Year book of motion pictures (1940)

Sign-Savers Out-of-Town Notices A GETTING away irom standard usage ^ sometimes saves money. Most theaters when they want hanging banners, use sign cloth or paper, but just as good work can be done on builder's sheathing or "rosin" paper neatly tacked to a frame of roofing lath. The paper is given a coat of oil paint of the desired tint, and lettered in with oil or watercolor, the latter where the sign is protected from storms. For marquee structures, corrugated paper braced on the back with ordinary plasterers' lath, will often serve as well and is much cheaper than compoboard and much easier to cut out. The design is done on all paint and the back venished with "ceiling" varnish, which can be had for less than a dollar a gallon. Such a structure can withstand a moderate amount of rain, and still save considerably on the cost. Star Portraits | AN artist sets up his easel in front ol ^ the theater several days in advance ol Ihe coming attraction and begins an oil or watercolor portrait of the star or stars featured in it. The public is always interested in watching an artist at work. A placard or signs should announce that the artist is completing a portrait of name of star) who will appear at the theater (date) in (name of attraction). If you desire, the picture at its completion may be presented to a local celebrity, newspaper critic or to the president of the star's local fan-club. Smoke Signals THIS is a fine one for pictures with a ^ Western background or one in which Indians appear. Outfit two bally men as Indians and supply them with a smoke-pot. They should appear atop the marquee and al intervals send up smoke signals by alternately covering and uncovering the smoke-pot with a blanket. People will notice the smoke and investigate its source. Title of picture should be prominently display, of course. Teaser Frames ★ FOR a particularly sensational film use some of your lobby frames in this manner. Cover them over completely with heavy paper or canvas duck and in bold letters write across the covers "Censored." Placards near by should announce that the covers will prob ably be removed in a few days. This of course should be done a few days before your playdate and when the covers are taken off the frames will contain your selling copy and art work. WHEN you have an exceptionally good ^ attraction, but one which might prove somewhat difficult to sell, it will probably pay you dividends to procure out-of-town newspaper notices from cities where the picture has previously played and blow them up to considerable size to be displayed in your outer lobby. The more the better and they should be splashed boldly across your front. Signs should read: "This is what (name of city) thinks about (name of picture)." Crime Display k DON'T overlook the value of a crime ^ exhibit in a case where the picture permits. It may be an old one, but it is always effective and will assuredly gain you the attention of the crowd. Your local police chief and his department will ordinarily be willing to co-operate in the interests of law enforcement. Guns, blackjacks, photos and various pieces of material evidence in the department's iiles should be displayed. Be sure that they are always wired down to panels and thai an attendant is set to guard them. Premieres, Etc. .^L. ON occasions when you might wish to ^ stage a "Hollywood" pemiere or are having the first territorial showing of a major attraction you can add to the excitement of the event by such fancy touches as hiring a large carpet to be laid from the lobby right out to the curb, or rigging an awning in the event that your marquee does not come flush with the curb-line. Potted shrubs around the front and a basket of fresh flowers in the lobby are other touches to remember. If the premiere is a really important one and the audience is liable to be dressy you might even construct some small stands outside the theater for spectators. Newspaper Blow-Up ★ NEWSPAPER editors like a break for their publication and at times you will find it worth while to co-operate with them and dig up old issues that tie in with the playdate picture. These may be displayed as they are or enlarged. One plan is to have a giant masthead painted and thrown across the entire theater front. Such a masthead may run as wide as 60 or 70 feet. Below this you may use page blow-ups or story blow-ups on a much smaller scale, but several of them. This giant newspaper stunt is sure-fire as an attention-getter for the theater and in addition it is a good-will builder between the theater manager and the editor. 813