Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1945)

22 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW January 27 , 1945 6NYDER, Jr. Prop. Calendar Programs Hailed As Welcome, Dependable Items in Many Households On several occasions when we have introduced our weekly discussion of programs with comment about the weather that topic received little attention elsewhere. But the unusual weather we are now experiencing is a favorite topic of conversation between us and our associates. We won't contend that it's any worse than that experienced in other sections of the country where King Winter reigns at this time of the year, but we do say that it's rather severe in comparison to last year's more-or-less mild Winter when snow was an exception rather than the rule. This season the weather has been nasty. For example, a couple of days ago it snowed an i by yesterday the snow was in its last stages of disappearing. Then while we were sleeping peacefully last night z. blizzard was stirred up, and once again this morning the ground was white, with snow and sleet and high winds combining to make transportation, via foot or vehicle, difficult and hazardous. For a while the temperature increased and the streets were transformed into thoroughfares of slush ; now the temperature is falling and they will become highways of ice, with slipping and sliding autos and pedestrians the order of the day. Not since the bliz^^ird of '88 (which we missed because our Aunt Sophie invited us to her Texas ranch) has there been such weather as that which currently prevails. It's all we can do to force the thought of it from our mind and turn our attention to programs. But we are strongwilled. And so, with our will emerging triumphant, here we are, ready to take up the discussion. You remember that last week the small newsettetype of program was our principal topic. That was last week. This week we shall deal with other types of programs, although at the moment, with tiny pellets of sleet beating against our window, we have difficulty deciding which type to deal with. Before we concentrate on any particular type, however, it occurs to us that what is one man's meat is another's poison. For instance, the little newsette program we described last week would probably prove very popular in many situations, yet equally unpopular in many others. It all seems to depend on the patronage to which you cater. Let's take the moviegoers of Lakeview, Ore., or Branson, Mo., or Eldon, Mo., where theatres are operated by M. H. Alger, Jim Owen and Tom Edwards, respectively. These are just examples, understand, for there are many other similar situations. But anyway, getting back to our subject, people who attend movies in those communities are so accustomed to those calendars that any change might cause a terrible shock and render them unfit to go to a movie for a few days. Watching for the calendar each month, hanging it over the sink or in some other favorite spot around the house is just like watching for the latest issue of The Country Gentleman. Those people have learned to depend on those calendars, not merely to keep abreast of the attractions being played, but to use as a reference guide for the number of days until the baby chicks hatch or as a reminder to send Uncle George a birthday present or card EARL THEATRE 1945 „^Vs. FEBRUARY .V.'.l. 1945 SUN I MON 1 TUE WED THU FRI SAT Oor Bin) for 1945, as in Ihe past, is to provide for you lh« best possible entertainment , in nice surroundintfK, atnid a friendly atmosphere so that yoo enjoy every minute spent here, SUned, THE STAFF Bill Snyder. Mrs. Snyder, Rex Gilbert and Chas. Cbronistcr 31 ''Snow Wh Seven in TECB WALT D I S N Added. — 1 te and the dwarfs" NICOLOB! E Y*S BEST! Good Shorts 2 ■Take It 0 PHIL Edward Ryan, B CENTERS AROUND Added: 3 r Leave It" BARER larjorie Majwow "ARTOON 4 LEND 5 "Three Ut M A R ^ RUTH TERRY, C WM. TERRY. J 6 tie Sisters" LEE HERVL WALKER ACKIE MORAN 7 "'^Wing and DON A DANA A WM. EYTHE. C 8 a Prayer" M E C H E N DR E W S HAS. BICRFORD 9 -GREENWIC in TECH DON AMECHE. Wm. Bcndix. C Added: 10 H VILLAGE" VICOI.Olf VIVIAN BLAINE airmen Miranda ?ARTOON 11 A 12 L 1 N C a L N '■Adventures 0 F R E D R I AI.EXIS SMITH 13 f Mark Twain' : MARCH DONALD CRISP "The Seve S P E N C E SIGNE HASSO, 15 nth Cross" R TRACY mJME CRONYN 16 "San Ferna ROY F DALE EVANS. SC Added : 17 ndo Vallev" lOGERS NS OF PIONEERS CARTOON 18 HEU'ING 19 ■'"Barhary i W A L L A C B 1 N M £ John Carradine 20 ^oasl Gent" E BEERY BARNES Bruce KelIof;g 21 "MR. SKEl B E T T E CLAirnE RAINS ^KINGTON" DAVIS WALTER ABEL 23 "GOIN^ T LUM am Added: 24 3 TO\STN" i ABNER CARTOON 25 HAND! 26 "DRACO K A T H A R I N WALTER HUSTO 27 N SEED" : HEPBURN N. AURHAN BEY 28 "Maisie Go ANN SO JOHN HODUK es to Reno" U T H E R N , TOM DRAKE NOTICE — When you are in the Theatre, if yon axe annoyed by Ihoee sittinc near you. we w\i\ appreciate your tellinfc uG at once. YOUR EVENING'S