Exhibitors Herald (Jul-Sep 1922)

July 22, 1922 EXHIBITORS HERALD 37 ploitation. For the airplane, if you can get a machine in your neighborhood, advertise it as the one used by Allen Holubar in "Hurricane's Gal," have it circle the city at a specified hour dropping balloons, a certain number of which will have passes for the show. Different pictures should be exploited in different ways. It would be inadvisable, for instance, to exploit a picture like "Smilin' Through" along bold face type ballyhoo lines. "Hurricane's Gal" is another proposition. It will stand up to all the noise you can make and redeem any promise you give of startling scenes, sensational climaxes and stunning surprises. Film Editing A considerable danger lies in the growing practice of film editing at the theatre. At one of Chicago's leading playhouses comedies are shortened perilously near to the point of destruction in the interests of brevity. At another newspictures are robbed of much of their merit by a too active scissors. Film editing is not a business to be undertaken lightly by the well intentioned but untaught. It is highly doubtful if the occasional benefit derived offsets the frequent injury inflicted. Very competent workmen make the editing of films their special business and very competent showmen seldom attempt to improve upon their work. The Follow Up The follow-up is not practiced as it should be. Very few showmen have reported following wayward pationage to its ultimate destination, at this season the beach, the park, etc., with advertising. As a matter of fact a one-sheet on a popular beach, isolated from other advertising, is worth considerably more than a twentyfour-sheet on a street car line. Having come to the beach, the average person is receptive to further suggestion. Why not suggest the theatre? Local Specials The newspicture concerns, offering territorial specials containing matter of special interest in certain districts, raise £ nice point. Among the listed program pictures of any period there are several that classify as specials in certain localities because of their subject matter and its popularity in such centers. Many exhibitors make a great deal of money reading "Reviews" and "What the Picture Did For Me" very carefully and singling out these "local specials" for special treatment. Saunders Talfe on Progress "Paramount welcomes the advent of new exploitation forces in the field," said Claud Saunders, director of exploitation for Famous PlayersLasky Corporation upon the third birthday of his department. kk\17E LOOK upon the establishment "* of exploitation staffs by several other producers with extreme gratification. It means justification of the idea that Paramount had when it pioneered in motion picture exploitation. "We have never held that exploitation was something for one company only. It is bigger than Paramount, bigger than any of us. It is an idea of utmost importance to the industry for it means the salvation of the small exhibitor. * * * "Paramount's idea was to send a trained showman to these small-rental fellows and help them get the entire amusement-going public. If that public wasn't large enough, the exploiter's mission was to create brand new patrons. "While we have done good work it has been impossible to more than scratch the surface. So, instead of resenting the duplication of the work hitherto unique to Paramount, we cheer every time any of our competitors announce an exploitation staff. It means more than the fact that Paramount's idea is vindicated. It means twice — three times as many exhibitors will practice sound showmanship and that means the improvement of the financial condition of the entire industry. For what is motion pictures without these little fellows? They are the bulk of our business." The Division of Exploitation was established July 19, L919, when Mr. Saunders and eight assistants went into WALTER P. LINDLAR Assistant Director of Famous PlayersLasky Division of Exploitation. CLAUD SAUNDERS Director of Famous Players-Lasky Division of Exploitation. the field to put over "The Miracle Man." Exhibitors received them with such enthusiasm that the force was doubled and it has now expanded to the point where each Paramount exchange has its exploiter. The Division of Exploitation also creates all of the Paramount posters and lobby accessories. * * * Walter P. Lindlar, assistant director, has charge of the constructive and creative work of the department. He edits and relays exploitation suggestions to the men in the field, and devises a number of the stunts himself. He is also the author of the Paramount lobby suggestions which are embodied in sketches frequently reproduced in the trade papers. The most noteworthy achievement of the third year of the department was the star-identification contests for "The Affairs of Anatol," run in tieups with newspapers throughout New England. John P. McConville, exploiteer at Boston, obtained 62,832 lines of free publicity in 33 towns. Such small communities as Bangor, Me., Pawtucket, R. T„ and Haverill, Mass., are types of towns benefited. * * * Standardized campaigns on "The Sheik," "Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford," "Fool's Paradise," "Moran of the Lady Letty," and others worked as well in Portland, Ore., as in Portland, Me. Advance campaigns have already begun on Paramount's fall issue. In Milwaukee, a newspaper has adopted the slogan, "If You Believe It, It's So," a tieup with Ascher's Merrill theatre, which is to play the picture. Cooperative roof-garden advertising has been obtained for "The Top of New York." Several Massachusetts towns have already begun newspaper teaser campaigns for "Nice People." Live Copy Whiskaway beats Morvich. Newspictures cover the event. Race enthusiasts in states where racing is not peimitted are currently engaged in agitating its reinstatement. These newspictures constitute exceptionally live copy. There's a great deal more money in them than the majority of exhibitors get out of them.