Variety (Jan 1935)

Taeflday. Jajjiiiiry 87 W PICT "29 EXPLOITATION 01^ By Epes W* Sargent llaybo H. S. H. TTnlvereal 13 BUggestlng 'The Man ■Who Beclalmed His Head' as a,n «vDOBe ot the munitions scandala nnS urging a tleln to the current of It. this looks like good publicity, fcut the drawing value of the mu- nitions angle is more or less open ?o question. It might well happen that undue stress on this feature will obscure the fact that this really, la a strong story of a man who pro- acted his wife against a tool of the munltlona makers; that connection being fairly obscure. The domestic story is apt to carry more appeal than the denouncement, and to splash the recent expose Is to niake a promise which cannot be kept. As a matter of fact the munitions flltuatlon does not appear to have the general Interest the newspapers give It. In New York two recent Alms made a bid for a tie In to the expose. One was well made; the other quite the reverse, but both shared a similar fate. The public turned them down cold. It was not Interested to the extent of paying. It's very true that these were news clips and not In the form of a story, but the fact Is that the newspaper publicity could not boost the draw, and It probably will be even leas potent-ln-the -case-of 'Man^ .wliare. there la no direct hookup. Incidentally, It might be well to remember that the bodylesa head illusion la easily contrived and will be a better lobby attraction than the talking head suggested in the press book. The essential Is a cabinet lined with black or red cloth and V placed mirrors so set that they reflect the cloth sides but suggest the background. The Joint of the mirrors is hidden by one leg of a table on which the head rests. This will be highly effective at aell- __lhK. times.— _^ - -—_ Competitive Sketclxes Sven so large a houae aa the Al- bee, Brooklyn, Is doing well with a playlet competition, permitting each organization to give one perform- ance on an oft night and selecting the best for a playoff. Most of the teams are from school and church organizations, and this meana that each has plenty of rooters. Accord- ing to the Brooklyn papers, intereat is riding high. Contest seems to be planned to cover a considerable period. In smaller communities It may be necessary to draw on nearby towns to obtain a sufllclent number of competitors, but even In the small towns It seems possible to get a supply of one-actiers to piut up a good contest, and like all local at- tractions, the pull Is In excess of actual merit. Properly handled, and with the local paper In back, a con- teat such aa this can be made to yield big business on slow nights. In some sections the draw Is so strong that the second feature la left off the dual bill the last night show, which gives the actora plenty of time. If there is no dramatic club, It's a simple matter to form a couple by engaging the interest of local boys and girls and giving them, a little help in or-ganizing-and-selecting-the plays. Care should be taken to avoid playlets on which there Is a royalty payment. Some catalogues are entirely without these pay- ments. Others slap a fee on some. Find out what's what befoi-e the play is put into rehearsal.. If managers in nearby towns can be Interested, It will be possible to build up a circuit, interchanging plays and players and creating a lasting Interest in. the enterprise. Keeping Awake Keeping the eyes peeled Jo the main chance will often bring In a good stunt at no cost. And some- times the best gags are the cost- less ones. They might be beyond reach In the ordinary course of events. —For -one-example,--a- manager^was talking to a restaurant owner about the latter's idea of_ putting In email string band. The eats man wanted a suggestion as to how to -plant-Qulekly the ..IdearofTrthe-neW: departure. Simplest thing In the world* was the quick response •Play the outfit In my lobby the week before they open for you. I'll have a card written saying they will be at your place the following Monday. More people will see and hear than through any other means." Restaurant man liked the Idea. The house got a musical lobby for nothing and the res taurant man liked the Idea bo well that he now has the men play in the lobby every evening between 7 and 8 in return for a card stating that the men play his resort from 9 until 12. A slower thinker might have suggested putting them on the radio. That would haVe been i good Idea too, but not for the the atre. • In another town a clgaret sam- pler dropped In to flood the town He chanced to contact the theatre man. Latter suggeated a Joint card and pa id for the p rin ting. Samp ler ~foijhd~that It waa better advertlslHg to credit the house, and la using the idea in other towns now, A Baltimore arty theatre makes regular displays of the work of local p ainters. It's a._blg attraction with the art crowd. Gould be done by any theatre with a mezzanine. Just keeping awake. leo's Colyum Leo, the M. Q. M. lion, has