Associated First National Franchise (1921)

February I 5 , I Q 2 I First National Franchise 9 From an episode in "Man-Woman-Marriage" we have selected this "still" photo as a suggestion for a prologue that is inexpensive enough for any theatre. The properties, as shown, include a dark drop curtain, a pillar, a stenciled wall and a painted-canvas floor on a raised stage to permit of the stenciling in the bottom of the photo. The dancers, of course, are optional. Singing, pantomine or instrumental music can be used Stages Prologue for First National Comedy Plans "Dinty" Campaign Ahead CIRCLE IN INDIANAPOLIS MAKES FIRST STEP THREE WEEKS BEFORE PICTURE OPENS To Paul E. Noble, manager of the Liberty Theatre, Portland, Oregon, is due the credit for being one of the first exhibitors with the courage to devise a prologue for a two-reel comedy. This is precisely what Mr. Noble did in the case of "Wet and Warmer," one of Henry Lehrman's latest releases through Associated First National Pictures, Inc. The prologue consisted of a male quartette dressed in the costumes of engineer, tramps, and thugs. The spoken lines were well worked out' to fit the action of the comedy to follow and the selections were taken from popular songs and enhanced with the interpolation of a number of "barber shop" chords. The setting portrayed a box-car which evidently had been side-tracked. It was comparatively inexpensive and could well be produced by practically any house with the disposition to do so. It consisted of one drop upon which was painted a freight car. As the Liberty Theatre is operated by Jensen and Von Herberg, holders of the Franchise for Associated First National Pictures, Inc., for the Portland territory the inscription "The J. and V. H. 1921" was painted on the car. With such a setting, it was not especially difficult for Mr. Noble to work up an act which relied for comedy upon the jokes cracked by the tramps, who were apparently found in the box car by an irate night watchman. The audiences at the Liberty received this prologue very well, in fact many patrons expressed their approval of it and its entertaining qualities. AS an instance of a thoroughgoing exploita*A tion campaign which comprised almost all of the devices generally used individually for the promotion of any one feature attraction, is the intense drive made by the Circle Theatre, Indianapolis, to exploit "Dinty," Marshall Neilan's latest production, starring Wesley Barry and distributed by Associated First National Pictures, Inc. In charge of the campaign was Ralph Lieber, manager of the Circle, who states, "it was one picture that I had carefully planned on for weeks ahead, exploiting it in a number of different ways; and in spite of inclement weather at the beginning of the week, the theatre enjoyed one of the biggest weeks in a great number of months." Three weeks before the playing date, Mr. Lieber started his campaign with a number of small teaser notices, reading: "Who is Dinty?" Next teaser to follow was: "Dinty is a freckle-faced Star." Following that was another ad, illustrated with a small picture of Wesley Barry, and announcing the playing dates of the picture. Two weeks before the showing, Mr. Lieber arranged with a local heat and light company to send out ten thousand heralds along with their monthly bills. Sixty-five thousand pictures of Wesley Barry, ten by six inches, on which was a printed announcement of the showing of the picture and the dates, were distributed through one of the Indianapolis newspapers by the residential route carriers. The newspapers co-operated in this way in courtesy to a special showing which the Circle gave to the news carriers previous to the first public showing of the picture. In addition, the news carriers planted a number of pictures of Wesley Barry in down-town show windows. One of the most effective window displays put over during the run was accomplished through arrangements made with one of the music houses, located in the heart of the business district. A miniature stage set from one of the scenes from "Dinty" was reproduced. The major part of this scene consisted of the use of cut-outs showing Dinty and his three pals giving a show for Dinty's invalid mother. The stage was about five by three feet in dimensions. At night a 60-Watt Hylo bulb was used, and the dimming and bringing up of the light attracted considerable attention. In addition to the foregoing, the Circle maintained its consistently large newspaper display space. This, together with the big appeal made by the other exploitation methods, brought many new faces into the Circle lobby. And that's quite a feat. Because it is a well grounded fact that almost everybody in Indianapolis has at some time or other attended the Circle. It Gives Charles Ray More Chance To Be Seen!