Exhibitor's Trade Review (May-Aug 1925)

30 Exhibitors Trade Review ARTISTIC LOBBY CARDS FOR GOTHAM FILMS Special Process Lobby Posters in Vivid Colors and Raised Letters Now Available In the "good old days" when Mr. Exhibitor got his film from the exchange that was just what he got and that was all. "Advertising matter" if any, consisted of usually a crude home made card or job turned out by a local sign man. In fact many of the operators used to have to double as show card painters and make their own displays. One of the most recent steps in the evolution of the "advertising accessory" comes from Gotham productions who are putting out in connection with the handsome lobby display article composition backing about 24x36 inches in size upon which are placed a design and lettering in bold relief. The design and lettering are all made up of individual cut-outs. The process being known under the trade name of "APLIKAY" and is a development of the raised layer poster idea. Vivid colors and brilliant poster effects are created. The use of these displays, which may be bought or rented from the exchanges, gives the small town exhibitor the opportunity to use an exclusive high class display such as presented by the larger theatres in New York. Quantity production enables the article to be placed within reach of even the smallest theatre. Displays have already been issued for "The Overland Limited" and "The Police Patrol" the first two Gotham releases for 1925-26. "The Police Patrol" display shows a police boat pursuing a speed boat together with lettering on a peacock blue background. Gotham Productions Hit a New Light in Lobby Cards When The Poster Shown Below Was Made Up For "The Police Patrol" Exploitation POLO BffKX cs Kirkwood Edna Murphy mnd Brcese Jo Smiley . FLORIDA USES LOUD TALKERS FORMALLY" "I Wonder What's Become of Sally" Is Keynote for Radio and Music Exploitation on "Sally" A month before Colleen Moore in "Sally" was due to play at the Beacham Theatre, Orlando, Florida, Frank H. Burns got out a postcard to a thousand names. The card asked the question, "I Wonder What's Become of Sally?" and advising that the Beacham would announce the answer at a later date. Five thousand small cards with the same copy proved an excellent followup when given away on the streets. On the given date the Beacham soloist, duly advertised, sang the answer to the question, namely "Sally's in the Movies Now," with a special stage setting as a background and slides for both songs thrown on a silk curtain behind him. Three nights of packed houses heard this answer. . Another thousand postcards were sent to the same people with the same question and the answer, "Sally's in the (Continued on Page 37) California Hat Dealer Cashes In On "Cheaper To Marry" Week A "Cheaper to Marry" week was recently celebrated by a retail hat dealer in San Diego, California, where this Robert Z. Leonard picture played at the Plaza Theatre. This "Cheaper to Marry" week was a feature of an elaborate and energetic campaign waged by H. D. McBride, Metro-Goldwyn exploiteer. Every married man calling at this hat store with his wife during the week of the showing was offered a WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS? A co-operative advertising page, in which one advertiser comprised the list of co-operators, publicized Universal's "The Price of Pleasure" through 130,000 copies of The St. Louis Star. By doing so, it helped that picture do a heavy week's business at William Goldman's Kings and the Rivoli Theatre, St. Louis. The page, arranged by Al McGinness in charge of Goldman's publicity, and Maurice Davis, Universalist, was sold to the Yahlem Automobile Company on the tie-up its title afforded. Yahlem, who is the recognized leader in the reconditioned automobile sales field in St. Louis, made the burden of his advertising carry "There is always a price to pleasure. It's cheapest at Yahlem's." Slightly altered pressbook copy was used in Goldman's space in the ad, which dominated the page. The "cut" work which Universal's advertising experts provided, easily made this page stand out in The Star. That paper's circulation— 130,000 copies, almost all of which are sold in St. Louis — did the rest. In addition to this, Goldman used special lobby displays, and different styles of throwaways to sell the two different clientels he plays to at the Kings and at the Rivoli. discount. Newspaper advertising exploited the discount. A teaser campaign was run in the press, and proved effective. A special story and photograph on the new "knee garter" now being worn instead of a marriage ring found ready space, and one thousand cards reading "It's Cheaper to Marry" were attached to the radiators of all autos. These cards proved popular among autoists, who asked for them. The three leading and most popular restaurants, the Waldorf, the Golden Lion and the Cabrillo, consented to attach specially printed cards exploiting the picture to their menu cards. This tie-up attracted enormous attention to the run. These cards were also inserted in the key boxes of the Waldorf Hotel. A tie-up with the five Southern Service Company Laundries netted the distribution of 6,000 inserts. Three windows were secured from the Monarch and Owl drug stores, in which stills and specially prepared cards were exhibited. Other window displays were contributed by jewelers, hat dealers, cigar and hardware stores. One hundred 1-sheets were posted and slides and trailers were used in the theatre. Thirty-four inches of advertising space in addition to the usual sixty-six inches were achieved.