Publix Opinion (Aug 22, 1930)

6 PERSONALITIES POPULARIZED IN TEXAS With the reinstatement of stage shows at the Metropolitan, Houston, Publicity Director Bob Kelley has arranged for and is at present executing each week a separate campaign to popularize the new program policy and the three theatre personalities. The layout in the adjoining column will give a ready picture of the productive results obtained by Kelley’s wellplanned efforts. ; As a campaign opener, 100 one sheets were posted plugging each of the personalities; Ellard, master of ceremonies; Johnny Winters, organist, and Carbonara, conductor of the pit orchestra. Fifty 6 sheets and 100 3 sheets, plugging the stage shows and personalities, were posted on highways leading into Houston and also on roads in adjacent small towns. This posting campaign preceded by one week a newspaper advertising campaign in the suburban papers, which subsequently netted ‘the theatre institutional stories and photos of the personalities. Postal cards, sent to 2000 musicians in that town, advised them that Carbonara was the composer of con » siderable incidental music in many Paramount pictures. Tie-ups On Personalities A stunt which is in the making now and is being sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, calls for Carbonara setting to music the winning lyrics of a contest for a Houston march. Tie-ups on Bllard have been plentiful. Two local papers are coming through with a minimum of 2 quarter page tie-up ads each week. A local confectionery company is putting out 20,000 “Ellard’? ice-cream bricks weekly, with the customary accompanying advertising, circulars, heralds, etc. Other companies which have run ads and have tied-up with the theatre’s current attractions and personalities, have been a local dairy, cab company, shoe establishment, and car company. One local paper has been tiedup on a contest for Ellard, publicity to last three weeks, excluding 2 full page newspaper ads to be paid for by cooperating automobile merchant. The stunt will be the old but effective contest known as “Breaking Traffic Rules,” recently used in Chicago. Pictures will be taken of Ellard driving through town and ignoring all traffic regulations. Local insurance association is offering $100 in prizes to contestants recording the greatest number of mistakes made by Ellard. Cooling stunts effected by Kelley, with aid of chorus girls appearing in current show, secured considerable newspaper space, in the form of stories and pictures. Free Radio Advertising The theatre has obtained five prominently located spots in the downtown section for permanent 20 foot horizontal banners, on which the personalities are exploited. The largest local radio station has installed permanent equipment at the theatre, where, once a week, by remote control, the entire stage show is broadcast, interspersed with plenty of institutional descriptions. Announcements, five times daily, are made over this station in reference to the weekly broadcasts. Recordings of music from the current picture are played during these periods. Large spreads in the radio sections of the local papers also announce the weekly treat, notice also being given to theatre, attractions and playdates. GIFT TO CITY Stunt cooked up by Manager John McKenna of the Lyric, Jackson, Tenn., on ‘With Byrd at the South Pole’ had Louis Saidenberg, assistant manager, presenting a portrait of Byrd and a jumbo pass to see the picture, to the Mayor, on the steps of the City Hall. a es PUBLIX OPINION, WEEK OF AUGUST 22np, 1930 PLUGGING PERSONALITIES the theatre’s personalities. Reproduced below is bles of the free space procured by Kelley's efforts. : a in adjoining column describes the varied activity the campaign. ‘All Quiet’ Solg With Extra — Campaign — An unusual campaign wa, staged in Chicago by J. Bake, district advertising man for the Marbro and Granada theatres, fq, the showing of “All Quiet on th, Western Front’ at these houses After discussing an eight wee, period of unsatisfactory busines, in these theatres with C, 7p Strodel, district manager, it w; decided to leave nothing undone in handling this particular picture, Every neighborhood newspaper and publication in the vicinity of the Granada theatre on the North Side, and the Marbro theatre on the West Side, was utilized. Baker did not overlook a single one. He went into all German papers, Jewish papers, and neighborhood dailies and weeklies in Oak Park, Austin, Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka and other communities. “It might be argued that it was not necessary to use all this effort on ‘All Quiet on the Westerh Front’ and it would not have been done except in the face