Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1947)

22 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, February 1, 1947 SELLING THE PICTURE Money Dates for March How time flies! Just a short time ago you were battling the pre-Christmas slump and now March, which does almost as much to handicap the average showman in his efforts to seek extra revenue as a month of Sunday blue laws, is nearly here. And next to the pre-Christmas and pre-Easter period — or perhaps even more so, depending on your situation — this is the month when once again you'll have to keep on your showmanly toes to keep 'em coming. You'll be faced with Arctic winds and pleasant breezes (some folk will declare that spring came early, but they'll be wrong) ; you'll have sunshine and rain, snow and sleet; in all likelihood, March will be a freak weather month. Furthermore, you'll have Lent to contend with, not to mention income tax headaches. The wise showman will quickly and unhesitatingly employ every angle of exploitation that will aid, abet and make attendance so mandatory that it will overrule any climatic discomfort and other restrictions in the minds of his patrons. While not as plentiful as in other calendar periods, March national and sectional observances are sufficient enough to support a strong array of extra activities that will find favor with groups and businesses interested in observance of the events and to promote added patronage at performances throughout the month. National Observance Periods MAR. 12-18: GIRL SCOUT WEEK. Arrange a meeting with Girl Scout officials in your vicinity and assist them in planning recruiting drives and setting up recreational and organizational activities for the coming year. Help them prepare an outline of past accomplishments and future aims for presentation to the newspapers and radio stations for publicity purposes. Offer the facilities of your stage and lobby for an exhibition in which the girls can demonstrate the units of services in which they are trained by their organization. Get the high school band to lead a parade of all the Girl Scouts in town to some special performance at your theatre to wind up the drive for members. Many World War II heroes and the majority of students at the Military and Naval Academies were former members of the Boy Scouts. Check with the local leaders to determine the names of famous women who were members of their organization. Try to locate local women who have contributed to the welfare or fame of your community who formerly enjoyed membership in the Girl Scouts. You will have little or no trouble in getting reams of publicity on every move you make in assisting the aims of this fine organization, and if you make your theatre the focal point of all activities in connection with the observance of the period, your box-office is certain to benefit. MAR. 17-22. HOBBY WEEK. The newspaper editor and radio station manager will assist you in locating the outstanding hobbyists in the vicinity. Arrange for an exhibition of their playtime activities. If hobby facilities are adequate, tie in with merchants' windows and get publicity for your theatre and its attractions by having the newspaper run a contest offering tickets as prizes to persons sending the best impression of the various hobbies displayed. Don't overlook this bet, as it offers many chances of personal contact with the better class citizens who are not regular theatre patrons and whose continued patronage is highly desirable. Special Opportunity Tieups MAR. 8: FARM DAY. For those houses situated in rural or farming communities, this day, if exploited properly and well in advance with an eye towards compact organization, can be depended upon to bring Farmer Jones and his family out en masse to your theatre. As this day celebrates the 14th anniversary of the Farm Aid Program, the occasion in honor of the tiller of the soil should be a gala one. In advance, announce a huge Country Square Dance and party to take place in fiont of your theatre. For the event, rope or block off the area directly in front of the house. Decorate the area and your marquee, and urge neighboring merchants to do likewise. Publicize the 'ivent thoroughly through throwaways, heralds, newspapers and radio. For the occasion, merchants can be depended upon to furnish free soft drinks and refreshments for the publicity value. Organize a few speakers, preferably city or state agricultural officials to laud farmers in their efforts to grow food and produce for the nation. After the speeches, the square dance contest could be held with farmers judging the winners. Winning contestants should receive guest tickets and if possible, merchants too, should supply some of the awards. A cooperative newspaper ad tieup with the local farm machinery outlet could show that by use of modern mechanical methods, the farmer is able to spend his extra time at the movies. MAR. 17: ST. PATRICK'S DAY. The Irish love recognition and attention and this is their big day. Arrange with a local florist for green carnations to be given the ladies and see that they are printed or overlaid in green. If possible, obtain a quantity of inexpensive shamrocks from one of the big novelty houses to be given away, with some mention about the theatre and its attractions. Contact the heads of local Irish societies and try to arrange for choral groups and other activities on stage such as an Irish Reel dancing contest, old fiddlers' contest, etc. MAR. 20-MAY 12: NATIONAL BOWLING CHAMPIONSHIP. Local sports pages are certain to be carrying day-to-day sports stories on the progress of national bowling