Rogers, Joseph Cotten and Shirley Temple) the Broadway theatre this week." The cai were made available to Donors at the Bank As You Want Them ...And When You Want Them Se**Yottt *e*t<>*dCt fltMACK LnSWMJMHM. CHICAGO 5, M. 64 MANAGERS' ROUND TABLE, APRIL 14, 19