The Film Daily (1932)

mm Wednesday, Sept 28, 1932 DAILY EXPLOITETTES A. Clearing House for Tabloid Exploitation Ideas € Clean Up on Wrestling Gag "T)OUGLAS FAIRBANKS in "Mr. Robinson Crusoe" opened at Loew's Midland theater on the same night that Jim Londos, wrestling champion was engaging in a big match in Kansas City. On all the posters used by the wrestling promoters was a picture of Douglas Fairbanks with the caption, "Doug Fairbanks shows how he can wrestle in 'Mr. Robinson Crusoe,' coming to Loew's Midland. Doug throws native men around with reckless abandon. He had to know wrestling holds to do it and spent a considerable period of tutelage under Londos." Then, of course, the balance of the poster was devoted to the billing of the wrestling match. The sport pages seized this story immediately and played it up in big fashion, which proved to be a great break for the picture. — Loew's, Midland, Kansas City Colored Cartoon Played Up Like Feature WTALT DISNEY'S first Silly Symphony in Technicolor was given a real break by Abe Waxman, director of advertising for the Roxy theater in New York. Waxman mentioned the Silly Symphony in all his newspaper ads; put a large display board on the side of the theater; mentioned it prominently in the program and put Silly Symphony up in blazing lights on the marquee. As a result the Silly Symphony received more critic notices than any short ever featured in a New York theater. Critics went out of their way to enthusiastically welcome Walt Disney's newest short feature. — Roxy, New York Sh o w man Daily REMINDER Enforce the "No Smoking" rule and use of matches rigidly. ALONG IALTO • • • WE HAVE with us as guest columnist today our ole pal Earl Wingart publicity manager for Paramount Publix every once in so often these pressageys send in a yarn that warrants extended space here is one that Earl dug up which practically proves that George M. Cohan is the godfather of the talkies for it shows that Mister Cohan started a lot of the screen celebs off on their careers in one way or another we hope you like Mister Wingart's kolyum for that will encourage us to encourage other pressageys to write our columns for us and pretty soon we will be elevated to the rank of a sort of Column Supervisor with practically nothing to do just like any Hollywood supervisor shoot, Earl and remember we stand right in back of you we sink or swim together on this Bold Venture * * * * • • • IT SEEMS that when George Cohan arrived in Hollywood to star in (free ad) Paramount's "The Phantom President" he bumped into some lad or lassie that he had helped to success every time he turned a corner and when it was all over George realized why Broadway show biz had gone on the bum all the former stage talent is now in Hollywood making pix • • • THE FIRST straight part that John Barrymore had on Broadway was in Cohan's "The Fortune Hunter" George Bancroft, then a messenger boy in Philly, was encouraged to attempt a screen career by Cohan when the two met in that city 30 years ago Bancroft later played in a number of Cohan's musical shows, the last of which was "The Rise of Rosie O'Reilly" in which Bancroft was a song and dance man • • • FOR SEVERAL years Doug Fairbanks appeared as one of Cohan's leading men later he was starred his biggest hit was a Cohan show, "Stop Thief" When Cohan produced his play, "Gambling," he starred Clark Gable, and sent him to Philly to create the role during the tryout Gable received a film offer so Cohan had to step into the role for the Broadway run ajf* Wj 3f« *|C • • • THAT OLD trouper, Thomas Meighan, was made a star by Cohan and sent to London to play the latter's original part in "Broadway Jones'' Jimmie Gleason was starred in Cohan's "Hit the Trail Holiday" played in several other of the author's productions and served as stage manager Miriam Hopkins received one of her earliest major stage breaks when Cohan cast her in "The Home Towners" !(• ' )jS JJC aft • • • AND WHEN Cohan staged his play, "Yellow," on Broadway, he used Chester Morris in one of the leading roles in the cast, having his first Broadway engagement, was Spencer Tracy Grant Mitchell was starred, and Natalie Moorhead and Spencer Tracy featured in the producer's play, "The Baby Cyclone" Mitchell had received his first starring parts in Cohan's "It Pays to Advertise," "A Tailor Made Man" and "A Prince There Was" * * * * • • • PLEASE NOTE that in Mister Wingart's kolyum above the name of Mister Cohan who appears in Paramount's "The Phantom President" is mentioned no less than 16 times and if that ain't a Perfect Pressagey's Column what is? TIMELY TOPICS A Digest of Current Opinions € Manager's Attitude Toward His Theater (~)N the numerous little excursions the editor has taken to points around New York City, he was rather surprised to note an air of indifference about many of the theater attaches in the majority of the theaters visited. This, to our way of thinking, is a deplorable condition and is one of the things that cause patronage to drift. A manager who permits his help to grow lax and careless in their handling of his patrons has fallen down on one of the most important parts of his job. Service and attention are of great importance in this age of showmanship and those who neglect it are falling behind the parade. O^times this condition is like a slow-moving illness, it creeps over the theater without those within it noticing the affliction, but then along comes some outsider and to him the condition is magnified because he has not been around to watch its gradual approach. It is always a good point to keep in mind that a manager must walk into his theater in about the same frame of mind as a patron. He should look things over and seek to learn whether his help is really on the job dispensing service, courtesy and attention because the moment these factors are missing your patrons will feel that the theater is not up-to-date. This goes whether you are running any size house. Whether you are doing a very big or average business. — •'Howdy" (Warner House Organ) « « « » » » Sept. 28 Tom Tcrris Ray Davis Ernest Fegte