Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1930)

December 6, 1930 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD 41 Street promotion in San Francisco for First National's "Girl of the Golden West." One picture shoivs a side view of the sound truck, while the other illustrates both the sound truck and the truck carrying the "human billboard." A woman dressed to represent Ann Harding, star of the film, went through pantomime behind a transparent veil in the side of the latter truck. A mechanical man ivho walked and talked provided the rest of the street ballyhoo. ?? Convicts Parade, Paper Runs Serial On "The Big House Shortly after the censors had lifted their ban on "The Big House" in Ohio, Walter Caldwell, manager of Loew's Valentine in Toledo, booked the picture and tied up with a newspaper to run the serial story of the film. The story made excellent reading for the newspaper's readers and it cost the paper nothing, so in return the publication printed 90,000 four-page tabloid heralds which were inserted in all copies of the newspaper. The press and officials of the city were invited to attend a special preview of the picture. Along with their invitation came a card on which the recipient was to express his personal comment on the film. Caldwell used one more stunt, and it very nearly upset the town. He hired three men, dressed them in striped prison garb, with copy printed on front and back of the costumes, and sent them through the streets. The three men were chained together. They walked lockstep and stopped traffic on a number of occasions, it is said. Carnival, Night Football Fails to Stop This Manager; He Has a Midnight Show When Taft, Cal., an oil town, celebrated its twentieth anniversary recently, so many evening attractions popped up that it appeared the town's theatre was doomed to "slim pickings." A tent show came in for the occasion, and a night football game was on the program. Did Manager James Gleason o£ the Fox Hippodrome call it Black Friday and quit? Nothing like that. He merely figured that the night would be young after the football game and the tent show. So he went ahead with plans for a midnight show. The city's anniversary committee worked with him, sold tickets for the show, did extra advertising to plug the picture and supplied stage talent for a share of the receipts. The committee received a neat sum for its efforts. The theatre earned $70 more than its average evening receipts. good fellowship and lets the people know that the theatre is something of a civic organization, too. "Although we have not been sending so very much to the Box Office Promotion department, we always look for that section: first when the old Herald-World arrives. It's the best." Texas House Wins Good Will by Backing Special Football Train There's nothing to be explained or described concerning this campaign. H. M. Rogers, manager of the Palace, one of the R & R theatres in Sweetwater, Texas, explains everything in his letter, and he pens an interesting line, too. It's his campaign, so let's have him tell the story: "Just a word from down this way. We have just finished a good will stunt for the theatre and thought maybe you'd like to hear about it. "The annual high school 'Class A' football game between_ Sweetwater and Big Spring, a neighboring city.l was played at Big Spring this year and is somewhat of a grudge affair, with lots of interest among the townspeople, so we sponsored a special train and called it the R & R Theatre-Mustang Football Special. Get More Than Enough "We gave the railroad company a check to cover the guarantee and then they gave us credit on every ticket up to that figure. The train carried 250 over the guarantee. Ad tieups kept the R & R Theatre-Mustang Special before the people for more than a week before the game All reservations were made at the box office of the Palace theatre and of course that kept our advance billing in the lobby before everybody that went. "Next we put a full sheet card in every coach on the picture that was playing that night, so that every one riding the train was sure to see it. Next we took 500 feet of motion pictures of the football game, which was played on a Tuesday, and showed this film the following Saturday as an added attraction. That drew quite a few extra patrons. Students Send Letters "Through letters received from the student body and faculty, we believe the theatre gained good will that could not have been bought with money. "The local civic clubs got together after we had made the announcement of the special train and sent a 30-piece band and 75 girls in the pep squad. "Oh, yes, we won the game and settled an old score. And everybody came home in high spirits to finish out the program by seeing Moran and Mack in 'Everybody's War.' "I believe that such stunts along through the year do a great deal to bring the theatre and its patrons closer together in a bond of He Gets Window Displays By Cleaning Up Old Stores E. J. Sullivan, manager of the Fox, Napa, Cal, is getting window displays by cleaning up vacant stores and buildings. Through arrangement with the property owners, he has the litter removed and gets the window space without cost. Sullivan is employing this system to supplant his outdoor advertising. The cleaning of the stores has the additional advantage that it gets the unanimous approval of businessmen and is looked upon as a civic improvement. POSTER PRINTING Cards — 1-2-3-4-8-24 Sheets Type or Special Designed Engraved Posters CHICAGO SHOW PRINTING CO. 1335-45 West Lake Street Chicago, Illinois MONROE 2257