Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1948)

Percy Long Campaigns For Bob Case Enters A Greater Webster City Percy Long, manager of the Webster and Isis theatres, Webster City, Iowa, promised us a story of the "Greater Webster City Week" which was promoted in his Iowa town with the cooperation of Pathfinder Magazine and the Farm Journal. Since this is an event that other managers could handle in other situations and with other sponsorship, we believe it will be of interest to Round Table members. Percy is the shy, retiring type, and he kept the story back for a long time, but we finally wangled it out of him. First plans for the week grew from table talk, in regular meetings of the Chamber of Commerce. Then it reached the wishing stage, and finally, a dream come true. It took a lot of willing, hard-working, loyal citizens of Webster City to bring it about, but the result was well worth while. A full week's events, beginning Sunday with church services and the dedication of a new airport, extended through six business days, crowded with program attractions, to the following Sunday, when it ended. The Webster and Isis theatres were on the program every day, with more folks in town, and more business at the box office than has been known. Advertising Cooperation Remarkable among the exhibits which Percy sends us are a bundle of thirty-four newspaper pages which appeared in the Daily Freeman-Journal, immediately prior and during the phenomenal week. The theatre was the scene of various meetings for planning groups and for the crowning of "Miss Webster City of 1948." She was chosen by Ronald Reagan, in Hollywood, from photographs submitted. Local merchant cooperation sponsored numerous valuable gifts, including a $250 diamond ring and a $90 Elgin wrist watch. These gifts were referred to in large cooperative ads, tied with the theatre. Among the theatre events was a big style show, which occupied one afternoon, and was contributed by local Percy Long introduces "Miss Greater Webster City of 1948" at the ceremonies which he promoted as part of his theatre exploitation. merchants. A "Man in the Street" broadcast also originated at the theatre, each day at noon. The lobby was especially decorated, and trailers were used in advance and through the week, to call attention to theatre participation. Another idea which Percy Long created, to help decorate a whole town for the special week, was the whitewashing of all curb stones, leading into Main Street. A simple, inexpensive idea, done with voluntary helpers, which dressed up the town as it never has been done before. Also, everybody wore a "Webster City Orchid" — on this occasion a dandelion — and this desirable stunt, also suggested by the theatre manager, will be used again next year. New four-way street markers were erected and dedicated as a part of the civic celebration of "Greater Webster City Week." Leads Community Affairs Percy writes that he is a past president of Rotary in Webster City and a 100% attender. He was president of the Chamber of Commerce which grew during his regime from a membership of 35 to more than 400. He says he has just seen another dream come true — the organization of the Community Chest on lines to be carried out this holiday season. He has been made a permanent member of the mayor's newly organized "City Planning Commission." He provides a. fine demonstration of how much the theatre and its local manager can do in community affairs, and he plans at least one big community event each year in the future. Serial View of business section of Webster City, Iowa, a town of 6,738 population, with Main Street running diagonally across the picture above, and the Webster and Isis theatres centrally located, Club Meeting Before Show Howard Griffin, manager of the State theatre, Jefferson City, Mo., has a children's movie club that meets 45 minutes before the Saturday morning show, for its own business and fun session. Interesting way to guarantee that every seat will be filled when "Superman" and the cartoon show, begins. Model Courtesy Plan for Awards Smiling Bob Case, city manager of Walter Reade's theatres in Kingston, N. Y., submits his campaign book entitled "Courtesy Is Contagious" as an entry for the Quigley Awards, and makes the point that this was not exploitation of a particular picture, but community relations in a larger sense, that can build and keep a permanent clientele for any theatre in the country. The campaign started with a circular letter to all merchants in Kingston, reading, "Say, Buddy, didn't you know there's a war on ? A war against the public-be-damned attitude, to be observed in Kingston by proclamation of the mayor, to prove that Courtesy Is Contagious. It's smart to wrap up a customer's purchase with a smile !" This approach put every merchant in town on the side of the theatre in support of a city-wide campaign which started for the employees of the Broadway and Kingston theatres but embraced the entire community. The Kingston Daily Leader took up the idea on its front page, and in frequent editorials argued that this was a real antidote for the bitterness of war years and towards post-war adjustment. Civic leaders spoke for a return to the old-fashioned neighborliness, the courteous way of doing things. Through the whole program, the theatres were accented, and from thenscreens a town was encouraged to appreciate and utilize courtesy as a part of everyday life. Buttons, banners, street signs, proclaimed the fact that "Courtesy Is Contagious", with every merchant and place of business along Main Street taking part in the theatre's exploitation. ^e^z, Webster city WHAT'S BEHIND THIS PROGRAM? THE GREATER WEBSTER CITT DEMONSTRATION IS DESIGNED TO SHOW THAT. WE'VE WORKED HARD TO MARE THIS PROGRAM A SUCCESS... Farm Journal-Pathfirider ^&6MAY2od-9ih First1 one of thirty-four fine newspaper pages submitted by Percy Long as part of the supporting campaign for "Greater Webster City" done in cooperation with the Pathfinder Magazine and Farm Journal. 44 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, DECEMBER 18, 1948