Evening star., 1898-10-20
THEATRICAL ADVERTISING
Mr. Mckinney Believes That the Money
Should Be Spent With Newspapers.
mercfaI Use of the Billboard Has
Destroyed Its Value to Dra-
matte Attractions.

Theatrical advertising is special branch
of the art of presenting ones wares to the
attention of the public. Generally. in addt-
tion to the newspapers. 1t takes the form of
billboard posters and the three sheet, the
stand and the dodger are the chief meth
DDS employed Usually the cheaper the
attraction the more stirring is the pic
ture work, and many a town is flooded
with Eighty colored posters of a show that
when seen proves utterly unworthy of pa
tronage. Even legitimate enterprises have
got into the habit of using extensive BILL
board paper, which is expensive to have
printed and which costs to have posted.
Besides this method of attracting the pub
lie attention there is what is called "win-
dow work. which consists In the display
of Autographs in the windows of stores on
the principal streets. This form of adver-
than the other, for the custom is to give an
order for two seats wherever a lithograph
is displayed.
Mr.. Mckinney's Views.
Mr.. John w. Mckinney, who is the pres
ent manager of JEFF De Angels, and is one OF
the oldest business managers in the bust
ness talked interestingly on this subject to
a Star reporter this morning and advanced
some original ideas on the matter of theat-
rical advertising. Mr.. Mckinney was the
manager who lifted Richard Mansfield from
obsourity into the full gtare of public prom
inence and started him en- the successful
path that has placed him where he is today
He was associated for nearly twelve
years with Mr.. d. Is. Stevens in the man
agement of De Wolf Hopper. and so he
speaks with experience and the knowledge
that comes from successful catering to the
amusement-Soing public.
Mr.. Mckinney said: Il do not wish to
tNs~e Il
loving the efrdtfc Mr.. Zanswill. to TRADE
against my fellows. yet | have certain
deep-lafd convictions on the subject of the
atrfca1 advertising | shall have to admit
that IN a long theatrical experience / have
found the least of that far-sighted and
broad -gauged acumen that obtains in most
OF the leading lines of business enterprise
IL is necessary to make this statement to
answer your query, which is: Are the pres
ent methods of theatrical advertising the
peSt. in point CT modes. that could be used
with financial profit the end to BE- at
tanedE My position is that the present
modes or avenues of advertising are sane
and sensible enough. but that the element
OF proportion In the various modes is lost
sight of entirely or is at best very much
awry. The lay mind knows little of the
heavy expenses of conducting q large and
important production, such as, for instance.
the present star and company with whom
L am connected. around the country and
advertising their coming and their appear
ance thoroughly and well. Suffice it to
say, at any rate, that 1t is very expensive
and by taking one simple point l can lift
the veil on my whole argument and give
you in a few lines of summary my articles
or faith. costs two to three hundred
dollars to bill large city thoroughly and
almost every manager IN the country, on
one score or another-tradition chronic hab-
II or Tor some other cause, rearely clearly
understood by himself-continues this alb
surd and expensive habit, never with suf-
fciency of return or anything approaching
II. and subordinately, in my belief. conspr-
the theater as an institution and the degra-
dation of stage art.
Spend With the Newspapers,
Perhaps you can catch my whole drift
and follow me If I conclude right here with
the statement that, in my opinion. the day
will come when those attractions which ap-
peal to the intelligent, the reading and
thinking patrons of the theater, will spend
all of their appropriations for securing pub
lie attention and interest in the columns
of daily newspapers. This will leave the
biliboards and the costly window display
fields to the tender mercies and merciless
stupidity of the ten, twenty and thirty-cent
attractlons-the chewing gum propositions
the strong man wrestling the bull, &c
when commercial lines entered the field
of billboard and window advertising it
took all the power out of it for theatrical
attractions The recipients of lithograph
and billboard passes invariably sell, and
with perfect right, so far as / can see
the seats which have been given them in
exchange for the advertising privilege
That thsy sell these seats at a cut rate and
usually at ridiculously low figure is one
of the most harmful menaces to our bust
ness now existing"
Mr.. Mckinney chatted pleasantly about
his new star, Mr.. De Angels and the splen-
did prospects of THE Jolly Musketeer."
who will be presented to a Washington au-
dlence con1unctively next Monday night at
the Lafayette Square Theater Mr., Nc
Kinney describes the new opera as one of
the most charming and beautiful which he
has ever seen or been connected with,
which Is saying great deal for The Jolly
MUsketeer."