gone columnist;- the -«o£tleV Several of the N. Y. dallies are carrying a column of chatter under the heading of 'The Lion's Roar' and talking up coming releases In an Intimate fashion that should sell —more-tlckets-than all of• tlTe^udjec^" -tlves- Huwurd DltiLz ' a alaff - can dig out of the dictionary In a 40-hour ^RA week; not that the Metroltes need to go to the Wcb.ster often They know the answers. Along the lines of Carl Laammie' chatter column in the national maga, but something new for the dallies. It^s a grand idea no mat ter where it's used 'Minister' for Libraries Baltimore. Dave Flamm, oC the Hipp, got _ window at the Public Library for 'Little' Minister'. Could well " worked in any town, librarians holding Sir J. M. Barrie in consider able esteem, Wirdow bore plugs for pic, some carefully selected stills and-a group of Barrle's books. A placard read, 'When you have been Introduced. to 'works of Si Jamea Barrie by seeing 'Little Min Ister* at the Hippodrome, borrow his other novels from the library" Another Tie-In Warners has made a publicity hook to ■ Bulck motors, somewhat aimilar to the Quaker Oats deal, but covering six pictures. Vfill break with a two-color double truck, fol- lowed by ainglea in Statevepoat, Lit. Digest, Time, New Yorker, 'VoBrue, Sjpur, Fortune and Harpers' Bazaar; Pics touted will be 'Living on Vel- vet,' 'Big Hearted Herbert.' 'Gold Digger a of 49 36,' 'Babbitt;' 'Border- town' and 'Desirable.' Bulck will also Issue accessories to its dealers on this sextet. lowdown on Dong Partly as general plnllclty, but with a nod toward 'The Private Life of Don Juan', Metro Is preparing for foreign release a six-part serial oh 'The True Life Story of Douglas Fairbanks'. To bo supplied some 400 foreign publclatlons as 'Don Juan' goes Into general foreign release. Idea was auggested by a aimilar life of Walt Disney, which grabbed space In score of countries.: Stretching an Old One Los Angeles. Hi Peskay of the F-WC Golden Gate (suburban) worked a some- what different wrinkle on the / canned goods idea aa a kid admis- sion by advertising that every youngater bringing a wornout auto tire would be admitted free to a Saturday performance. - Kids brought the worn out cas- ings from many distant points, with Peskay turning the accumulation over to a junk man, who paid him close to $200 for tlie lot. It resulted In one .of the biggest matinees house has had in months. Champ Cartoons Rochester. Saturday morning all - cartoon show for children during school va- cation packed them in at Loew's Rochester with plenty of parents coming along. Manager Lester Pol- lock billed the siaow as best car- toons of the year at 15 centa for all -seats - ■ —- BEHIND ^Ae KEYS -Lobby - Catches - - Manager didn't care much for his lobby. It seemed to lack punch. All nice stuff, and well displayed, but nothing In particular to catch and hold attention. He got a card, lettered It 'Bathing Suits for Hire' and atuck It well back. He loat count, but he figures that at least 300 Inquiries were made aa to why he waa trying to rent bathing suits In The~de'a"a 'of"wi«teT~Otlrers aaked" no questions but spent considerable time -looking- -over—the-reatof - the dlaplay trying to connect the un- usu al card with some title. Got more atiemion than - some or nis choicest lobby dlaplaya. And all It cost was a brushful of Ink, because the card was the inside of a shirt box lid.. Another brain-storm brought him a three-day attraction for a dollar. He bought an alarm clock for that price, took it all apart, set the works in a white enamel service tray and offered the clock to any- one who could put it together in the lobby. Mostly boys took up the offer, some of them spending a half hour or so before giving up. Played to a crowd all of the time, with the kibitzers offering suggestions Playing a Joe Penner short, he got.some attention with a duck in a cage, but not enough. He paid a boy hilf a dollar to try aiad train the duck to lie down and play dead. Kid was given strict instructions lo be gentle. He had to call the boy In about every half hour to clea r the lobby. Plenty o f the on South Bend, • IjouIs Nye has resigned as man-^ ager of the Palace.theatre here and has taken over the managehierit of -the" Palais Royal-dancerhall.; -;:t— -.