Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

N o v c m b (■ i / 930 M o t i o n P i c I it r e N r w s 31 Trade Paper Copy And Newspaper Ads Put It Over Conceding that the trade paper campaign which heralded "Check and Double Check" was the first big gun to be fired in the national offensive by way of theatre preparation for the Amos 'n' Andy debut, Hy Daab's newspaper follow-up, which reached 89 newspapers in 50 cities and in 30 states, was put over at a cost to Radio Pictures slightly under $75,000. Daab steered clear of full page and double truck rates by holding down the number of lines under full column depth, but in each instance, for eye appeal, the splash looked like an entire page. Two big heads of the radio headliners dominated the display, which was prepared in circus ballyhoo style. Newspaper censorship, often strict in certain sections of the country, failed to applyin this instance, only one paper toning down the copy by throwing a Ben Day screen over the drawings. Daab doesn't know whether he was lucky or simply got away with something, but at any rate his display went through as originally laid out. The copy was placed in some of the largest dailies in the United States. In the Chicago Tribune the two-page smash appeared in two colors, black and red. Circulation of the mediums used totaled 13,210,595 and in larger cities, two or more papers were frequently used. Daab is now the proud possessor of a sheaf of letters from newspaper publishers and newspaper advertising managers commending him upon the efficacy of his layout. The letters didn't come only from those dailies in which the ads were carried. One Middle Western publisher saw the display in a daily published in a nearby city, but nevertheless was persuaded to write Daab a word of praise for his treatment. An idea of how the the copy blanketed the nation is obtainable from this partial list of papers used. Here it is : CALIFORNIA— Los Angeles Examiner (204.245), Times (162,959), San Francisco Call-Bulletin [115,012] Chronicle (94.922). Examiner (182.210). COLORADO— Denver Post (162.722). CONNECTICUT Hartford Courant (29,200). Ti (59,952), New Haven Journal-Courier (20,821), Re mes Regis DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA-Washington Star (105.J90), limes (92.988). FLORIDA -Jacksonville Times-Union (50.707), Journal (21,852). GEORGIA— Atlanta Constitution (92,897), Journal (80,778). ILLINOIS— Chicago American (559,705), News (430.204), Tribune (828.422). INDIANA— Indianapolis News (126,262), Star (108.505). lOWA-Lks Moines Register 1112,856). Tribune-Capital (117,213). LOUISIANA— New Orleans Item (68,283), TimesPicayune (99,7411, Tribune (44,626). MAINE— Portland Express (24.098), News (13,113) Press-Herald (39,817). MARYLAND— Baltimore Sun (148,235). MASSACHUSETES— Boston Globe (140,633). Springfield News (42,361), Republican (23.557), Union (34,^66). Worcester Gazette (60,351). Telegram (44,467). MICHIGAN— Detroit Free Press (226,508), News (233,585). Grand Rapids Press (90,076). MINNESOTA— Minneapolis Tribune (72,263), St. Paul Dispatch (89.523), Pioneer-Press (74.597). MISSOURI— Kansas City Star (279,096), Times (269,574), St. Louis GlobeDemocrat (277.378), Post-Dis patch (241,066). MONTANA— Butte Standard (17,349), Post (10,860). NEBRASKA-Omaha World-Herald (69,589). NEW JERSEY— Newark News (146.093). NEW YORK-Buffalo CourierExpress (130.099). News Clicks for Warners Amos 'n* Andy have socked grosses right on the chin in every Warner house they are playing. In every instance, business has jumped at least 100 per cent, with many of the theatres rolling up grosses of from 150 to 200 per cent over normal in the first six days of the run. "Double Check" to Reach $50,000 in First Chi Week Amos 'n' Andy Open N. Y. Tonight; Scale Is $1 Top With a potential maximum gross of $60,IH If I on the week~to shoot at, Amos 'n' Andy make their New York debut tonight at the RKO Mayfair. The theatre at 7th Avenue and 47th St. will operate on a grind policy with a $1 top. in conformity with other houses of its type on Broadway. Forrest C. Macomber, formerly at the New York Strand and now manager of the Globe, will manage the Mayfair and, at the same time, continue control of the Globe. The revamped Columbia, which housed burlesque prior to its acquisition by RKO, ha.s had a number of seats added, total capacity of the theatre now being 2,300. Morocco rouge marble has been used rather generally throughout the house. In the place of bulky ornamental fixtures, the walls and ceiling show only the outline of recesses and mounted bas-reliefs which tend to further stress the modernistic