Publix Opinion (Aug 22, 1930)

10 SCOUT TROOPS STIMULATE PICTUR A. G. Cowles, district booker for Publix at Atlanta, Georgia, at ranged a tie-up with the Boy Scout organization which definitely stimulated the box-office during the showing of the Byrd picture at the Paramount, Atlanta. The following bulletin was sent out by the local Boy Scout council to every Scout troop @ week in advance of the playdate. It was read by 200 Scout leaders to the 2,500 Boy Scouts under the jurisdiction of the Atlanta council. Win a Beautiful American Flag From Saturday, Ju Evans -through Friday, July 11, the famous picture ‘With Byrd at the South Pole” will be shown at the Paramount Theatre. Boy Scouts are vitally interested in this picture because one of our Scouts, Paul Siple, was a member of the Expedition, because the pictures themselves present adventures and activities that appeal to out-door Scouts, and because the personal life of Admiral Byrd is an inspiration to all boys. We are anxious to have every Boy Scout in the Atlanta Council see this picture. Through A. GC. Cowles, of the Publix Theatre Corporation, who is one of our Scout Leaders, we have arranged an attractive offer. At any time, day or night, from July 5 to 11, any Boy Scout in uniform who presents his registration certificate at the theatre will be admitted for the price of 10 cents. The Paramount Theatre offers a beautiful American Flag to the troop that has the largest percentage of its troop enrollment see this picture. Each Scout is to save his ticket stub and present it to his Scoutmaster as evidence that he attended the picture. When the results were checked up by Scout headquarters, it developed that five troops registered a 100 per cent attendance at the theatre in uniform. The flag was awarded to the one with the largest’ enrollment, in order to break the tie. At least 1,500 Scouts saw the picture. Two days before the playdate, Cowles presented an enlarged, autographed photo of Commander Byrd to the Boy Scouts of Atlanta during a session of the Scout council. It was accepted for the Scouts by W. A. Dobson, Scout executive. “We are anxious to have the boys see this picture because it is the type of film we like to have them patronize, should respect and emulate, and because a Boy Scout, Paul Siple, was a member of the expedition,” said Dobson. because Commander Byrd is a character they PUBLIX OPINION, WEEK OF AUGUST 22np, 1930 BYRD PHOTO FOR BOY SCOUTS In connection with the tie-up with the Boy Scouts, which helped exploit “With Byrd at the South Pole” C. Cowles, district booker, arranged in Atlanta, A. for the presentation of an enlarged photograph of Commander Byrd to the Scout council. This was PHILCO TIE-UPS PLUG PICTURES Bob Kelley, publicity director of the Metropolitan, Houston, Texas, obtained a great deal of free newspaper space and merchant co-operation when he recently promoted a radio show and contest for “Love Among The Millionaires’ and ‘“Anybody’s War.” An eight page tab, paid for by Phileo merchants, announced the radio show at the theatre and also played up current attraction. Banners on trucks, heralds, window displays and direct mail plugging all aided in exploiting the Clara Bow picture. The following week, when the Moran and Mack feature was played, the usual Paramount Philco tie-up was effected, together with a ‘Joke Contest’ which attracted more than 400 entrants. Person submitting best joke in space alloted in merchant’s daily ad, received Philco radio as prize. Publicity on this stunt ran for a full week. ; Alert Showman Sets Precedent in Duluth Although the Duluth, Minn., Tribune has always maintained a policy of thumbs down on theatre tie-ups, Manager Morris Rosenthal of the Lyceum sold them on the Will Rogers picture, ‘‘So This is London.’’ Paper carries Rogers’ daily paragraph. Rosenthal obtained an editorial on the picture, two 16 in. co-operative ads, one 20 in., and one 30 in. PARADE IN SHREVEPORT Inauguration of Magnascope at the Strand theatre in Shreveport, La., was celebrated with a parade mobiles. “The Cuckoos” was the of trucks, Marmon and Austin autocurrent attraction, so the members of the band wore cuckoo costumes and make-ups. A. Brown Parkes, manager, reports that the parade sold his new “mammoth magic screen” successfully. Bb WDORSEL SEL ase MAIC SOREEH OMALRA ORT SSS ae aE: ee? ee = KID REVUE PLUS REGULAR UNIT IS. WINNER A gigantic kiddie revue, feq. turing members of the Saenger. Item-Tribune Booster Club and puilt around the regular stage unit, gave the Saenger theatre in New Orleans a show that was the talk of the city. , Newspaper critics were unan-— imous in their raves about the presentation and patrons of the | theatre also were lavish in their praise of the revue. More than 6,000 members of the Booster club attended the theatre during the week, about 3,000 of them ata special