Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1949)

18 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, December 24, 1949 I.M.P.S. Member Report Busy Showman Utecht Sees Only 4 Movies in 3.5 Years Kiddie Shows, Civic and Community Affairs Keep Oak Park Manager Active I.M.P.S. Member Leonard C. Utecht, manager of the Lake Theatre, Oak Park, 111., a west side suburb of Chicago, is unique among theatremen. In the first place, Utecht has seen only four movies during the past three and a half years — and all on his nights off. In the second place, he is a year-around Santa Claus to the children. And in the third place, he participates in community and civic activities. Betty Jane Merrill, writing in the Chicago Tribune, describes him as "the modern version of Jolly St. Nick to thousands of young moviegoers in the village. Utecht doesn't look like the Yuletide king. He's even minus a Mrs. Santa Claus, but his love for children and the radiation of his goodwill has spread throughout the west side like the tinkle of bells on a crisp winter night." He's 'the Boss' Besides being manager of the Lake, Brother Utecht is also a promotion and publicity agent, professional stamp collector, connoisseur of classical and jazz music, philanthropist, wit and (according to Miss Merrill) "belongs to more civic and charitable grouns than a social butterfly." As far as the kiddies are concerned, Utecht is "the boss," but they regard him as a pal and buddy. Utecht is fond of the kids, too, and he's always concerned with their welfare whenever they become his charges at the numerous kiddie shows he provides for them. At frequent intervals the children from the Hephzibah Children's Home are the genial theatreman's guests at a kiddie matinee, and he gives them some sort of a treat, such as a bag of popcorn and a picture of their favorite star. He also plans contests and stunts for their entertainment and enjoyment. Center of Activity Because Utecht is more community-minded than his job requires, his theatre is the center of activity for many civic projects, including religious services. Recently such services were arranged with the Grace Lutheran Church of River Forest. Whenever he tries out a new stunt, he calls it a "gimmick," and he always has the betterment of his theatre in mind whenever he tries it out. Of course, there are few stunts he hasn't tried. Some time ago Utecht employed a professional model to pose with a gorilla (a real one? we don't know) as a stunt for "Mighty Joe Young." Seems the model backed out. Hur 'Harf-ford Fury' On the marquee "Arctic Fury" was billed as the second hit, but the street scene photo which appeared in the Hartford Times was top billing for the film. For while another attraction was billed more prominently, the photo itself showed pedestrians fighting their way through the season's first snowstorm in Hartford, Conn. riedly the theatreman transformed one of his usherettes into a Venus with blonde wig, frilly evening gown and false eye-lashes. The show went on. What does Utecht do about unclaimed articles of clothing left in the theatre? He takes them home to his mother, Mrs. Pearl Utecht, who washes and irons them and delivers them to a northwest side orphanage. Getting back to his infrequent moviegoing — which has been only four movies during the past three and one-half years, one wonders why Utecht doesn't see more of them. Too busy seeing that everything goes according to Hoyle. From his office he can detect the least disturbance. But that doesn't mean he stays there — he's all over the place. Back in 1932 Utecht was working as a sign change boy for a downtown Chicago Theatre. The prospect of a manager's front office seemed practically unattainable. Meanwhile, he did a lot of odd jobs : butcher boy, baker's helper, mail carrier, piano tuner, cleaning and dyeing salesman, music store clerk, doctor's receptionist, greeting card and magazine salesman, water inspector (they could probably use him in New York right now), skiptracer and'political precinct worker. Because he has done just about everything, met all kinds of people and gained practical experience, Utecht has been better able to cope with the thousand and one problems and requirements of theatre management. As Miss Merrill puts it: "He'j a showman from start to finish." 'High' New Year Plug "It's coming! Twelve O'Clock High! In iust 60 seconds it will be Twelve O'clock High. . ." This announcement, running 60 seconds at 11:59 P.M. on New Year's Eve, will blanket the entire nation via 1094 radio stations on behalf of 20th-Fox's "Twelve O'Clock High." The spot announcement breaks up the plug for the picture with 10-second breaks to announce the time left before midnight. 'Outlaw' to Open In 21 Key Cities Scheduled for 21 major key city engagements for the new year, opening in Boston on Dec. 29, Chicago on Dec. 30 and in 19 other cities on Dec. 31, Howard Hughes' "The Outlaw" will have local advertising campaigns designed to dominate the theatre situation in each locality. Keynote of the campaign is an artist's conception of one of the most dramatic scenes of the picture. The painting has been reproduced in all the lithographs and will highlight the display advertising. A full 100 per cent 24-sheet billboard showing is set for each city, augmented by an extensive sniping campaign. The local newspaper campaign began 10 days in advance of the opening and runs continuously. Radio and television spots are also included. Other cities in the "Outlaw" booking wave, besides Boston and Chicago, are Denver, Kansas City, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Omaha, Providence, Rochester, St. Paul, Syracuse, Washington, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Des Moines, Dubuque, Lowell, Marshalltown, Sioux Falls, Waterloo and Buffalo. DeMille^s Showmanly Selling Behind ^Samson and Delilah^ WorldfPremiere {Continued from Page 14) cultural circles and public life to whom he thought they should be sent. Then came the day he arrived at New York and put himself at the disposal of the Paramount exploiteers. To date they have no complaints — expecting that they do wish Mr. DeMille didn't like to walk so much in a town where taxis are so convenient. Outside of that little mania for physical exercise, he was their boy. He, as Youngstein said, "didn't blow a date." And the dates were piled fast and close together. All in all, he is estimated to have seen 150 representatives of the press, syndicates, trade press and foreign press. Some he took on in droves, others individually. And, take it from Herb Steinberg, who had to do some walking with DeMille, in line with drawing his regular pay as a Paramount contact man, DeMille always had a new angle for each new interviewee. As an example, when Lou Schaeffer of the Brooklyn Eagle's turn came around, DeMille imparted the information that the DeMille ancestors had lived in Brooklyn and had fought in the Civil War. Schaeffer must have been impressed, for there is nothing a Brooklyn reader likes to read about better after he has spent from 15 to 60 minutes in a crowded subway train than that someone famous either lives or had relatives in Brooklyn. With other newspaper men, he followed the same tactics — finding something new and if possible, something which had an angle which appealed to that particular newspaperman. For the foreign-language press, he worked up a feature talk on Vladimir Jobotowsky, soldier and diplomat, who was concerned with the treatment of "Samson." And he seems to have exercised tact at ducking questions he did not want to answer. To those whO' wanted to know how the lion fight was staged, or how the temple was brought down with a crash, he had a standard reply : "I don't feel the public wants to know how a thing is filmed. They want to know if it's a good picture." If pressed by newsmen who didn't accept that courteous evasion, he'd answer : "There are things done in motion pictures today that are as fine as any magic act, that rival the tricks of Houdini or Thurston. No one had the nerve to ask them how they did it." And he didn't miss any bets to get in a plug for "Samson." He took time out of a busy day to attend the Motion Picture Pioneers' dinner where he was cited for his work as a moviemaker and where he got in some goodwill talk on the industry. He took time out of a busy day to be the butt of the jokes at a Circus Saints and Sinners' luncheon-. And he got up in the middle of the night to make an appearance at the New York Newspaper Women's Club Front Page Ball. DeMille made the appearance as a combined "Samson" and goodwill gesture. But he met the United Nations' Carlos Romulo, who also made an appearance, got talking to him and came back with Romulo's acceptance to be one of the dignitaries at the "Samson" premiere.