architectural scheme under which the theatre was remodeled. One of the features of the house is the marquee, in which the lighting has been arranged to flood not only the sidewalk, but that part of 7th Ave. on which the theatre faces as well. Two large signs, one facing 7th Ave. and the other 47th St., have a main banner of lights 100 feet high and 125 feet long. Plans and specifications were drawn by Thomas W. Lamb and contracting work by M. Shapiro and Son. (160.267), Brooklyn Eagle (84,248). New York Daily News (1,273,946), Evening Journal (624.4831. NORTH CAROLINA— Charlotte Observer (46.380). OHIO— Cincinnati Post (195,062). Times-Star (160,288). Cleveland News (175,458), Plain Dealer (209,777), Press (211,934). Columbus Citizen (90,839). Dispatch (119,430). Dayton Herald (48,505), Journal (28,1981, News (58.598), Toledo Blade (134.018). OKLAHOMA— Oklahoma City Oklahoman (84,780), Times (81,359), Tulsa World (75,573). OREGON— Portland Oregonian (109,123). PENNSYLVANIA— Philadelphia Bulletin (555,573), Public Ledger (129.807). Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (243.097). Scranton Republican (25,028), WilkesBarre Times-Leader (27,257). TENNESSEE^Memphis Appeal (evening— 76,412), Commercial Appeal (morning — 113,098). TEXAS— DaMas Journal (44,117), News (89,0551. Houston Chronicle (88.912). Post-Dispatch (69.904), San Antonio Express (38.343), News (40,031). UTAH Salt Lake City Deseret News (40,315), Tribune (48,979). VIRGINIA— Richmond Times-Dispatch (66.848). WASHINGTGN-Seattle Post-Intelligencer (101.095). WISCONSIN— Milwaukee Journal (171,896.) ONTARIO— Toronto Mail and Empire (114.1131. Star (173.101). A Break Omaha — The Orpheum got a break when twins born in a local hospital on the opening day of "Check and Double Check" were named Amos and Andy. Pictures and story were splashed over the front pages. Chicago — Amos 'n' Andy, with smiles lighting up the interior of the RKO StateLake, sat well to the rear of the house during the first performance here of "Check and Double Check" early Saturday morning. Because of the constant tinkle of changemaking machines, audible from their vantage points in the theatre, and the continuous shuffle of paid customers past their seats on the aisle, it was difficult to determine whether the r(R)adio stars were pleased more by the public manifestations of interest in themselves or by their own performances on the screen before them. Only once during the performance did they turn their glances away from that screen up front. At exactly 10 o'clock, one hour after the theatre opened, that shuffle of feet through the various entrances came to an abrupt halt. Amos looked up at Andy questioninglv. and Andy stared back at Amos. But George Quinlan, manager of the State-Lake, was on hand to reassure them. "Filled up," he whispered. "Not a seat left." A pleased smile went the rounds of the three faces, and three pairs of eyes turned back to the screen. The house remained the same way for the nine shows which followed the first ; it was still the same for Sunday's eight performances. And at 8 :30 A.M. Monday a . long line of customers, change in hand, waited in an autumnal rain that shrouded State St. By that time. 48,676 of the faithful had paid out $24,584 for eighteen performances at this 2,800-seat house. House Records Smashed Needless to say, all house records at the State-Lake for week-end grosses were smashed in a very definite way, and alltime records for the house are fast disappearing as the rush to lay it on the line continues. The Saturday and Sunday take alone exceeded by $5,000 the normal weekly take for the house on its old vaude-film policy which it abandoned only two weeks ago. Advance advertising on the picture has never been equalled here before. Extra display space in all local papers was used for a full week before the picture's opening. More than $10,000 worth of space was used in the six dailies on Friday alone. It was apportioned as follows : Two center page spreads with color. Daily Tribune ($3,880) ; one page, Herald-Examiner, ($1,020) ; one page Evening American ($2,000) ; one page Daily News ($2,000); half-page Evening Post ($650); half-page Daily Illustrated News ($525), and additional display space in the theatre sections of all papers. Orders for the space came from Radio's New York office. Nothing like this volume of advertising on a single picture nor the reception given it in its opening days has been witnessed here before. Local exhibitors and guessers fifure it a cinch for the house to hit $50,000 this week, an unprecedented figure here for a 2,800-seat house with a 35c-75c scale.