The Moving picture world (November 1926-December 1926)

436 MOVING PICTURE WORLD December 11, 1926 Got Out a Special Booklet On Men of Steel A COMBINATION POSTER AND PEEP SHOW FOR NASHVILLE Being glass fronted, the reflection is a bit confusing, but you can see the peep hole under "Daddies." In a shadoow box was a bathing beauty cutout. This worked more effectively than a straight peep hole. Qot Out A Book on Men of Steel For Men of Steel the Liberty theatre, Pittsburgh got out a special four page booklet with the title "Men of Steel Made Pittsburgh," which was pretty certain to attract attention locally. I described how Judge Gary, of the U. S. Steel Corp., co-operated with Richard Rowland in the making of the picture at the local plant, and ran on to tell of the engagement at the Liberty. The back page was headed "Cabs of Steel" and was a boost for the Yellow Cab Company^ Several thousand copies were put out by the cab company, a copy being given each patron. The front was a picture of the star about to enter a Yellow Cab. The results seem to justify the special printing. On the Menu In addition to checks for "one million dfillars worth of laughs, tears and heart throbs." W. S. Perutz, of the Rialto theatre, Chattanooga, Tenn., supplied a leading sandwich shop with special menus, the lower fifth of which was given to the advertisement of Joanna. Three thousand of these were used during the week. Sold Nell Qwynn on Orange Angle One novel feature of Sidney Dannenbeig's campaign on Nell Gwynn, was the use of the special bathtub heralds prepared by the Publix advertising department for the picture. Some six thousand of these were used by one of the leading hotels in Birmingham to tell that the picture was at the Strand theatre. This special herald was hinged on the bath Nell takes in the cask and was tied in to a short history of bathtubs. In many ways it is more useful than the stock herald. One of these was placed in every bathroom in the hotel each morning. Borrowed a Storm An empty store was borrowed and the window carried a basket of oranges with the announcement that Nell was opening next week "with a first-class stock of entertaining and amusing incidents in regards the true life-love story of the little orange vendor and King Charles of England." In the theatre 200 parrafin oranges were hung from the lamp brackets and still frames, and all still backings, frames and panels were painted over in orange, making a very effective lobby. With a little extra advertising the picturewas put over to a huge success. International Wlien Nell Gwynne was played at the Imperial theatre, Columbia, S. C, the editor of the State wrote an appreciative editorial on the feature. This was so finely phrased that the British Government broadcast it through its Trade Department as an argument in favor of British made pictures. Boosted Special throwaway cards and a two night radio broadcast helped The Lone Wolf Returns at the Rialto theatre, Chattanooga, Tenn. The picture ran the last half of the week and gave the best Friday the house has recorded. The cards were printed with the same copy on both sides, but one side was black and the other red. Somehow this seemed to give the card importance. The only te.xt was the title preceded by a "Beware" and followed by the house and dates. A large exclamation point was the attractor. Samples of Qods Ernest Morrison of the Howard theatre, Atlana, used scraps of tin in his envelopes on Thomas Meighan in Tin Gods with "Letthis remind you to see Thomas Meighan in Tin Gods" with other information about the play. He also got t\vo good tinware displays in large shops. Rocked the Boat A ship rocking on the waves, operated by a motor, was the shadow box appeal in the lobby of the Murray theatre, Ponca City, Okla., for Mare Nostrum. Manager Pickerel also put out 5,000 heralds, 3,000 of which were distributed to the employees of the Marlin Oil Company. A clever side stunt was a news story telling how importantly Ibanez and Rex Ingraham had contributed to Valentino's recognition. This won a lot of attention. A CARICATURE CUTOUT FOR BATTLING BUSTER KEATON H. C. Farley, of the Empire Theatre, Montgomery, Ala., used this ring to ad vertise Battling Butler in keeping with the comedy spirit of the play. change it was a big improvement on the usual cutouts. For a