DECEMBER
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DECEMBER

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' JB|H ^Bfe 36 The MODERN THEATRE SECTIOi t DRiVE-IN THEATRES ¥.' 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

I ' ' BOXOFFICE eFuf 'fesnlKiij.. latliete,;., lisatiis): 5 Wig 1; 'ions to 5; S. theatre; • get it? liters to im;: resent mari.: *rioro:r/ 1 meet in i ,,. iing exhibi-i, "A lot ol intstandii^lj s teess ate ?; ^meetupand; iientoIluci,;t «, and ate ise tliis is fee itlie verge lii mans, FaycltcvlUc. Ark.. Dale Stewart, Springfield, Mo.; Wally Ktmp. Orarul Lsland. Neb.; Darrell Manes, Columbia. Mo., and Doyle Mowrcy. JopUn. Mo. All Commonwealth drlve-ln manawcrs started to warm up Mother's day by promoting 100 American Beauty roses, one each to the first 100 mothers and a potted plant for the mother with the largest family, or some other suitable gift. SPECIAL EVENT EVERY NIGHT The followiiik' week was .second anniversary week at Wommack's drive-In.

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BOXOFFICE<br />

eFuf<br />

'fesnlKiij..<br />

latliete,;.,<br />

lisatiis):<br />

5 Wig 1;<br />

'ions to 5;<br />

S. theatre;<br />

• get it?<br />

liters to im;:<br />

resent mari.:<br />

*rioro:r/<br />

1 meet in i ,,.<br />

iing exhibi-i,<br />

"A lot ol<br />

intstandii^lj s<br />

teess ate ?;<br />

^meetupand;<br />

iientoIluci,;t<br />

«, and ate<br />

ise tliis is fee<br />

itlie verge lii<br />

mans, FaycltcvlUc. Ark.. Dale Stewart,<br />

Springfield, Mo.; Wally Ktmp. Orarul Lsland.<br />

Neb.; Darrell Manes, Columbia. Mo.,<br />

and Doyle Mowrcy. JopUn. Mo.<br />

All Commonwealth drlve-ln manawcrs<br />

started to warm up Mother's day by promoting<br />

100 American Beauty roses, one<br />

each to the first 100 mothers and a potted<br />

plant for the mother with the largest family,<br />

or some other suitable gift.<br />

SPECIAL EVENT EVERY NIGHT<br />

The followiiik' week was .second anniversary<br />

week at Wommack's drive-In.

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