Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1939)

. If^ril 29, 1939 S 11 () W M I'. N ' S TRADl-: K I'. V I I-. W Page 13 Activities For Hartford Premiere As part of the zvhirlzvind campaign that launched the -world premiere of Monogram's "Streets of Neiv York" in Hartford, Conn., Mayor Thomas J. Spcllacy (top) bought the first ticket for a benefit performance of the film. A group of newsboys (bottom) broadcast a 15-minute radio dramatization over Station IVTHT. Rialto Capitalizes On Anti-Spy Campaign For Run Of Spy Film Numerous articles in current newspapers centered around the government's anti-spy campaign have been used for a lobby blow-up display at the Rialto Theatre, New York, hooking in with "They Made Her a Spy," the drama of espionage featuring Sally Eilers. The Navy Department recently came out with placards warning against women spies and lengthy articles on this were used by the Neiv York Herald Tribune and the New York Journal American. This type of article enlarged for lobby display heightens the public interest in the current cycle of spy films such as "They Made Her a Spy" which has a locale of our national capital and deals with foreign intrigue. Colden Crashes Dailies With Easter Stunt on "Castles' Film Manager Jay Golden of the Palace Theatre, Rochester, New York, made the Easter Week fashion parade mean something to his boxoffice as he hooked up for "The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle" with E. W. Edwards and Son for a fashion award. Golden and the store worked out the plan of giving a Castle hat to each of the three best-dressed women passing through the lobby on Easter Sunday. A committee made the selections and candid cameras clicked for negatives that meant newspaper breaks. The department store backed the plan further with a fine window display of Castle hats and co-operative advertising in the Times-Union. Goodwill Should Be Essence Of Your Memorial Day Observance It Is Not to be Taken As An Occasion for the Plugging of A ttr actions TUESDAY, May 30, will be Memorial Day. It wil be observed in all the States, Territories, District of Columbia and Colonial Possessions with the exception of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. In bringing its observance to your attention, we do so not because we think you should regard it as an opportunity to go in for high-pressure exploitation and ballyhoo, but because we fully believe that aggressive showmen can win themselves much goodwill by tying in with the purpose of the occasion. Book Outstanding Program As on Mother's Day and other holidays, you'll want to book an outstanding program of features and shorts. It is our opinion that if you ordinarily run double features, you would do well to deviate from the custom at least for Memorial Day, and book one strong feature with several appropriate shorts to' balance it. If you have not yet played Warners' Technicolor subject, "Lincoln in the White House", you would be wise to include it in your Memorial Day bookings. Even though you may have played it comparatively recently, it is of such high quality as to merit a return date. On last year's program Columbia released a Community Sing entitled "Patriotic Songs" which would fit in well. Contact your Columbia exchange for arrangements to book it or to repeat it in case you played it during the past season. MGM's "A Perfect Tribute", which was produced about four years ago with the late "Chic" Sale in the starring role, may still be available for your use on Memorial Day. If we were an exhibitor, we would have made it a point long before this that "A Perfect Tribute" must be on our program every Memorial Day. Better contact your MGM exchange to determine whether or not prints are still in circulation. Silent Tribute Some time during the day, it would be fitting and proper to stop the show and have a local dignitary urge the audience to pay silent tribute to our soldier dead. Someone on the stage could sound taps. Trailers for this purpose are in all probability available from the trailer companies. Memorial Day services are usually held at the cemetery. But in case of rain, you could arrange to donate your theatre during the morning for special services. The public, together with clubs and auxiliaries, ministers and city officials should be brought together to make the services a citywide observance. By holding them shortly before the house is scheduled to open, there is a greater chance of those present leaving for a bite of lunch and returning for the afternoon performance than there would be if the services were held early in the morning. It all depends, of course, upon the time you open your theatre. As a goodwill gesture, invite disabled war veterans to be your guests at one of the performances on Memorial Day, preferably in the afternoon. Stories about this should appear in advance in the newspapers. Help Poppy Day Every year on Poppy Day, which is usually a Saturday or two before Memorial Day in most states, disabled war veterans sell poppies. Often they are assisted by girl members of various clubs and sororities. Why not permit the veterans or girls to set up a stand in front of your theatre or in the lobby and offer their poppies for sale in either of those spots? Remember, your activities for this day must be in the spirit of goodwill. Don't take advantage of the occasion to exploit your attractions; you have 364 other days in the year for that. Be dignified in whatever activities you participate. It's the one way of maintaining present patronage and winning new friends for your theatre. Parade Stops Traffic Buenos Aires, Argentina— For the opening of "Lord Jeff" at the Gran Cine Rex, arrangements were made with the local naval academy for a special showing at the theatre. On the day before the opening, two hundred pupds, in addition to the large academy band, paraded to the theatre, and stopped traffic as well. Every newspaper had a photographer covering the stunt, which was prominently reviewed by the press. FOR BETTER SHOW SELLING Showmanalyses Have Appeared In STR on Following Pictures Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Feb. 18 Broadway Serenade April 1 Christmas Carol Dec. 10 Cowboy and the Lady Dec. 3 Dark Victory Apr. 22 Duke of West Point Dec. 31 Flying Irishman March 11 Gung-a Din Jan. 28 Hardys Ride High Apr. 22 Honolulu Feb. 4 Hound of the Baskervilles March 25 Idiot's Delight Jan. 21 Jesse James .Jan. 21 Kentucky Dec. 31 King of the Turf Feb. 25 Little Princess Mar. 4 Made For Each Other Feb. 18 Man of Conquest This Issue Prison Without Bars April 8 Pygmalion March 11 Spirit of Culver Mar. 18 Stand Up and Fight Jan. 7 Story of Alexander Graham Bell April 15 Streets of New York April 15 Sweethearts Dec. 24 Tail Spin Feb. 4 Thanks for Everything Dec. 17 Three Musketeers Feb. 11 Three Smart Girls Grow Up March 25 Topper Takes a Trip Jan. 14 Up the River Dec. 3 Wife, Husband and Friend Feb. 25 Wings of the Navy Feb. 11 You Can't Cheat An Hontst Man Feb. 18 Zenobia Mar. 18