Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

N o ;■ e m her 29, 1 o 3 fl .1/ o t i o n f i c t it i e jv e w s 53 MANAGER!' ROUND TABLE CLUB WHAT MUST A MANAGER KNOW? Although we list twelve classifications on this list of what a manager must look after, there are actually 52 items altogether. Jack Fink, former manager of the Fox Terminal Theatre in Chicago, III., is the showman who keeps this list constantly before him, especially when he must jump into a strange house and get it organized. The value it will hold for others depends entirely on how seriously they take their jobs. From our point of view this list should come in mighty handy, not only for the man who takes over a house, but also for the manager who wants to check up on himself to make sure that he's not passing up anything for the good of his theatre. And perhaps some of our members and readers will augment this list with other items just as important. If so, shoot them along, we'll greet them with open arms. 1. Advertising a. Front of theatre b. Lobby c. Outside d. Newspaper e. Program, heralds and house organ 2. Good Will a. Making friends of patrons b. Going out of way to do favors c. Organize theatre parties at re duced rates 3. Exploitation a. Shadow boxes b. Lobby displays c. Personal announcements on rare occasions d. Special outdoor ballyhoo where occasion calls for it e. Organizing kiddie clubs 4. Trailer Advertising a. Not to be overdone b. Policy announcements c. Stock trailers d. A different type of silence trailer each week. Interchange e. Special editorial announcements from time to time 5. Cleanliness a. Strict supervision of janitors b. Daily inspection of theatre c. Daily inspection of attaches, check on shave, linen, shoe shine, hair 6. Service and Courtesy 10. a. Strict discipline and training of service force b. Importance of having pleasant cashier, doorman and walk man c. Extraordinary care given to elderly people and cripples d. Keep children from being annoying to adults e. Reporting all nuisances to man 1L ager 7. Projection a. Importance of having correct fadar settings b. Watch for poor light on screen c. Flutter, flicker, shadows, etc. d. Ends of parts shown or run 12. outs e. Screen effects 8. Personal Appearance a. Manager dressing formally b. Immaculate service staff c. Tidy box office d. No gum chewing or lounging poses 9. Civic Contact a. Meeting and making friends of merchants b. Personal acquaintance with managers of all hotels and apartments c. Joining civic organization Entertainment Policy a. Always change on same davs, variation is confusing to public b. Blend program so as to eliminate confliction c. Total time of performance should not be over 2yi hours d. Watch bookings and take full advantage of holidays Employees a. Making friends, yet still commanding respect of b. Instilling PEP into organization by weekly meetings, thereby making and keeping employees in a satisfied frame of mind Maintenance a. Keeping cost of operation down to a minimum b. Careful check on electric current used c. Prevent water waste d. Check and inventory on all supplies used especially lamps e. Report repairs when necessary, so as to prevent additional costs later f. Practice general economy, but no foolish economy g. Have plenty of light in front of theatre, while theatre is open h. Co-operate and consult freely with general maintenance man. Dick Ryan Passes Along an Ace Stunt; Can You Use It, Too? In view of the fact that he displayed plenty of good showmanship while at the Park Theatre in Brooklyn, N. Y., we think that Dick Ryan is going to do some show-selling de luxe at the house where he was recently transferred, the Broadway Theatre in Astoria, Long Island. While we are on the subject, we'd like to tell you something about a stunt that Dick used often while at the Park. It is inexpensive, and should prove valuable to many members. He used to make trips to a local mirror factory, where he was given, free of charge, some thin mirrors which had been broken. He next bought a glass cutter for a dime. With the glass cutter he cut up all of the mirrors in small squares, diamonds, circles, etc. The particles were arranged to spell out the wording of the attraction, which was placed on a black cloth background, paste being used to affix the mirrors to the cloth. The completed banner was then placed in a shadow box. A concealed spot played on the entire arrangement. At a very small cost this attractive sign was made up. How about you making use of a gag like this? It will also make an excellent banner. It certainly has the goods. Incidentally, Dick had four vacant stores on the theatre block, so in order to get some publicity for his house, he arranged to have the American Tobacco Company, Flit Mfg. Co., Pinaud Perfume Company, and the National Biscuit Company, dress up a window apiece, with the result that in what had previously been empty windows, live displays held sway. Some idea, wasn't it? Maybe you can use it, too. We want to wish Dick a lot of luck on his new position, and we hope to hear from him again very soon because we expect to have some more angles of this sort to pass along.