Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1947)

zAn international association of showmen meeting weekly in MOTION PICTURE HERALD for mutual aid and progress CHESTER FRIEDMAN, Editor OP Back in the Forefront L'ast week's guest speaker at the series of lectures on motion picture advertising and selling which is being given by H. A. Linet, eastern advertising manager for UniversalInternational, at the New School for Social Research in New York was Ernest Emerling, advertising manager for Loew's theatres. Mr. Emerling pointed out that the film companies provide the tools with which to sell the attractions, and the manager must make use of these tools if he is to remain in the running with his competitors. Mr. Emerling was speaking of press books. Nowadays, the manager who does not resort to these manuals regularly is not only placing the theatre in jeopardy of running behind his competitor but he is also placing himself in danger of becoming stagnant, with the obvious consequences. Mr. Emerling also placed stress on the necessity of training assistant managers in the art of picture selling. We are happy to see that at least one circuit is aware of the importance of the assistant manager and the important role he plays in the success and operation of the theatre. Unfortunately, during the war the caliber of manpower in this department deteriorated along with other standards. The assistant manager is our secondary line of power for the continued development and expansion of the industry. He is our first line in the policy that promotion must come from within the ranks. AAA Foresight Theatremen in Camden, N. J., have reported a drop in grosses which they attribute to the suspension of the Courier-Post in that city. The drop has continued in spite of extensive use of radio, sound trucks and advertisements in weekly newspapers. More than a year ago, when labor problems were first forcing newspapers to temporarily discontinue publication, this column suggested that showmen should be exercising their skill in meeting emergencies by preparing an overall schedule for just such an exigency. Extensive use of radio, which the Camden exhibitors are using in place of daily newspaper advertising, can only be effective if and when choice or selected time is available. Even the smaller radio stations are pretty well saturated with commercials these days and doubtless the theatremen did not find it easy to pick up what might be considered the best spots for their announcements. On the other hand, it might not be difficult under these conditions to persuade one or more of the regular advertisers holding preferred time that injecting theatre programs and schedules in their regular broadcasts would be an excellent public service. Many of these promotions could be lined up, perhaps, in return for a lobby card announcing that the theatre attractions were being broadcast daily through the courtesy of the cooperating merchant or merchants. For such an emergency it could do no harm and would certainly indicate that the manager was on his toes if he did have on hand for immediate reference a complete schedule of all possible media to reach his patrons. This should include whatever means he has of reaching the public within a reasonable budget, including transportation agencies, outdoor posting, distributing agencies, schools, libraries and other public assembly points. AAA Mel Jolley, manager of the Marks theatre, Oshawa, Ontario, has started a Boys and Girls Club which offers a new twist, in that the theatre has a guaranteed 18-week patronage at no cost. Mr. Jolley tied up with the Quaker Oats Company of Canada which supplies membership certificates, official badges and autographed photos of the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Team to the theatre. The certificates and badges were distributed to every child who attended the initial matinee in exchange for a box top from Quaker Oats. On subsequent Saturdays, different photos of the hockey players are given away for a box top. As Mr. Jolley points out, the promotion cost the theatre nothing; it helps to sell seats and creates goodwill amongst the kids. This type of cooperation with the "adults of tomorrow" also builds a steady patronage. —CHESTER FRIEDMAN MOTION PICTURE HERALD, MARCH I, 1947 53