The Film Daily (1926)

Monday, December 20, 1926 I mtumuuaauammmmateaamait DAILY TIPS WHICH MEAN DOLLAPS FOR SHOWMEN "Bardelys the Magnificent" (M-G-M) Two thousand postal cards were mailed to a selected mailing list. Postal card read: "I hope no patron of the Lucas Theater will miss Rafael Sabatini's "Bardelys the Masnificent" — a wonderful romantic story witi John Gilbert, the screen's greates' lover, Eleanor Boardman, Lione' Barrymore and a remarkable cas' This is one of the liig pictures of tht year." A tienp was arranged wit<the Cooley laundry, which distributed .3,000 circulars in package? which were sent out. These red: "In the days of 'Bardelys the Magnificent' we had no laundries. How fortunate we are today to get good laundry work. Be thankful you have Cooley Laundry in Savannah. Dres' up and go to see John Gilbert in 'Bardelys the Magnificent' at the Lucas." — John Evins, Lucas, Savannah, Ga. "Miss Nobody" (First Nat'l.) Aroused interest by using a mystery stunt suggestion offered in the press book. A mysterious young girl who mingled with the crowds on the streets and went shopping dressed to represent Miss Nobody. An award was offered to the person who would recognize her at the time he or she Iheld copies of certain newspapers in this or her hand. Two of the papers Iran stories and pictures of the mysteriious girl, telling how she was dressed tto represent Anna Q. Nilsson, starjring in "M'ss Nobody" and describiing her experiences on the street, and hinting at where she would be the next day. — Palace, San Antonio, Tex. "The Old Soak" j (Universal) ' Offered prizes for the best 100word essays on the prohibition question as demonstrated in the picture. Since everyone in the country above Ithe age of five appears to have decided views on prohibition and most of them want to tell someone else about them, there were hundreds of essays turned in. — American, Denver, Colo. "The Prince of Tempters" (First Nat'l) Arranged for enough rotogravure sections to cover the town, and sold a portion of the back page to the local electrician. So the theater had the distribution and advertising at no cost at all, and the electrician bought some mighty good space very cheaply. In addition, planted the "Famous Accomplices To the Prince of Tempters" series to the newspaper, prepared by First National's exploitation department, started well in advance of the showing, and landed some special stories as well. — A. Peeples, Star, Dennison, Tex. "Tony Runs Wild" (Fox) Because the local Boy Scouts are tiying to raise funds for a new club house, agreed to give them 25% of receipts for a special midnight per Newspaper Contest A SERIES of four contests, specially designed to appeal as circulation builders for local newspapers has been prepared for "Ladies at Play" by First National. The first, a "Ladies at Play Athletic Contest" contains a series of six biographical I sketches of famous women athletes. The name of the woman m each case is left to the ingenuity and research of the reader. A "Would You Marry for Money" contest is inte-esting feature material for the wom.an'.s p^ge. The contest applies to the central situation in the feature. Another nove'. idea is a "Caption Contest." It consists of six stories and mats. Readers are requested to suggest captions for the pictures shown with each story, the situations bentg taken from the picture. The fourth is a "Star Acrostic Contest." Twelve pictures of stars, with brief biographical sketches, are pubKshed daily. If all the names are guessed correctly the initial of the last names when placed together in proper order spell out "Ladies at Play" First National furnishes mats, cuts and other accessories. A bulletin containing an outline of the entire campaign has been prepared for use of exhibitors. With such a comprehensive and attractive line to submit to the local editor, it would not be difficult to get him to run one of these contests. He will be quick to appreciate the circulation-building possibilities. formance. One week in advance, the Boy Scouts were given 1,000 tickets to be disposed of. Special slides were run in both local theaters regarding the special performance and the Boy Scouts secured publicity through the local newspapers. On the afternoon of the special performance, the Boy Scouts paraded through the principal streets of the city carrying banners reading, "Help the Boy Scouts. — See Tox Mix in TONY RUNS WILD— Special Midnight Performance." — F. J. Miller, Modjeska, Augusta, Ga. "You Never Know Women" (Paramount) One boy dressed like a girl rode in a wheelbarrow and another boy dressed like a "hick" did the pushing. A sign on each side of the wheelbarrow read "You Never Know Women." The stunt was worked five days in advance of showing and on the opening day the signs were changed to read, "You Never Know Women — See it at the Rex today." — Howard Amos, Rex, Sumter, S. C. "You'd Be Surprised" (Paramount) A radio microphone was installed in the box office and loud speaker was placed in the lobby. On one side of the entrance, a large cut-out of Raymond Griffith was placed. The loud speaker was concealed behind Griffith's mouth and was not noticeable to the public. Some of the chatter went like this: "Good morning ladies, this is Raymond Griffith speaking. You'd Be Surprised just how funny my latest comedy is" and "This is station WRCA Hollywood, Calif, broadcasting a short radio talk by Raymond Griffith who tells you about his latest Paramount comedy You'd Be Surprised."