Motion Picture News (May-Jul 1916)

Juh 1, 1916 MOTION PICTURE NEWS 4049 mm inilinnmiiiiMiiiiiiniiuuMiiiiuiiuiuuMiiiiiMiiiiuiiiiiiiniiuwimiinminnmiiiuMWUunU]»nmiuiuiluwHlMniLa''u^ " Id niw*niiiiiiiiiii''ii'iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiitliiiiMiiiiiiiiii|[|iiiiiiiiiii t mil Dnuii EDITOR S NOTE. It is the desire of " Motion Picture News " to include under this heading novel advertising ideas, successful schemes in the management, decoration and equipment of the theatre — everything, in fact, done by the exhibitor to stimulate his trade. We inydte every exhibitor to write us about any new enterprise he has; also to come to us for advice or information along any line. Address: Editor, "Motion Picture News," 729 Seventh Avenue, New York City EXHIBITOR ADVOCATES USE OF VEST POCKET PROGRAMS John A. McNear, Jr., manager of the Mystic Theatre at Petaluma, Cal., advocates the use of vest-pocket house organs in a letter to the Progressive Motion Picture Company, which has been contributed to Paramount Progress. He says : " I strongly advocate the use of a program only large enough to be accommodated in every man's and woman's pocket or pocketbook, as so many of the patrons of the motion picture houses are those on the streets or engaged in business that drop in to see a show or arrange their dates so as not to conflict with other business, in order to see a picture that appeals to them. It is a fact that a program such as I suggest and make use of will please them and be appreciated by every one, more so than one that is too large to be conveniently carried in the ordinary pocket. " About sixteen months ago I started the use of a small program v.ith the idea that those using the same could keep them in their pocketbooks for ready reference. The adoption of this program has proved to be a wonderful success, shown bj the number of requests in person and mail orders for the same. " My program is issued weekh* and is readj for distribution at Saturday and Sunday shows for the week commencing the following Mondaj-, thus giving us the best two days of the week for advance advertising. The program consists of four pages, printed on first-class stock Sj^ by 7y2, the first page is given up to name and date, with house announcements. The second, third and fourth pages show the week's program. Our issue is 3,000 weekly and costs approximately $8." lOWAN TIES VP ADVERTISING TO SCHOOL BOND ELECTION The other day, Vinton, Iowa, was holding an election, so Manager Arthur G. Stolte, of the Palace, tied up his throwa-ways that day to the main topic of interest in the town. At the top he had printed in large black type: Have you voted on the school bond proposition? But be sure you attend the best show in the city at the Palace Theatre. The attraction was " The Girl and the Game," and Stolte reports that this sort of advertising brought good results. He also found that giving a free matinee to school children on the opening day was excellent publicitj-. Excellent Suggestion for Criticism Blank from House Organ of Victoria Theatre, Buffalo have often urged exhibitors to incite sj-stematic criticism from patrons, not only with regard to the way the theatre is conducted, but also respecting the qualitj of photoplays shown. This last is of first importance, and we fail to see how any exhibitor can omit making it part of his regular business. The most effective scheme, and certainly Your Decision Counts ^ The VICTORIA ha5 a wholesome respect for your o p i d i o a of moticn ^ YOU are the only unbiased, true critic and pass judgemfnt upon the productions of the VICTORIA every tune that you obser\'e a play. ^ It is lair to us and lairer to YOU that you tell the VICTORIA what you think of its offerings. ^ Last week we asked your opinion. The response was most gratifying, and, therelore we ask most respectfully for ycur criticism again. ATTRACT IONS The Victoria's Criticism Blank for Use Readers of Its House Organ by the onh^ permanently useful scheme is to get your patrons to express their opinions in writing. They ma\ tell }'0U what they think of a picture, as they pass out of the theatre, and this is better than not receiving any opinions at all. But wouldn't it be better to have them write down their verdicts in some regularly devised form. Xow the A'ictoria Theatre, Buffalo, one of the Mitchell Mark enterprises, prints a criticism blank on the last page of a recent issue of its house organ, which may be useful to j^ou. The accompanjdng cut reproduces it in reduced size. Note that this is the second edition of the Victoria's criticism blank idea. We suggest that you might adapt it to your theatre with bene ficial results, and you might find it valuable to give the whole back page of y-our house organ to a criticism blank, preceded by some effective house talk as the Victoria has done. WAR VANCOUVER THEATRE ADMITS VETERANS FREE During a week's engagement of " Canada's Fighting Forces" (the official Canadian war pictures) at the Orpheum theatre in Vancouver, Manager James Pilling admitted all returned veterans free, it being onh necessarj to displaj' the button which they receive on their discharge. On the evening of the opening day of the league baseball season the Vancouver and Spokane teams were guests of the house, and Sergeant Fred Wells, who was wounded in the battle of Ypres, and who delivers a lecture in connection with the films, added to his regular talk an interesting description of baseball games as played by the soldiers behind the lines in France, when off dutj-. Big business was done throughout the week. . HERD'S ENTERPRISE IN SHOWING FILMS OF LOCAL EVENTS A bit of enterprising motion picture work was done by \Y. W. Watts, owner of the A'audette and Gaiety theatres, Springfield, 111., in connection with Springfield's preparedness parade in which 15,000 people marched. Mr. Watts had a camera man on hand to get views of the parade, the biggest ever seen in the Illinois capitol. As soon as they were taken, the film was rushed to Chicago and developed. It was taken on Saturday evening and was back in Springfield and on the screen at the Vaudette theatre Monday afternoon. Hundreds of people saw themselves on the screen at the exhibition of the parade pictures. Mr. Watts also exhibited scenes in connection with the Catholic Union pageant held on the Sunday following the preparedness demonstration. SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE STUNT FOR ADVERTISING " OVERALLS " F. T. Mendenhall, who recently opened the opera house in Pacific Junction, la., foimd advertising the Mutual special " Overalls," to be a simple matter. He employed a number of boys to dress in overalls and parade the streets with signs adyertising the picture.