Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1945)

KEEP THEM HAPPY WHILE THEY WAIT" Exhibitors Tell How They Solve War Problems; Ask Aid on Others by WILLIAM G. FORMBY Wartime problems differ from those of peacetime in theatre operation chiefly in degree. Take the problem of "queue fatigue," for instance. The line of customers, and the difficulties connected therewith, have increased sharply during the war. More attention is necessary due to the temper of the patrons and the scarcity of manpower in management. There are, however, suggestions on how to keep the customers happy while waiting. Gerald M. Paulmier of the Maplewood theatre, Maplewood, N. J., writes: "You say in Motion Picture Herald that suggestions are needed as to how to cope with 'queue fatigue' among other theatre problems," and continues : "This is a problem that has stumped many managers, and many a manager has just given up in disgust — watched his lines of waiting customers slowly shrink, or seen those who do wait come in with many a gripe and many a sour look. Let Them Know How Long "The old rule of acting the true 'host' should apply here. Who would knowingly keep a guest waiting outside his door with nary a word? The manager might well humble himself and pass down the waiting line, indoors or out, advising in a conversational tone that there are so many more minutes left before the next break, or when the next picture goes on. In exceptional cases, he should offer refunds where impatience is apparent. Occasional refunds here, pleasantly and willingly given, do more to build goodwill than anything I know of. What of 10 lost admissions today when they will, of themselves, earn you 50 the next month. "Again : A word here and there, the smile of welcome, a nod to a child, make the wait in line more tolerable and make the manager the true host." Boris Bernardi, general manager of the Midwest Theatres Company at Detroit, has a method of dealing with gate crashers that has served him well. "We have posted the following warning in each entrance where the doorman is stationed," he advises. "NO PERSON CAN ENTER THIS THEATRE EXCEPT BY ADMISSION TICKET, OR BY AN OFFICIAL PASS. "VIOLATORS, AS WELL AS EMPLOYEES ALLOWING SAME, ARE SUBJECT TO FEDERAL PROSECUTION UNDER THE INTERNAL REVENUE ACT." The sign, Mr. Bernardi declares, "has a great effect. Although I have not tried, I believe that the Collector of Internal Revenue would cooperate and would allow exhibitors to use the official stamp." A Remedy for Vandalism A remedy for vandalism and rowdyism has been developed that works for Mr. Bernardi. "We have found," he writes, "that in each theatre area there exists a gang of ruffians, that disturbances generally are created by the same gang. It is our experience that the only means 30 HELP YOURSELF BY HELPING OTHERS Exhibitors are invited to submit problems and solutions of problems. The response to the first article in this series was productive, and some of the observations are printed here. As space permits, others will be cleared through these pages. Your cooperation in helping a fellow showman find his way through a vexing situation will be rewarded by answers to problems that are bothering you. Send your communications to MOTION PICTURE HERALD, 1270 Sixth Avenue, Hew York 20, N. Y. Questions this week needing answers from the field include: COURTESY: How to present an unruffled front to the public, despite the tension of the times and the demands of your work. COMFORTABLE COOLING: Just how much difference should be maintained between inside and outside temperature during the summer? PROGRAM LENGTH: What is the ideal length for a first run program? For subsequent runs? MUTILATED PRINTS: How to avoid delays due to bad prints, and how to handle the film so that the next exhibition is not delayed. of suppressing them is to work through someone inside their own ranks. "We make it our business to find the leaders, offer them part-time work, or give them some logical sense of authority. A lecture on our grievance is given them. It is remarkable how soon these leaders find an interest in controlling the situation and ending vandalism and rowdyism. Give a youngster the opportunity to exert his authority and you can be assured he can use it for good as well as for bad." Kindness and consideration, both in dealing with customers and with employees, is the keynote to good will, Mr. Bernardi concludes. "No matter what we think and suffer," he says, "the customer is always right." Check Seats More Often Checking of seats more often has been undertaken by S. G. Fry of the Fry Theatres, Tyler, Tex. "Instead of checking seats once each week," he writes, "we do it twice during the week. In this way, we can repair many seat covers before they deteriorate to the point of having to be re-covered. This enables us to avoid replacement of the cover for another six months." Then there is the matter of screen repairs. When a hole must be patched in the screen, it is usually done from the back, but even this approach sometimes leaves tell-tale marks, as testified in the following from John Rugar of the Park Motion Theatre Company of Park City, Utah: "At some time during the life of a motion picture screen," Mr. Rugar advises, "something gets thrown through it. My last experience was when a missile was aimed at a picture of Hitler by one of our sureshot western fans. •a ;:.< He hit the target, and also made a sizable open ing in my screen. "It seems that all glue, mucilage or whalj ever is used in repairing such an opening pro duces a luminous effect when the projectio light hits it. I have noted this in other theaj tres in my travels. The best remedy I hav found is to cover the area lightly with ordinar flour. Put a small amount in a soda straw an blow the flour gently onto the spot while th:| ir glue is moist. If the glue has dried, moiste'['' it carefully with a clean watercolor brush an blow the flour on." The print shortage constitutes the bigge: wartime problem the exhibitors have today, i the opinion of Leo F. Wolcott, exhibitor c Eldora, la., president of Allied Theatre Owners of Iowa-Nebraska. "It particularly at A fects towns with three, four or five changes week," Mr. Wolcott says. "Exchanges th? used to get eight to 12 prints on important pic tures now get four or five prints. "On program pictures, they are now reduce to one or two prints. Previously, where tbj first runs used four to six weeks in liquidatio of playdates they now use approximately 1 weeks. Subsequent runs have to go back twic as far as previously, to about 15 weeks. In th very small towns, they now play pictures six t 12 months old instead of three to six month old. Repeats, reissues and dark nights seem L L be the only solution, with the crest of the pro! lem yet to be met as the cut takes full effect. K »,( FROM READERS f i St BROCHURE BARRAGE IS CALLED WASTE To the Editor of the Herald: I thought 20 years ago we had come to tb realization that the heavy barrage of unnece'i k sary brochures that are constantly being maile to exhibitors about forthcoming super-dupei was a waste of money that could well be put t better use. But I guess that the mailings can be dor| now and come out of the income tax. Th; money could be well spent in other useful thing more important to exhibitors. For instance, the producers feel they should spend such enoi mous sums on advertising and can get awa with it, why don't they cut down the price c accessories equivalent to that amount and hel us with our budget. Lately, some of the beautiful art pieces tha I have been receiving would shame the effort! of days gone by. Yet, the publishing house and printers claim that there is a scarcity of p; per and manpower — but no one would eve know it. If for no other reason than to assis | the war effort and save this waste, I think should be cut out. The poster companies clai: they can't get enough paper, and yet there is ai j abundance of this art work coming through tr mails daily. One of two ideas apparently are held in mirs ] — to get something out of the income bracke or to try to make us exhibitors think we ai_ getting something worthwhile for the fane'1 jf prices asked. Either reason is ridiculous j\ the extreme. The printer needs his paper ar the art department needs the manpower. W, exhibitors know that pictures couldn't be mae,. any better by this device than they are, so wl, fool us? This is the gospel truth, and I challenge an; one to deny it — even if it hurts. If it wei something that could be distributed to the pu' lie and that comes to our theatres, it might 1 worthwhile. But to us it all adds up to a lot < apple sauce, just as much today as it did years ago today. — RAY BRANCH, Strai Theatre, Hastings, Mich., president, Alll Theatres of Michigan, Inc. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, APRIL 28, 19 1, k 4