Exhibitors Herald (Jul-Sep 1922)

32 EXHIBITORS HERALD July 22, 1922 Typical Rea exploitation used for First National's "My Boy'* who have at heart the interests of the motion picture and its theatre. Your constant supply of photographs is ample proof of your faithfulness in following your own program. We have wondered how many people you employed. If you do it all yourself, the more credit to your prescription.—W . R. W. Creamer Tells How He Finds Business THEATRE EDITOR, Exhibitors Herald. Dear Sir : I am sending you photos and details oi how I put "The Old Oaken Bucket" over here for a good two-days showing with this opposition : First night, free Radio Concert and free seven-reel show at a church. Second night, opening of a suburban amusement park. Eighteen days in advance I started with teaser slides and painted lobby mirrors. Next I cut a lot of "buckets" out of llxl4's, painted and lettered same, and hung them E. R. ROGERS, directing the Tivoli and Strand theatres, Chattanooga, Tenn., installed this exploitation barroom for "Ten Nights in a Barroom," Arrow production. Letter herewith. J. W. CREAMER describes his campaign for "The Old Oaken Bucket" in his "Theatre Letter" in this issue. Read it. out in front of the lobby. Next I added a set of six slides, copy taken from the single column mats shown in the press book. These were all run in series and at every showing the orchestra played "The Old Oaken Bucket." This had everybody humming the tune. Next I painted up a large bucket for the lobby and framed a three-sheet in a gold frame, making easels out of these attractors. Then I built and put in two window displays in local stores. Also I hooked up a contest for children with a local daily, they furnishing free passes to those who made the longest list of words out of the letters in the title. This brought us over fifty entries, and the paper also invited as its guests at the matinee all men and ladies over sixty-five years of age. These two stunts took care of most of the publicity, netting us daily write-ups on the front page. For the showing days I moved all of my displays outdoors and transformed the ticket office into an old well. I also worked in a stage number with a soloist singing "When You and I Were Young, Maggie," immediately before the feature started. She reached center stage in the dark, white footlights and all house lights coming up gradually until chorus, then out and green up, with amber spot, in which she exited with picture starting at once. In spite of all our opposition we did splendid. "The Old Oaken Bucket" is one picture on which I have twice used the same exploitation and had good results. How do I find business ? Why, by going after it, you can tell 'em. Yours very truly, JNO. W. CREAMER. Strand Theatre, Giillicothe, Mo. * DEAR MR. CREAMER: Competition is, after all, the big box office consideration at any given time. The theatre man's success or failure in overcoming it, not escaping it, is truly the measure of his shozvmanship. By these widely accepted standards your standing is enviable. We have received nothing approaching your contribution as used in behalf of the picture concerned. If we were to exhibit the attraction we would ask nothing better than your letter as a guide. We thank you for permitting us to present it to other theatre men. Your method of finding business, like that of Mr. Rea's, described in another letter this week, is excellent, although toe prefer a slightly larger allowance for slumber. However, time for that will come when the last vestige of the passing depression is eradicated.— W. R. W. But the Photos Say a Great Deal THEATRE EDITOR, Exhibitors Herald. Dear Sir: Under separate cover I am sending you photos of our prologue used with "Queen of Sheba" and our lobby display at the Rialto theatre for "Ten Nights in a Barroom." Very truly yours, E. R. ROGERS, Tivoli-Strand Theatres, Chattanooga, Tenn. * DEAR MR. ROGERS: Were your photographs less eloquent we would charge you with undue brevity in your letter. They are, however, ample proof of the high grade showmanship back of the Tivoli and Strand, a showmanship of which we got the first full measure when we read your splendid article on Newspictures printed in a recent issue. Why not contribute something like it to this department some time? — W. R. W. QUEEN OF SHEBA presentation by E. R. Rogers at Tivoli theatre, Chattanooga. See letter.