The film daily year book of motion pictures (1932)

— Censor Cuts A unique stunt for turning a loss to profit. Where censorship has hacked your feature, obtain from the exchange the official list of cuts. Post this in the lobby with the ostensible purpose of telling the crowd about the missing portions. Folks will get the idea that the rest must be a pretty smart picture. □ — Fish Stories In a good fishing section, tie up with the local newspaper on good fishing stories for the season. The fishermen deposit their prize fish to prove their story in a refrigerated showcase in your lobby. Winners bringing in specimens are given guest tickets. The refrigerator can be promoted from a dealer for the resultant ad. □ — Auto Novelty On a feature with an automobile atmosphere, put a 3-sheet in the lobby showing the auto coming head on to the spectator. Back of the board place an auto horn, operated with a pushbutton by the doorkeeper. When the latter sees someone looking at the sheet, he blows the horn, getting a laugh out of the gazer. The effect of the sudden honk is much better than a steady series of blasts. □ — Bulletin Service Downtown theaters can get goodwill and some business through copying the bulletin service which is used in some railroad stations. This may be either a board in the lobby, to which messages may be affixed, or some provision for handling inquiries, in which case envelopes are provided for the missives. The big idea is that women downtown together, can leave messages making appointments or telling what suburban train they are going to take back home. It is agreed that they will consult the bulletin. A few dummy messages may be needed to get the idea over, but once it is started, it will be found that a number of women will drop in and leave a message, do some shopping and perhaps return to see the picture. This can be helped along by a couple of notes, such as "Edith. Meet me here in the lobby at 4 and we'll see the show before we go home." Others may accept the suggestion and buy in. From another angle a mother may put the children in the show and return later to leave a note telling them where to meet her for the trip home. You can work out a lot of angles adapted to your town, the main idea being to get people into your lobby and thinking of your house. — Upset Signs The upside-down sign is always a good attention-arrester, and inexpensive. Your current title is written on a sign large enough to be read easily and then placed upside down on an easel. Hundreds will take note of it who would pass a straight sign unnoticed. Good only once in the lobby, and once in some window. □ — Personality Gag If your house is rather large, you will find that your doorman is familiar with the faces and in many cases the names of a lot of patrons you do not know. It is a good stunt to have the doorman introduce you to these people as they come in. This not only gives an intimate touch, but people respect the doorman more when they find he stands so well with the boss. The result is that at times when you are unable to be in the lobby, your doorman's greeting does almost as well. □ — Animated Airplane The whirring airplane is always a good draw for the lobby crowds. Rig up a beaverboard airplane, about five feet long and three feet wide. A large electric fan is mounted in the rear to set the propellers in motion and keep them humming. A stiff piece of cardboard is set on the side of the propellers so that they scrape it in turning. This produces a very realistic sound of a droning airplane. □ — Footbajl Splash In a town where there is a strong college o^ high school football team, this can be worked effectively on a football feature. Still from the picture are mounted on a compo board about 40 X 80. At the top, place the heads of the two leading players of the local team on each side of a large head of the feature star. Then the lobby can be built up with the pennants and banners of the school, all forming an effective display at slight expense. □ — Atmospheric Lobby On a mystery feature, use the Haunted House effect. The entire lobby takes on the atmosphere. Cover the entrance with a large cobweb made from cord, gilded and covered with metallics. Across the web stretch cutout letters of the title. The ticket booth is covered with a white cloth to give the proper spooky appearance. Other props can be set around the lobby to create the particular atmosphere indicated in the mystery feature. Subdued lights of blue and green complete the desired effect. 686