Exhibitors Herald World (Jan-Mar 1929)

February 2, 1929 Co-op Ad Carries Extra Kick with Hidden Sentence The Uptown theatre at Parsons, Kansas, fired both barrels of the old exploitation gun when the adjoining ad, sent in to "The Theatre," was placed in the Parsons Daily Sun. In the first place it's a real cooperative ad. In the second, there is the added kick of the clues in each add with parts of sentences, numbered, which placed together read: "Cut out the pieces of the letters found in the ads surrounding the Uptown's and paste together to form the word 'Wings.' " The box in the upper rightband corner of the ad states: "Follow the instructions of this sentence and be one of the first three to submit your solution to any of the adverticers on this page and get a ticket free." Louie Vaughan, manager, contributed the idea and the clipping, with the following comment : "We considered this a very good idea and others I know would be glad to have a tip. The newspaper will cooperate 100 per cent anywhere on this. I don't believe that the press sheet shows this idea, although it might be old. Still it has the old punch." Well done, Vaughan, both the ad and contribution of the idea to other exhibitors. EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD 55 Saturday Matinee For Youngsters Is Neighborhood Help The neighborhood theatres in Milwaukee are getting a lot of business for their Saturday afternoon matinees, which is helping a great deal to send up the weekly gross. Not that Saturday afternoon matinees are anything new, but it is something to keep them going every week. The State, Downer, Riviera, Venetian, Mirth, Fern, National, Garfield and Shorewood theatres are some of the houses that are playing Saturday afternoon matinees for children real heavily. And they are filling their houses! That's the important thing. Contests of various sorts have brightened up the theatre fronts on these occasions. There has been everything from pirates to tea parties, staged in Milwaukee. This constant promotion on the part of the neighborhood and outlying houses has resulted in more business than one would ordinarily think. These youngsters go home and tell Mother, Father, Sister and Brother where they were and what they saw, with the result that the picture gets plenty of publicity. Legal Summons to "On Trial" Scores For Ohio Theatre (Special to the HeraldWorld) LIMA, OHIO, Jan. 29. — A legal-looking summons with a bill of particulars on Warner Brothers' "On Trial" was sent out by Schine's Ohio theatre. The summons-herald was placed in the conventional blue paper jacket of legal papers. On the jacket the theatre was named as the plaintiff and 'Yourself" as defendant, the document beng headed, "In the Supreme Court of Talkng Pictures — United States of America." Work the PuzzleWin a Free Ticket to the Uptown Issjjnfagfia This cooperative ad, with the hidden sentence, went over well, as Manager Louie Vaughan of the Uptown at Parsons, Kan., tells us in the adjoining column. Birthday Club Tieup Is Way to Get the Children "Eleven boys and girls will receive tickets to Loew's State on their birthday" and "be guests of the management of Loew's and the Birthday Club." This is the way a three-fourths column news story starts in the Item-Tribune of New Orleans. A real tieup. The article also includes mention of the week's bill "that will appeal to members of the club." much attention. Falk also sent a special letter to 50 dog owners and invited them to be his guests at a special showing. He also made arrangements with a local broadcasting station to announce the picture each night during the week played. It filled the theatre each night, and the theatre is a pretty big one. Gets Fox Ranch to Use Lobby Display On Rin-Tin-Tin Film It takes Louis Falk, manager of the Wausau theatre, Wausau, Wis., to pull an exploitation idea that will set everyone to talking. Louis has been pulling plenty of them up in his section of Wisconsin and that is one reason why his theatre always is sporting a good daily attendance. Here's that latest one that is absolutely novel and which attracted much attention in Wausau. When Falk was showing the picture, "The Land of the Silver Fox," featuring Rin-Tin-Tin, he made connections with one of the largest fox ranches in Wisconsin to put a display in his lobby. This ranch won many prizes at shows, etc., and had lots of medals and ribbons, etc., of great interest. A special glass case of these, together with some loving cup prizes, was placed in the lobby. To back this up a special cabin was built out of logs and also placed in the lobby. Against the cabin there leaned a pair of skis. Snow was on the roof and piled against the sides of the cabin. A light shone steadily from the interior of the cabin. As Wausau has a great deal of interest in the out-of-doors, this campaign created Sends Notices of Film On Stock Exchange to 500 Philadelphia Brokers Jay Emanuel, owner of the Forum theatre in Philadelphia, is the originator of a new publicity move. His theatre was to feature a short reel, "The Nation's Market House," a film showing how the New York Stock Exchange is conducted. A notice was sent by Western Union to each of the 500 brokers in Philadelphia, to the effect that "The Nation's Market House" would be shown as a first run in Pennsylvania at the Forum theatre, picturing the advantages of having their clients see the picture and thus gain an idea of the workings of the New York Exchange. Emanuel issued tickets bearing the names of brokers who paid for them at regular rates and sent them to clients. The response was very encouraging. The showing of the picture also was to be announced on the tickets in Philadelphia. Meara Publicity Director For Pabst and Davidson John Meara, exploitation manager of the Alhambra theatre and the Milwaukee theatre circuit, has accepted a position as publicity and advertising director of the Pabst and Davidson theatres, Milwaukee. Meara has been engaged in theatre exploitation work for four years, having been connected with many of the large theatres in that section of the country. His work has been featured by tieups with leading merchants and industries. (TELL EM WITH TRAILERS^)