- Sonny McDonald replaced at the Palace: ■ Lincoln. Two houses opened with the new year In Nebraska, it is reported. The Dodge, at Dodge, Neb., la the first house attempted In that fipot. The Grand, new 800-seater at Nor- folk, Neb., will be on the scene there witiiin a week. Welrton, W. "Va. N. G. Anaa, Welrton and WeUa- burgh, W. "Va., exhibitor, haa trans- ferred the Grand, Moundsvllle, W, Va., to Sperklng & Lowe. The Strand, at Moundsvllle, also has been acquired by Sp erling & Lowe Tf5mnEfie~TIieaT:rea uowpstty." -Norwalk,-Ou Norwalk's new motion picture the atre, th e Forum, erected at a coat estlmate'd'-^-r-^gOTOOD ", l^a :b e»ft opened, with Fred Clary, Cleveland, former manager of. the Stlllman In. that city, as manager. Charlotte, N. C. A new theatre will be erected at Camden, S. C, to replace the Cam- den theatre, which burned the day after Chrlatmaa. Fort Wayne. M. Marcusi local manager for Quimby shows, has taken over the Keith and Capitol theatres In In dlanapolls to operate in conjunction with' his present Indianapolis chain, including the Alamo, Cozy and Am- bassador. Emboyd, Paramount and Jeffer- son will continue . under W. C Quimby's management direct. ' last Kick Most managers are content with Christmas and New Year's business, but one old-timer gets a third kick out of the holiday by observing Twelfth Night. Tried it for the first time last year and did so well that he plans to make It annual. It's based on the old English cus-_~ tom of observing the holiday for twelve days, keeping vp the festivi- ties Into the new year and ending with a Twelfth Night party on Jan. 6. ; The outline Is not unlike the New Year's eve party In that It follows the last night show with a pro- longation, but the general idea la different; it does not usher In a new period but puts a definite close to the merrymaking. Last year the closing of the reg^ ular show waa followed by the showing of a couple of shorts, with local dance line from a dancing class, a fairly clever amateur ma- gician,' two singers and a couple of dance solos. One of the local min- isters,.-who is -not too .ministerial, gave a little talk on the occasion and then the trees, which had stood on either aide of the arch, were dis- mantled, the greena were taken down, and light refreshments were served, Includlhg-.Shiall cakes,. Into., which the usual emblems were in- s^erted, typical of early marriage, eternal singleness, ' bright pennies for wealth and whatever elae may be dug up from the favor stores in any large town. Then the atage was cleared for dancing, while the older folk went home. It makes a nice and inexpensive party, and the added business last year showed a profit ovSr the extra cost. Portland, Ore. "'~Tohi*'"Hartforarf6rmerly-^'lth~the- Universal Exchange, now has charge of eastern Washington and eastern Oregon for Gaumont-Brit ish, under the supervision of Walter Wessling, Pacific Northwest dis tributor. _ Charley Campbell, former oper ator of' the Nob Hill theatre In Portland, has opened the Grand theatre at Ren ton, Wash, " JT^r. Yoe? Hasn.eased^fheTPaylor Street theatre, and will run the house on- a subsequent run policy.— lookers bought tickets. Not a dlg- nlfled gag, but It got arid, held the crowd, which waa what he waa after, the loudspealier keeping up a lun of comment aa they watched, selling not only the_ current but the cbmlng" feature. Getting the Clerks Manager who had a chance to get a Job lot of wooden coat hang- era had them printed 'Put on your coat and go to the Majestic' Hia houae was in the downtown dis- trict and one hanger waa put Into each office in the various buildings. Next day he received a dozen re- .CLueats, for hangcra and passed them o ut. By the end of the week most of the 1,200 had been passed out. . He. had noticed that In .m.ost .pf.7 flees coat racks were provided and no hangers. Filling a long- felt want; he got plenty of advertising. Hangers cost about three cents each, and he figures the returns to liave been' at least 100 times the cost. That Personal Touch Springfield, O. When college trade began to de- sert Mike Chakeres' State theatre an investigation started. Admlsh was too steep, he learned. So to every one of 800 students in local Wlttcni)erg College ho issued a personal admission card; 25c now admits students at any time, when they show card, properly signed. Saving la slight, but personal touch succeeded in winning back lost lookers. Detroit Jack Kross takes over the Mack theatre from L. A. Fill. Kraas now operates the' Coliseum, Ideal and Arcadla. Krim Bros, take over the Buchan- an theatre^ adding same to th^r Kramer, Granada, Sun, Park and Lasky, Ben-and Lou Cohen, operators .iof the Hollywood, Roxy, Grand "Victory and Norwood, open their new Alay- falr theatre, formerly Bonstelle Civic, this week. -Spi-ingfleldr-O,^ Phil Chakeres, president of thea- tre chain In this city, Wilmington and Greenville, O., has hit upon ldea of sandwich shops in conjunction with theatres of his chain. 'Wagon Wheel,' adjoining State theatre.here, recently opened with rustic Interior and exterior decorations, la talk of town. Jimmy Chakeres, brother of Mike Chakeres, State.manager, la in charge of eating place. One and poaslbly two more eee- and-eat combos are planned In towna where Chakerea houaea, are already operated. Seattle, Herb Sobottka, for past year Coli- seum manager, and his assistant, I.lbyd Miner. move~to~Fif th Avenue theatre tma weeK, nero sii^ceFdiHg" "Vic Gauntlett as manager, Vic goes back to full-time -job-on-Erergreen Theatres publicity, Ron Harring- ton, Fifth Avenue assistant man- ager, slated to take charge of Mount Baker theatre, Bellingham, with Jack Rosenberg transferring to management" of Collaeum, all Evergreen apota. Hank Peters, Los. Angeles..