Exhibitor's Trade Review (Nov 1925 - Feb 1926)

Page 32 Exhibitors Trade Review m f Sharing the marquee display with the feature picture is one way of getting over the message to the public that the short is an integral part of the regular program in a motion picture theatre. Lloyd Hamilton is the featured short player, in an Educational comedy. Akron Takes Advantage of Political Campaign FILM exploitation recently suffered a temporary setback — but only temporarily — out in Akron, Ohio, where the management of the Goodyear Theatre, together with a Fox exploitation agent, found themselves seemingly up against a stone wall in getting any local interest fused on their campaign. The reason for the Akronites being so greatly pre-occupied as to nullify their interest in things theatrical lay in the fact that the city was just then in the throes of as hot a three-cornered poli «^ tical fight as Akron ever witnessed. However, the engagement at stake was the Fox "Iron Horse," and something had to be done. It was. AKRON woke up and rubbed its eyes collectively a few mornings later when the front page of the Arkon Times-Press apprised them under a four column head that Mayor D. C. Rybalt, Ross F. Walker and Kyle Ross, the three candidates for the Mayoralty, had come together on the first matter that claimed their unified support since the campaign started. The matter that brought the three warring candidates together, and bound them up in a committee, was a prize contest arranged to stimulate knowledge in Akron history — and incidentally in the forthcoming engagement of "The Iron Horse." As proof that all party lines were swept aside, the announcement carried statements from all three gentlemen commending "The Iron Horse" History Contest. The contest consisted simply in publishing daily for ten days the photograph of some scene or landmark in Akron's history, and offering a prize for the best fifteen word title describing the scene. The judging of the titles was left to the three candidates. Three winners were selected daily and given surprise awards tendered by Akron business houses. Tickets to "The Iron Horse" were also presented to the winners. WHICH one of the candidates won the race for the Mayoralty does not matter. The only thing that really counts is — that "The Iron Horse" by reason of its unique contest rode into its engagement at the Goodyear, with a decided majority in its favor. JUST AN INCH ON THIS PAGE — AND IT GETS YOUR ATTENTION. HOW ABOUT YOUR OWN ONE INCH SPACE IN NEWSPAPER ADS? "The Gold Rush" Plays Day and Date Showing Charlie Chaplin's "The Gold Rush" day and date at Loew's Colonial, Reading, Pa., and Loew's Regent, Harrisburg, made it possible to put on an effective though similar campaign in each city. Larry Jacobs, Loew's Colonial, started his campaign a week before the opening with a uniquely worded message to all city officials, from the Mayor down, calling their attention to value of picture entertainment, and to "The Gold Rush" as a live wire tonic for happiness. Brunswick record shops carrying the Chaplin records gave big window displays, as did the Postal Telegraph branches displaying half sheets of congratulatory messages to Chaplin from Hollywood stars. A well groomed man, wearing Tuxedo clothes, went into the better class stores of all kinds and distributed the Chaplin "Gold Rush" coin. This man also carried invitations to city officials and prominent citizens. He did not carry any sign. A similar campaign was put on in Harrisburg by Sidney Gates of Loew's Regent. The attractive 6-sheet that is pulling in business on Astor's production, "A Lover's Oath." It lends itself in fine style for a shadow box, silhouetting the two central figures, and letting a light shine through the moon.