The Film Daily (1931)

Sunday, March 15, 1931 EXPLOITETTES A Clearing House for Tabloid Exploitation Ideas © Ambulance for Street Ballyhoo A NOVEL street ballyhoo was included by C. E. Worley, manger of the Madison, Peoria, 111., in campaign on "War Nurse." Worley arranged with the Army Hospital at Dwight, 111., to send an army ambulance to Peoria to be used for a street ballyhoo. U. S. Army inscriptions on both sides of the ambulance were covered with cloth banners containing copy on the picture. The driver was uniformed as a private in the army and two charming young ladies, dressed as nurses, rode on the rear seat. The ambulance was driven through Peoria for two days in advance of playdate. — Madison, Peoria, III. * * * Pathe Has Golf Tieup HTHEATERS booking the RKO Pathe Johnny Farrell golf series will have the merchandising cooperation of some three thousand department, sports and other links apparel dealers carrying the McGregor line of sportswear through a national tie-up with the D. D. Doniger Company. Farrell is being featured in a de luxe window card in action poses from his film subjects and a space is allowed for local sniping of playdates and theater names. These cards will be the focal point around which special window displays will be centered. In addition, the Doniger Company is featuring Farrell and the picture tie-up on the front cover of sixty thousand special booklets to be broadcast to all sports wear dealers. A publicity campaign in behalf of the cooperative tie-up will be featured by Doniger in sporting goods publications to promote dealers to team with theater exploiteers. — Pathe 7*mm ■vpmvvpwif'i** TEN YEARS AGO TO-DAY IN Theater Owners' Chamber of Commerce says First National has broken faith on "The Kid" bookings. * * * William A. Brady says reforms in industry will come about when agitators get out. * * * William M. Vogel to handle Hodkinson product for foreign markets. z:c%tl DAILY • • • EVERY ONCE in so often that exponent of extreme phraseology in picture publicity, Hy Daab, bursts titanically athwart the horizon of humanity riding Radio to victory and crashing this valiant young show machine irresistibly to the heights doggone it, Hy, you've got us babbling that way, too and we've tried so hard to preserve intact our own peculiar style yea, "peculiar" is right, sez you, but we beat you to it but if we visit your ossif a few more times, we'll be a full-fledged Titan everybody in your department does things with an Invincible Sweep Sam Warshawsky talks with a Vibrant Note your own sec moves with Dynamic Force while you thunder instructions to your army of Storm Swept Spirits as they carry aloft the Torch of Victory everything is Titanic on the 16th Floor but when you proffered us your cigarette lighter, the doggone thing only phh-hted and sputtered weakly how come? to preserve the atmosphere, you should sport a lighter charged with dynamite operated with a trip-hammer crashing on brimstone but what we started out to say when you so rudely interrupted us is that Hy is launching another nation-wide fan mag advertising campaign reaching a combined circulation of 12,000,000 Palpitating Souls who will sway and tremble ecstatically as this new message of Radio's star personalities impinges dynamically upon their Inner Consciousness and impels them irresistibly in Thundering Hordes toward the theaters of the Supermen of the Show World who all play Radio Pictures please pass that thunderbolt and a coupla streaks of lightning, Hy, so's I can light my cig. * * * * • • • ROXY THEATER, which will ever remain a monument to the Show Magician, no matter where he may go, is celebrating its Fourth Anniversary another glorious year of splendid achievement on stage and screen the entire industry might fittingly pause for a brief moment and pay tribute to the genius of the man who has done so much to advance the standards and prestige of the Motion Picture. * * * * • • • TECHNICOLOR recently received a phone call from a Chi politician he wanted to know the cost of filming a notorious gangster's funeral in Technicolor a sort of patriotic film laid to rest with the Colors Charlie Ulrich recalls the first scenario written for the old Selig Polyscope company about 26 years ago a one-reeler for which Charlie was paid at the rate of 10 cents a foot he also wrote one of the first of the two-reelers, "Queen of the Harem," for Selig incidentally, C. U. originated the first newspaper-size press sheet for a Paramount Wally Reid special, in 1920 • • • THE BIG THREE of Emgeem theater publicity, Joe Vogel, Howard Dietz and Billy Ferguson, are responsible for those roadshow engagements that have blanketed the key spots with "Trader Horn" the backbone of the campaign hinges on the greatest splash of billboards ever used on a feature pix there are several stands of 96-sheets one covers the entire side of a four-story building in Philly there must be something to this Big Splurge thing, for the feature has broken several "Big Parade" records which hitherto stood supreme Phil De Angelis, pioneer paper-paster, is handling the work on the billboards By winning three straight games last week, the Fox bowling team made it six victories in a row scored over the Paramount five « « « » » » Timely Topics A Digest of Current Opinion — ©— The Serious Business of Being Funny TTNLESS you are naturally of rather a serious, introspective temperament don't harbor any ambitions to be a comedian. The gay fellow is always more apt to be on the receiving end of a joke than the broadcasting. One cannot make people laugh until he learns what will arouse their mirth. Of course, it is possible to hit on the right formula occasionally through sheer accident. But continuously ringing the bell of fun requires deep study of human beings. Even the village buff on soon senses this sad fact. The border lines of comedy are vaguely defined but yet disastrous to cross. Without the exact shading which one person learns to give and another does not, a situation or a joke can easily fall flat. Or it may become too involved for the average sense of humor. Comedy must be subtle, and yet not over the heads of anyone. If a gag is funny enough the most righteous are willing to find amusement in something slightly risque. But if it broadens into the really vulgar, even the most tolerant are, quite correctly, offended. Good taste enters into the manufacture of fun quite as much as any other department of life. Believe me, this business of comedy is a serious one. If you're not willing to work hard at it, don't try at all. Laugh at the other fellow's efforts instead. — Edward Everett Horton MANY HAPPY RETURNS -JH Best wishes and congratulations are extended by THE FILM DAILY to the following members of the industry, who are celebrating their birthdays : March 14-15 Joseph I. Schnitzer Charles F. Reisner James McCoy Maitland Rice Howard Higgin George Sidney Lee Shubert Marion Lissing