Exhibitor's Trade Review (Mar-May 1922)

April 15,1922 EXHIBITORS TRADE REVIEW 1417 Miniature Stage A small annunciator and a miniature stage, which Manager W. E. Drumbar uses in the foyer of his Riveria Theatre, Knoxville, Tenn., to announce coming attractions, were placed in the window of a prominent jewelry store in town to herald the coming of Metro's Peacock Alley. The tiny stage was made attractive by rich peacock colors of satin and silk with a back drop of apricot hue. These colors were augmented by careful lighting effects. The tiny stage contained a display of diamonds, pearls and other gems in trinkets of all kinds. Miniature peacocks were mounted in diamond bracelets and suspended from above. The display was in the center of town and the most strategic place in Knoxville for a display of this kind. The lobby displays were two large archways covered with feathers that encircled the entire front, together with a four-foot cut-out of a peacock carrying its natural feathers. This was backed by an eight-foot fan-shaped affair of beautifully colored feathers which covered the entire box-office. A spotlight w^as placed to bring out the brilliance of the peacock colors. Drumbar secured the consent of the city commissioners to dress up every trash-can in the center of the town. Each can was given a coat of solid color and a peacock was added to each. It certainly improved the appearance of the cans and was a good stroke of advertising. Fighting Opposition In order to combat opposition houses in Jacksonville, Manager A. B. Hill staged a Jazz Week at the Arcade for First Nationals Man, Wovian, Marriage!" and made a killing. A Jazz Orchestra was in that vicinty and so iie booked them for the week. They had made a previous visit to Jacksonville and all that, was necessary to get the crowds was to advertise the engagement. Ten days in advance, slides were run on the Arcade screen ; 2000 announcements were sent out to music lovers and one of these was tucked into every package of phonograph records. The music stores coopeated fuhther by displaying cards in the windows and in front of the stores. 2500bookmarks were sent to the city library where they were placed in every book. These contained an announcment of the engagement and the remainder of the program. This, by the way, is an excellent idea which can be adapted to any picture and is not expensive. A bizarre effect which carried out the atmosphere of jazz in the lobby, was secured by using a maze of different colored bunting and varied lighting. Ray's Hospitality "Mr. Charles Ray offers you the hospitality of his studio at the Luna Theatre, Lafayette, Ind., Thursday, Friday and Saturday, March 9, 10, 11." " In these words, on a neatly engraved card marked "R. S. V. P.," Manager Herb Johnson of the Luna Theatre, Lafayette, Ind., drew the patrons on his regular mailing list to see R. S. V. P. And most of them responded with alacrity. Manager C o b e has this unique display for Universal's "Leather Pushers" in the lobby of the Central, New York. Using the name as an arch over a cut-out of the star standing between two pillars. Manager Cobb of the Alamo, Griffin, Georgia, made a very attractive lobby display for Paramount's "Her Husband's Trademark." This float for First National's "Hail, the Woman," was also in Seattle's "Go to Theatre: Week" parade and is another reason "why men don't leave Seattle." "Go to Theatre Week" was one of the biggest exploitation stunts that has been pulled in the history of motion pictures.