Reel Life (1914-1915)

REEL LIFE Twenty-three The Practical Side of Pictures appearance and man¬ ners of the employes is one of most important factors contributory to the success of a motion picture theatre. Neat, courteous, efficient attend¬ ants can do much toward giving a visitor a favor¬ able impression of a thea¬ tre and making him a steady customer. S. L. Rothapfel, man¬ ager of the Strand Thea¬ tre, New York City, pre¬ viously manager of the Regent, also of New York, a man who has the reputation from Coast to Coast of being the wizard of motion picture exhibitors, attributes a good deal of his success to his employes. They, in turn, at¬ tribute their efficiency to him, for Mr. Rothapfel, per¬ sonally trains his cashiers, ticket takers and ushers. The day before he opened the Strand, Mr. Rothapfel gathered his force together and put them through a training which every exhibitor in the country may imi¬ tate with profit. “How many of you wear suspenders?” was his first question. Only two or three indicated that they did. “Well you’ll all have to get them,” said Mr. Rothapfel. “You can’t keep the trouser of a uniform properly neat with a belt. “Now I want to tell you fellows how to conduct your¬ selves,” he went on. “In the first place make ‘thank you’ your pass word. Every time you speak to a patron end with ‘thank you.’ If you show him to a seat say ‘thank you’ when you leave him. If you answer a ques¬ tion, do it civilly and then say ‘thank you.’ Use that phrase all the time. “Never touch a patron. You will wear grey silk gloves but just the same don’t put your hands on any one. If a man wishes to be directed to a seat, just touch your cap and lead the way. Don’t take him by the arm. “Always touch your cap when a patron addresses you. Just raise one finger to the brim. Don’t use two. That’s too much like an attempt to be military. Just use one finger and do it quickly as a touch of respect. “Always address the men as ‘Sir’ and the women as ‘Mum.’ Three letters in that m-u-m ‘Mum.’ Don’t try to be affected and say ‘Madam’ and don’t say ‘Ma’am’ or ‘Lady.’ Say ‘yes, mum’ and ‘no, mum.’ “If you wish to ask a woman to remove her hat, lean over till you are about six inches from her ear and whisper : “‘Beg pardon, mum, but the management desires that you remove your hat. Thank you.’ Finish it with ‘thank you’ and walk away before she has a chance to reply. “Don’t lean against anything when on duty. Any usher whonv I catch leaning against a wall or pillar can go right upstairs, take off his uniform, get his money and get out. Always be on the alert. You don’t have to stand still. You can pace up and down, but when you approach a patron, go up to him with short quick steps, always on the alert, always courteous. “Patrons will ask you foolish questions. Don’t ever become angry. Answer them if you can. If you can’t, tell them that you can not. But never become angry, loud or sarcastic. “Now, in closing, I want to say that there is a future for ushers. The usher who tries to be alert and court¬ eous will rise in the world. When I took the Regent a few months ago, I had three ushers who were smarter than the rest. Now they are all managing theatres at good salaries. They are all young and will go still higher. Put your heart in your work and you will suc¬ ceed.” Besides the Simplex projectors installed in the new $1,000,000 Strand Theatre at Forty-eighth Street and Broadway, the Precision Machine Company have filled within the last week orders for ten projectors to be used by the International Bible Students’ Association in fea¬ turing the photo-play “Creation.” A Simplex projector has also been set up in the studio of the Life Photo Film Corporation at 104 West 101st Street, New York City. The Authors’ Syndicate, 828 Tribune Building, New York City, are distributing to exhibitors throughout the country, thousands of attractive little lapel buttons of “Our Mutual Girl” and other Mutual stars. The buttons are distributed on certain days to the patrons of the theatres. The first patrons to secure a complete set of the buttons are given prizes. The idea is a novel one and should appeal to exhibitors who wish to awaken in¬ terest in the Mutual stars. Hand-colored lobby pictures of the principal Mutual Players measuring 22 by 28 inches can be obtained at many of the Mutual Exchanges at seventy-five cents each or from the makers, the Kraus Manufacturing Com¬ pany of New York. The pictures are made on a heavy board and are artistically hand-colored. As a lobby decoration they do much to relieve the bare appearance of many motion picture walls and are a marked improve¬ ment over the cheap lithographs formerly used by ex¬ hibitors for decorative purposes. The manufacturers have completed a set comprising the following well-known players, — Mabel Normand, Blanche Sweet, Mae Marsh, Margarita Fischer, Winifred Greenwood, Henry Wal¬ thall, Robert Harron, Irene Hunt, Maude Fealy and Norma Phillips (“Our Mutual Girl”). In an effort to satisfy the public’s craving for variety many exhibitors have installed musical electrical bells ranged along the walls of their houses. The bells are played by the regular house pianist or drummer and are wired to a small piano keyboard in the orchestra pit. The initial cost of installing the bells is small and the novelty makes a strong appeal to the younger generation. The J, C. Deagan Company of Ravenswood, a suburb of Chicago, who specialize in the manufacture of xylo¬ phones, marimabaphones, orchestra bells, organ chimes, Swiss bells, cathedral chimes, the electric unaphone and other electrically and manually operated musical instru¬ ments are also the manufacturers of the electric bells. The Operator.