Exhibitors Herald (Jan-Mar 1920)

EXHIBITORS HERALD Twenty -Seven Years History Aids Minneapolis Run of Stewart Film With 37,683 paid admissions and seven days' extra playing time marking the results of an intensive exploitation campaign, the New Lyric Theatre, Minneapolis, has completed a bit of showmanship that stands out prominently among the recent promotion efforts that merit the study of exhibitors. The fact that "In Old Kentucky," as a stage play, had its origin and introduction in Minnesota; that Charles T. Dazey, the author, was a cub reporter on the St. Paul Globe; that Jacob Litt, a theatrical producer of St. Paul, financed the production of the play, and that the Whangdoodle Band was recruited from the negro waiters of the Nicollet Hotel which still stands in Minneapolis, served as the gist of an abundance of press matter that occupied news columns of local papers. This press exploitation, which publicity representatives compiled into copy for newspapers, launched the campaign two weeks previous to the first showing of the attraction. To enumerate the promotion devices that are most conspicuous in this campaign : The largest billboard over posted in Minneapolis — twenty-two sheets long and ten sheets high, reproducing the word matter in letters eight feet high, was used. A negro jazz band paraded the streets in minstrel show style, giving concerts in ragtime before each performance. The stage setting used in the legitimate stage production on August 5, 1892, served as the setting for the prologue which required the services of eight negro musicians, instrumentalists and singers. A lobby display featuring a horseshoe that stood eighteen feet high, from the sidewalk to the top of the lobbv canopv and cutouts showing Miss Stewart in many scenes were used. Special boosting was given the song. "In Old Kentucky," written for this picture. Tie-ups with local confectioneries resulted in the ''Kentucky Mint Julep" on every menu. A street parade headed by a negro brass band, followed by the horse. Queen Bess, and night riders was a semidaily feature during the run of the attraction. Advertising accessories to the extent of 10.000 one-sheet cards, 2,000 "snipes," 10,000 circus heralds, 1.000 one-sheet lithographs, and fifty 24-sheet stands were used. The foregoing exploitation aids represented the outstanding devices which the New Lyric adopted to put the attraction over. Perhaps the most effective bit of promotion was gained by the mailing of 80,000 postcards carrying the announcement of the attraction to each of the subscribers of the Tri-State Telephone Company. This involved an expense of more than a cent for each piece of mail matter sent out. It was the opinion of the management that this card, in the form of a personal solicitation, would more than justify the expenditure by reason of the fact that it would supply just the required touch needed to sell the 39-cent ticket Another inexpensive method that it is 0 o wk m Uc~Bc/brccf America* QiSSJC " IN OLD KENTUCKY' Artistic one sheets, original designs by Billy Moran of the New Lyric, Minneapolis, whieh surpass in quality practically all of the regular output of the established poster studios. estimated brought the title of "In Old Kentucky," and the name of Anita Stewart before 10,000 theatregoers, and which can be adopted by those theatres affiliated with local vaudeville houses, consisted of asking a "seeress" what would be the next attraction at the New Lyric. At every performance he replied, "In Old Kentucky." The week preceding the opening of "In Old Kentucky," a local vocalist sang the song "In Old Kentucky" from a box at the New Lyric at every performance. In addition to this, several local cafes put the number on their program and 5 and 10-cent stores willingly obliged with window displays. The very presentation of the offering stimulated word-of-mouth advertising taking precedence over any theatrical novelty seen in Minneapolis in years. The local coloring was given to the stage set, which pictured a darkies' cabin set in the foreground of a colonial mansion by the eight negroes who sang Southern melodies to the accompaniment of banjo, guitar and mandolin. A horse occasionally could be seen stabled in one corner of the stage and the cackle of chickens supplied an obligato to the musical numbers. In that part of the film where the horse race is shown the negro actors were again called upon to lend color to the scene. In the excitement while Queen Bess is neck and neck with the rival pony the cheers rang out from behind the stage. The audience thrilled to this novel touch and in every instance broke out with cheers and applause. The prologue preceding "In Old Kentuck}-," which, incidentally, was the only picture shown, lasted for ten minutes and served to get the audience in a most receptive frame of mind. It was with difficulty, it is said, that Mr. Ableson, who, as manager of the New Lyric, was the originator of the campaign, arranged with the First National exchange of Minneapolis ior an additional week's run of the production. Bookings had been arranged weeks in advance, and it was through the courtesy of several up-state exhibitors who consented to a week's delay on the shipment of prints that the New Lyric was able to score the box office record of its historySpeaking about his exploitation, Mr. Ableson said: "Our campaign demonstrated that 'In Old Kentucky,' with proper exploitation, is the greatest money-gette r ever offered to exhibitors. It must be considered that, whatever results from pur own efforts in promotion, we have the benefit of twenty-seven years of cumulative advertising. "Some of our best pictures were given unlimited runs. We charged an admission price of 55 cents. Yet "In Old Kentucky' at a price reduced 11 cents per seat brought more money to our box office than any attraction we ever played. And the profit was greater despite the cost to which we were put in arranging for the negro band and our special setting. "To handle the crowds we were forced to install another box office and add seven ushers to our regular staff. Despite a police guard to prevent shoving, our lobby doors and the interiors decorations of the lobby were broken." Extra newspaper space was gained when the New Lyric gave a complimentary performance to newsboys. 71