The film daily year book of motion pictures (1928)

naired beauties in his productions. If a female star is played up, select one whose hair is not bobbed. STAGE RECOLLECTIONS This stunt will interest the old-timers. Use it on a feature which is adapted trom an old stage play. Through the newspaper cooperating, readers are requested to submit written recollections of the stage version. The contest is also announced on the screen a week in advance. The best letters are given space in the paper. Tickets to the showing are given the writers. MOST WORDS CONTEST A simple idea that has worked wonders on many showings gets over better when picture titles are long. Instruct contestants that prizes will be given to those securing greatest number of words from title and that these words must be found in Webster's Dictionary and spelled correctly. Proper names not accepted. TRADE PAPER COPY The ads in the trade papers often prove effective copy for exhibitors in their newspaper advertising. There is often a suggestion tor public appeal in what is offered to sell the trade. So it is well to keep this angle in mind when looking through the trade publications. HAT DRAWING CONTEST Arrange with newspaper for a hat drawing contest. Ihe paper carries a draw.ng of a girl's head, leaving the hat to be filled in by the reader. Under drawing is an invitation to design a hat to cost not more than $50, and submit it to the judges. Tie in with millinery establishment, which will act as one of the judges, and will award first prize of a hat. Additional prizes are tickets to showing. STAGE LINGO Run contest with newspaper on "What Do You Know About Stage Lingo '." From day to day, various stage words are listed, such as fly, drop, prompter, juvenile, etc. These are to be defined very briefly. A half column story is run every day building up interest, and tieing in with the picture. The stunt can also be tied in with drug store for a window display of theatrical cosmetics, the latter being used as prizes in the contest. STREET PHOTOS Novelty stunt to be worked with newspaper. The latter has a photographer take five photos of girls each day who are willing to pose in the streets. These are taken for several days preceding run of the picture. The paper plays them up as the city's prettiest daughters. A theater party is given to the girls whose photos are published. PICTURE REVIEW On big feature, mention in newspaper copy that a season pass will be given to persons submitting best written review of the picture. This is good copy for the newspaper, and they can play it up. and print best reviews submitted. The paper will decide contest. "SCRAMBLED MOVIE STAR" This consists of a contest run with a newspaper. A two column cut of the star is used, which is cut into 15 separate pieces and printed in the paper. It runs for four days prior to the opening. Readers are invited to cut out the pieces, paste them together and guess the name of the star. On the opening day the names of the winners are announced. WINDOW QUESTIONS This tie-up to be made through co-operative double truck spread in newspapers, announcing that certain dealers will carry a question a day in their windows about a certain picture. Valuable prizes given to the person giving the best answer to these questions. This attracts large crowds to the store windows, which, of course, also contain large photographs and scene stills from TIMELY SLOGAN Offer through the daily ads a week in advanci of your showing, prizes for the best slogan on the title of picture Resides the newspaper, thii can be handled on post cards to be handed patroni as they enter theater a week previous to your opening. These slogans to be used as lobby ballyhoo and ad material. LOBBIES BOX-OFFICE DECORATIONS Converting the box-office to carry over the theme ot the picture is always an eye-arrester, and can be accomplished at a small expense. It gets over the siory of the feature with a punch, in most cases it requires nothing more than a few boards properly constructed and painted, and a few props to carry out the atmosphere. Among the many effective box-omce disguises are a log cabin, sheriff's office, trading post, mining hut, hunting lodge, pilot house, railroad or steamship ticket office, Russian kiosk, South Sea Island hut, circus side-show, country store. The ticket seller should be dressed to carry out the idea of the particular setting. A man stationed alongside the box-office, also in appropriate costume, can ballyhoo the attraction. SOUTH SEA ISLE ATMOSPHERE This caption covers pictures laid on an island or those in which there is a sequence of a shipwrecked person or persons landing on an island. Get a quantity of inexpensive palm leaves and place four or five behind or above each of your wall frames. If you have no wall frames, make up two long strings of green twine, winding the strings around the stems of the palm leaves, and stretch the strings from one corner of the lobby to the diagonally opposite one, thus having both strings cross in the centre of the lobby. The leaves can be intermingled with cut-out leaves on cardboard painted green, with copy in white letters, pertaining to the picture, star and play dates. • HANDKERCHIEF STUNT Theaters presenting features with plenty of pathos can get a big kick out of the following idea : Place large clothes basket in front of box office with sign telling patrons that after seeing picture, if they will deposit their handkerchiefs in basket with slip containing their names attached, manager will have them laundered and delivered to their homes. ELECTRIC ANVIL Use on film with industrial setting. Put a blacksmith to work in the lobby. The smithy, attired in work clothes, pounds an electrically charged anvil which gives off huge sparks. A posterboard with stills showing the industrial angle of feature stands alongside. SPECIAL BOBS Arrange with beauty parlor for loan of a barber's chair and services of an attendant. She is present for an hour in afternoon and evening, giving a free bob to patrons, the bob being specially named for the star of picture. Card in lobby and announcement from stage gives the beauty parlor proper publicity for cooperation. ORIENTAL ATMOSPHERE For a picture with Oriental setting. Decorate lobby and marquee with Japanese lanterns hung from all light fixtures. Also hang Japanese art panels and parasols. Place an incense burner in the foyer, which will do more than anything else to create the desired effect. SHADOW BOX Use a shadow box illuminated from within. In the box place a small figure or attractive illustration of a beautiful girl. A still from the picture can also be used, showing the star in some interesting pose. The public views this through a circular plate glass peephole. SILK CHEMISE Use on feature showing a boudoir scene. A week in advance of showing display a silk chemise in lobby without any mention of what it is all about. Patrons surmise that someone has lost it while shopping, and that the management hung it up to be identified and claimed. A few days before the opening a card is hung alongside, announcing that it is similar to the one worn by the star in the coming attraction. A suitable still ties this up. JAZZ WEEK Jazz Week or Charleston Week has boosted the box-office profits of theaters all over the country. The lobby has assisted greatly in presenting this promotion feature. Color scheme of decorations are orange and black, using bunting, streamers in criss-cross formation — zigzag illu 717