Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

122 Motion Picture N ezv s November 1 , 193 0 MANAGER!' HOUND TACLE CLUB TOILET CLEANLINESS! If there is any part of your theatre demanding close attention it is your toilets. Yet, you can walk into hundreds of theatres and find these rooms foul-smelling and an insult to your patrons. Particularly on those days when the kiddies predominate, you must exercise extreme caution and make frequent trips to those rooms to make sure that they are fit for the use of your patrons. Toilets, especially in the busy theatres, cannoi wait until the following day for a mopping or cleaning. This is necessary every hour or two and be positive that the toilet paper holders are full too. In ladies rooms you should make doubly sure that everything is O.K. because nothing will chase away the ladies quicker than dirty lounge rooms and toilets. There is nothing delicate about this subject. It's as important as any phase of your theatre's operation, so just check up a lot more in the future than you have in the past to be certain that your hired help is not overlooking or neglecting the toilets. Mrs. Tommy Kane of Redwood Sequoia Gives Her Suggestions Just to be different I am handing you herewith an article by Mrs. Thomas J. Kane. So here goes : Let us start at the ticket window. First impressions are lasting. Have a cashier and doorman who can smile and say "Thank You." Also a gracious voice and manner to answer telephone inquiries. Personal touch means much, especially in a small town. The manager should be on the floor to greet his patrons from time to time during the evening and especially at the break of the show. Ushers should be trained to treat customers with courtesy and not as if they were doing them a favor. Ushers should be in uniforms and uniforms should be well cleaned and pressed. It makes such a difference. Noise is another serious problem. Don't let one or two wise guys make it uncomfortable for all your patrons by razzing heavy love scenes, etc. Crying babies are also a matter to be given immediate attention. The parent should be asked nicely to take the child out if they do not do so themselves. Smoking should be confined to sections set aside for that purpose. Even in this day of much smoke there are still a few people wo do not care for it. In case of complaint from patron, say, "I'll see that the matter is given attention." The patrons are always right. (Even if you know them to be cranks.) Even then make them think they are right. Be a good "yes" man. The dear public likes it. "Believe it or not." Heat is another angle which requires much attention. In winter be sure your house is warm and as cool as possible in the summer. Use ventilators intelligently. Have handy in all parts of the house fire extinguishers. They may only be needed once in a lifetime, but that once may be the means of saving life and property. A first aid kit should be on hand for comfort of patrons and employees. Rest rooms are of paramount importance. There is nothing so disagreeable as toilets and washrooms that are not immaculate. See that all toilets are in working order. Above all else keep up minor repairs. These are only little things but after all it is the little things that count. Janitors and maintenance men are a very important part in running a house, although never seen by the people. Try to create in all employees a personal pride in his particclar post in the theatre. Another pleasing thing is having nice fresh flowers in a prominent place as you enter. But be sure they are fresh. This of course does not touch on pictures, projection and a number of other important things it takes to run an ideal house. The Meyers, Senior And Junior, Certainly Know Show Game Meet two of Milwaukee's showmen. One has already made a name for himself that means a lot in the theatrical history of the city. The other is well on the way to duplicating the record held by his father; for the gentleman at the top of this story is Fred S. Meyer, general manager of the Alhambra Theatre, Milwaukee, Wis. The young man at the bottom of this story, appearing in the football uniform, is Stanley Meyer, Fred's sixteen-year-old son. Let's see what the boy has done so far in show business in Milwaukee. Several years ago he started a as an usher in the local houses, working after school and on his days off. It wasn't long after he graduated from high school that he was promoted to the position of assistant manager at the Venetian Theatre, in Milwaukee, for the Warner outfit. He has held the job down very capably, and rates 100% with the circuit. ^^^L He is six feet tall, weighs 175 pounds, and ^k . attends school at Marquette University. ^k Vil k| Last year he was selected as a candidate ^^ M M for the all-suburban football team, a local selection of great importance in the city. He bids fair to rival his dad's record should he desire to continue in the show game. We do not know anything about what he is going to do in the future — when Fred was in our office some time ago we never thought to ask him — but the pep he has shown should guarantee him a place in the show game any day in the week. And now for Fred. He's been in the movies pretty near since the movies started, and as a result, there's little he doesn't know about the show game. He has been in every branch of it. The work he turns out in Milwaukee is great stuff, and with the added advantage of many years of sagacious showmanship behind it, it always clicks. Fred is going to pass along some of his future work to us, and we are sure that it will more than be welcomed by the rest of the showmen in the Managers' Round Table Club. We want to welcome the two Meyers into our organization and we believe they will prove very active. AU Oil IIT°» •»• And just to give you a line on Fred's ability towards newspaper lay-out, we are showing a group of ads that he used when he played "All Quiet." The spectacular feature of the advertising was the fact that alt of the ads carried testimonials from civic personalities, thus insuring their being read and subsequent word-of -mouth talk following. FLASH! C. J. Latta, formerly managing director of the Roger Sherman Theatre, New Haven, Conn., has been promoted to district manager of Cleveland, Ohio, for Warner Brothers. Congratulations, "C. J." You deserved it.