Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1941)

Page 22 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW November 1, 1941 ' . \rtt It So*: 1 Scores With Campaign On New Movie Season Ready for the Parade Employes of theatres in La Crosse, Wis., are shown here lining up for the gala parade staged by Manager William Freise of the Rivoli Theatre to usher in the Happy New Movie Year. Ted Bolnick, opposition manager, cooperated with Freise in exploiting the event. The new movie season was rousingly inaugurated in La Crosse, Wis., recently when Manager William Freise of the Rivoli Theatre went "all out" on a campaign that included newspaper and civic cooperation. Any La Crosse resident at least awake and active or who, if inactive, had at least access to the newspapers, knew that something big was in the air. Fifteen days in advance Manager Freise ran trailers calling attention to the Happy New Movie Year. Samples of the copy : "Movies are everybody's entertainment . . . Your cheapest and best entertainment . . . Movies are a tonic . . . Relax by attending the movies." Cooperative Page in Newspaper On Friday, or two days in advance, a special cooperative page appeared in the La Crosse Tribune and Leader Press, local evening newspaper. A streamer across the top of the page announced the special event and preceded a story which listed the coming attractions. A large four-column piece of art showing scenes from four pictures was a highlight of the page, which, besides including the smash opening ads also featured a proclamation by Mayor J. J. Verchota. In his proclamation, the Mayor said : "Whereas, I call the attention of the citizens of our city to the new movie year, a year in which the producers of motion pictures promise to expend their greatest efforts to make this coming year the most outstanding in all motion picture history; and "Whereas, today, more than ever, the public needs the relaxation of the movie theatre, the peaceful surroundings where one can relax and set aside his or her cares, be they mental or physical. The players will carry you away to a land of make-believe, will show you far-off places and peoples, interesting dramas and comedies, which will give you a good, hearty laugh ; and "Whereas, these are troublesome times in which we live, and we can be appreciative of the movies; the influence they have on body, mind and soul, and the character of young and old folks. The movies are a clean and wholesome entertainment that none of us need fear to attend. "Therefore ... I ... do proclaim the coming week as 'Go to the Movies Week' and request that all, insofar as possible, render their support and go to the moving picture shows." Announcements were broadcast via the local radio station, and special windows were promoted throughout the city. Three hundred window cards were prominently displayed. Just a day before the Happy New Movie Year began, a parade was staged in which the Boy Scouts Drum Corps, all theatre employes and ushers, decorated trucks, etc., participated. The new season was adequately billed in front of the theatres, and cashiers answered telephone calls with : "Happy New Movie Year !" Across the main street of La Crosse was strung a banner. These activities, in themselves, would place a feather in Freise's showmanship cap. But knowing that even competing theatresmen must extend the hand of cooperation to one another in building patronage for the common good, he contacted his opposition to go in with him on promoting the stunt. Together, Freise and Ted Bolnick, manager of the "other house," worked in making the new movie season one of the most successful events in La Crosse theatrical history. Reads Comment Cards Following the Baltimore preview of "Whistling in the Dark," George Avis, Loew's, arranged to go on the air and read from the audience comment cards. Usher Draws Caricatures in Lobby Ray Jones, manager of the Majestic Theatre, Houston, Texas, Bob Kelly, house press agent, and Dan Harrington, usher, combined to put on a splendid lobby stunt for Universal's "Unfinished Business." Usher Harrington, who has a knack of drawing caricatures, stood in the lobby and made quick sketches of interesting local personalities. The sign beside the usher explains the manner in which the stunt worked. A Little Extra Work Brings Extra Revenue to Dan Redden Dan Redden, manager of the Paramount Theatre, Seattle, doesn't rely wholly on the appeal of an attraction or on exploitation for money at the box office. He goes out in advance and makes the sort of tieups that are bound to net him extra revenue. One day recently when he discovered a scene of Seattle's new transit system in the newsreel, he arranged to advertise the clip by means of announcements on bulletin boards in the transit work shops and by special cards mailed to the employes. This contact netted the sale of 400 tickets at regular prices. Many of the drivers of the buses and trackless trolleys brought their wives and children to see themselves on the screen. During the same week, Redden sold the local Saturday Evening Post agency a theatre party for its carriers at the regular admission price. But his activities don't end there. Almost everyone likes popcorn, and Redden sells the popular confection, not only to the public, but also to the three daily newspapers, who buy cartons for distribution to their carriers. Up to the present time, he has sold the papers around thirteen hundred cartons of popcorn at the retail price of 15 cents a carton. Yes sir, that extra revenue counts. And Redden is one showman who knows how to get it. Daggers But No Vendetta; The Weapon Was Advertising Postmen carrying mail to many of America's theatres recently must have gained the impression that a vendetta was in progress. Theatres equipped with low intensity projection arc lamps received a "blood-stained" dagger to which was attached a tag with the inscription, "Are You Guilty of Murder by Yellow Light?" The dagger (rubber), which had been dipped in red lacquer, was mailed as part of the advertising promotion by National Theatre Supply Company for Simplex High projection arc lamps ; the "murder" referring to that of pictures which are projected by low intensity lamps. Head MGMen at Launching of Traveling Show Clinic H. M. Richey, assistant to William F. Rodgers in charge of exhibitor relations; General Sales Manager Rodgers, and Howard Dietz, executive in charge of promotion, photographed at the New York launching of their company's traveling showmanship clinic, which MGM is booking for tours of small towns and cities for the purpose of demonstrating at first hand the exploitation services placed at the disposal of exhibitors for local promotion. The Show Builder, seen in the background, is equipped with its own power plant for showing of sound trailers; projector and screen; desk and typewriter; voice-recording apparatus; filing cabinets and compartments for samples of the 82 exploitation aids offered by MGM. The Show Builder is in charge of a seasoned exploitation man and all details of practical showmanship ideas, methods and materials will be demonstrated to exhibitors right in their own home town. The truck shown is Unit No. 1 of a proposed fleet of cars that are expected to encompass the entire nation, with visits to thousands of cities and towns, particularly locations in the lower population brackets.