The Moving picture world (November 1926-December 1926)

MOVING PICTURE WORLD December 4, 1926 Fisher Gets Results By Not Overtaxing Printer Keeps Well Within Printer^s Capacity Eldrid B. Fisher, of the Gem Theatre, Pineville, Ky., writes an entire volume on advertising when he says : "This is a small town with a newspaper none too well equipped for extraordinary set-ups, so it is necessary to keep within certain bounds when laying out an ad. "I try to make good use of white space in most of my displays and to make all the ads appear as simple as possible, rather than use heavy type and a lot of unread sales talk about every picture being the greatest yet produced. I try to sell each picture from some distinct angle of appeal in an effort to get over the best points of each film." Here is the best of a number of samples Mr. Fisher sends in : This IS a new picture— never before shown in Pineville} Milton Sills "PUPPETS" 1 Oerlru.l^ OlmMcd Gem Thursday and Friday MR. FISHER'S BEST It will be seen that Mr. Fisher really practices what he preaches. He knows what the printer can do. He asks no more than that. He gets a good result where others fall down through trying to get what the local office simply cannot give. This is a three-nines, and about half the area is white space. And it yields a better display than a five-twelves packed with display type and useless appeal. Probably half the selling is done on that top line. Mr. Fisher, early in the season, got out a fourpage folder listing thirty-three coming attractions, stressing the value of each. He frankly says that not all are specials, but points out that in three months he will have all of these attractions of known value. It is a fine written effort and trails with that top line. We are clipping one paragraph from the booklet. Hang on to this. You may need it some time. "We do not claim that every person will like every picture, as such a statement would be absurd, due to the fact that tastes vary in films as in other things. Some like comedy; some prefer Westerns; others are more pleased with serious drama, while still others seek their entertainment in melodramas. It will be our honest endeavor to advertise every picture so that you will know just what to expect, and be able to judge whether or not it will suit you. We don't want you to expect one thing; come to the show, see another, and thus be disappointed." When you can talk to your patrons like that, you are going to be reasonably certain of holding their confidence. Used Stock Cuts to Dress Bare Space C. W. Davis, of the Broadway Theatre, Reidsville, N. C., was unable to locate any cuts for What Fools Men, so he dug into the stock drawers and did the best he could. BROADWAY lFVOUTHlNKVOWIEA«ISEf,n JuBl (omc vn O^er! What Fools Men ■josTi'H t.nnn .\nd mis nAiniTER' USING ORPHAN CUTS The policeman is merely used for an attractor. It gets the attention no matter where your eye first hits the page. The bathing beauty is supposed to be what fools men, and the other cut merely builds up the jazz idea. This may not be quite as good as specially drawn cuts, but they did precisely what the supplied cuts would have done. They got attention. Mr. Davis does not seem to think much of the layout, but we don't agree with him on this. The double bank runs very well and the text is written to get attention, so it does not matter that some of the lines drop to eight point. It all will be read because the top line is a challenge and the average man — and most women — will read straight through, and find it very easy reading. This is much better than setting all tlie lines in twelve point or better. The white space more than pays for the reduction in some type sizes. About the only suggestion is that the house name would have been run in a 30 or 36 point with all that space to spare. Mr. Davis evidently holds on to cuts he thinks he can use again. It is an excellent idea to get back all the cuts you think you can use, and this applies to some scene cuts as well as single figures. With a couple of hundred cuts in reserve you do not have to worry when a mat does not arrive on time. Start collecting now if you have none. Sometimes in a pinch you can borrow from the printer, and if he has nothing that will fit, borrow something so obviously unfit that you can get a laugh with it. There is always an "out" if you look for it. All Hand Letters In an Ample Space Taking a four sixes to put over Mir: Nostrum at Loew's Dayton theatre, Dayton, Ohio, gave plenty of space for a nice type arrangement and yet the layout man has sketched in his announcement in very elementary lettering. CUILDOtN-rtO _ Bv.wa.y.ky.w.ij.'v.^»j»j.v.iy.k».iiji>.w.k>.v.^y.^i^}'>a^.':?8WK POORLY LETTERED This looks more like the layout to be sent the printer than to the engraver. Making a press book cut the basis of the display, the artist seems to have pasted the clipping to the card and then lettered in as best he could, having a cut made of the entire space. Using a mat and notching to let in tlie house signature and the type matter below the title would have given a better display and would have cost less. The best selling feature of this space is its size. That suggests the importance of the story and will carry sales appeal in default of a better presentation of the sales talk. This Two Twos Is An Ample Selling Only two twos were required for the running ads on Ben Hur in Los Angeles, but the title and house were amply sufficient. ^^ISLW&Oy.^» I THEATRE "^^^ LOSING LITTLE LINES The panel would have been better had it been mortised in, for the lettering is small and too irregular to register well. Notching the cut would have been a very simple matter and the same information in six point might have helped. Los Angeles seems to be running too much to hand work.