Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

Motion Picture N c W s N o v c in b er 1 5 , 19 3 0 MANAGE RJ* ROUND' TABLE CLUB A Peppy Member And now here's another showman who is mighty proud of his membership certificate in the Managers' Round Table Club. Meet Roger R. Drissel, manager of Loew's Columbia Theatre in Washington, D. C, and note the prominent place where the certificate is displayed. Anyone entering the office is certain to see it. Thanks. Roger, we are sure that you have the real Club spirit. Keep it up! Roger R. Drissel at His Desk Railroad In Window Plugged Prosperity Week For Stowell A window display that helped him to sell the Prosperity Week he was plugging at the Paramount Theatre in Middletown, N. Y., was created by Harry C. Stowell, man^^i^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^;; ager of the local Publix houses. In the window of a store adjacent to the theatre was built a platform ten feet long and four and one-half feet wide, covered with a grass mat on which was a miniature railroad set consisting of five trains and engine which was operated by electricity. Each coach on the train was 20 inches long and seven inches high. There was electric light in each coach as well as a rear and headlight on the engine. A tie-up was made with a toy store to furnish the following miniature display for the window. Railroad station, illuminated tunnels, railroad gates, caution sign, blinker light, everything being operated by electricity. The setting was surrounded by beaverboard — completely covered with pictures of Paramount stars and stills of each picture to be played during the week. There was also a card 54 inches long and 12 inches wide containing the following copy which tied in for the week's program, "Get on Paramount's Prosperity Train— First Stop 'MONTE CARLO'— Will Stop off Thursday and see 'LILIOM' and Saturday we will hit the 'SANTE FE TRAIL'." In the front of the setting appeared the words, "PROSPERITY WEEK" in metallic letters. The display not only drew the attention of the children but the grown-ups as well. The expense was comparatively small to the amount of attention it drew during the week. And when a stunt pays big dividends, it is liable to be used again. Right. Harry? Let's see what else you are doing to line them up at the box-office. High School Team Was Invited To See Football Picture Inasmuch as two leading universities in the middle west are in a drawing radius of Cedar Rapids, and the town itself is football mad, C. W. Peterson emphasized the foot_—^__^_—___^^^____ ball angle of "Maybe It's Love" when it played his house, the State Theatre in Cedar Rapids, Mich. The lobby of the State was trimmed with school pennants and directly in front of the box-office a set of goal posts were erected. These posts were wrapped with colored crepe paper, carrying out the local university colors. The first squad of the high school and college football teams were guests of Manager Peterson at a showing of the picture. In return for this he got an announcement at the schools and at the frat houses. 15U0 line-ups were distributed at a night football game played in Cedar Rapids. Peterson also promoted a collegiate Ford which was used on the streets to plug the picture during its run. During the showing of "Maybe It's Love," lucky number tickets were passed out with each admission, and on the following Saturday night when Peterson had a new picture, a public drawing in the theatre determined the winner of the collegiate Ford. To win the car, a person had to be in the theatre when his number was called. The audience was besprinkled with collegiates too, they forming a large part of the assembled populace. Which means that Peterson reported good business on the run of the film. As that was what he set out to get, and accomplished it, he was satisfied. Limerick Ballyhoo Sold Coleman Show To Good Results When a stunt will bring them in and stand 'em up there must be something to it. For this reason we are passing along the gag used by George Limerick at the Coleman Theatre, Miami, Okla. The cut-outs shown in the photograph were made from 24 sheets pasted on compo board. The truck, on which the display was placed, was covered on four sides with plugs on the picture. This truck — or we should say trailer — was attached to a car and pulled all over the trade territory of the town and the surrounding districts. The cost of the stunt was trivial when compared to the wealth of business derived from it. This stunt is one that any showman can use, and as it is not going to cost much, it would pay to try it. Perhaps you can promote a trailer of some sort about your town. Then all you have to do is to hitch it onto a truck, or a car, place your TRAIL HARD AALEI twenty-four sheet cut-outs around it, and let go the work. You can have a kid concealed behind the cut-outs, blowing on a horn or beating a drum, if you think that slant will work in your town. At any rate, give the gag some consideration and if you can use it, go to it. Oke, George. Let's hear some more from you.