championship events. Thus it is possible for you to get mention in every printed article and secure a lot of advertising and support from the local bowling alley operators by sponsoring a series of local eliminations, with each week's winning team as guests of the theatre and special period passes to hig.i scorers in the finals. Remember that bowling fans are just another variety of pleasure seekers, and as such, perfect prospects for theatre patronage. Oilier Important Dates MAR. 1: U. S. DEPT. OF EDUCATION, EST. 1867. Contact school heads and local Board of Education officials. Try to get them to use your stage for special activities or to celebrate the pnniversary. The possibilities are as big as your own imagination and your ability to sell your ideas, and the importance of the occasion to ths executives you contact. MAR. 7: LUTHER BURBANK, FAMOUS HORTICULTURIST, BORN 1849. With spring and the planting season just around the corner, the county agricultural agent, leaders in local Garden Clubs, the 4-H membership and great numbers of ruralites can be interested in participating in observance of the natal day of this man whose work has meant so much to furthering the perfection and progress of plant and vegetable life. If possible, arrange for gratis or inexpensive packages of seeds, carrying a message about your theatre, to be given to all persons attending. MAR. 14: ELI WHITNEY PATENTED THE COTTON GIN, 1794. If yours happens to a textile manufacturing or cotton-growing community you should experience little difficulty in arranging for wide observance of this day. MAR. 15: FIRST INCOME TAX PAYMENT DUE. Familiarize newcomers with the details of the necessary procedure in making out their returns. Get in touch with the local Internal Revenue Collector and arrange for the appearance of some member of his staff to handle a five-minute instruction period from the stage of your theatre for four or five evenings preceding the date returns are to be filed. MAR. 21: FIRST DAY OF SPRING. Go after the local merchants and arrange for observance in the way of fashion shows, mezzanine dress parades, etc. MAR. 21: JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH. COMPOSER, BORN 1685. The various music societies and music stores will cooperate on activity to celebrate this occasion. Sectional Observances Mar. 1 : Nebraska Admitted to Union. 1867. Mar. 2: Texas Independence Day. Mar. 3: Florida Admitted to Union, 1845. Mar. 4: Pennsylvania Day. Charter Granted. 1681. Mar. 4: Vermont Admitted to Union, 1791. Mar. 15 Maine Admitted to Union, 1820. Mar. 23 Alaska Made Part of United States, 1867. Mar. 25 : Maryland Day, Five $500 Piizes Bait 'Wonderful Life' Contest Five $500 prizes for dramatic experiences which left those who lived them with the conviction that "it's a wonderful life" highlighted a large-scale newspaper and radio contest conducted in Philadelphia by RKO Radio for the showing of Liberty Films' "It's a Wonderful Life" at the Stanley Theatre. Radio station WFIL, in conjunction with the Philadelphia Inquirer, largest circulation morning newspaper in the city, asked readers to send in those dramatic experiences which left them with the conclusion that "it's a wonderful life" after all. The five winners not only each received a $500 prize, but their real life stories were transcribed for the radio and broadcast over Station WFIL for five days preceding the opening. Presentation of the money prizes was made on the stage of the Stanley Theatre on the opening night. The contest attracted widespread attention not only by reason of the generous prizes but also because of the intriguing nature of the subject. The contest was created by Terry Turner, RKO Radio exploitation manager, working in conjunction with Hank Howard, the company's field representative for the Philadelphia area, and Everett Callow, publicity manager for Warner Bros. Theatres. Can Beat Lenten Slump With iilert Showmanship (Continued from Page 18) April Fools Day. There is probably not a city or town in the country that does not have persons of Irish birth or ancestry living in it Make a special play for them on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, by having an Irish singer, if there is a good one in your town, sing Irish songs on your stage. An Irish reel or an Irish jig would be events to bring out the Irish-American element. A contest to find the most beautiful Irish girl in town is a "natural," and a suitable prize for the prettiest can readily be promoted. Decorate your theatre suitably for the "wearing of the green" day. Anniversaries Several states were admitted into the Union during the period covered by Lent — Nebraska. Texas, Florida, Maryland, Alaska. Set your promotion thinking cap to work on this problem. A Maryland night, for instance, might be' promoted for the night of that state's entry into statehood, with special rates for parties of Marylanders, a short talk on the state by a native now living in your city. And don't overlook the public schools; free tickets for the essays on the state by geography or history students would bring your theatre and its attraction forcibly to the attention of all school pupils. Freshen up your theatre and lobby for the coming of spring with new and lightercolored drapes, with fresh and brighter paint. Keep your box-office as bright and attractive as the girl in it selling tickets should be. It will pay. And it will pay for you to let your public know you are sprucing up the place, not wait for them to find it out by coming to see a picture. That's a horn you can toot, and find the public liking the tooting.