Year book of motion pictures (1938)

letters to an easel announcing the attraction. He carefully spells out the title of the feature, and turns to the audience. As he does so, the letters fall to the ground. He expresses surprise at the laughter of the crowd, turns, sees the letters on the floor, and starts all over again. The trick is this: The panel on the easel is of fine wire cloth. A vacuum cleaner is hitched to an airtight box in back of it, creating a suction that holds the letters in place. In front of the easel is a switch that the clown works with his foot to shut off the current. This eases the suction, and the letters fall. Sports Windotv Many store owners should be glad to cooperate with you on this one. It is to be used in advance and during the showing of any outdoor picture. The store window is dressed to represent an outdoor camping ground, a fish stream or the sidelines of any popular sports contest. He should use plenty of equipment. It is all for sale in his store. In the center of the display place about 10 stills from the film and a few star stills. It's a swell tie-up and means extra business for all. Sign Btiilder With an attractive girl in the window on this one, you are bound to attract attention. The girl is placed in dealer's window, operating an easel with a beaver board three by four feet. The girl has cut-out letters. 12 inches high, made of colored cardboard, which she pins on the board till the title of your feature is spelled out. There is a sign alongside tying up with your theater. The girl varies her work by displaying a variety of signs on another easel plugging the store's products. While the onlookers are reading these, the girl picks the cardboard letters from the first sign, and repeats the performance. Hope Chest Display in your lobby a handsome hope chest with a card telling the patrons that eight merchants are to place some wedding present in the chest before the Saturday night performance. No one knows, not even the manager, what the gifts will be. The merchants do not know what each other will supply. To the person making the correct guess, free tickets should be given. Cards are given out for guesses at the theater and at each merchant's establishment. This not only brings the people to the theater but sends them to the stores to look over the most likely articles that will be selected in the hope chest. Mystery House A good novelty to play on a mystery feature. A window is secured in an empty store. Have a model made of the mystery house similar to the one in the feature attraction. Ribbons of various colors run from the different windows of the house, with cards pasted at the other ends explaining the various mysterious elements leading up to the mystery. This is a great stunt to arouse the curiosity of the window-lookers, and creates an urge to see your feature. Animal Stunt You're sure to play a number of adventure and wild animal pictures during the season. For one stunt try this out. Cut a piece of compo board to fit one of your large frames. Paint it a deep black. Then glue to the board as many animal crackers as it will hold. The crackers must first be prepared in this fashion. Shellac the back of each cracker so that it will hold the glue. Then silver paint and display one side of each cracker. No one will guess that the display came from the grocery store. The folks will no doubt ask where these shiny little animal toys may be secured, but don't let on. Say that you received the display from New York. This frame may be used in a local store window or in a hotel lobby. Candid Camera Here is a variation of the old photograph gag. Secure a prominent store window and in it place a well formed and good looking girl in a white bathing suit. The girl takes photographs of those looking in the window. State in your card that five pictures out of every hundred taken will be displayed in the theater lobby. Those finding themselves in the photographs will enter the theater free. In reality she only takes about 24 pictures during the day. The other snaps are with an empty camera. Pop BooUs Best books of the week come in for a lot of publicity in this one which is run in the lobby of your theater. Local book store supplies a list of the new books in stock with clippings from advance announcements and a copy of the jacket blurb. Post this material in the foyer. The best letter to the theater r telling why they desire a certain book is good for a prize which may be a pass to the house and a 10 per cent discount on the ; purchase of the book. Post the best letters : in the bookstore window, not forgetting to include your own theater plug. Winner may receive a book free and the runners-up the i discount. 866