The Exhibitor (Nov 1938-May 1939)

BETTER MANAGEMENT 15 n tew CiT'f LANOINGJOOAY 8:30 A.M. AT THE BROADWAY A 47“ ST BROADWAY'S GREATEST HOLIDAY SHOWI 5 ,'r. , ■ ^C. ERROL FLYNN * at fan daring Itader of THE DAWN PAT R O L 'ONE • Oirtctad by EDMUND • WARNER BROS. Picture / IN PERSON ^ ABE LYMAN LATE FEATURE TONIGHT IMS A. M. ' HIS ORCHESTRA £ jj AND HIS CALIFORNIA REVUE f..h,r,»9 WAFTCR "DARE" WAML • CALIFORNIA1 VARSITY SIGHT . DALE WINTNROP • ROSE BLANE * EDDIE HOLLY • USD" PIPPER HJsasMjnamjwjBa ATLANTIC crrY ■^ocfresTtR ueuJ y*PK STARTS TODAY AT 11 A. M. tltHMOUO, IMOIWIA AL^MY, New Y»*K imu STARTS SAT. AT NOON! GIANT 5-UNIT HOLIDAY SHOW! Gala Kn ^ -5? \They Roar Thr I lha Pin/n \AI I Through the Dawn With Death on Their Wings — Laughter on Their Lips! ERROL FLYNN basil rathbone m DAVID NIVEN ‘ DONALD CRISP mphre, BOGART Pal O’BRIEN “DEAD END” KIDS ^Gto. Brenl 12 Sti Glamorous Bcauly! “WINTER FASHIONS” pm —FCharlio • McCarthy } P® ***' The DAWN [PATROL tHU-ADaMM HINTS ON NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING (The following brief discussion of newspaper advertising appearing in several cities of the Metropolitan East, selected at random, on the opening days of " The Dawn Patrol,” is offered with the thought that, knowing how it is done in other cities , the exhibitor may better build his own lay-outs , obtain more benefit from his advertising dollar. This is the fourth in a series of comments on current newspaper advertising.) "The Dawn Patrol” (Warners) To the great majority of theatre advertising departments — as well as to exhibitors without the adjunct of large chains — advertising motion pictures resolves itself into thumbing through the advertising sections of press books, picking out what is desired, and fabricating the advertisements. That the pressbook was the source of the sample advertisements herein reproduced is apparent, with the happy exceptions of the Strand, New York, and the Earle, Washington. The basic elements of all the others are represented in press-book lay-outs. Accordingly, plaudits are due the originator of the Strand’s threecolumn spread, entirely divorced from press-book influence. Here, capital has been made of white space and the entire lay-out designed to accentuate the holiday advent of the picture. Little direct "selling” is done with the Earle lay-out, leaving the picture's appeal entirely that which may be attributed to Errol Flynn and the title. (A glance at the stage-show acts reveal no such pull as the Strand had in Abe Lyman and His Orchestra.) In the lay-outs of the RKO-Palace, Rochester, New York; the Strand, Albany, New York; the Stanley, Philadelphia; the Colonial, Richmond, Virginia, definitely is revealed the influence of the pressbook. The Colonial, Richmond, Virginia, also went to the press-book for ideas, but the Stanley, Atlantic City, New Jersey, took its advertisement in toto, adding but the Christmas border and the theatre slugs. In but one spot (of those represented here) was the problem of double featuring involved, with Rochester’s RKO-Palace relegating Universal’s "Swing Sister, Swing” to about the same prominence as the cut-rate gift ticket books, its Kute Kris Kringle display. For the most effective "selling” of an all-screen show, Albany’s Strand must be rated tops. (Any suggestions as to topics to be covered in subsequent articles of this series will be gratefully received. This is another of your departments, conducted for your information and guidance. Please use it.) January 11, 19 } 9