Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1919)

E XHIBITORS HERA L D nient as good as this one is not the man to stop just short of realization of his plans. The selling argument is worked skillfully into the body of the display. It is powerful, without being bold. It is fine salesmanship. The units comprising the whole are well ordered and logically arranged. Details are well nigh perfect. Masses are effective. The advertisement attracts, it enforces reading, it instills a desire to see the picture. It sells. That is the sum of good advertising. The beauty of the star advertised is emphasized by the beauty of the setting given her photograph in this fourcolumn design used by the Strand theatre, Nashville, Tenn. Strand Advertisement Is Built Around Star Despite such opposition as has been raised against the star system, the star of an attraction is still and will long remain the important feature of the production in the estimation of the average fan. Fan magazines see to that. And the exhibitor must draw the public. There is but one way to do it. That is the way the Strand theatre at Nashville. Tenn.. has adopted. The Strand advertising mirrors the Strand policy. The four-column advertisement which we have reproduced is a fair specimen of the work carried on in Nashville newspapers by this organization. It is primarily beautiful. Beautiful also is the star of the picture :> ivertised, '"The Vengeance of Durand," Alice Joyce's Vitagraph production. Realizing that a great many of Alice Joyce's admirers are drawn by her beauty, the which is but enhanced by her acting ability, the Strand advertising manager decided that the proper thing to do was to so construct his displays as to emphasize the beauty of the star, making the whole composition powerful in optical appeal. He has succeeded admirably. This style of advertising means work for the advertiser. It means careful, original preparation, careful watching through every stage of work until the finished display appears in the paper. Even then a poor job of printing will spell ruin. The man who is willing to go to that length to get good results is entitled to them. Furthermore, he gets them. Advertising of the Strand style pays. A Producer Who Designs Heralds for Exhibitors From every angle come concrete examples of producer-exhibitor cooperation in advertising that substantiate the claim set forth in the discussion which occupies the first and second pages of this department, especially those that have to do with motives of the producer who advertises for the exhibitor. There are those who have said and continue to say the service thus rendered has a double edge. Consider this case. S. P. Trood, director of publicity for the Brentwood Film Corporation, is the man responsible for the herald, reproduced herewith, which appeared in Los Angeles some time before "Poor Relations," the Brentwood production, appeared at Clune's Broadway theatre. Examine the reproduction. It is practically actual size. It was printed originally on light but servicable stock of light color, the drawings and the lettering in black. Not, you may say, a wonderful creation. But is that true? How manv times have vou used heralds before the opening of the picture? Have you ever done it? Do you know of anybody who has done it? Isn't it your custom to resort to the use of heralds when the picture has opened and doesn't seem to be going as well as you'd like to have it? That is the general practice. Wouldn't you feel pretty good if, the week before you were to play the picture, a representative of the company that produced that picture appeared upon the streets of your town and distributed heralds as good as this sne just by way of letting the public know the picture was coming to them? This is service. It is voluntary service. It is not the result of a demand, a refusal and a compromise. Mr. Trood has designed a good herald. And he has set an example for other men in similar positions to follow. A Good Idea During the showing of "Twenty-Three and a Half hours' Leave" at the Olympia theatre, New Haven, Conn., a contest was held in which every patron was asked to write a two hundred word review of the picture, with especiaf comment upon Doris May and Douglas MacLean, the stars introduced. The idea is good. Everybody is a critic. Nearly everybody wants to tell what he thinks about nearly everything, especially about his entertainment. Giving people a chance to get his opinion into writing, possibly into print, is wise judgment. The idea may be developed extensively. It is worthy. House-to-house peddlers, book agents and fishmongers wear most anything. No one ever saw a well-dressed Hurdy laurdy man. Bond salesmen dress in keeping with the goods they sell. You are selling motion picture entertainment. The motion picture industry is variously ranked as fourth and fifth in the world. tfdur Poor Relations are coming from the BrenWood Studios to meet you dt CLUNESBRQADWA/ 528 SO. BROADWfflf WEEK COMMENCING NOV. 30 you will enjoy a good lime with them Tbey look. liKe poor relations jTorrj if?e country -—but appearances are deceptive These lookhke city people oj culture dtjd kjrjdr/ess — but you can't always tell S. P. Trood, director of publicity for the Brentwood Studios, Los Angeles, prepared this herald for Clune's Broadway Theatre. 131