Year book of motion pictures (1936)

Novelty Sign Launching a Star • WHERE you have a big picture booked in, you can give it a long advance plug with this one. A large sign on the marquee reads: "Thirty days to New Years, but only 22 days to ." Add the title of picture. Numbers are of course changed daily, and the sign kept going till the day before the feature opens. You can plug specials with this one before all the main holidays, such as Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. Talking Display • FROM A sidewalk attraction, this one never fails when it is properly handled. At front of lobby place a life-size cutout of the star mounted on beaverboard. Completely surrounding the cutout place a number of star stills. A microphone is placed in a spot where the speaker can watch persons looking at the display. As each person examines the display he is treated to a talk on the highlights of the picture and the splendid work of the star in question. The announcer in this manner has a great opportunity to put over some clever selling talk. Wigwags TWO boy scouts are used, who know the flag telegraph code, and one other youngster who need not. One of the boys is stationed on top of the marquee with a pair of large signal flags. The other signaler is across the street and some distance up or down. The street lad signals the other, who replies, and as he does so the boy on the sidewalk calls off the message to his companion. For a moment the chatter is stuff to suggest that the boys are merely practicing their scout duties. When o crowd is gathered, the message run* into a plug for the current or coming show. The boy on the marquee is provided with suitable copy, which he should actually transmit. The waving flags help things along. Animated Auto • THIS is one of the marquee stimts that never fails to click. It can be seen for several blocks. From the producer's array of lithos you will be able to secure a figure of the star at the wheel of an auto. Have this cut out and mounted on beaverboard and placed on top of your marquee. The wheels of the car are build to revolve, operated by o small electric motor. Decorate the wheels with colored bulbs and you have an animated marquee display that will attract the eye of every passerby within range of your theater. • ONE manager mapped out this stunt to introduce a new star to his patrons and put it over with telling results at the boxoffice. After effecting a tie-up with his local luggage dealer, he had o number of trunks stacked up on the sidewalk in front of the theater. Across these he hung a huge banner with the announcement that a new star has arrived. It drew a crowd to look at the handsome luggage, but they also knew the name of the star and the feature that was his next attraction. This backed by classy lobby material sold his show. Card Signs • EVERY manager knows how to join three or four window cards together to make a triangular or box-like form to be hung on the marquee but a few take much trouble in adding to the drawing value of the stunt. Sometime when the window cards have large letters in the printing, cut out the letters with a razor blade and paste colored paper or colored cellophane under the openings. Hang the "lanterns" so that the light from your morquee or lobby front shine over and into the "lanterns." The effect will be coloriul and attractive from near and far. Carnival Night • USE THIS one on any feature with a carnival setting. The front of theater is decorated in the carnival spirit. Japanese lanterns are strung under marquee, with 7 5watt colored globes. String serpentine paper from the roof to marquee, and from there to the lobby cards. The display is illuminated at night with two flood lights attached to a flasher. It may be possible to attach a carnival parade with the cooperation of the high school students, and make it worth while for them to costume by admitting them free. This gives the merchants a chance to come in with prizes for the best costumes. They get their publicity T^th the awarding of the prizes from the stage, and this feature brings the carnival spirit right into your theater. Sidewalk Posters • AN OLD idea, but always good after being in non-use for a time. Anything from a one-sheet to a 24-sheet is pasted to the sidewalk or the lobby floor, coated with silicate of soda, and allowed to dry. The chemical water-proofs the poper which will last for two or three days before it is necessary to scrape it up. Silicate of soda is known as waterglass, and can be secured from your druggist. 845