Year book of motion pictures (1936)

B ALLYHOOS There are certain types oi Ballyhoos that apply to a general run of features, and can be easily used without any particular revamping for your current show. These are the types that have been generally selected herewith. Candid Cameraman • THIS HITS the femme vanity angle. The candid cameraman stunt is pulled on as many girls and women as you care to photograph. Caught on the street oi course, the women shoppers between 16 and 30 are lensed by the cameraman. He hands them prepared postcard for their name and address, which when mailed to theater brings them their photo, which is sent to them with the compliments of the star in your current attraction. This lends the stunt a personal touch. The angle here is that the women show the pix to their friends, with resultant advertising for the feature. Baseball Park • GET THE local ball club to hook in on the opening day of your feature. Someone announces over public address system of the ball park that the baseballs about to be batted into the stands would each be good for admission to the theater. A dozen balls are batted into various sections, and the crowd will be breaking their arms trying to cop them — with a raft of talk created for your house and attraction. Curiosity-Builders • LEARN to capitalize on natural human curiosity. One outstanding example is the undated 24-sheet which is permitted to stay up while people wonder to which house it is coming. Another is the trick painted sign. Put in a few letters at a time, with the letters being scattered about so that the clue to the dtle is kept obscure as long as possible. Midget Auto • IF YOU can secure it, a midget racing automobile makes o grand ballyhoo. Use on a racing feature, with a small sign plugging the attraction on the car. Have it piloted around town by a midget driver in racing togs. You will have them stopping on the streets to observe this one. Police Dog • THE POLICE dog bally is a natural to use on special features. If you use it occasionally, only on the important shows, people will learn to appreciate that point when the dog is used. A different costume is specially made for the hound, tied up with the idea and style of the picture. But the dog's costume does not have to follow the play idea. Over the costume is placed a blanket carrying the ad for the feature. For illustration one theater used a pyjamo costume for "We're Not Dressing." Patron Pictures • WHEN the crowds are coming in on a pop feature, you can use this to advantage. A local cameraman takes a movie of the crowd in the lobby around 7:30. He rushes it through the works, and has it ready for screen showing the next evening. You may be able to find some 16 m.m. camera enthusiast who has his own developing outfit. This is good only for the smaller houses, where the projection can be hit up to a IS-foot picture. Where the stunt goes over big, you can run the local film the following week, announcing that you are showing it again "in response to the tremendous demand." It will bring in the same people and their friends who want to see them on the screen. Cool Man • A COOL bally for hot weather. Can be used with telling effect on the occasion of a local parade, such as on July 4 when the Legion turns out. But it's good VTitbout the benefit of a parade. A man is placed on top of a car with his feet in a tub labeled "Ice Wafer." He is clad in an overcoat. On the sides of car are signs reading: "It's so cool at the Blank Theater you can keep your coat on." Card Winners • PRIOR to run of picture, distribute printed cards about attraction, each bearing o number. The card instructs holder to look on the board in the theater lobby. If the number appears there, holder gets a free admission. Each day post about 25 numbers. It's sure to bring a nice percentage of people to the lobby to see if their numbers are posted. Discarded Straws • AS THE straw hat season ends, make a deal with the local batteries to give tickets 849