The Film Daily (1927)

THE 16 jgg22 PAILV Sunday, September 4, 1927 Exhibitor's Advertising Ingenuity Calls for 'Teck" Gomersall's Praise PECK" GOMERSALL, general sales manager of short subjects for Fox, sees many exhibitors in the course of his visits around the sales circuit. He realizes that the modern progressive exhibitor is apt to be taxed to thelimit of his ingenuity in devismg new methods of advertising. But frequently, Gommersall states, a showman originates a plan of advertising so novel that it is almost imperative that he bring that chap's exploits before the field, for its inspiring and encouraging effect on others. "Of the recent innovations which have been brought to the forefront" he declares "none has been more effective than a plan evolved by H-M. S. Kendrick, rnanager of the Isis in Denver. And the most extraordinary phase of his idea was its simplicity and inexpensive presentation. "When Fox News shipped to Kendrick the film of Col. Lindbergh's reception in Washington, he had already announced his showing and his patrons were waiting. "On the arrival of the shipping box, Kendrick ripped off the coyer and hurried the film to his projection room. Then, within an hour, he had the box set up on a one-sheet frame, with a poster around it announcing in bold letters; This is the box that brought LINDBERGH'S RECEPTION IN WASHINGTON Via Fox News in record time. POSTAGE— $86.60 COUNT THE STAMPS! "And when this was arranged in his lobby, a way had to be cleared for the patrons as they fought to see the picture. The whole side of the shipping crate, of course, was ablaze with the color of U. S. postage stamps. People stood to count them. "Crowd psychology worked. The public was eager to see the Lindbergh pictures to begin with, of course. But, this strange-looking box with its coating of stamps, suggested to them something of the romance that was met with in the shooting of the pictures. It held their attention and obviously, they moved from the box to the box-office." Money-Paper ! 'Mum's the Word" is right, for this 1 -sheet speaks for itself. Get behind it, for real poster lure. Bray to Personally Supervise Production J. R. Bray is in Hollywood for a stay of three months, during which time he expects to continue producing his own two reel comedies. The Skylark Comedy Series will be of the slapstick variety. The first two which have reached the New York office, are "Fresh and a Devil" and "His Ticklish Predicament." Several of the McDougall Alley Comedes for the new season have already been completed. The colored kid "Oatmeal" and the little Chinese lad "Free Gin" will be featured in the entire series. The third series is enitled "Whirlwind Comedies". Bray is also releasing the series of 'Here's .\nother One." Pre-Sold Shorts ! Hodes Explains How Universal Product Are Given Selling Impetus in Advance THE season that has just drawn to a close will rank as the most important this industry has ever known, when viewed from the angle of the short subjects, according to Hal Hodes, sales director of Universal's short product department. To ([uote Hodes more fully; "Prior to the 1926-27 season, a two reeler was just that and nothing more. The word 'filler' adequately described it. True, certain brands of comedies and serials could be depended upon to please the patrons. Yet, nothing was ever done to make theni play their share in increasing box office receipts. "Universal can justly claim to have been the organization which brought about the change which has made exhibitors the country over realize that the short subject, when properly exploited, could be made as much of an attraction as the feature picture on the program. And the basis for this claim is the unusual work done in connection with 'The Collegians' and 'The Newlyweds,' and the manner in which the public responded to these efforts. "A year ago, Carl Laemmle became convinced that the only reason exhibitors valued their short product cheaply w^s directly due to the distributors' failure to create this value with the people who patronized the theaters throughout the country. The value of feature product had ' been enhanced because the various feature stars and brands had been forced into the consciousness of the public via advertising and nublicitv in newspapers, national maerazines. billboard^ and unusual exploitation methods. "With this fact b'efore him, Mr. Laemmle issued instructions to the effect that Universal's short product bp s'milarlv merchandised. 'Thf CollpE^ians' immediatelv showed the '"''suits of the=e efforts, sprinErine irito the van as one of the most ponular series of *wo reel subiects vet released. 'The Newlyweds' also exper ienced the benefits of this exploitat i o n, a wonderfully beneficial reaction coming as the result of a fine publicity stunt — that of having the President of the United States meet Snookums, the star of 'The Newlyweds' comedies. "When Universal's short product for the 1927-28 season was planned, it was determined to continue our efforts to merchandise our shorts for our exhibitors Negotiations already completed call for tie-ups with manufacturers of nationally known products, ranging from such organizations .j asjiie David Adler Sons Co., manufacturers of the 'Collegians' Clothes, and the Averill Mfg. Co.'s Snookums Dolls, to the Vogan Candy Corp.'s 'Oswald The Lucky Rabbitt Candy Bar.' "And those showmen who availed themselves of these contacts last year know how valuable they are to him. There comes to mind an exhibitor located in an important Michigan town who used the popularity contest idea prepared for him by the Universal exploitation department three months ago. He tied up with his local newspaper, offering a silver loving cup for the town's most popular amateur athlete. Not only did the high school sponsor a candidate, but the American Legion Post also came forward with one. When the contest closed, 20 candidates were fighting] desperately to garner the votes, the ballots for which were printed in the] newspapei'. "Feeling ran so high that during] the night before the ballots were to j be counted the newspaper office was | broken into and ransacked in an effort to steal the ballots. Fortunate j Iv for the success of the contest this effort went for naught. The successful candidate polled 110,000 votes, while the total votes cast amounted to 309.000. With these facts in mind, it is safe to assume that "The Collegians' meant far more to this exhibitor than did his average feature." REAL FIRE FIGHTERS HELP SELL THE SHOW -A Merchandising Moral THE picture at the right shows the Mifflinburg Hose Co., Mifflinburg, Pa., in front of the New Theater on the day of a tieup with the house on Universal's serial, "The Fire Fighters." Here is an example of ine^^nensive exploitation to the house owner in the small towns, whose perennial cry on the subject of exploitation is that most of the examples are away out of reach of his financial budget.