Saturday morning performance. Charles Niggemeyer constructed the combined kiddie revue and stage unit. “The Toy Shop” was the unit used as the foundation of the enlarged show, featuring Sammy Cohen, George Ali, Doris Roche, Dimples Dalton and the Dixie Rockets. Groups of talented children from the ages of five to twelve years were used in augmenting the unit. There was a miniature “Ukelele Ike” team, a “Tommy Wonder” kid, and many other singing and dancing specialists. The stunt not only had all the value of goodwill and box-office interest which appearance of local talent usually assures, but presentation as part of the regular unit raised its entertainment value to a high point. made two days before the playdate and helped arouse interest in the coming picture, as well as in the ve tendance contest which all the Scout troops in ; lanta staged. Try a Boy Scout tie-up with your nex suitable picture. You will get enthusiastic co-operation. Public Safety Head Offers Cooperation Chicago Finds Pluggers are Effective Much success has been experienced by Chicago theatres under supervision of District Manager C. F. Strodel in promotion and distribution of pluggers. Back page of four-page pluggers drawn up by District Advertising Manager Roy Kalver are sold by managers to one or two local merchants, and 7,000 to 10,000 printed, with the ads sold paying all costs. Members of the service department distribute them in the neighborhood, about 3,000 are distributed via the store of the cooperating merchant, and 2,000 are placed at theatre exits. Results have made the plan appear very much worth while. Success has also been experienced with 8 x 10 reprints of star photos in sepia, on fairly good paper, with one half of the back devoted to an ad on the star’s pic-|. ture, scheduled for the following week, and the other half to a merchant ad. These are distributed by the merchants and at the theatre. Check-ups have revealed that in virtually all instances the photos are carried directly home, with only an occasional discarded photo found on sidewalks before stores or theatres. Clock Face Exploits ‘Cuckoos’ in Indiana Attracted by a newspaper story on the-semi-monthly fire drill at the Capitol Theatre, Aberdeen, 5. D., the Aberdeen Commissioner of Public Safety wrote Manager J. T. Stroud congratulating him on the activity of his staff in that direction, and requested permission for the drill master and other members of the fire department to attend future drills. Full co-operation of the fire department was promised in drilling the theatre’s staff in the emergency handling of crowds. APPROPRIATE Children’s Free Show Aids Safety Campaign A free show for children at the St. George theatre in Framingham, Mass., was announced by Manager Walton B. Howe, on behalf of the Paramount Publix corporation, as its contribution to the state’s ‘‘Save-a-Life”’ campaign. The campaign was one to make the highways more safe. Members of Governor Allen’s committee on highway safety attended the show and made talks on the subject of safety. A playlet, with safety as its theme, was presented by children under the sponsorship of the city’s playground directors. The local newspaper co-operated. Manager Mitchell Conery of the Lyric, Mobile, Ala., took advantage of the title of his attraction, ‘‘Born Reckless,’ to effectively ballyhoo that picture three days preceding and two days after opening of picture. Wrecked car, with appropriate copy, turned the trick. BROADCASTS FROM TRAIN! Charles Amos, City Manager in Asheville, N. C., made good use of the sound train during the Asheville Summer Festival. With a local radio announcer as extra equipment, special was official car at all events in connection with the celebration. Before the Festival opened, it plugged theatres and coming celebration in surrounding towns. Decorated as below, it participated in a parade before 40,000 people. Description of the parade was broadcast over a local station, from the special in motion. Amos also had an elaborate Byrd float in the parade, which was held the day Byrd arrived in New York. The face of a gigantic cuckoo clock was an effective lobby display in the ‘Tivoli theatre, Michigan City, Indiana, prior to the showing of ‘“‘The Cuckoos.” H. J. Thacher, manager, had two doors constructed above the face where the cuckoo usually pops.out. Bert Wheeler’s picture was used behind one door, and the head of Robert Woolsey behind the other. They opened alternately, as the hands moved. : Playlet Introduces Attraction Trailer Interest in a coming attraction trailer at the Tower, Chicago, was greatly heightened through an ingenious method of presentation conceived by Manager M. Connor. With the aid of the Brenkeri machine and the P. A. System, a dialogue was held between 2 ushers in a playlet entitled ‘‘Television.” This act introduced the showing of the sound trailer.