Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1919)

EXHIBITORS HERALD Stills, Rules and Stock Type Effectively Used in Emergency Marjorie A. Mahurin, advertising manager of the Orpheum theatre, Fort Wayne, Ind., is a lady of ability. Her advertisements are consistently good. And, what is more important, emergencies are only emergencies in her estimation, never disasters. "The Glorious Lady" was recently the attraction at the Orpheum theatre. It had been planned to give the picture extensive exploitation. Arrangements had been made accordingly. But something went wrong. The usual wealth of advertising material failed to arrive on schedule time. No explanation was available. Though an explanation, in a case like that, is of little value anyway. The time came for the making up of the advertisements for the newspapers. Mi,ss Mahurin had, altogether, a set of lobby stills and a story of the picture. Not very plentiful material, it will be generally admitted. j An emergency, obviously, and one that would have given pause to the great ma i ha* t«o»J MM bl ip OLIVE THOMAS With Mart Moore m tbe "Glorious Lady" Shown* To-d»j ind To-morrow Added Fox Smnhaw Corned j "THE YELLOW DOG CATCHER" a It.. . that tM hmnr, with urn* faey two-Jegf cd < fow-left«d acton. Alto Orphcom Conrert Orchestra An Orpheum, Fort Wayne, Ind., creation that has especially well written copy. jority of exhibitor advertisers. Not so, however, to Miss Mahurin. We have reproduced two of the advertisements which were made up with the material at hand, measuring three and four columns respectively. You have already noticed them, perhaps read them, which is a strong argument for their power. The means by which this success was made in the face of big odds may be adapted by any exhibitor, anywhere. Two rules were placed at each side of the space bought. One still was used to the left of the space. Well written copy completed the job. The result was readable, attractive, convincing advertising. The knack of arranging these few factors is not an easy one to acquire. Some can never acquire it. Some are born with it. We are not informed as to the circumstances in the case of Miss Mahurin. It is not essential that we should be. That sin has that knack in good measure is sufficient. But she has another ability that challenges attention. She can write copy. Her OLIVE THOMAS "Glorious Lady" "And many a man has begged "And many a woman has wondered Could she be the Glorious Lady?" Simple, strong, informative, appealing. It tells much, yet little. It suggests strongly. It's better copy than nine out of ten of the ad writers in high positions are turning out. Readers should clip the advertisements shown and paste them up for reference. Every exhibitor is confronted with an emergency of this sort. There is no better way out of it. Fast Copy It is an age of speed. The old-fashioned man who used to take his pipe and his paper to the fire-side arm-chair after the evening meal is not to be found today. If such a man exists he is not a theatre patron. No use in advertising to him. Your patrons are living fast. They work fast and play fast. They read fast. Remember that. Write "fast" copy. Stills, rules, straight type and well written copy saved the day for the Orpheum theatre, Fort Wayne, Ind., when other material was not available. copy is not stereotyped motion picture copy, nor hackneyed merchandise copy. It is something finer than that, yet something within the understanding of all who read. Lest the reproductions be too small for easy reading we reprint herewith one of the paragraphs. "\\ hat if there was a difference in social position — there was love. Her accident had brought them close to one another and had shown the Lord of Loame the promise of a sweeter, happier life. "And as for the Glorious Lady she wondered. They were desperately in love, these two. You have been there too. If you haven't you will be some day. A Building Hint Thinking of building? Selecting a site? Not now, perhaps, but eventually. Every exhibitor has mental plans drawn up of the ideal theatre which he is going to build "some day." Consider the Rialto theatre, Omaha. We have reproduced a photograph of it because of the excellent possibilities for display offered by a building of just this architectural design. "Back To God's Country" was the picture playing when the photograph was taken. A lighted sign and three panels, facing three ways, carried that information. Can you do it with your theatre? A building hint. The architect who designed the Rialto theatre, Omaha, kept in mind the advertising phase of the motion picture exhibiting business. Display advertising facing three ways is the result. 134