Boxoffice-December.02.1950

:
Dec.
Manager in Snrall College Town
Succeeds Wifh 'Different' Ideas
Several years ago, Harold J. Kelly gave
up a 20-year career as a musician to become
manager of the Strand Theatre in
Orono. Me. With no previous experience
at management, during his first year at
the Strand he put the house on a paying
basis after many years of unprofitable enterprise.
Kelly attributes his success to the fact
that he is constantly trying something
different. More than a year ago, when theatre
attendance first began to fall off, he
decided the Strand was not getting enough
patronage from students at the University
of Maine. Accordingly, he called on members
of the college faculty and asked for
their assistance. He was told that if the
theatre were to present films on some of
Shakespeare's works, operettas, foreignlanguage
pictures and almost anything of
educational value, it might help.
Kelly started cautiously by booking
"Henry V." The college cooperated by
making announcements on the public address
system to students in all classes and
through special heralds posted on the university
grounds. The picture rolled up the
largest attendance and gross on record at
the Strand up to that point. Soon after,
he booked "Hamlet." That established a
new house record.
Kelly then decided to concentrate on his
Tuesday night business which was hitting
below average. He booked films in French,
Italian, German and Swedish, with occasional
British pictures worked in. The
department of modern languages at the
university has been especially cooperative,
frequently urging students to see these
films. Business on Tuesday nights has
picked up to about three times what it was
formerly.
Another factor which has been instrumental
in attracting patronage is that of
Football Fans Guess
Scores on Heralds
Ever since the football season started.
Chuck Keeling, manager of the Tower Theatre,
Oklahoma City, has been exploiting his
attractions by special heralds which give
sports fans an opportunity to win theatre
passes by guessing the scores of college football
games.
Tho.se who receive the heralds must mail
or bring them to the Tower Theatre. The
names and addresses thus provide Keeling
with a good source of new names for the
theatre mailing list.
As a .seasonal stunt, and to promote the
sale of gift books. Keeling displayed a huge
pumpkin in the theatre lobby and invited patrons
to guess its weight. Tlie winner was
offered a $5 gift book of tickets, with a number
of trip pa.s.ses going to runnersup. The
pumpkin was displayed in an atmospheric
setting of cornhu.sks, wheat stalks, and
autumn foliage.
capitalizing on newsreel shots having
special local interest. When a minister
from Orono won a prize at Valley Forge,
Paramount News covered the event and
Kelly advertised it locally. He contacted
the minister and informed him that he
was in the newsreel, and the clergyman
passed the information on to his parishioners.
The result was that almost the
entire congregation came to see the show.
Kelly recently staged an all-sports program
consisting of shorts on football, golf,
canoeing, snow carnivals, hunting and
fishing. The two-hour program attracted
more than double the normal capacity of
the theatre. Kelly persists in believing
that extra business is picked up in this
way and that patrons who have not attended
the Strand for a period of time
become reacquainted with the theatre,
facilities, comforts, etc., and develop into
steady patrons again.
On the public relations side, Kelly permits
the high school to use the theat;re for
baccalaureate exercises. Two days a year,
the Kiwanis and Junior Chamber of Commerce
run a free show for kids at the
Strand. The theatre's share in this is to
furnish the film and the operator, with
the civic groups supplying goodies for the
youngsters. It all helps, writes Kelly, as
do other civic services in which the theatre
cooperates.
Orono has a population of about 6,000
and represents a typical small college town.
It is located between two large cities, each
five miles distant. A good many of the
people in Orono patronize the first run
houses in these two cities, so that something
different in the way of entertainment
is necessary to maintain local pati'onage.
Kelly's formula suggests a pattern
which may sound familiar to successful
exhibitors in similar situations.
Women Attempt to Fill
'The Petty Girl' Shoes
Bill Hulbert. manager of the Kent (Ohioi
Theatre, used a Cinderella tieup to help exploit
"The Petty Girl." He obtained a smallsize
pair of shoes and invited women patrons
to "Try Them on in the Lobby. If They Fit.
You Get a Free Pass to See. etc. etc."
Nine pinup stills and a three-sheet display
backed up the stunt with full details on the
contest.
Hulbert promoted windows by using the
catchline. "When the 'Petty Girl' needs a
Hairdresser, she calls, etc."
Publishes a Weekly
A four-page newspaper-style tabloid is being
published weekly by Bob Moscow, manager
of the Rialto Theatre, Atlanta, to publicize
coming screen shows. Advertising pays
all costs of the promotion. Distribution of the
tabloids in hotels, restaurants, night clubs
and at the theatre, assures Moscow of excellent
circulation.
Music Score Exploits
'New Orleans' Date
At Meriden, Conn.
Tony Massella. pinch-hitting as relief manager
at the Palace, Meriden, Conn., capitalized
on the music score from "Toast of
New Orleans" to publicize the playdates two
weeks prior to opening. Before the start
of the daily show, at intermissions and for
exit music, Mario Lanza records were played
over the public address system, interspersed
with announcements of the starting dates.
Disk jockeys on radio station WMMW used
the records and direct announcements plugging
the Palace booking. Lanza recordings
were placed in jukeboxes, with signs calling
attention to the Palace playdates.
Massella distributed 50 window cards in the
downtown areas and in the Italian residential
section. He planted a "cave man vs.
smoothie" contest in the Meriden Record and
the Journal, with Savings bonds and guest
tickets as prizes.
Menus, doilies and place mats in restaurants
and lunch counters were imprinted
with theatre copy. Two thousand bags were
imprinted and distributed at the Growers
Exchange. Two hundred carnations were
distributed at the main downtown intersection
by an attractive young woman. Atached
to each flower was a card imprinted
with special copy.
Theatre employes wore sashes lettered
with the picture title, two weeks prior to
opening, and special display cards were
placed in dance halls, at the bus terminal
and in downtown hotel lobbies. The two
principal music stores In Meriden displayed
records and albums along with stills and
posters bearing full theatre credits.
Public Supports Benefit
For Indigent Veteran
True to the tradition of show business in
being foremost to respond with genuine help
for those who need it. Marvin Dreyer. manager
of the Cameo Theatre. El Sereno. Calif.,
took the initiative in organizing a benefit
for Al Fertig. pain-racked war veteran with
no funds.
Fertig's plight in fighting the dread rheumatoid
arthritis and the lack of funds came
to Dreyer's attention through a news story
in the local newspaper. An Al Fertig benefit
show was immediately booked for the
Cameo. With strong support from service
organizations, the press and local merchants,
the show was well publicized.
Tickets were placed on sale in advance. The
success of the project was lauded in editorials
in the El Sereno Reporter-News, commending
Dreyer and the Cameo Tlieatre.
Clergymen Are Guests
A .screening for clergymen rated extra
publicity when B. C. Waltz jr.. manager of
the Garden Theatre. Davenport. Iowa,
booked "Prince of Peace." One minister endorsed
the film and recommended that all
see it. Orphans were invited to attend a
matinee, with the newspapers contributing
extra stories. A false front was built by
Waltz for current exploitation.
40 — 398 — BOXOFFICE Showmandiser
:
2. 1950