Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

November 2 2, 1930 Motion Picture News 63 MANAGE PJ' ROUND TABLE CLUB Fred Johnson Says That Business Is Oke at His Theatre The ad that we are showing was run in the Oil City Blizzard, of Oil City, Pa., by that personal show blizzard, Fred Johnson, manager of the Latonia Theatre. The reason why we tack the appellation of blizzard on Fred is because his work literally snows under any sort of business depression. "No bum weeks for me," shouts Fred. To show that he means it when he states that he doesn't believe in business depression, Fred tied-up with the South Side Business Men and ran a Prosperity Week. The ad that we are showing is one of a group run in the morning and evening papers. Look over the lay-out; it is probably one that you will want to use at an early date. FREE! 30 r South Side Business Men's PROSPERITY WEEK October 13 to 18 ^iu.ive 6 Big Days! Special Bargains Every Day This Week-Look at These Values for Tuesday! "ri££i' ii 00 Ma SPEND AND SAVE! Look for the "PROSPERTTY TAG" On Every Door of Participating Purru! 2l—,r-3Sc • uraouao II2.7S a*£^. 10t 79c ** 7*c »S25(S 6St JSc SSc urae<n>* 6-ZSc ^r^L KB. omiiil run *3 .«•<■• s*-^r ji.oo 6"£-«c J-» SO I1.9S *"• 3TTZS* jp£r_ 75c 2*VI9* 21 39c t I2i — ISIS woo ll.M There's no use of our going into a big discussion on what Fred did for "Prosperity Week." Those members and readers of the Club pages, who have been following this showman's activities for the past two years, will know that no grass grows under his feet whenever a campaign is to be put across. Every possible angle is taken care of. If there were more of that spirit displayed in the show game, such as Fred Johnson displays, little would be heard about poor business. This statement is applicable to the business world also. They spend more time in trying to find out what's wrong, than in ascertaining what's right. We think that showmen like Johnson, Averill, Holden, Lawrence, Resnick, McDonald, Rinzler, Latta, and the host of other names, all uncomplainers, who have appeared often on our pages, are doing plenty to fight back any form of business depression in the show game. More power to them. And let's hope that we'll always have men like them. Bolivar Hyde Sold Town on Fashion Show at Paramount Fashion shows are always good box-office builders. The one turned out by Bolivar Hyde, Jr., recently, at the Paramount Theatre in Montgomery, Ala., was no exception. — Hyde's show was well planned. He has been in the show game long enough to know how to cover every angle. The leading dealers in town were tied up, every window display well clone, and the newspaper stories written so that the residents would read them. The show was staged with the show NOVELTY SOUVENIRS Make friends with your patrons Vpw profit* In your hox office receipt! Olve kiddles "Brawl Novelties" and win them a« Boosters for your show house . . Inexpensive attractive novelties serve is real huslneBB {Tetters always, BRAZEL NOVELTY MFG. CO. •&&» 8!" NEW YEAR'S EVE! Are you making any plans for a New Year's Eve show? In past years the gala stage acts which featured these performances always predominated. We are wondering whether the box office reaction will be as good for straight screen entertainment. Many out-of-town showmen tell us that they are going to offer vaudeville acts as part of their New Year's Eve show. In fact they are depending on the vaudeville to get a regular admission price for this show. But regardless of just what you have decided on for your show, you must be pretty well set mighty soon if you are going to run any kind of a show at all. Especially if you are going to sell all seats reserved. This requires plenty of advance plugging to stimulate advance buying. Get busy and tie all of those loose ends together so that this New Year's Eve show will be the occasion for a great time for everyone. ing of "What a Widow." One of the biggest stores in town, A. Nachman, took a very big part in the style show. They furnished most of the wearing apparel, as well as the models. They also co-operated to the extent of running a large ad in the newspaper. The show was run for three days, and the third day found the house still doing good business, the word-of-mouth comment having gotten around that the Paramount was featuring something worth while. Along with this story, we had intended showing a copy of the front that Hyde fashioned for "Du Barry," the new Norma Talmadge film, but the photo was too poor to permit our making a reproduction of it. The color scheme, as well as we could make out, from the photo and description given us, seemed to be one that packed a selling punch. The center piece of the display was very effective, being the combination of Norma's head set against a background upon which was placed a number of stills from the picture. Listen, Bolivar, we'd like to hear from you some more on what you plan to do for the rest of the season. We are sure that you have plenty of tricks up your sleeve, and will shoot them to us, as soon as they click for you. Right ? Special Section Helped H. Herman Sell Amos 'N' Andy A newspaper section was the first thing that Harry Herman, manager of the Paramount Theatre in Waterloo, Iowa, brought into play to see the Amos 'n' Andy film, "Check ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ and Double Check." He garnered 386 inches of free newspaper advertising for the picture, in a six-page section. When Herman booked the Amos 'n' Andy picture he set out to devise an exploitation stunt that was big enough to make an "imprint" on his prospects. After discussing the "sichiation" with the advertising manager of the Daily Courier they decided on a "propolition" that they felt would appeal to local advertisers. Their "propolition" was good for 386 inches of extra space. Local merchants were visited and a plan outlined whereby copy about their store and its products should be expressed in Amos 'n' Andy dialogue copy. Herman wore out two typewriter ribbons preparing the copy for the merchants and in the layout of each ad was inserted two single-column cuts of Amos 'n' Andy with their names and the title played up in 36 and 48-point type. The merchants were pleased with the results. The newspaper was grateful to Herman for presenting them an idea that would increase their lineage, and Manager Herman is counting up the profits. The merchants were pleased with the results, the checking and double checking of their gains being accountable for the joy. And, of course, Herman profited also.