Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1921 - Mar 1922)

January 14, 1922 EXHIBITORS HERALD 49 Mechanical Thriller Stops Chicago Holiday Shoppers The pre-holiday box; office slump, which touches the metropolitan drop-in houses as it does every theatre, was counteracted to a considerable degree for the Orpheum, Chicago, this year, when a mechanical thriller of extraordinary effectiveness was installed to call attention of the passing thousands to "Conflict." Illustrations on this page show the box stage in close-up, a close view of the lobby showing its position, and a more distant view of the front taken during the moment it was possible to divert the pedestrian stream. The construction of the miniature reproduction of the big scene in the picture is exceptionally interesting. It was done by H. E. Crawford, a Chicagoan who specializes in this work, and shows the situation at the head of the falls in sharp detail. The logs are rolling and tossing. The hero is in imminent danger of being precipitated over the falls at each rise and fall of the water. The heroine is making her way across the logs toward him in swift strokes. But the crowd in the photograph is the best description of the device from a practical standpoint. Busy shoppers, and Christmas shoppers are the busiest of these, stopped and examined the display. It was only an arm's length to the ticket wicket and the invitation was urgent. At this writing no report has been obtained as to the business of the week. Nor is such a statement necessary to emphasize the efficacy of the stunt. Exploitation men will deem the illustrations presented herewith sufficient evidence of its merit. The big scene from "Conflict," reproduced mechanically and mounted in a box stage, was centered in the lobby of the Orpheum theatre, Chicago, during the picture's run. Christmas shoppers, passing the Orpheum in such numbers that no statistician has attempted to calculate the daily total, paid homage to an exploitation stunt of the first water. CONFLICT Wmm d Ms* I • 1 The stunt as a whole is typical of the work done by showmen everywhere this year to counteract the unfavorable box office effect of the pre-holiday season. In practically every city extra effort has been put forth to make the theatre popular despite the admittedly greater appeal of the season. If the influence of the shopping period has not been wholly counterbalanced, it is none the less true that some improvement has been effected. Devices that served effectively this year should be remembered in 1922. This policy should be followed every year and at every season thereof. To argue that a scrapbook is an important bit of office equipment is to lapse into dogmatic repetition, Hut there are things that bear it. Perhaps a carefully kept exploitation record which may be given over to the care of an employee is a more modern and practical device. Holiday shopping season is but one of the year's problems. Each period of intense effort or prolonged inactivity, such as the vacation season, presents its own difficulties which must be met by methods that will prevent serious interference with box office \rttake. A record of stunts that has accomplished this end in the past is of perpetual value to the showman. It is more than probable that the Orpheum management will use something similar to the "Conflict" mechanism for whatever picture is in exhibition at that house at a corresponding date next year. Wise showmen will adopt the Orpheum experience and do likewise.