The Moving picture world (January 1920-February 1920)

February 7, 1920 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 887 Made Big Capital of Fake Death Report edition, but hundreds of old copies were dug out — and read. It all helped. A very simple hook-up was made for a cigar store by cutting out a one sheet and thrusting a corncob pipe into Huck's mouth, with a good display of cobs surrounding it. A Letter to Farmers. Every rural delivery route out of the town was circularized with a form letter purporting to be from Huck himself. One was sent to every box and drew a good farmer trade, backed up by a liberal display of posters along the routes with the jazzed date strip. This pleased the local merchants, for it brought the farmers to town on an off day for the country trade, and advance announcement of this intention helped with the store window displays. It was pointed out to the merchants that by hooking up with a window display they could make an especial appeal to the farmers when they came in. The result of it all was big business, with "Broken Blossoms" for opposition. These are all simple stunts, with the possible exception of the traffic controls, and can be worked when the film is regularly released. If you have the film coming, get busy with the library and book stores at once. Get advance interest as far ahead as possible, and tell your own schools what Chillicothe did. It should interest them. Try These Triangular Perpetual Motion Displays PERHAPS this idea will be as new to you as to the Paramount Publicity Department, which sends it in. Certainly it is a cheap and handy way of getting a motion display from window or tack cards. Take two of the cards and place them back to back, fastening one end with McGill paper fasteners. Now fasten a third card to these two in the same manner, getting a triangular display with concave surfaces, due to the method of fastening. Hang these by three strings, one from each top centre running to a single cord and suspend in the lobby or elsewhere. The concave shape works like a fan and the tri-sided displays will sway in the slightest breeze. It is simple and effective. Try it some time. The Mark Strand in Lynn, Mass., used it to exploit "The Miracle Man" and got big results, putting them all through the house and in store windows. Muncie Used Janis Contest FAMILIAR, yet always new, was the "Elsie Janis Contest" recently run by the Wysor Grand Theatre, Muncie, Ind., and the Press. The house bought the prize to be given the person writing the best letter on "How would you spend $10,000 to bring the greatest degree of possible happiness and betterment in Muncie?" The paper handled the contest as a circulation feature, basing the idea on the showing of the Selznick-Janis feature, "A Regular Girl," at the theatre. The contest was limited to residents of the Muncie district and the prize was supposed to be awarded by Miss Janis herself. Rumors of Miss Pickford's Death Used to Put Over Her "Pollyanna S BARRET McCORMICK, managing director of the Circle Theatre at •Indianapolis, who is constantly doing something out of the ordinary in the exploitation of pictures, put over a publicity "stunt" last week in connection with the presentation of Mary Pickford's new picture, "PoUyanna," that was productive of a big increase in boxoffice receipts. For several months past there has been a persistent rumor in Indianapolis — and other cities for that matter — that Mary Pickford's body rests beneath the sod. The rumor of the favorite star's death, which started no one knows why, has been going along for some time and seemingly has improved with age. Box office girls at the Circle had be ititiiiiriiirilllllllllllllillllllllllilliliiiiliiiillllliniiriliiiiiiiiiiiiiiriiriiiNiiiiiiiuliiiiiiiililllllillllIIIIIIIIIHitiiiiiiiii IS MARY PICKFORD DEAD? WESTEggl UNION TELBCRAM For several nfoXs Iherc I you «re dwoil. A'. 1063'. or relatives who fi'.'.endt fiMir thousanfJ sarvo'i fli theao ftbsurd runora st«i elncero reeling of aorrt •ouid Hire me a mesanee Jarnary l** 19^0 , r.err.l3'-eni runor tr half the popiila'lon liovo ("rtei rt your I'limsral nriij noi leao if pnllhenrers. I fully reolizo t but. here o i, least there Is ( n over your demise and l wish your many urikno"n friends minds at res', bo that they my fool assured thai for many, nuny yeara at XOAat thoy will hnvn the opportunity of 3eelne Little Mary In such glorious cronMona as Pollyannawhlch 13 '.he Circle's wttroctlon all thle week. Thanking you In advances ^nrt with nlncerest best nlsheg for many mors years as America's sweetheart. WESTEJUM, UNION TEL! tAM FY LOS WIFLES CALIF 10 S BASRTT MCCORPHCK WR DtWSCTOB CIRCLE TKEAlTir IIIDIAHAPOLtS IHO TO QOOTK W^r. THAW Vi RFMaTS OF W CEATHS APT; OftFATLV EXAWSBAlTD PXT-LINO SPLCTDITLY AHr> A« STAKTItl" Wl I^H WODKTIOB "TOP OF MVSELf" 1 StlTtF.'.V HOPE THAT TW PTOPLE OP INDIANAPOLIS tlLL Vii EKTiSTAn'W "POLI.rANH/l* UAHf TJUims FOB TOOB mm "iw cowji*;. fiFtniK'^s -o "v fbiend^ OP lIDIAIiAJ'01.13 APTRCTIOHATtLY HAflV PICTORH MARY PICKFORD Well and «orhi cicry day out in Culifornia and (Spreading Ihc philosophy i>r Eliidnc!'^ in Indi.innpoli^ this week. In ticanor II. Porter's l-'smoii>i PUy "POLLYANNA" The worthy successor lo "Daddy Lonjclcgs." Rngancment Limitrit lo this WccK Only. Pcrfonrtnm nUrt : 1 1 :ir. 12 50. 2:a. 1 ;20. S ;55. 7 :W and 9 :20 p. ■ come hoarse denying the rumor. Even some of the critics on the Indianapolis newspapers became skeptical of the denial and sought at various times to get some "inside information" on the matter from Mr. McCormick. The whole affair got him so worked up that he sent a wire to Mary asking her if she really was dead. Here is the way he worded the telegram: This Is What He Wrote. "For several weeks there as been a persistent rumor that you are dead. At least half the population have friends or relatives who attended your funeral and not less than four thousands served as pallebarers. I fully realize how these absurd lumors start but here at least there is a sincere feeling of sorrow over your demise and I wish you would wire a message to your many unknown friends and set their minds at rest so that they may feel assured that for many, many years at least they will have the opportunity of seeing little Mary ir such glorious creations as "Pollyanna," which is the Circle's attraction all this week. Thanking you in advance and with sincerest and best wishes for many more years as America's sweetheart." Miss Pickford, anxious to let her admirers know that she is still very much alive, sent the following response: "To quote Mark Twain the reports of my deaths are greatly exaggerated. Feeling splendidly and am starting my next production, 'Top of Myself.' I surely hope that the people of Indianapolis will be entertained by 'Pollyanna.' Many thanks for your kind wire. Cordial greetings to my friends of Indianapolis. Affectionately. MARY PICKFORD." As soon as Mr. McCormick received the reply to his message he called up the local newspapers and gave them the story. In addition to the articles appearing in the news columns, he reprinted the two telegrams in a large three-column advertisement and as a result had the entire theatre-going public talking about it. All of this, of course, proved excellen* advertising for the Circle's attraction and as a result the box office receipts showed a decided increase for the week. Real Plans in "Imp" Press Book The pressbook for "The Imp," the Selznick-Elsie Janis production, looks attractive in its dress of green and black, but the best thing about the book is its text matter. There is a double page of stunts of various sorts including a novel lobby dressing, and they can all be worked. They are not put in merely to look interesting. They can be used to make money with. Not all press books are put together on these lines and for this reason the "Imp" book is notable. S Barret McCormick's Three Seventeeii. You don't have to say your feature is poor, hut you don't have to say it is good. Know when to pull out the soft pedal.