The Film Daily (1929)

THE 10 -3&>* DAILY Thursday, September 19, 1929 -AND THAT'S THAT By PHIL M. DALY CLEVELAND IS a very nice town, and they have a very nice city manager there who has a lot to say as to just what can be done in the way of a ballyhoo on a pitchur. So when Billy Ferguson blew into town with his cohorts to open "Hollywood Revue," he found the big letters all set to stage the animated billboard w-'th the hotsy totsy gals disporting themselves for the delight of the public. "Pretty nice," sez Fergy, "pretty nice." * * * But he found the city manager was violently opposed to allowing the girlies to do their stuff atop the giant electric letters. "Mebbe they will block traffic," he probably figured. "Mebbe one of 'em will fall off, strain her knee-cap, arid give our fuir city a bad name. Mebbe it will keep a lotta husbands out nights looking 'em over and create family discords, and after all, Mr. Ferguson, y'know this is a home city." This was a new problem for Fergie, and try as he would he couldn't sway the city manager. The newspaper boys asked him what he was gonna do about it, and he sez: "It's all off, boys. I wanted to give this town a big free show like we d'd on Broadway, but the city manager sez no." So the newspaper fellers put their heads to gether and started a publicity campaign all their own. They wrote editorials and want ed to know why their town couldn't have the same privileges that New York had. Billy Ferguson had given 'em a flash at the girlies who were picked to do their stuff en the big letters. Mebbe that had sc niething to do with their enthusiasm. * * * Well, the upshot of it was that one newspaper ran a story that the theater manager was gonna pull the animated sign in spite of the city -manager. So they called out the fire department with hose, and threatened to spray the gals if they dared appear. The theater manager ran up a sign out front: "The Gals Will Offer 'Singing in the Rain,' accompanied by the Fire Department Hose." It so happens that "Singing in the Rain" is the theme song of "Hollywood Revue." So, all in all, the gag worked, and they got more publicity than if they had actually pulled the animated sign stunt. (31 THEIR ■| FIRST mm jobs •x—-5WR— -« S. R. KENT stoking boilers t Along The Rialto with PhilM. Daly, Jr. /CHARLIE GOETZ, veteran independent distributor, is said to have a real bet in his "The Woman Who Was Forgotten," and what a sweet hook-up he has with the National Education Ass'n to put over the pitcher Al Christie surely is pepped up over the way talking comedies are going over, and he's spending real jack to keep 'em good Coast stars are declared having some real grief with "financial speakeasies," otherwise stock gyps Players are out an estimated 750 Gs, in the late-lamented Equity squabble The J. J. (Pathe) Murdock intends to stay on the Coast this winter. "Bill" Sistrom has left for the Coast, after talks on the Shubert hook-up Watch for a flock of wide film processes rushed to the market Dave (The Rhinehearted) Bader recites some interesting adventures from Chermany, where he is visiting with "Uncle Carl" Laemmle. Add similes. As interesting as the first job revelations. Speaking of the wide fillums, remember way back in wartime when W. W. Hodkinson had Motion Picture Plus, photographed with a wide lens on glass plates? Alex Moss departs for the Coast this Sattidy and soon enters production Ned Marin, recently resigned from First National, is in Noo Yawk on the way to Yurrop. He's joining Fox, 'tis said Al Rockett also is in the East Nat Levine is happy these days over the big reception his talker serial is getting. A wire from Buffalo tells of runs for it in three Shea Publix houses Major Bowes of the Noo Yawk Capitol is on the Coast injecting the exhibitor slant into new Emgeeem flickers. 4 4 When faced with the necessity of equipping a theater with sound, the forward looking exhibitor will have nothing but the best. He will need apparatus that will give the highest degree of tone quality and that will render reliable service for a period of years. Equipment possessing these qualifications cannot be manufactured cheaply.JJ E. E. BVCHER Ne.45 Industry Statistics By JAMBS P. CUNNINGHAM Siatisiicai Editor, Tht Film Dvily No.45 More than 400 exploitation stunts and suggestions, embracing ten major types of productions are outlined in The 1929 Film Daily Year Book's Exploitation section. The ten major types of features are classified as: college, juvenile, historic and war, sea stories, sex drama and romance, society and fashions, sport and adventure, underworld and mystery, westerns, comedies and general. For each class of picture, suggestions are given regarding tie-ups, ballyhoos, window displays, special stunts as well as exhibitor information as to the proper decorations for lobby and marquee. Another division of the exploitation section is the Showman's Calendar, listing 80 holidays, including those observed regionally and nationally. This list offers means for exhibitors to tie up with civic bodies in celebrating local holidays as well as suggestions on appropriate pictures to book. Exploitation of sound pictures forms a separate division of the Year Book's exploitation section. Timely Topics A Digest of Current Opinion — €— Sustained Advertising Is Called Prosperity Keynote ADVERTISING is one of the most powerful forces controlling our modern world. It is the motive power of progress. Years ago when advertising was a comparative rarity we, the public, actually did not know what we wanted or what was good for us. Advertising compels millions first to want and then to buy the advertised commodities whether thev be cosmetics, automobiles or MOTION PICTURES. But advertising must be "on the level" to be 100% effective. A fly by night producing company may advertise a flashily titled "quickie" with as great a spread as one of the great national producing companies will give one of their real superproductions; but — that will not make the public accept it. The advertising surrounding a picture or a star must have more back of them than press agentry and adjectives, or else the advertising fails. Spasmodic advertising is little more than useless; and producer advertising only during the selling season is of virtually no help to exhibitors. Sustained as well as intensive advertising is the only sort that will bring the desired results. It is the duty of every producer who advertises at all to have his advertising kept up steadily so that it will not only sell his product to exhibitors, but will also, through them sell it to the public. Let the entire industry then unite in this crusade to increase the influence of the motion picture by realizing that SUSTAINED ADVERTISING MEANS PROSPERITY. "The Screen Press" TEN YEARS AGO TO-DAY IN #«■ NEWSPAPER of FILM DOM , Lfl'IfnlA'lLTUE NEWS PI* ■ m ^^ULTUE TIME; Joseph I. Schnitzer active on Equity Pictures sales. * * * Carl Laemmle tirades against star stealing. * * * Paramount gets excited over "Male and Female."