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GTuddroo 16 f roduce by CHESTER FRIEDMAN THE key cities of the nation, nuclei of the great population centers, gather the big ostentatious premieres. When production heads and the distributing company's exploiteers want to capture feature space in magazines and newspapers, it's a general custom to set the premiere for Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Kansas City. Cleveland or, maybe, Detroit. There the syndicate writers and the network's movie-gabbers find the incentive and the facilities for letting their readers, listeners and constitutents find out who was there, what went on and how good the picture is. The outpouring of news—and art—is generally classified under the heading of special exploitation and promotion—showmanship on the upper level. LOW BUDGETS NO HANDICAP By comparison, the grassroots exhibitor, the fellow who operates, usually, on four changes a week, wouldn't seem to have much chance to demonstrate his own ability and showmanship. Despite what might seem to be a handicap, the same backwoods theatremen each year come up with many times the number of new ideas projected in the big towns by high-priced exploiteers and theatre managers with bigger budgets. Each week, because his livelihood is contingent on his own efforts, the gra.ssroots exhibitor is developing new lines of promotional gimmicks and dusting off the old ones—with modern innovations to boot. Directed to BOXOFFICE. these ideas find fulfillment when other theatremen read about them, adapt them locally and then replenish the pool of ideas by reporting their own campaigns and tieups through the Showmandiser Section of BOXOF- FICE. A RECORD OF PRACTICAL IDEAS Each month, these ideas are sifted and appraised on their value to their creator and to the industry. Contributor,? whose skill and ingenuity are deemed outstanding are named to the BOXOFFICE Honor Roll. The year 1951 brought in a record bounty of good, practical innovations for improving business which are sure to reflect in increased usage and perhaps provide a formula for 1952 from w'hich theatremen everywhere will take their cue. If ever an idea conceived by a theatreman was widely copied—an orchid giveaway—that distinction belongs to Bob Walker, owner of the Uintah Theatre, Fruita, Colo. After the promotion was reported in the Showmandiser section, both Walker and BOXOFFICE were flooded with requests for additional information from other exhibitors, managers and circuit heads. Walker's idea was a perfect tie-in. It entailed a picture promotion, a date tie-in and helped to fulfill a secret ambition of many women of Fruita—to receive an The dating of the feature, "Wom- orchid. an of Distinction," was undoubtedly routine. But it was Walker's alertness that fixed the date to coincide with Valentine's day. He remembered reading an ad in a magazine that orchids could be bought for r lew êliina ^di\eciS 11 cents each and flown from Hawaii for a few pennies extra. That was all the inspiration he needed for his offer of a free orchid to the first 100 women who attended. The show went over with a bang. Walker was cited for exceptional showmanship again in July. This time, cautious lest he flop with "The Next Voice You Hear ..." and impressed personally with the great spiritual message the picture unfolds, he advertised that the theatre boxoffice would be closed when the show started—opened at the conclusion so that those who enjoyed the picture could purchase tickets. His foresight and conviction paid off. The local citizenry showed up. After the program, they paid up. The innovation was a huge .success, financially and in goodwill. GETS RADIO PROMOTION FREE Dwight Hanson, owner-manager of the Valley Theatre. Eddyville, Iowa, is another grassroots exhibitor whose imagination and creative talent have paid off for him. Hanson decided that radio was an effective medium for selling his shows. He bought an hour's time on a popular station in the area, sold time to local merchants, took over the chore a.s disk jockey by himself and wound up getting his advertising free and regularly. Hanson made the BOXOFFICE Honor Roll in February. Last January, the list of Honor Roll candidates was topped by Ted Davidson, a Warner circuit manager in Lima, Ohio. Davidson introduced a series of PTAsponsored kiddy shows that had tremendous .support from the entire school system and excellent cooperation from Sears. Roebuck and other business firms. His format for this type of promotion has already been widely adopted by theatremen in all parts of the country. A second series of these shows was started in Lima last tall and proved equally successful. A new twist added to the standard Battle of the Cowboys put Stephen Saunders on the Honor Roll last April. Saunders owns and manages the Carmel (N.Y.) Theatre. He staged a weekly "battle" between popular cowboy stars for four weeks, then had the winners "fight" it out among themselves until the finalist was decided. The added "gimmick" injected by Saunders was a