Exhibitor's Trade Review (May-Aug 1925)

Page 42 Exhibitors Trade Review Try Simple Prologs for Better Summer Business Prologs for summer shows should be light and colorful, thus the presentation accorded "Sally" in a recent showing in the heart of Dixie — the Strand Theatre, New Orleans — will be a real help in suggesting prologs, not only for this particular picture, but for others that lend themselves equally well to similar presentation. "Sally" has come and gone down in Dixie but they will remember it for years to come. The presentation given it by the Strand was a tabloid musical comedy, featuring every song that "Sally" was ever associated with — from the time she lived down in "Our Alley" until she reached the rose tinted clouds with the silver lining. "SALLY" SONGS The overture was styled "A Sally of Sally Songs," beginning with "My Gal Sal," "She Lived Down in Our Alley," "I Wonder What's Become of Sally," "Sally's in the Movies Now," and the best remembered hits from the ZiegfeldKern musical gem. A dancing team came on as the first curtains parted in a waltz tempo, making an exit at one crossing of the stage. The house blackened out and a transparent drop, done in a monster fan design, ornated with two symbolic floral urns at each side of stage, showed a man and girl at the left of stage. The tenor then sang "Sally, Won't You Come Back Home," from the Ziegfeld Follies 1921 as an encore; leaving the stage to the girl dancers for a whirlwind clog finale, finishing on their toes — back to back — in a posed position for the final fast curtain. Tumultuous applause greeted every presentation and Maurice F. Barr, who staged this prolog, has been the recipient of much congratulation upon its effectiveness. USE A SUMMER FAD PROLOG FOR TIE-UP One of the outstanding Summer fads that have enveloped the younger element of the country during the past four or five years is the ukulele. A wide-awake exhibitor will have no trouble in using this little instrument in some suitable way to bring in summer business. A "summer camp" prolog, for instance, suggests itself almost immediately. The setting for this can be easily and inexpensively arranged. Use a darkened stage, with a lent in the background, and a big yellow moon showing through the drop A lntle open fire is lit in front of the tent, and around the fire have a group of three or four youngsters of the flapper generation sing the typical little ditties that have been arranged for ukuleles, such as the "Ukulele Ike" collection, or the "Eukadiddle" series. These are known to ever)' flapper. To arrange for the publicity of this show, announce a contest for the best performing group, allowing each to put on two or three of these dittie;-, and offer a suitable prize, like an autographed ukulele. This could be had from the publishers of the books. "A Shady Nook— " Down in Southern Jersey is an exhibitor who transformed his theatre front into a veritable oasis. The particular small town where his showhouse is located is in the sandy region of the state, and in hot weather the sun's rays are reflected from that sajid with much the same effect that is had on the Sahara. The first thing that attracted attention to the theatre in question was the erection of a green and white awning of large proportions which kept the sun from the walk before the house, and also had the effect of creating an atmosphere of coolness. Next the front was painted in white and green, and a couple of ruscus trees were put on each side. And you may be sure that these were kept free from dust and sand so that they looked always fresh and cool. In the lobby a block of ice was concealed under a light camouflage, which made it appear as a stand on which were growing plants. The best part of this was that electric fans were placed in such a position that the cooled air from the ice was wafted toward the entrance. It was scarcely necessary to tell folks that it was "30 degrees cooler inside." The cool air told them so, and the coolness of the scene, and the shade convinced their eyes. The ticket seller and doorman were in white — and if they had dared even look warm it would have cost them their jobs. Spend a little time and less money to try this with your theatre. It paid — and will pay.