PI.EASirHE IS ONr — AT TllE EARL! While preparing this editirn of the Program Exchange, which is primarily concerned with calendar programs, the accessory reproduced above came to our desk. Received from William H. Snyder, Jr., manager of the Earl Theatre, New Oxford, Ohio, it is especially large — actual size, llxl2'/2 inches — and in addition to providing date numerals in large black figures also presents starting times of shows in many instances. In the interests of paper conservation, Snyder makes one calendar serve the purpose of two, for on the other side is another month. on his birthday or for any number of things where a mark on a calendar will serve as a reminder. But they have regular calendars for that purpose, you say. Well, maybe so. But those theatre calendars have the added advantage of telling them what's on at the Marius or Alger, or the Owen, or the Ozark, which is something the others don't do. And there's no need to tear oi¥ a page or bother to fold it back. When the new calendar arrives, the old one is discarded and the new one suspended in its place. And we can say truthfully from our own experience— because back in our younger days we used to receive a monthly calendar from the local theatre — there's lots of fun and excitement in determining which shows will be seen this month, which avoided. Most generally there are more shows to be seen than passed up. And then, after the favorite must-see films are circled and marked, the calendar is placed in its usual spot to serve as a reminder that, among other things, certain pictures are playing on certain dates. Here we find ourselves concentrating on a certain type of program, after all, just when we said we weren't going to. But even with all the good things we've said about calendar programs, we must add a grain of salt : they would receive scant attention in, for example, a class neighborhood. Well, all right, yours is a class neighborhood, and you've been putting out a calendar for years and it gets plenty of attention. There are always exceptions. But in the typical class neighborhood, we venture to say, the dignified, cleanly-printed and well-designed program is likely to get the most attention. And the newsette, which we described last week, should find favor in almost any average cominunity, provided the program's contents are kept fresh, interesting and up-to-date. Cost of printing has a lot to do with it, too. Whatever the price paid, no matter for which type of program, its effectiveness in keeping people coming to your theatre should be the primary factor in determining whether or not it is worth the money you spend for it. If one type fails to bring any appreciable results, then why not experiment with another, and with still another until you find the type that stimulates the greatest number of people to attend your theatre and ask to be placed on the program mailing list? And now that we've left you with that question to ponder, we shall adjourn until next week. No, we haven't forgotten that mean old nasty weather. We're heading into it right now. 'Loneliest Gl' Tieup Helps 'HVood Canteen' An unusually efifective stunt, which received enthusiastic newspaper, radio and othfer local cooperation, was the "Loneliest GI" search put over by the Orpheum Theatre, Seattle, in connection with "Hollywood Canteen," Warner Bros, musical. Idea was to find, and provide a good time for, the loneliest soldier, sailor or marine in the city. Publisher of the Seattle Star liked it so well that he assigned a special writer to assist the theatre management in carrying out the search and putting on the entertainment program that followed. Lucky soldier, a be-ribboned Army sergeant, was provided with a luxurious hotel room and taken on a round of entertainment which included dances with University of Washington co-eds, shows and other recreation. It fetched front-page stories and plenty of other newspaper space, in addition to wide firsthand public attention. Window Displays, All-New Front Sell 'Brazil' for Ben Cohen To promote his holiday showing of Republic's "Brazil," Ben Cohen of the Strand Theatre, Cincinnati, highlighted his campaign with a complete change of his theatre's front, erecting a display featuring cut-out heads of Tito Guizar and Virginia Bruce, with the catchline "Start Humming Now" keynoting the musical angle of the film. Window displays in a music store and in the LJ. S. Maritime Service Bureau were in prominent locations, the Maritime window cleverly angled to catch the eyes of prospective seamen. Publicity coverage in the Post, Times-Star and Inquirer featured dancers, Latin-American beauties and a three-column montage of the stars with Aurora Miranda and Veloz and Yolanda. Tlie national Lux tie-up ad broke in the TimesStar during the run of the picture. Radio spot announcements, a five-minute radio show on four stations and a full showing of 24 sheets, were other features of the campaign.