Exhibitor's Trade Review (Sep-Nov 1921)

September 17, 1921 EXHIBITORS TRADE REVIEW 1125 Exploiting Safety In every New York theatre programs advise the audience what to do in case of fire. We wonder if this idea is used throughout the country as it should be. We note the Palace in Dallas, Tex., uses the following paragraph in its programs: Panic Notice. — This theatre is fire proof and cannot burn. In event of panic, there are sufficient exits to completely empty the house in less than three minutes. Look around you, select the exit nearest where you sit and, in case of fire or any disturbance, Walk, Do Not Run. Do not try to beat your neighbor to the street. We might suggest, however, that instead of using the heading, "Panic Notice," this phrase, "Walk, Do Not Run," be substituted. This is selling safety, which is as susceptible of exploitation as any other feature of a theatre. Front Page Stuff An old stunt built on 1921 lines proved an excellent business-getter for the New Palace theatre at St. Paul. The stunt was a baby show which, coupled with a new idea, set a record in publicity circles. The New Palace theatre was on the Front Page of the St. Paul Daily News for twenty consecutive days as a result of tying up the baby show with the newspaper. In addition to this publicity which could not be purchased on the front page, the newspaper gave the theatre two large Sunday layouts and two pages of advertising. Careful investigation showed that six out of every ten local pictures brought to the newspaper for publication are of babies. It was decided that a movie contest would prove most popular on the theory that a mother always wants to get her child in pictures, and especially in the "movies." Arrangements were made with the SlyFox Film Co. of Minneapolis to shoot the first 100 babies that entered the contest. One hour after the doors of the theatre opened more than 1000 mothers and babies were crowded into the lobby. A hurried consultation between the theatre manager, the newspaper editor and Finkelstein & Ruben publicity men resulted in the announcement that 250 babies could be photographed. The lobby of the New Palace theatre was turned into a motion picture studio. Thousands blocked the traffic on Seventh street watching the camera man at work. The following week the complete reel of babies was shown on the screen at the New Palace theatre, and every ticket entitled the holder to one vote. The newspaper also printed a ballot which could be clipped and voted. The contest brought out 33,187 votes in the week during which the pictures showed. A corps of men were kept busy the last few days of the contest counting Totes. This is by far the biggest and most successful popular contest ever held in St. Paul. The last "movie" contest netted only 20,000 votes, and just a few years ago the total of the primary vote of the entire city was only 35,000. B. C. Ferriss, publicity director of the St. Paul houses of Finkelstein & Ruben, worked out the idea of a baby show with Howard Kahn, editor of the Daily News. At the opening of the New Alhambra, Canton, O., J. D. Kessler ballyhooed "Once' to Every Woman" in a neat, but not gaudy, way, and succeeded in making the opening a huge success. The special 24 sheet was tacked on to a* touring car and made the rounds of the city. Rig up a dummy like this and swing it from a prominent place on your house front to exploit Realart's "One Wild Week." This is the giant who exploited three Paramounts at the same time during their run at Dr. Riesenfeld's theatres on Broadway, N. Y. Big bromide enlargements held sway at the Bijou, Atlantic City, during the run of Warner Brothers' fine picture, "Why Girls Leave Home." It is a picture which does well on such a lobby display. It has many big moments. autu • £ 1 r « # $ y ! I 1 In