Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1924-Mar 1925)

January 3, 1925 EXHIBITORS HERALD 57 SHORT SUBJECTS Creamer Exploits Short Subjects John W. Creamer, W. P. Cuff Enterprises, Chillicothe, Mo., writes : “Am enclosing carbon copy of letter used to exploit Educational’s two reel comedy, ‘Pigskin.’ “We have two large business colleges located here and both had winning football teams this fall, so when we played this comedy I thought that I could exploit it best in these two colleges. “The letter is self-explanatory, and will say that the passes came back 99% strong, several with paid admissions, and the showing received lots of publicity when it was announced before the students. “Yes, business was good. “We do not let any of them get by here.” V The letter sent out by Mr. Creamer reads : “On our Saturday program this week, we are showing a Mermaid comedy, entitled, ‘Pigskin,’ and we would like to have as our guests, the members of your football team. “We know the boys will enjoy seeing this comedy, for in it they will see the funniest football game since Victor Hugo tackled the Hunchback of Notre Dame ! “You can fill in the players’ names on the enclosed passes, and they will be accepted by the tickettaker. “I will appreciate very much if you will, at Friday morning’s chapel, call the attention of all your students to this football com''dy showinp Saturday, and with best wishes, I am,” Where Are the Lists ? Last week we invited short subject companies to supply lists of subjects suitable for the various holidays. They’ve not had time to yet them ready, of course, so this is no more than a reminder. As stated, this department will print lists of short subjects suitable for the various holidays upon receipt of the same from any and all concerns interested. Who’ll be first? Trailers for Comedies ? Listen — Everybody is using trailers these days to advertise coming feature pictures and — Nobody is using trailers (or anything else, for that matter) to advertise coming short subjects. Why? Frankly, this is a request for information. Will some exhibitor tell us why it isn’t good business to announce the two-reel feature of the next program if it’s good business (as it unquestionably is) to advertise the five-reel feature? Will anybody tell us (and the trailer supply companies are not barred) why there are no short subject trailers on the market? Or slides? We think a good bet is being overlooked in this matter. ' If we’re wrong, we’ll thank anybody who will show us the error of our deductions. If we’re right, we’ll be glad to print the announcement of anybody who is willing: to take steps to correct the condition. Address: “Short Subiects,” Exhibitors Herald, 407 South Dearborn St., Chicago, 111. Time a Better Length Unit Exhibitors need to know in advance of play date the screen time of program units. Partially on this account, short subjects quite generally are made in one or two reels, permitting showmen to know their screen time accurately, judging by projection speed. Out of this arrangement has arisen a practical necessity of cutting or padding to make required footage, and neither cutting nor padding is good for comedies. Comedies should be governed, as to length, by the number of laughs in them, and by no other consideration. We believe that comedies advertised as “in seventeen minutes” instead of as “in two reels” or “in one reel” would be in great demand if it were known that the time was determined by the amount of humor in the subject rather than by other considerations. It would take some little time to get this unit of measurement established, but once it were established the box office return upon short subject investment surely would be a more definite and in all probability a greater one. Remember Way Back When — ? Remember way back when Mack Sennett valeted Raymond Hitchcock in “My Valet” so well that nobody noticed the brilliantly billed Hitchcock? Remember back before then, when Mack Sennett used to wander into one of his Keystone classics unannounced and knock off a bit that drew the biggest laugh in the uproar? Remember the comedies he made in those days? The original Keystones ? If you don’t remember them now, you will when you see “Off His Trolley,” which is more like the original Keystone than anything else that has come from the Sennett lot since way back when. The Expected Happens One of the little film papers, tardily “discovering” Harry Langdon as a comedian of excellence, announces the fact of his ability in lengthy paragraphs conveying the suggestion that he be put into feature length comedy. It is the expected, happening again. Hope Langdon doesn’t take it too seriously. The short subjects need him.