- mgr. F-WC Para- mount, recovering In Cedars of Leb arion hoapltal from Injuries received in an auto smash on New Year's Eve. Bronx, N. Y. Welsa Brothera have sold the Euro theatre to J. Wild. Crescent theatre, formerly .oper- ated by Haring & Blumenthal, haia passed to the Leff-Myers Circuit and renamed the Tower. Robert Rogers new manager. _ Se attle . L. G. -McGihTe'yTThWa'ger Of ITirt^ versal exchange, was elected presi- dent of newly formed Northweat Film Club. Other ofllcera: H. W, Bruen, v.p., E. A. Lamb, sec.-treas., ti'uateea, Ben Shearer, Al Rosenberg and Neal East. Omaha. Louise Cotter, publicity at the Brandels theatre, started the new year right by returning to her desk Jan. - 2. She bad been on leave of absence for miore than a month tak- ing the rest cure. Oklahoma City. Pat McGee, general manager of Standard Theatres, Inc., ia receiving bids for a new 750 neighborhood theatre on-Indiana street, Oklahoma City. C. O. Pulgham and C. B. 'Brownie' Akers, have been promoted In the Griffith Amusement Co., organiza- tion Jointly to administer the duties of the late Rr-Mr^Chrrk, former gen- eral manager. H. J. Griffith con- tinues as general superintendent for the entire circuit, with Fulgham and Alters working under him; Lincoln. Dave Morrison, former manager of the Klva here,. waa transferred back to Greeley, Colo., last week. No replacement here, according to City Manager Milton Overman. New York. Surf Operating Co., headed by Herman Welngarten and Paul Greenbaum, have built a new 1,300 seater on Surf avenue, Coney Island, N. Y, . ,_ - ^ LPS' A"ngg le3,- Vox Thi-'iitre Corp. has sold the" York, nabe pic house, to Mrs. Fanny Barsky. ■ Homer Skillian, formerly with r X West Coast In San Dlegd, now managing the United Artists for the circuit. Merlon Ellsworth transfer- rin? from the Arroyo, L. A., fo the Capitol, Glendale, and R. F. Dukes griing to the Arroyo from the Capi- tol. L.'uvrence and SherlU,Cohen pre- paring to reopen their . Olympic, downtown sub. ruu house, dark since last June. Detroit. Dow Thompson, named assistant to H. M .Rlchey, g.m. of Allied the atrea, succeeding George Quesada, who left for Cincinnati. Meridian, Miss. . Meridian's new theatre, Alberta, opened Jan. 1. Operated by the Mia siaalppi Theatres, Inc., Al Yeojnans, manager. _ _ T^t iatriot ^r---- Lancaster, Pa. Persuading American Legion to stage memorial service for ' local boya killed In the World War waa an exploitation which netted the Hamilton theatre here plenty for 'The First World War.' Legion marched on houae with a large delegation, headed by drum and bugle corpa making plenty of noise sind" attfarcfrng'Tots of" attention. After brief ceremony in the lobby, the bugle-tooters- and-drum-beatera were passed in. They played three or four more numbers after^ they iradTi^eirtire'^ehijw.- - ■ . -. ■ - Notices were posted in Legion and 'Vets of Foreign Wars homes and daily announcements were made of the' picture and ita pur- pose. Special screening for ministers also got the plx plenty of pulpit plugs. Manager Herb Thatcher manage<l to borrow enough guns, rifles, gas masks and helmeta to give lobby an attractive trim and set up a' sandbag trench with doughboys cut from three-she'eta going over the top, - - Build the picture gets in- a Cur- rent magazine also used extensively. In the exploitation which resulted in the picture being held over—the first one to get such a break in the Hamilton In many a moon.. Crawford's Gown \ " - umaha. Ted Emerson, managing the World theafre, went in for appeal to the feminine eye In exploiting for 'For- saking- All Others.' He phoned Fi-ank Whltbeck of the MGM pub- licity office In Hollywood for the loan of one of the original gowns by Adrian worn In the picture by La Crawford. Emerson wasn't sure he had negotiated the deal, but the mall brought the gown in- three days. To exhibit the gown, manager-en- gaged Frances Booth, former hostess for the Paramount and noted for her modeling ability, who displayed the gown In the foyer evenings. By ita authenticity, gag was good for a -four^ column cut -picturlng"Crawford wearing the gown, and Mlss'Biroth (who matches Crawford almost identically In meaaurementa) along- side, also wearing the gown. An inexpensive gag, Emerson stated, unless the "gown got lost or frayiBd, and he had to come across with the $300 charged to him until the gown I3 returned. . StiU Good for Nibble Los Angeles. Jock Lawrence revived an old ex- ploitation gag for 'Kid Millions' at Loew's State by standing at Sev- enth and Broadway and offering to sell brand new $5 bills for $3.39. Despite it's the busiest intersection in downtown Los Angeles, only two persons were credulous enough to invest. Gag drew plenty of pub- licity and stories In the dallies. Lawrence was arrested, but the bills proved to be genuine and he was releaacd.