Exhibitor's Trade Review (Dec 1923 - Feb 1924)

December 15, 1923 Page 33 5 Bcploitatioli Ideas FANS WILL CHOOSE ACTOR FANS, as well as literary and motion picture editors of all newspapers throughout the country have been requested by Vitagraph to send in the name of the actor they think best fitted to play the lead in Captain Blood a story by Rafeael Sabatini the author of "Scaramouche." Vitagraph has been moved to take this action because of the discussion among critics and playgoers over the widely different method of interpretation of the leading role of "Scaramouche" as portrayed by Ramon Novarro and Sidney Blackner on the screen and stage respectively. The role of Peter Blood is that of a rollicking, romantic adventurer whom fate turns pirate and who sails the Spanish Main. It is a part which every leading actor in pictures is anxious to play and Vitagraph has been beseiged by applicants for the role since the announcement that this company would picturize the famous novel. President Smith is anxious that the very best and most popular leading man in the country shall have the part. The choice of star should be sent to the Vitagraph ofifice in Brooklyn, N. Y. PICTURE PREVENTS EPIDEMIC Fall flu and the possibilities of another epidemic are constant dangers in England. Horace Judge is accused of profiting by the annual scare to the extent of exploitnig First National's The Dangerous Age. Advance pubhcity was given the picture in London by a tie-up with Bilton's Pipe which, according to the published advertisements, make for health. Londoners understood that and they understood that this is "The Dangerous Age" as the window card told them. It also told them that they ought to see the First National attraction to realize just what "The Dangerous Age" was. DRAPERIES ENHANCE APPEAL Mr. F. W. Goodale, Manager of Loew's Theatre in Ottawa, Canada, prepared an unusually effective and artistic lobby display to exploit his recent showing of The Common Law. The figures were cut from the stock six sheet, mounted on cardboard and arranged in" a striking manner on a miniature stage. A local merchant, Cleghorn Beattie, tied up with the display by furnishing the very handsome draperies, which formed the background and frame for the scene. PEGGY RESEMBLANCE PRIZES Novel publicity was used recently in Portsmouth, Ohio, by Universal Exchange for Baby Peggy. Twenty-five dollars in prizes were given to the three best looking babies in the city and special prizes were awarded to those who resembled Baby Peggy. A local photographer gave six pictures to the child that bore the 'nearest resemblance. The Ford and Buick agency in the city gave free rides to several other babies resembling Baby Peggy. Joe Mayer of the Cincinnati oiifice of Universal handled the exploitation. NOVEL PERSONAL TEASER AD C. B. King, manager of the Crown Theatre, at Mobile, Alabama, put across a novel publicity stunt during the three days that he, ran the Hodkmson speed picture The Drivin' Fool recently. Under "personals" in his local paper, he inserted the following teaser ad: The song of the flapper! "Please Sweet Daddy Go Just a Little Faster So They Can Call You 'The Drivin' Fool.' " This was not only an interest provoker but brought the business. When the circus staged its parade in Canton, Ohio, the Alhambra Theatre got a moving advertisement on their moving picture. This truck headed the parade, and being changeable as well as reversible, will be used again to advertise other coming screen attractions DISPLAY CREATES INTEREST Taking the two heads from the twentyfour sheet. Manager Clark of the Casino Theatre, Greenville, S. C, made a well balanced lobby display for First National's A Man of Action. Douglas AlacLean and his leading lady faced each other up in the air above the huge sign, covering half the lobby which announced the attraction. FREE SLIPPERS TO LADIES Cinderella slippers free to the ladies who could wear them, was an effective bit of exploitation employed by L. M. Conrad, managing director of the Parkview Theatre, Johnstown, Pa., to attract attention to Where the Pavement Ends. The slippers were on display at a local store. DUMBELL PUTS 'DULCY' ACROSS Early concentration and hard plugging furnish the prescription by which Manager H. B. Vincent and exploitation director Frank H. Burns put over First National's Dulcy at the Beacham Theatre, Orlando> Florida. Only two exploitation angles, both of them exceedingly simple, were used. The morning newspaper carried the whole series of "Dulcy" cartoons, furnished by the First National publicity and advertising department. These ran three weeks in advance of the opening. Then the theatre picked up the threads with small teaser ads on the "Dulcy-Dumbell idea" and the distribution of thousands of cards and heralds reading: "Don't Say Dumbbell— Say 'Dulcy' and see Constance Talmadge in her newest picture, 'Dulcy' at the Beacham Theatre." WASH STLTNT AND 'WHY WORRY' "Why Worry About the Wash," was the theme of one of George E. Brown's stunts for the Lloyd picture when it was playing at the Imperial, Charlotte, N. C. Five thousand heralds were made up for the leading laundry in town, and were distributed in the outgoing packages of wash-i ing to a like number of families. ' The text of the herald, with chief prominence given the title was, "Why Worry, at the Imperial, about blue Monday, when you can send your clothes to us." TWO-COLOR MAILING STICKER Another attractive novelty has been completed this week by C. B. C. Film Sales Corporation on its feature picture The Marriage Market, which features Jack Mulhall, Alice Lake and Pauling Garoii in the cast. This is an effective two-color mailing sticker, printed in yellow and red, for use on envelopes and . exploitation material. This has already been sent to the various franchise holders of C. B. C. pictures with a detailed letter for its successful usage. WESLEY TABLETS FOR KIDS How do you like this idea for exploiting Wesley Barry in Heroes of the Street. The management of the Alcazar Theatre in Birmingham, Ala., distributed "Wesley Barry" writing tablets to school children between the ages of six and twelve, during the time of the showing of the picture. This is a good suggCbtion for you if you schedule "Heroes of the Street" for another run. And if you want our advice you will run it, because it's a worthwhile picture and a real money getter. PUBLISHER HELPS SELL FILM Having seen the picture for himself and being convinced of its certain success, ]\.ichard L. Simon, representing the sales department of Boni and Liveright, is giving First National's Flaming Youth the most ususual and far reaching co-operation that has ever been accorded a motion picture producer by a publisher. Boni and Liveright are circularizing all their agents urging them to stock copies of the books to coincide with the play-dates of the picture at the local theatre and making generous consignment offers to (1) offset the increased demand for tb-^ book resulting from the sliowing of tli'^ picture and, (2) protect the agent as far as possible from the risk involved m large orders.