Exhibitors Herald (Jan-Mar 1920)

I XII MOTORS II K KALI) Warner Bros. Poster Voices Serial Spirit The business of posters, in the majority of cases, is to inform as many persons as pass the board upon which they are posted of the title, important data and general spirit of the production for the exploitation of which they are prepared. The poster that does less than that is not efficient. Yet most of those that adorn the billboards today fail of their object. Distinctive because it does perform these functions is the 24-shect supplied by Warner Bros, in connection with the serial which they are distributing, "The Lost City," featuring Juanita Hansen, photograph of which is reproduced herewith. Here is the unmistakable serial spirit. The jungle is pictured effectively without crowding the paper. The animal figures are included without predominating. The setting sun in the background, brilliantly colored in the original, gives the necessary live touch which points the appeal of the whole. No one who passes this poster can escape without learning the essential facts regarding the serial. Posters of this sort have direct bearing upon the box office record of the attractions which they represent. "vaudeville" stage one result is certain. The motion picture element of the program suffers. Both cannot predominate. Discretion, based upon this process of reasoning, should govern the arrangement of programs where screen and vaudeville talent arc combined. Better Class Grouping Features Princess Ad Vaudeville "Presentation" and "Vaudeville" arc not synonymous. Exhibitors should remember that. Vaudeville is one thing. Film entertainment is another. When presentation is brought to the The policy of grouping two or more attractions of different playing dates in a single advertisement is always open to question. Yet there are those who maintain, perhaps with justification, that there is no better time to introduce a coming attraction than while a current attraction is giving satisfaction, The difficulties presented, however, are serious ones. A word as to the way in which they may best be overcome is certainly not amiss. We have reproduced for purposes of illustration the three-column advertisement recently used by the Princess theatre, Denver. Colo., in which "Too Much Johnson" is the current and "The Woman In the Suit Case" the coming attraction advertised. Both Paramount-Artcraft productions, the stars about equal in drawing power, the pictures both published on the regular schedule, their box office standing should be considered equal. Consequently, the manner in which the two have been displayed, so that neither eclipses the other in prominence, is worthy of attention. The management of the Princess, as seen back of the advertisement by the mind's eye, stands with both hands extended, in the right hand the Bryant Washburn feature, in the left that in which Enid Bennett is the star. The manager seems to say, "If you wish to come early in the week we will >ho\v vou this Washburn feature, which double Feature Week TODAY m .Bryant * Too Much JohixsonV V Circles and star heads are well balanced and informative units in the threecolumn advertisement used by the Princess, Denver, Colo. is good, or, if you prefer to wait until later, we will have for your inspection an Enid Bennett picture which is equally good." In this case, the two productions being uf like calibre, the matter-of-fact manner in which they are presented serves adequately. Incidentally, the advertisement is pleasing to the eye and highly informative, a well-done piece of workmanship. N O one who sees this twenty-four sheet, published by Warner Bros., distributors of "The Lost City," the jungle serial in which Juanita Hansen is featured, will escape without learning that it is a tale of jungle life and adventure. Brilliant colors bring out the high lights of the picture. 76