of previous poor business in these houses,” | writes Strodel.s ‘The result was that gross business was materially increased for this picture and a substantial profit was recorded.” When the “Met”, Houston, Texas, returned to stage shows, Bob Kelley, publicity director, effected a campaign exploiting the new policy and also promoted many tie-ups with merchants which helped popularize Oi elie By left Gy Lr | | Manager on Vacation Stages Special Show On vacation in Greénville, Miss., his former home, Manager Henry Seel of the Majestic in Jackson, Miss., cooperated with Manager Dan Burgum of the Saenger and District Manager C. W. Greenblatt in putting on a special show. Seel, who is a musician of note as well as.an executive, was formerely manager of the Greenville house. Night of special show was called ‘‘Henry Seel Night’”’ by Burgum, and newspapers went for it. FOR KIDDIE TRADE LOBBY DOG CIRCUS Hughes Dog Circus, lobby act booked into the Toledo Paramount week after schools closed, afforded Publicity Director William Exton opportunity to concentrate on Style Show Increases Theatre Gross One-Third In connection with the showing of “The Divorcee” at the Lyric theatre in Waycross, Ga., Manager I. L. Shields staged a shoe style show, the entire cost of which was paid by the co-operating merchant. He printed and distributed 3,000 handbills, selling both the style show and the attraction, and advertised in all newspapers within a sixty mile radius. Models, stage entertainment and a five-piece orchestra were supplied by the merchant, who also devoted the windows at his store to the style show and attraction. Business was increased one-third for the week at no cost to the theatre. -As a means of stimulating child patronage at the Huron Theatre, Huron, S. D., a model airplane contest was sponsored by theatre children. Pet shop tie-up proand local Lion’s Club. _ Front page cured distribution of heralds; |Stories greeted this idea, which| Show, with talent entirely local, 10,000 were distributed to chil-|was conceived by Manager Byron) cost nothing. Parade ballyhooed dren on last day of school. MeBElligott. ‘ it. SEASON OPENED WITH SPLURGE! of the cumpaign. Jack Oakie and Esther Ralston helped inaugurate the season and the contest, with the result that Detroit movie-goers were made conscious of the fact that something unusual in the line of entertuinment was scheduled in Publix theatres during this period. Art Schmidt and his cohorts in Detroit launched Greater Movie Season in July with a splurge that carried them over into August by its momentum. At the right and left of the layout below are institutional ads, plugging the new season and its attractions. In the center is part of the space netted in newspapers by the “Talkie Twister” contest, which was a feature Women Patrons Given Free Beauty Facials Detaoit EVENIN ES (rank CALEY to) Tan, tes 1h, OW = BET ROTE EVENING TIMES WEE GEE a GREATER MOVIE SEASON OPENS WITH VARIETY OF. NEW OFFERINGS|(> _ 4 EXHIBITORS| SHOW FANCY ” FEATURES D Tie-up with a cosmetic manufacturer enabled the Minnesota Theatre, Minneapolis, to offer free facials to women patrons for an entire week. Beauty shop was set up in the women’s lounge, and two operators ‘were kept busy from opening to closing, giving treatments. Beauty products manufactured by the cooperating company were demonstrated. Manufacturer ran newspaper ads and procured displays in the city’s leading stores, and drug store windows all over town. Over $200 worth of cosmetics were given to , e: patrons as prizes. P| aaa jae Cost to theatre was nil. Be) eee | pv ITS GREATER MOVIE SEASON g AT THESE COOL PUBLIX-KUNSKY THEATR! * “La2oy A COOL MATINEE TODAY, 344 TO LP. [tea great week foe Detroit weatre-geerst Today's"shows set > raw erterisoment peak! And tse jst tha baginsing of tha" Ric parade ef big bits! Week after week Mt after Ratt Lande, lng Hettywoed and New Yerk protacers are beading the Crvem * cl va pew season’ predict 19 Decreit mew lentaad of thie Fat | <A eaghty Lines of 192931 PRE-RELEASE talking picterest sa we Elkovis ONLY PUBLIX-KUNSKY CAN BRING YOU THESE GREAT SHOWS FIRSTS BAND BALLYHOO For the engagement of ‘‘Oklahoma Outlaws” at the Palace, Des Moines, Manager Ted Emerson induced a local boys’ band to give a concert in front of the theatre. He also used a calliope mounted on a truck, on which wax models, rifles, etc., were displayed. WINDOW DISPLAY An eye-arresting window display Was part of a comprehensive exploitation campaign prepared by Manager Robert Gary of the Des Moines Theatre for “With Byrd.” Basis of attractive display was showing of Maytag washer, such as was used on expedition. ber, Ree Theairet Kel, oe reat haw