Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1956)

PATRON POLL BRINGS VALUABLE DATA SAENGER-MALCO-STRAND & ZEBRA THEATRES Pine Bluff, Arkansas Dear Madam: As rhe manager of your local UNITED THEATRES, I am constantly in search of ideas and suggestions that will improve our service and facilities, and to bring to our theatres the type of attractions that you and your family want to see. Rather than bother you with a telephone call or a solicitor, I am mailing you this moviecaster questionnaire, asking for you r advice and suggestions that will help us to bring this about, and to serve you better. In your liesure moments will you kindly fill out the card below, sign, and tear off at the dotted line, and bring it with you the next time you come down town and present it to the cashier at any of our theatres. It will admit you and your guest to any performance at these theatres until the period ending , 1956. Or, if you prefer, tear off and mail the attached card, which requires no postage, and we will mail to you your guest tickets. Sincerely yours. Date 1956 Manager P S. We feel sure that you will not want to miss any of these great attractions. MOVIECASTER QUESTIONNAIRE Name Address Tel. No No. in family Children under 12 Do you own a T.V. set? Automobile? How often do you attend movies? (Circle one) Weekly: Semi-weeklyi Monthly: Seldom: Never: What theatre do you prefer? When did you last attend? What type of pictures do you prefer? Who are your favorite stars? Male Female How do you learn about current pictures, and what's playing at your favorite theatre? (Circle mediums) Radio Television: Newspaper: Magazines: Billboards: Telephone: Big Sign at Theatre: Friends telling you What is your reason for not attending movies more frequently? What do you think would influence you to attend more movies? If you have any suggestions that would make the theatre more enjoyable, please tell us about them Name THIS CARD. WHEN FILLED OUT AND PRESENTED AT BOX OFFICE, WILL ADMIT YOU AND YOUR GUEST TO ANY PERFORMANCE DURING THE PERIOD ENDING 1956 Jack Brunagle, executive in charge of theatre advertising for United Theatres Corporation, with headquarters at Little Rock, Ark., has been faithfully circulating some 200 of the above questionnaires every week down in his area. The twopart reply card, both sides of which are reproduced above, is designed to elicit patron response to a number of questions that operators, not only in Arkansas, but all over the country, would certainly like some answers on. And who are better qualified to dispel question marks than the man and woman who plunk down their coin at the box office? According to Mr. Brunagle, the answers are coming in like Niagara — and why not? Past showman experience has proved beyond a doubt that the public likes to answer questions on their film-going habits. Aiding Mr. Brunagle in his circulation of the questionnaires is Bruce K. Young, city manager of United Theatres in Pine Bluff, Ark. He has been making a name for himself as an enterprising young showman, chock-full of constructive ideas, and when he got his quota of Brunagle’s questionnaires, he lost no time in promoting them in his locality. The response of a cross-section of film patrons, in their own words, setting down their likes and dislikes on a variety of film-going phenomena, from concessions to comfortable seating to projection to frequency of favorite personalities on their screens, is one of the chief aids an exhibitor can elicit in his never-ending search for the workable formula that will insure the maximum contentment of a maximum number of theatre patrons in his locality. An examination of the sides of the questionnaire reproduced above shows a clever design for obtaining the information the exhibitor needs. Ideas like this are valuable, not just in Arkansas but north and south, east and west, and abroad, for that matter. The exhibitor who knows what is in the mind of the public is the exhibitor who merchandises for top-drawer results. The showman who gives scientific consideration to the wants of his audience, and who analyzes their likes and dislikes, and accordingly provides for a margin of hits over misses is the showman who stays in business and prospers. Adoption of such a formula should yield good results. National Theatres Net 80 Cents Per Share LOS ANGELES: National Theatres’ net earnings are expected to approximate 80 cents per common share for the fiscal year ending September 25, 1956, according to Elmer C. Rhoden, president, who said that the company’s fourth quarter earnings for the past fiscal year will show “no gain” over the previous comparable period. Net earnings for the circuit over the fiscal year ended September 25, 1955, totaled $1.04 per share. Mr. Rhoden said the downward slide in earnings which plagued the company for the past year has been halted. B'Nai B'rith Luncheon Slated for October 30 New York’s Cinema Lodge of B’nai B’rith will hold its first luncheon membership meeting of the Fall season at Toots Shor’s Tuesday, October 30, it is announced by Robert K. Shapiro, president. The luncheon will mark the climax of the lodge’s principal fund-raising activity of the year, the sale of $25 contribution share certificates on behalf of B’nai B’rith agencies with one of the purchasers being awarded a Cadillac. With the sale short of its goal of 500 this year, Mr. Shapiro has appealed for a last-minute campaign to sell the remaining certificates, the Lodge’s executive committee having decided late last week against any postponement. Fund Christmas Cards Go to 5,000 Members HOLLYWOOD: Reproductions of the five winning original paintings for this year’s Motion Picture Relief Fund Christmas Cards have been mailed to 5,000 members of the industry, it was announced this week by George Bagnall, president of the Fund. The five cards provide a wide variety of sentiments for the buyers this year, ranging from the humorous “Stand-In” and “The Chimney” to the religious spirit of “The Stained Glass Window” and “Holy Family.” The Christmas Cards have been an annual event for more than 15 years. Last year 109,000 cards were sold, and this year the goal is a quarter of a million cards. All proceeds from their sales go to the Relief Fund for the care of the industry’s own. FJC Industry Dinner Set for November 15 Motion picture industry leaders will gather at the Hotel Plaza, New York, on November 15 for a special dinner of the Motion Picture Division in behalf of the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies, it is announced by Charles B. Moss, division chairman. Barney Balaban, president of Paramount Pictures, will be host at the meeting. Mr. Balaban and Samuel Rosen of Stanley Warner Corp. are co-chairmen of the motion picture division of the Federation. Associate campaign chairmen include Leo Jaffe of Columbia, Leon Goldberg of United Artists and Harold Rinzler of Frisch and Rinzler. AB-PT Wins Award American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres, Inc., has been judged as having the best annual financial report of the motion picture industry for the fourth consecutive year in the 16th annual survey of Financial World, national weekly magazine. The bronze “Oscar of Industry” will be presented at the annual awards banquet at the Hotel Statler, New York, October 29. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, OCTOBER 27, 1956 21