Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1948)

HIDING SHOWMANSHIP (Continued from Page 90) exploitation pay off? Well, in spite of a heavy snow storm, business was above normal. Identification contests have always been potent attention-getters, and Howard Busey of the Orpheum Theatre, Kansas City, must have realized this when he tied-in with a local newspaper to offer $100 to the citizen who could discover the identity of a young woman who went around masquerading as "B.F.'s Daughter." Stunt received liberal newspaper space, including front-page coverage, and after three days the mystery girl was identified. But not until nearly every woman in town was asked if she was "B.F.'s Daughter." P.S. An usherette was the mystery woman. Quiz Man Takes to Highways An innovation in show-selling was introduced in Minneapolis in 1948 when the Minneapolis Amusement Co. sent a Movie Quiz Man touring the streets to ask questions about the current attractions at the circuit's six loop theatres. Two questions were asked. If the first (can you name the title of the picture?) was answered correctly, two guest tickets were awarded. If the second (what are the titles of the pictures playing at all six theatres?) was answered correctly, $60 in cash was awarded. However, if not, then no award was made until the proper answer was forthcoming, and this went on from week to week, with the prize increasing by $60 each week. Although baby-sitting concerns were the principal contacts in many "Sitting Pretty" campaigns, Manager Sol Sorkin of RKO Keith's Flushing Theatre, Flushing, N. Y., took another slant in his pre-selling activities by tieing-in with the community's Golden Anniversary "clean up, paint up" week. Sorkin himself coordinated the entire drive, essay contests were held, and "broom brigades" were sent out to clean up the town. Slogan for the drive: "You'll be 'Sitting Pretty' if you clean up, spruce up, paint up with the North Shore." We need hardly point out that this is an excellent example of an exhibitor being active in community affairs, and — at the same time selling an attraction. Application of the 'Personal Touch9 From time to time Showmen's Trade Review has urged showmen to maintain contact with the public through that "personal" touch. Moviegoers like to feel that the theatreman is interested in providing them with the best in entertainment whenever he possibly can. If he'll be fair with them and let them know, through his personal endorsement, about the best attractions, they'll forgive him for the occasional inferior films. Manager Dick Peffley of the Paramount Theatre, Fremont, Ohio, is an advocate of that "personal touch" (which, by the way, is most important in the average small town), and he utilized that approach in many of his 1948 campaigns. In connection with United Artists' "Carnegie Hall," he sent personal letters to members of the Fremont Concert Association. And because of his friendliness with local newspaper editors, he received front-page publicity about the coming of 20thFox's "Gentleman's Agreement" to his theatre. This can be construed as the "personal approach," inasmuch as the moviegoers felt that Peffley had an attraction of such importance that not only was he, himself, interested in apprising them of it, but so also were the newspapers. That showmanship keeps up with the times was proved by Hugh Siverd, manager of the Plaza Theatre, Kansas City. Everyone knows about the high cost of meats. Well, Siverd tied-in with Kroger's for a Beef Matinee at which butchers demonstrated how a side of beef is carved into choice cuts. The cuts were passed out to the audience, consisting almost wholly of "meat-hungry" housewives, who filled the theatre. That cost of campaigning comes up again. If $10 seems too much, then how about $1.25. That's what it cost Manager Milan Steele of the Ritz Theatre, Pawnee, Okla., to buy 125 government postal cards, upon which he inscribed this message: "Dear Sir: Your wife is expecting (type this in capitals and in red) you to take her to the Ritz Theatre (date) to see (Universal-International's) 'The Secret Beyond the Door', etc." Milan sent 'em to 125 prospective patrons (husbands, of course), and results were well worth the small expenditure. Inspired by an idea said to have originated on the coast, District Manager Nick Schermerhorn and Circuit Engineer Rocco Dilione of the Walter Reade Theatres in Asbury Park, N. J., introduced 24-sheet trailers in their eastern territory. This involved the construction of a tent-like trailer attached to a truck, with the display space on each side capable of handling one 24-sheet or two six-sheets. At an expenditure of a few hundred dollars, the trailer was made to last as a week-in, week-out, year-in, year-out street ballyhoo. Puts Circus to Work for Theatre There's an old saying that you .can't get blood from a turnip. Applied to exploitation, this means that if you do get something from nothing, you have to do a lot of tussling. Out in Elkhart, Indiana, Manager Les Clark of the Bucklen Theatre was getting ready to play Paramount's "Caged Fury." The angle was obvious, but how was Clark going to get a circus to exploit his picture? He happened to remember that there is an organization called The Circus Fans of America, whose members, circus bugs from childhood, keep in the atmosphere by meeting together and making models of circus layouts. Clark found a member in Elkhart, borrowed a miniature display from him and exhibited it in the main window of the local Singer Sewing Machine Co. branch, together with a large sign and stills on "Caged Fury." Knowing how to find people paid off for Clark, and made it unnecessary for him to tussle to try to create something from nothing. Here's a hot one for 1948, and it took only a two-reel subject to inspire it. But then, that two-reel subject had to be above the ordinary, which MGM's "Going to Blazes" certainly was. This, too, happened in Indiana — Muncie, to be exact — and embraced a tiein with the local Fire Department by Vic Sicilia, city manager for Y & W Theatres. The Fire Department acted like it was going to a fire. The highlight was a demonstration of fire-fighting methods and equipment, with several thousand persons jamming the front of the Rivoli Theatre to see the goings-on. There was also a display of equipment in the theatre lobby, and a pumper dating back to 1870 stood in front. Besides all this, active fire-fighting equipment carried banners advertising the picture. Few short subjects were so well exploited in 1948. Finds Way Around Ordinance To make city authorities say "yes" when they intend to say "no" is a feat attributed to Robert A. Hynes, manager of the Missouri Theatre, St. Joseph, Mo. It seems there is a city ordinance prohibiting posting on street and traffic-light poles. Hynes, however, wanted to place cards on them advertising MGM's "A Date With Judy." He made officials say "yes" when they intended to say "no" (Continued on Page 94) A Section of SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW 93