The film daily year book of motion pictures (1935)

SPECIAL STUNTS In this section are included just 3 few of the many publicity ideas that can only be — classified as Special Stunts. In the great proportion of cases they do not apply _ to any special picture. They are broader and more comprehensive, capitalizing on the current dance craze, a national holiday, the football season, etc. The stunts here presented are merely a suggestion as to the infinite number of ideas available. VOTING CONTEST Promoting patronage through youngsters electioneering for votes is an easy stunt. A good time to start is after Thanksgiving, contest to run to a few days before Christmas. The boy who wins gets a bicycle. Each youngster in the contest gets as many voting blanks as he can use, with a rubber stamp with which to fill in his name. He gives these blanks to people who will vote for him, the vote being cast when the voter enters the theater. FREE FOOTBALLS This stunt is adapted for small towns, and requires the cooperation of the police department to keep a space cleared for the free-forall scramble of the boys. Announcement is made by the theater a week in advance that six footballs will be tossed from the roof of the building, or one nearby. All contestants must be in football costume. The police keep the space cleared as the footballs are tossed, becoming the property of the boy that catches them. They are tossed one at a time, and excitement runs high among the adult spectators as well as the boys. The latter afford plenty of action as they scramble for the prizes. DANCING CLASS Good for neighborhood houses. Hire a hoofer to teach hoofing from the stage in a 10-minute demonstration twice a week. He has two ostensible pupils — two good looking girls in rehearsal rompers. All of the lesson is addressed to them, but it is phrased to tell the audience what to do. The stunt costs little, as the girls are glad to appear for the lessons they get and a chance to get on a stage. The grown-ups will enjoy it as much as the juveniles. And it breaks the monotony of the all-film show. JOUSTING If you go in for gags, try the Jousting Contest. Usually eight boys are used, between 16 and 20. They are matched up. Two barrels are on the stage and the first pair of contestants are put in the barrels, about four feet apart. Each is provided with a pole six feet long and heavily padded at one end. With these lances they are supposed to push the other chap over without getting pushed in turn. Winners of the first two bouts are again matched and the eventual winner meets the similar boy from the other quartet in the finals. That gives seven bouts. Important that only pushing and no hitting be permitted. NEW DANCES With so many musicals introducing new dance steps, try this one as a natural. Tie up with the local newspaper or dance hall, or run the stunt alone. Announce a prize for the couple that best dances the number shown in the picture. Hold the contest on your stage. Have sketches of the dance reprinted from the press sheet and hand out to local dance halls and schools. Announce it on your screen with a slide. Applications to come to the box-office. Hold the stunt on an off night. No free passes admitted. Everyone pays. LASTING BUBBLES The soap bubble eye-catcher has been used often but in few cases with satisfaction. Exhibitors have found it hard to keep a steady stream of bubbles flowing from a fountain. Good, lasting bubbles can be made from gelatine, the ordinary dessert kind, dissolved in a little less water than is specified in the recipe. When almost cool, place the liquid in the fountain basin, turn on the air pipe and bubbles that will look good and last, will be blown into the air. It's just a gag to attract attention and may be used in a window or in the lobby. PRIZE PRESERVERS Prize money for this stunt can be promoted from grocers for the extra sales of sugar that will result. Announce to housewives that a prize of five or ten dollars will be given at a certain date for the best home-made preserves. Entries should consist of two glasses of jelly, two of jam and two of marmalade. Stores should have window displays of sugars, jars, jelly glasses, etc. Have still of the current picture placed around the displays. Select judges from prominent chefs and dieticians in town. Do not have the judging on the stage but of course announce the winners from the stage at a well-advertised performance. 759