Exhibitor's Trade Review (Nov 1925 - Feb 1926)

Page 42 Exhibitors Trade Review F. B. O. contributes a half-ton of comedy to Laugh Month, with these three 'anemics" furnishing the motive power in a Standard Fat Men Comedy. Smashing Line-Up of Accessories for Laugh Month The committee in charge of National Laugh Month for the distributors of Short Feature Comedies have been extremely active in preparing accessories which will enable exhibitors to put over Laugh Month with a bang. A broadside announcing the coming of January as Laugh Month has been mailed to every exhibitor in the United States and Canada. On the back of this broadside is given a list of all accessories prepared and available at the present time. Additional accessories will be ready within a few days and will be included in the press sheet which will be mailed to the exhibitors during the coming week. The Sweeney Lithograph Company of Belleville, New Jersey, have made up banners, pennants, and posters. By grouping all of this kindred accessories in one concern, the exhibitor may obtain the principal items with a minimum of effort. Special sketches have been prepared by the committee and each contains one or more laughing heads and the wording — "Come in and laff — LAFF — L A F F. January is National Laugh Month." The accent on the third LAFF is crescendo. The banners will be 3 feet by 10 feet, printed in blue and yellow on canvas and will have 5 eyelets for hanging. These will be sold for $1.25 each. Pennants, 13 inches wide by 29 inches long will be printed in assorted colors, hemmed at the top with eyelets for hanging in the lobby or under the marquee. These will cost 12c each. One and three-sheet posters are being done in 2 colors, a combination of blue and orange. National Screen Service, Inc., with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco have agreed to make up a special trailer for the Laugh Month committee. They have gone further and offered to supply these trailers absolutely free of charge to all of their regular customers. All the customer has to do is to notify the Screen Service Booker that he wants the Laugh Month trailer and the exhibitor will then receive it as part of the regular service. Celluloid buttons about one inch in diameter are being made up by Bastian Brothers Company, Rochester, New York. Buttons will be shipped C.O.D. plus postage or express charges at the rate of 500 for $4.50, 1000 for $8.00, 2500 for $18.75 and $7.00 a thousand for 5000 or more. The Excelsior Illustrating Company, 219 6th Avenue, New York, are making up the special Laugh Month slide from copy furnished by the committee. As slides are too small an item to permit bookkeeping, they have agreed to mail direct to the exhibitor on receipt of stamps, cash or money order at the rate of 15c per slide. This includes postage. The window cards are being made up by the Wintin Printing Company, of 405 Broome Street, New York City. These are are being sold at 5c each, C.O.D. if desired. The committee in charge of National Laugh Month consists of Gordon S. White, Educational Film Exchanges as chairman ; P. A. Parsons, Pathe Exchange ; Fred McConnell, Universal Pictures, Nat. C. Rothstein, Film Booking Offices ; Julian M. Solomon, secretary ; Fred Quimby, Fox Films, W. E. Shallenberger, Arrow Pictures, W. Ray Johnston, Rayart Co. Headquarters are located at 218 West 42nd Street, N. Y. Information should be sent to the committee at that address. January is National Come in and LAFF-LAFF'LAFF A one-sheet available through the accessory arrangements and by the Short Features Adv. Ass., for the benefit of showmen during "Laff" Month. Universal's Line -Up for "Laugh" Month By FRED McCONNELL Of the many producing and distributing companies cooperating in National Laugh Month, Universal has probably the strongest and best balanced array of short product available. Carl Laemmle always eager to aid exhibitors in projects devised to further their interests, has scheduled for January release an array of one-and-two reel comedies, as well as a serial and several westerns, second to none. Of the thirty-six reels comprising sixteen pictures, scheduled for release during National Laugh Month, more than one dozen stars are featured, giving the exhibitor a variety of talent capable of filling his theatre during the period of the drive. An Adventure Serial, four Century Comedies, two Gumps comedies, four Bluebird comedies and five Mustang Westerns are on Universal's 1926 January release sheet. Of the many patron-pulling personalities starred in these short-product releases are : Jack Daugherty, Edna Marian, Wanda Wiley, Arthur Trimble, Al Alt, Joe Murphy, Charles Puffy, Neele Edwards, Arthur Lake, Fred Humes, Josie Sedgwick, Edmund Cobb, Ben Corbett and Pee Wee Holmes. Universal's publicity, exploitation and advertising departments have effected several surefire tie-ups on these stars, destined to create considerable nationwide interest in these players' releases. Universal's short-product box-office moneymakers scheduled for release during National Laugh Month are: "The Scarlet Streak" (Adventure Serial) ; "The Honeymoon Squabble," "Buster's Bust-Up," "Her Lucky Leap" and "Helpful Al" (Century Comedies) ; "Min's House on the Cliff" and "Min Walks in Her Sleep" (Gump Comedies) ; "The Horse Laugh," "The Honeymoon Hotel," "Prep School" and "Ups and Downs" (Bluebird Comedies) ; "The Call of Hazard," "Montana of the Range," "Hearts of the West," "The Man With a Scar" and "The Hero of Pipe Rock" (Mustang Westerns). RELEASES DURING NATIONAL LAUGH MONTH— 1925 "The Scarlet Streak," (Adventure Serial), 10 episodes, William Desmond. Mustang Westerns (2 Reels)— "The Call of Hazard, Fred Humes, January 2. "Montana of the Range," Josie Sedgwick, January 9. "Hearts of West," Edmund Cobb, January 16. "The Man With a Scar," Fred Humes, January 23. "The Hero of Pipe Rock," Ben Corbett and Pee Wee Holmes, January 30. Century Comedies (2 Reels)— "The Honeymoon Squabble," Edna Marian, January 6. "Buster's Bust Up," Arthur Trimble, January 13. "Her Lucky Leap," Wanda Wiley, January 20. "Helpful Al," Al Alt, January 27. Gumps Comedies (2 Reels) — "Min's House on the Cliff," Joe Murphy, January 3. "Min Walks in Her Sleep," Joe Murphy, January 17. Bluebird Comedies (1 Reel) — -"The Horse Laugh," Charles Puffy, January 4. "The Honeymoon Hotel," Neely Edwards, January 11. "Prep School," Arthur Lake," January 18. "Ups and Downs," Charlie Puffy, January 25. * * * PATHE'S ART PUNCH To emphasize the punch scenes in forthcoming comedies, Pathe is issuing special art posters on the short feature comedies. Such artists as Gustav Michelson, George Kerr and Merle Johnson are drawing an unusual line of posters which Pathe exhibitors will find ready-made for advertising their "Laugh Month" attraction.