DECEMBER

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36 The MODERN THEATRE SECTIOi
t
DRiVE-IN
THEATRES
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Tells How Drive-ln Exploitation Can Be Fun
Dai
Jack Braunagel of Commonwealth Circuit Passes on Some Successful Ideas
riiit
I HEATRE MANAGEMENT ShOUld be
made more attractive to young men, and
they should be shown how to enjoy it after
they get started, if U.S. theatres are to get
the new personnel which is vitally needed,"
Jack Braunagel told the Theatre Owners of
America at the Washington convention.
His address, in fact, should have been
titled "How to Exploit a Drive-Tn Theatre
in One Mirthful 30-Minute Lesson." It
was one of the highlights of the convention—instructive,
informative and so entertaining
that a half dozen prominent circuit
operators surrounded him in an aisle
to congratulate him. In less than five minutes
he received invitations to address conventions
in Jacksonville and Charlotte and
accepted them on one condition.
HE HAS A THEORY
More about that later because it is a part
of Braunagel's theory on how to make theatre
management attractive to young men
and how to make them enjoy it
get started.
after they
"Have fun," advises Jack, who, for the
information of those who may not already
know, is in charge of 19 drive-ins for Commonwealth
Theatres of Kansas City.
This "have fun" admonition is not advice
to neglect the job; it's a psychological test
of whether or not an exploitation stunt is
good for the type of audience it is intended
to reach.
Something new? Exactly. Every TOA
delegate tried not to miss a word of it.
Jack says: "If you invite people to your
house and you're bored, the chances are the
guests are bored too. If you have fun, the
FIVE DONTS
That Will Boost Your Profits
« Don't sell to Potrons in your Theatre,
2
3
4
5
Hot Dogs Cold.
Don't sell to Patrons in your Theatre,
• Popcorn if it is not hot and crispy.
Don't sell to your Patrons, Hot Coffee,
• lukewarm on chilly evenings.
Don't let Patrons in your Theatre leave
• their cars and walk all the way to the
Concession Stand for a drink . . .
while the show is on.
Don't let your Patrons leave their cors
• in darkness, when the ground is wet,
when it's windy, raining or snowing.
These problems are Solved by:
WALKY SERVICE CO.
401 Schweiter BIdg.
Wichita,
Kansas
Phone: 4-5169
Monufacturcrs of
"Buffolcrio"
movable concession
on wheels.
Ask for literature
Heads Operations
Of 19 Drive-Ins
Jack Braunagel, who provided the
information for this article, is in charge
^^/^ ^
.
drive-in opera-
tio7is. He joined
i^HI £1
IIIHIfli
of 19 drive-ins for
^_^ the Common-
^'.^ wealth Theatres
i in the Kansas
City territory.
Braunagel has
spoken at many
exhibitor conventions
throughout
the country on
i
^^
oBBi Commonwealth
Jack Braunagel on March 29,
1948, after being
with the Durwood Theatres of Kansas
City for a short time. Previously he
was with the Northio Theatres, Paramount
affiliate, in Ohio.
guests will:
It's the same in a theatre."
Does it work? Before going into the details
of how the Commonwealth boys operate
let's pause for a few statistical highlights.
Dick Wommack is 22 years old and manager
of a drive-in at Harrison, Ark., a town
of 6,000 population. He's typical of the
younger managers on the circuit. Ten of
the 19 are under 30 years old. They're too
young to tell Braunagel 30 per cent of the
stunts are old-fashioned. They're new to
the young men and they put them on with
unfailing good humor and an instinctive
feeling that if you can get a crowd laughing
in a carnival atmosphere before the show
starts the rest is easy.
STUNTS REALLY PAID OFF
In a 15-week contest to exceed quotas
Wommack put on what he euphemistically
described as "special business incentives"
35 out of the 105 nights. In four of those
weeks special exploitation stunts were put
on seven nights per week.
Here's the payoff: First week, 179 per
cent over quota: second week. 343 per cent
over quota; third week, 90 per cent over;
fourth week, 225 per cent: fifth week, 225
per cent; sixth week, 390 per cent; seventh
week, 255 per cent; eighth week, 159 per
cent: ninth week, 308 per cent: tenth week,
275 per cent; Uth week, 355 per cent; 12th
week. 266 per cent; 13th week, 254 per cent:
14th week. 222 per cent; 15th week, 353
per cent.
That proves two things—one, the quotas
were low enough to encourage the managers:
two, they went to work in a way
that was nothing short of phenomenal.
Wommack happens to be typical of th(
others. The cash prizes were substantial,
On eight of the 15 weeks there were
special stunts, because Braunagel doesn'1
believe in shooting all the exploitation ami
munition when the season is at its heighl
or the pictures are strong. Besides i
change of pace helps.
When Braunagel was being invitee
to address more conventions he pointec
out seriously that what U.S. theatres nee(
is new personnel. How to get it?
He urged exhibitor leaders to invite a
least 100 young men—present managers
candidates for managers, ushers or others—
to attend conventions and meet in a sepa
rate room. He asked leading exhibitors U\
talk to the young men.
As Braunagel puts it: "A lot of thesii
young fellows think the outstandingly sue
cessful operators in the business are gen
iuses. They're not. Let them get up and ex
plain that there's an element of luck, plu
some plain common sense, and a future-fcespecially
a future because this is gettini
i
to be a new business on the verge of ai
electronics revolution."
DRIVE-IN
PATRONS ARE NEW
"All our drive-in business is new busi
ness," says Braunagel. "For every 100 cus
tomers we pull in drive-ins during the sea
son the closed theatres in the circuit 1(
only five. What happens to the other 9.
when the drive-ins are closed. They don'
show up. It's a challenge to develop sol
new creative showmanship."
Now back to the "Have Fun" slogan
Some of the older managers like to poinj
out that most of the stunts have been us&
for a generation. Braunagel never says any
thing about returning to old-fashionei
showmanship. If it works, it's new for
new generation of theatregoers.
The first requirement is an understandji
ing of the psychology of the patrons an
their children. Pick the stunts they wi
enjoy.
Getting credit from Braunagel for
ing most active in the drive-in promotio
stunts, in addition to Wommack. were Beiii
English, Garden City, Kas.; Harry Sea
Goat milking contest at Harrison, Ark., draws crow
ind couses many laughs
frfl