— Warren Irvin, Imperial, Charlotte, N. C. "The Waning Sex" (M-G-M) Because tiie Wolf? & Marx Co. were displaying in six of their windows life-size, lifelike wax replicas of 12 favorite film stars, a tie-up was easily arranged. A jarge box was given the theater in the full-page ad of the store, which also used window cards and stills in their windows about the attraction. A full window display in the largest shop in town was arranged. In the window was a telegram, supposedly from Norma Shearer, thanking the store for a hat which was sent her. A particular hat was supposed to be a duplicate of the one sent Miss Shearer. — R. Blair, Empire, San Antonio, Tex. "We're In the Navy Now" (Paramount) Lieutenant Goldy of the naval office flew over the city on the opening day in a navy plane distributing 20,000 heralds. Many thousands more were placed in banks,, stores, etc., by men attached to the local recruiting staff. The navy men also placed half a hundred boards in ex cellent spots on which were pasted the special posters on the picture furnished free by the Navy Department. Theater front was decorated with naval flags and the lobby had a special display consisting of a naval gun, flags, etc. A sailor was assigned to this unit. — Charles B. Taylor, Shea's Buffalo, Buffalo, N. Y. A Review of Reviews By LILIAN W. BRENNAN (Continued from Page 1) of the great directors and "Old Ironsides" as one of the big pictures of the year. Wallace Beery and George Bancroft are outstanding in the cast. Bebe Daniels' latest picture, "Stranded in Paris," is her best. It is real knockout comedy, good for laughs to the very last shot. Bebe's comedy pantomime is excellent and she doesn't miss a trick to land a laugh at any time throughout the picture. She is the whole show and the picture is all her own. Even Ford Sterling doesn't have a chance to steal it. Arthur Rosson shows ingenuity in his handling of the situations. Vera Reynolds' efforts in "Corporal Kate" did not meet with quite the same success. The attempt to give the woman's side of the war, in a contrast to the usual team of war buddies (Irish and Jewish combinations), does not allow for the comedy possibilities necessary to make for real laughs. Paul Sloane's production is good but his picture runs far too long for the scant humor it contains. The blonde takes a back seat now while the red heads get an inning. Hoot Gibson's latest is based on a story about "A Red Headed Husband" but the picture goes out as "The Silent Rider," a more appropriate title for a western. Hoot is running low on stories of late. Maloney at El Dorado El Dorado, Illi — S. Maloney has taken over the Grand. Welburn Back at Bloomfield Bloom field. Mo.— Clyde Welborn has repurchased the Bloomfield. I'he Trade in London W. & p. 1927 Schedule Lined UpFirst Annual Dinner of BMP. A. — S. Rowson Back Home By hKNEST W. FHliUMAN, Editor, "The Film Ketittr" London — Fifteen features are announced for release by W. & F. Films, headed by C. M. Woolf. They include: Maria Corda in "A Modern Dubarry," which began a run at the Marble Arch Pavilion. London; "The Rolling Road," directed by Graham Cutts and produced by Piccadilly Pictures, Ltd., starring Carlyle Blackwell, supported by Flora Le Breton; Charles Hutchinson and Wanda Hawley, in "Pirates of the Sky"; Madge Bellamy and Johnnie Walker, in "The Reckless Sex"; Lili Damita in "Don't Play With Love"; "The Castle of Fear"; "The Riddle of the Mountains"; "Out of the Dust"; with Russel Simpson, Dorcas Matthews and "Pat" Moore; Long and Short, the comedy pair, featured in "The Love Broker;" Ivor Novello in a picture, as yet untitled, now in production; Betty Balfour and Willy Fritsch in "A Sister of Six;" Bernard Goetzke in "The Outcasts"; "The Woman Who Squandered Men," directed by Carmine Gallone, featuring Soava Gallone; and "Jim the Cracksman," starring Nicholas Rimsky, with (jaby Morlay, an Albatross Prod. When Lord Beaverbrook wrote a personal editorial in his "Daily Express" on "Beau Geste," it was of a praise-worthy nautre. Immediately upon its publicatino, Wardour St. seized upon it as a suggestion of some hidden tie-up between Famous players and the publisher. • « • Although the quota system seems to be certain of passing next year, the C E. A.— Cinematograph Exhibitors' Ass n seems very pessimistic about its ever becomisg a reality. • • • .S. Rowson, following a several weeks' trip to the States, has returned to London. Other trade personalities returning on the same boat with the K. R. S. president were John H. Taylor, who went to confer with Charles Christie, only remaining four days; and R. H. Gillespie, managing director of Moss Empire Theaters. • • » The British Motion Picture Advertisers Assoc, (affiliated with the A. M. P. A., New Vork, and the "Wampus," Hollywood), will hold its first annual dinner on Jan. 28. Exploit-O-Grams (Continued from Page 1) not identified with any specific picture, they are the results of campaigns actually put on by theater owners in all parts of the country. Several major divisions such as bally hoos, window tie-ups and the like, will give the reader a quick key to the section. By the icay, do you read ExploitO-Grams day by day in THE FILM DAILY? Something new all the time in practical shoicmanship. Robertson Gets New Assigrnment Culver City — John S. Robertson, who recently completed ".\nnie Laurie," his first picture for M-G-M, has been assigned to direct "Captain Salvation," Cosmopolitan Prod. Jack Cunning'nam will write the scenario from Josephine Lovett's original.