The Moving picture world (November 1926-December 1926)

Celling the Picture to the Public J Ofiis Department Was SstabLbhM September 23. 1911 btf Us Present Sdiior^ Spes Winthrop Sargent Edgar Hart, Back in Portsmouth, Stages Australia Cleaned Attractive Public Hallowe^en Spectacle On Paramount Week EDGAR HART, who lives in San Diego. Cal.. and the works in Portsmouth, N. H., as City Manager for th« Gray Circuit, and who goes home to sleep once a year; and that's about the only time you can catch Edward asleep. He is recently back from his annual commuting trip, with a stopover in El Paso, Texas, where he was the guest of the Rotary Club at its luncheon. His first stunt since his return was a Hallowe'en spectacle that is worth saving up until next year. The Colonial Theatre runs continuous, and Edgar extended the closing time to 11 :53, with a special Hallowe'en performance starting about ten o'clock. The program was timed to stop promptly at the announced hour so that the audience could adjourn to the street to enjoy the special performance. This is where Edgar's stunt differs from all previous Hallowe'en ideas we have recorded. His climax was offered the entire town and was staged on the roof of the house. Ran Special Busses The production was well advertised in advance and the railroad busses to the suburbs made special trips at five minutes past midnight to accommodate those who wanted to enjoy the fun. When you can get a railroad to make special trips for a ballyhoo, it's going some. But the Boston and Maine was not the only cooperator. The local power company loaned electrical equipment and ran special wiring for the advertisement it received. The cast included six boys dressed as imps and a man posing as Mother Hubbard. The imps were dressed in cheap union suits, dyed brown, with brown stocking tops for caps. The suits cost $1 each and the stockings added very little. The total was under $7. The faces were made up in white with heavy arched eyebrows. The witch wore a dress of orange and black paper cambric. The witch was concealed in a chimney, which was the cage used last Easter for the rooster which crowded about the special program, as we related at the time. This frame was covered with oilcloth and striped to suggest brick. The Routine About five minutes of twelve the marquise and other house lights were put out and a cornet and ruffle of drums sounded from the roof. The imps were strung qlong the cornice, each provided with a flashlight in a paper cone. One after the other these lights were switched on until the six boys were revealed. Two thousand-watt spots with red mediums came on and in the glare the boys did an impromptu dance, bringing up before the chimney. The leading imp taunted the supposed witch and dared her to come out. She made her appearance in a cloud of smoke, (produced by fullers earth in a powder bellows such as are used by gardeners), and with her brush broom she chasen the boys around, the lights going to white. When the clock in a nearby church steeple sounded the first notes of midnight, the lights began to dim and at the last stroke the roof was in darkness and the soft notes of the cornet, sounding "Taps" brought the spectacle to a close. Helped to Gean-Up It was simple and very inexpensive, and yet more impressive than this bare description would suggest, and it not only assured a large night business but it centered attention upon the house at a time when in most places private parties shoot the theatre business to pieces. It won the approval of the crowds because of the spectacle and the church people approved because the cessation of festivities promptly at twelve marked the entrance of the Sabbath. Edgar has scored again. Kills Two Birds Louis S. Shimon, of the Uptown Theatre, Sheboygan, Wis., has a new one for a half price stunt. He is trying to build up the patronage and get people used to staying uptown for their shows. Instead of giving free tickets, he offers a half price admission for any misspelled word found in the house program, a certain number of words being purposely misspelled. This not only holds up the value of the half price ticket, but it assures the advertisers that their announcements are read. When the desired result is reached, he does not shut off his half price ticket. He is merely ceasing a contest ; which has a better moral effect. Milford G. Lawton, Australian exploitation head for Paramount, writes that he helped A. W. Andrews, of the Rialto Theatre, Auckland, beat last year's Paramount Week by 48 percent thorugh a lot of hustling. Stage Struck was the attraction, and Andrews and Lawton put all they had on the ball. Two styles of herald were used, one the regular Swanson herald and the second a special four-pager with colored cover, locally designed and printed. Eight thousand of each were put into houses at different times. -A. leading baker was glad to have his weekly statements imprinted with "The two topics of general conversation — Kent's Bread and Paramount Week at the Rialto Theatre, August 30." The back carried a threecolumn stock cut for the picture. The Shingle Nail Again The "one-piece coat and suit hanger" was called the "simplified" coat hanger and was offered as "The most universally used coat hanger in the world. Made of the finest drawn steel wire by automatic machinery. Can be attached wherever needed. Guaranteed for five years with ordinary usage." Baggage tags were printed up and given at matinees several weeks in advance. For an opening stunt children were formed into a parade, each child properly tagged being admitted to the theatre. Pavements were painted in front of the theatre with "Paramount Week. Come On In." A large store gave 11,000 bags to be imprinted, and there was a capital announcement supposedly set by the printer's devil in the absence of the boss. The type faced four ways and campled every font in the shop. It made a splendid and profitable campaign. PUTTING OVER A NEW STAR IN MINNEAPOLIS Ken Mavnard was introduced to the Lvric patrons with cutouts and stars bearing his name and "A new star,'' one either side of the cutout. It helped to put put him on the map and Senor Daredevil went over.