Year book of motion pictures (1929)

COLORED GLASSES Card throwaways with small green isinglass glasses are inexpensive, and can apply to almost any showing. The cards measure about two inches in width. Caption on cards reads : "All eyes will be on (name of star) in (.picture) which opens at the theater." SPECIAL STUNTS "~ JUVENILE CLUB Organize a Juvenile Booster Club. Cards are issued to all the youngsters, the cards having ten numbers at the bottom. There are punched by the doorman. When all the numbers are punched out, the club member is entitled to a free admission. Of course the idea of the "club" is that the youngsters mention the plan to their friends. Here is a very effective stunt for building juvenile patronage. NUMBERED TICKETS For special children's matinee on Saturday. Distribute numbered tickets among children, different sets be.ng used for boys and girls. A drawing is held from the stage for the lucky numbers. Prizes for both boys and girls are donated by dealers, who are given suitable publicity. A telegram of greetings from the star is read to the children. NEWSBOYS' BAGS Special signs can be made to be attached to newsboys' bags, advertising the current show. Here is a cheap and very effective form of advertising your theater for a period of weeks. Give the newsboys passes in exchange for the ads. PAINTING AND DRAWING Offer prizes to school children for colored drawings of a star or of a scene. To have educational value the drawings should not be merely colored engravings, but enlarged in free hand by the children. A lobby display of winning drawings pulls attendance from all over the city. SPELLING BEE The school authorities will listen to the spelling bee idea — it is educational. Suitable prizes offered by theaters to winners of various classes. All words selected in the contest to have a direct bearing on the story of the picture. All winners of the respective classes to hold spelling bee at theater during run. BOOSTER CLUB A novel plan for exploiting Greater Movie Season. Advertise a free matinee for the kids with the idea of organizing a Greater Movie Season Club. A plan is outlined to the children whereby they could become members of the club and also insure themselves of seeing 12 morning matinees without charge. The plan is for each child to circulate and get 30 signatures to a petition. The latter briefly outlines the idea of Greaater Movie Season, and winds up with : "I am a booster for better pictures and will appreciate being placed on the mailing lists of the theater for their weekly attraction announcements." SPECIAL SHOWINGS BOY AND GIRL SCOUTS Use on historical feature. Arrange special show ing for all Boy and Girl Scout units. They assemble in a prominent part of the city, and march to the theater with fife and drum corps playing. Make arrangements with police department for motorcycle escort. Newspapers will play it up with stories and photographs. BABY PARADE AND SHOW Tie up with merchants' association for an extensive baby show and parade. The merchants donate prizes for the various types of babies — the prettiest, cutest, chubbiest, best dressed, etc Also for impersonations of the baby in the picture, if the stunt is used in connection with a juvenile feature. Prizes are also offered for the best floats in the parade The latter winds up at the theater, where the judging is done on the stage. KIDS' MATINEE Stage a kids' matinee with the idea of benefiting local children's home or orphan asylum. All chil dren under 16 are admitted free by bringing two potatoes, or two oranges, or two apples, or any other foodstuff. The mass of fruit and vegetables on display in the lobby after the kids arrive makes a ballyhoo in itself. The material is later carted off to the institution. The stunt is good for newspaper publicity. HOSPITAL PERFORMANCE This can be made a civic event through enlisting aid of Merchants' Association and Women's Clubs. They will be glad to cooperate in making the kids happy at a special showing at the hospital. In addition to the film showing, special acts can be staged through courtesy of any vaudeville peop:e in town. Merchants can donate gifts. Newspapers will give this valuable space. FREE KID SHOWS Make a feature of an occasional free show Saturday mornings for poor children under the age of 13. The performance starts with the children singing a patriotic song. Here is a stunt that will build a lot of goodwill in the town. ORPHANS' PARTY Secure cooperation of Rotarian Club in a "Big Brother Orphan Party." Secure donations of fruit and candy from them and local merchants. Others will loan cars for transportation of the kids to and from the show. This is always good for newspaper notice. CHILDREN'S HOUR Establishing a "Children's Hour" has been found profitable. This means setting aside the hours between 4 and 5 P. M. daily, when children are admitted for half price. POTATO MATINEE Good stunt for neighborhood house. Run it as a Saturday morning show, and advertise it extensively as a 'Totato Matinee." Any child is permitted to see the show upon presentation of a potato at the box office. The potatoes are turned over to charity. Comedies NEWSPAPERS COOPERATIVE GAG A simple but effective stunt which helps materially in selling a co-op page to the local merchants. Each merchant's ad carries a line to the effect that the first ten people entering the store will receive a free ticket to the show. "WISE-CRACKS" Arrange with newspaper for a "Wise-crack" contest named after the title of the picture. Each contribution must use the name of the attraction. All those good enough for publication receive a free ticket to the show. The paper features daily write-ups during the run. SIMILARITY COMPETITION Run a week before the opening, and continue till the final day of the showing. Tie up with merchants for prizes to the first three most re sembling the star of the picture. Photographs submitted and published in the paper. Consolation prizes to all whose photos are published in the form of theater tickets. CLASSIFIED ADS Contest for short essays from readers of the newspaper on the value of the classified ads. This continues during mn of picture, and free tickets are given for the best contributions. The paper publishes a list of appropriate subjects which contestants can choose. IDENTIFICATION BY PHOTOS Newspaper photographer with representative passes out post card announcements that pictures will be snapped on these spots at the same time the 774