Boxoffice-July.01/1950

Mmm immmui aiKic
IN THEIR THIRD WEEK, CLINIC IDEAS ARE
BEGINNING TO PAY OFF FOR FIVE THEATRES
EXPERIMENTING ON SUMMER BUSINESS
Engaged in iniormal discussion at the weekly meeting of the Business Improvement
Clinic ore, left to right: Mike Neary, the Berkshire, Brooklyn; Abe Vallet, Linden,
Jamaica; Murray Libman, Patio, Brooklyn; Norman Greenberg, Mt. Eden, the Bronx;
Ed Freiberger, Bliss, Long Island City; Chester Friedman, editor, Showmandiser section.
By CHESTER FRIEDMAN
At the weekly meeting of the BOXOJFICE
Business Improvement Clinic last Monday,
general optimism and enthusiasm were expressed
by participating managers, and the
first faint trace of an upswing in attendance
was reported.
Five New York suburban and subsequent
run theatres are cooperating with BOX-
OFFICE in an experimental project to determine
the value of aggressive exploitation
during the hot weather months. The five
houses are either restoring all fundamental
advertising media, or are extending their
coverage with these facets to reach a greater
number of potential patrons. During the first
two weeks the Clinic has been in operation,
trailers, profuse still displays, house programs
and window cards have been brought
into universal use as the first step in creating
neighborhood interest in coming and
current screen shows.
By press date, it was expected that each
theatre will have a weekly showing of 100
to 150 window cards, placed mainly m territories
where extra patronage is considered
possible and desirable. Where police regulations
restrain the use of sidewalk still boards,
the Clinic managers decided to use mats filled
with black-and-white scene stills. The mats
will be made from wallpaper of colorful design,
and placed against glass doors and the
exterior display frames. The wallpaper will
be used in place of expensive art displays,
and was inspired by an idea used by an exhibitor
and submitted to the Showmandiser
section for which the originator was awarded
a BOXOFFICE Bonus and a Citation of
Honor.
Ed Freiberger, manager ot the Bli.ss Theatre,
Long Island City, reported to other managers
in the Clinic that he had used another
idea taken from the Showmandiser, with excellent
results. To stimulate advance interest
in "Nancy Goes to Rio," a barrel in the
theatre lobby was placed above eye level,
against a platform. Patrons were invited to
step on the platform and view the famous
Red Bats from Rio. Upon ascending the
elevation and looking down into the barrel,
curious patrons found two painted baseball
bats with a sign reading, "This is a gag, but
'Nancy Goes to Rio' is excellent entertainment,
and that is no gag. Please do net tell
your friends about the Red Bats, but you
might tell them that 'Nancy Goes tc Rio'
starts here Wednesday."
Freiberger reported that the only cost on
this stunt was for lettering a sign; all
otlier items were collected around the theatre.
Everyone stopped for a look-see, and
Attractive use of stills used in lobby
display at the Mount Eden Theatre.
those who took a look on the way Into the
theatre lined up for a second look on the
way out.
At a net cost of $3, Freiberger got out a
street ballyhoo to exploit "Comanche Territory"
which created considerable excitement
in the neighborhood. He had an usher decked
out as an Indian with blanket, feather headdress,
and a mask. The expense involved
was for the cost of a sign carried by the
Indian and the mask. Freiberger mentioned
that the police objected to the use of a mask
on the Indian, whereupon other members of
the Clinic suggested that lip rouge, eyebrow
pencil or water colors could be used as warpaint
instead of the mask.
SEEKS NEW PATRONAGE
The Bliss window cards are being placed
in the Greenpoint and Maspeth seci-ions in
order to attract new patronage. To determine
whether this measure is effective, passes
given to shopkeepers will have a special mark
so that Freiberger can find out exactly how
many passes are actually used from each
section.
A suggestion made at a previous meeting
of the Clinic is being adapted for special use
at the Bliss. Freiberger has obtained a list
of all automobile owners in the area. Etach
week, 100 of these people will receive a personal
letter from the Bliss manager, with
an invitation to attend as his guest. A pass
will be enclosed in each letter and a record
will be kept of all such passes picked up at
the boxoffice, for future checking and
analysis.
Norman Greenberg, manager of the Mount
Eden Theatre in the Bronx, has enlisted a
neighborhood jeweler in a cooperative campaign
of advertising and promotion which
will run tliroughout the summer. The theatre
house program is paid for by tl:e jeweler
each week, in return for advertising on the
back page. Every two weeks through the
summer, the merchant will sponsor an All
Fun and Laff show, with the first scheduled
during the week of July 10.
EMPHASIZE MATINEE BUSINESS
Greenberg has been placing strong empha-
.sis on increasing his matinee business by
advertising Low Matinee Prices on the screen,
in the lobby, outside, on window cards and
programs. He has a mammoth display board
in the lobby and another outside the theatre
which takes 20 stills and two title cards
on each program. The current show is advertised
out front. The next attraction is
advertised in the center of the main lobby
and is illuminated. These boards arp proving
a central attraction, with constant crowd"'
collecting to look at the various scenes from
the film production.
Tlie Mount Eden will have letters going out
each week to 100 voters in .the local election
district. These letters will invite the recipients
to be guests at the theatre during offnights.
Service charge will be collected on
each admi.ssion in addition to the federal
amusement tax.
This theatre had been using window cards
in the area west of the theatre. The section
to the east had previously been kept clear
36 — 226 — BOXOFFICE Showmandiser July 1, 1950