The film daily year book of motion pictures (1932)

comedy, where the audience is laughing most of the time. Use a radio amplifying apparatus to shoot the laughter from the house to the street. Use a special loudspeaker to get the maximum effect. The audience laughter is readily picked up by the regulation radio mike. □ —Play Up Crits This must be good, for the Broadway houses have been using it steadily right through the season. On a feature that is getting good reviews from the local critics, have the comments photographically enlarged. Play up the critic, and give him prominence on additional cards. These are displayed right out front. It creates goodwill with the local writers and you can't go wrong there. □ — Masked Cashier A sure novelty that pulls the attention of everyone passing the box-office. It can be arranged in cooperation with the local editor selecting a popular girl. Her identity is withheld. The stunt is played up in the paper. The girl appears masked in the box office at certain times. The newspaper announces the times of her appearance. Offer free admissions to those who can identify her. □ — Giant Telegram This one should only be used on a big feature where the run is extended. Have a wire sent from the local branch manager, or exchange manager, about the sacrifice made in extending the run, while other theaters are waiting for it. Have the telegram enlarged to about fourteen feet. Placed out front, this is always effective. □ — Arab Tent For a colorful marquee display, use a small tent with accessories to get over the atmosphere on a desert picture. Spears, carpets, incense burner, guns, are placed outside the tent. If it is possible to get a man dressed in Arab costume to sit at entrance to the tent at certain times, this becomes a very effective ballyhoo. □ — Ballyhoo Star Just off the street is set a large mounted cutout of the star's head. A microphone is placed in the star's ear, and a loudspeaker back of the mouth. Alongside the cutout a card invites passersby to whisper a question about the picture into the star's ear, and have him answer. Behind a screen someone is posted on the picture, who replies to the questions re ceived through the mike. This stunt has a very mystifying effect to the average person, and will keep the crowds in front of your lobby. □ — Concealed Announcer At front of lobby is placed a double-sided star of compo board which is covered with stills of the feature. The layout is hitched up to the house announcement system, with the cones hidden by scrim. The microphone is placed in a spot where the speaker can observe those scanning the board, yet he is hidden. Each person who stops to examine the stills is treated to a little talk on the feature. The stunt carries a novel and startling effect to the listener. □ — Lobby Artist Having your artist work on a sign right out front of the lobby is surefire for getting interest of those passing by. If he is clever, he can get the spectators interested in his work by drawing them into conversation on his work as he proceeds. One of those inexpensive stunts that gets a lot of publicity. □ — Naturals There are certain picture themes that are naturals for box-office atmosphere. Building your box-office to carry out the subject matter of your attraction is one of the simplest and yet most effective ways of publicizing your feature. Among many of the old standbys, the following are always easy to work up into eyesmashing display: a log cabin, sheriff's office, trading post, mining hut, hunting lodge, pilot house, railroad or steamship ticket office, South Sea Island hut, circus side show, country store. From the stills, it is easy to select the props needed for the box office atmosphere. Have the ticket seller dressed to fit into the picture. A man alongside the box-office dressed "in character" to ballyhoo the attraction is the best punch you can give it. □ — Naval Lights Use this on feature with a Navy atmosphere. Arrange with the local naval recruiting station to supply two signal lights. These are placed on the marquee, and operated with alternating green and red signals. Have several large cutouts of the featured players placed behind the lights. This simple stunt gives you an impressive display that costs practically nothing. Your screen can run a plug for recruiting at the naval station in return for the cooperation. 688