tieup with the Boy Scouts. Each kid paid a penny in order to vote for his favorite western star. All the pennies collected went to the Scouts fund so that the promotion served a community purpose in addition to boosting attendance at Saturday matinees. During the same month, another New York manager was busy developing his small-fry patronage along other lines, equally successful. John Langford, manager of the Strand Theatre, Carthage, noted a shortage of wire coat-hangers in the tailoring trade. He advertised free admission to kids who brought a specified number to the theatre, then sold the scarce item to a neighborhood tailor to recover the boxoffice admission, RECIPES A PATRON-PULLER Don Hayman, co-owner and manager of the Seneca Theatre at Belington, W. Va.. made the Honor Roll by capitalizing on the fondness of housewives for cooking recipes. He invited his patrons to submit their own favorite recipes, published them on the back of his monthly calendar proi;ram and awarded prizes of theatre tickets for the best. Demand for the programs increased accordingly and interest skyrocketed to the point where Hayman decided to publish the recipes in a book and give them to his patrons as a Christmas present. A suburban theatre manager in Cleveland, Robert Reich of the Jewel Theatre, came up with an idea that was so successful it was adopted by the Lions Club. Reich staged a series of talent shows for handicapped persons. The Lions aired the program for a full hour over Station WSRS. The sympathetic response this promotion had from residents in the area made a substantial increase in theatre attendance for Reich. MANY OTHER NOVEL STUNTS Ben Geary, manager of the Oswego (N.Y.) Theatre, was the first theatreman to arrange a public homecoming celebration for a local boy returned from the fighting in Korea. The celebration took place on the theatre stage with merchant and patriotic veteran groups participating. Geary's inspiration opened the w'ay for similar promotions in other communities. Steve Miller, owner-manager of the Owen Theatre, Branson, Mo., came up with a Show Boat party during the summer months that placed his name on the Honor Roll in June. Miller made a deal with a boat line in Paterson to ferry patrons across the lake, one ticket giving the privilege of the ride and theatre admission. One of several Drive-In managers to be cited for outstanding .showmanship. Sidney Sayetta, was placed on the Honor Roll for starting a Stadium Seat Club at the Airway Drive-In, St. Louis. The club functions along the same lines as baseball's Knot Hole Gangs and introduces the small-fry to the pleasures and enjoyment of outdoor movies. Tom Muchmore, manager of the Warner Theatre, Fresno, Calif., put on a Back-to-School show in September that added a community service to its general value in stimulating attendance. Every (Continued on page 90) 86 BAROMETER Section
Lloyd Bacon Director In 1951 'The Frogmen" ''Golden Girl" 0- Just Completed: "The I Don't Care Girl" BOXOFFICE 87
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IMPORTAMT ANHOUHCEMEHT FROM CENTURY
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WITH SIX MONTHS OF THE
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Year in... Year out... ...and prove
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THE ONE AND ONLY GENE AUTRY AND CHA
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— Production Outlook Is Better Th
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J RKO! If RACTIONS! A GIRL IN EVERY
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Jane Wy ma n Esther Williams
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Jeanne Grain John Wayne
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"THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC" . WHEN YOU'R
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HAL WALLIS PRODUCTIONS
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Page 48 and 49: A Distinguished Year ARTHUR for DIR
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Page 52 and 53: EXCLUSIVE PRODUCTIONS, INC. Present
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Page 62 and 63: Fancy Pants A Paramount Production
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Page 70 and 71: On the Riviera A 20th Century-Fox P
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: John Garfield, Patricia Neal, Phy
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) Bad Lord Byron. ,..1A..., (85) In
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Derek Bond. Director: Charles Prank
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Treasured Earth... Hungarian (100)
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I I Preparations 3103 Canadian Snow
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Royal Rodeo 7002 ... (20) Nov. 4, '
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Casino ) First Polkas... (12'/i) Ho
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p\CTUft^ Century-Fox ACKNOWLEDGES W
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