Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1929)

November 9, 1929 Motion Picture News 49 MANAGF I?*' ROUND TABLE CLUB E. L. Connelly Puts Over "Crack" Campaign In Pittsburgh Backed up by one of the most effective campaigns ever witnessed in connection with any picture^ Eugene L. Connelly, Manager of the Harris & Sheridan Square "" ~" "^ "~"~ ~~ ~^— Theatres, Pittsburgh, Pa. put over a tremendous campaign on the Columbia feature "Flight." The fact that this picture has broken all established records, and is now in its second successful week, is ample evidence that very little was left undone in handling the exploitation for this attraction. Among the many tieups successfully engineered by Mr. Connelly, were muslin banners stretched across the roadways leading to the different airports in and around Pittsburgh. Radio announcements regularly, loud speaker announcements at the Pittsburgh Butler Airport during the dedication ceremonies. Trip planned for newspaper critics in a special plant to get the atmosphere of "Flight" before seeing the preview at the Harris Theatre. (Plane nose-dived, which immediately gave this a front page story.) Special luncheon at the William Penn Hotel preceding the preview attended by thirty newspaper people and many famous aviators. Souvenir ash trays of "Flight" given to guests and speeches on aviation and aviation's part in talking sound moving pictures. Preview brought out many officers of the marines, army and navy as well as the newspaper folk and members of the Variety Club. Elaborate window displays in leading department stores were arranged in addition to other displays in restaurants, hardware stores and 25 book selling establishments. The above photos show the front of the theatre and one of the attractive windows dressed for this attraction by Mr. Connelly A specially colored fifth wheel ad was placed on over 500 taxicabs which were running all around the city. There were, so many different angles to this picture, that we find it difficult to set it forth in plain cold type, our only regret is that they did not take photographs of the different tieups and stunts so that we could better show how they handled this mighty campaign. The mere reciting of the fifty or sixty odd angles for the campaign on the picture sounds, unfortunately, like a Sunday School recitation, and we have no intention of boring our many members and readers with this type of description. However, we will say to the credit of Mr. Connelly and the Columbia exploiteer who assisted him, that they have succeeded in a marvelous layout and are deserving of all the credit heaped upon their shoulders by reason of the tremendous success of the campaign. We would be glad to publish the future activities of Mr. Connelly and what he is doing at his various theatres, and we are sure that we will soon be able to list him as an active member of our great organization. Advertising That Helps In last week's issue of Motion Picture News, Paramount ran four pages of advertising on Harold Lloyd in "Welcome Danger" that struck the right chord with showmen everywhere. It is the type of advertising that every real manager wants because it helps him sell the picture to his public. It shows him how the picture was sold to New York and, undoubtedly, the layout presented many angles which could be used or converted to suit) local requirements. We hope the time is not too far distant when other producers and distributors will follow the example of Paramount and give us this type of advertising so that we in turn can cash in on it. Managers' Round Table Club The complete campaign as covered by this showman is available at CLUB headquarters where copies will be gladly sent to any member or reader who is going to play this attraction or any other type of picture with which such exploitation can be used. Just drop us a line, and it is yours for the asking, complete in every detail. Levin Finds Many Helps On The Club Pages Every Week Mr. D. Levin, who manages the Empire Theatre in Brakpan, South Africa, has written a marvelous letter to the ROUND TABLE CLUB, and one that sincere^ ^^^^^—^^^^^— ly shows the wonderful spirit that prevails among our members in that far-off country. There was one point in Mr. Levin's letter that particularly appealed to us, and that was his fine reference to Mr. J. H. Stodel, who he tells us, has instilled some of his marvelous energy and inspiration into the men working under him. This is a wonderful tribute from a subordinate, and from what we have seen and read about J. H. Stodel, we feel that he is certainly entitled to it. We are sure that Mr. Levin's feelings towards "J. H." are shared by every other manager on the circuit, whether they are members of the ROUND TABLE CLUB or not, but since we have every reason to believe that every manager of the African Theatres, Ltd., belongs to our organization, we know that the feeling is unanimous. We would be proud to give Mr. Levin all the space on these pages that he would require to pass on some of the showmanship ideas that he is constantly developing and putting across at his theatre down in South Africa, and we urge him to send us any material that he may have at the present time, together with his own photograph, so that we may show the other boys what this live-wire manager looks like. The Real Club Spirit! "All For One And One For All"