Exhibitors Herald (Oct-Dec 1920)

174 EXHIBITORS HERALD December 25, 1920 Genuine race horses and jockeys carried the news of the Tivoli, San Francisco, Cal., engagement of Educational's "The Race of the Age." Simple Street Stunt Aids Educational Race Feature Frank Costello, manager of the Tivoli theatre, San Francisco, Cal., frequently mentioned in this department for his splendid presentation features, demonstrated his versatility recently in conducting a seven day exploitation campaign in behalf of "The Race of the Age," the Educational short subject special, which contains at least one interesting and generally adaptable stunt. The above photograph describes it briefly. The photograph does not disclose, however, that the horses were genuine race horses, selected because of their resemblance to Sir Barton and Man O' War, the contestants in the turf event which constitutes the substance of the picture, and that real jockeys rode them about San Francisco streets every day of the campaign. The riders wore the colors worn in the original race, and the only dissimilarity consisted of the signs which gave the essential details of the engagement. The stunt, with its many attributes, is exceptionally meritorious because of the fact that any exhibitor in any city in the world, from the smallest village to the greatest metropolis, can adapt it in its entirety. Further, the stunt can be elaborated upon to embrace any amount of exploitation up to an actual horse race to take place over a designated and protected course, the front of the theatre being made the starting and finishing point and suitable awards for volunteer participants being provided by cooperating merchants. This latter proposition should be deeply considered by the exhibitor who contemplates playing the picture for the first time in his community. The obvious possibilities of such a cooperative enterprise are such as to recommend it especially to the exhibitor whose business shows signs of what a contributor to the "What The Picture Did For Me" department of this publication recently termed "a shot in the arm." Properly managed, with a newspaper giving assistance and the city council concurring, the stunt can be made an event or enormous immediate and eventuai? profit. Who will try it ? Los Angeles House Adopts Lobby Stage For Talmadge Film The many stories printed in this department weekly are convincing proof of the enterprise of the American exhibitor. More convincing, because continuous in nature, is the occasional printing of a photograph and story which proves beyond question that the chronicling of exhibitor exploitation news for the benefit of other exhibitors is not only indirecdy but directly effective in stimulating advertising activity. Such a story and photograph follow hereinafter. On page 55 of the November 20 issue of Exhibitors Herald appeared the photograph and story detailing the construction and use of the lobby stage for display purposes, F. Steffey, manager of the Coliseum theatre, Seattle, Wash., being the gentleman responsible for the work under discussion. 1 Ierewith is presented a photograph of the Garrick theatre, Los Angeles, showing the lobby stage employed for the advertising of "The Branded Woman," Norma Talmadge's First National attraction. The similarity is so marked as to leave little possibility of the Los Angeles display being other than the result of the story printed in this department. It is, like the former a highly effective use of materials within the reach of all exhibitors and eminently worth using. The transmission of ideas thus from one exhibitor to another is the fundamental purpose of this department. When, as in the present instance, evidence indicates that the service has not gone unappreciated, but has resulted in genuine profit to the exhibitor reader, the department functions best. The lobby stage idea was adopted by the Garrick theatre, Los Angeles, for First National's "The Branded Woman."