Associated First National Franchise (1921)

10 First National Franchise Semi-Monthly Jazz Band Used With" Go and Get It OLD MILL IN DALLAS TAKES OPPORTUNITY TO TRY NEW EXPLOITATION IDEA BREAKING all attendance records of his theatre is an accomplishment of Lawrence F. Stuart, manager of the Old Mill Theatre at Dallas, Texas, who used nothing more than his "Old Mill Jazz Band" to exploit special feature attraction. "Exploitation," said Mr. Stuart, commenting on his success, "whether it be in newspaper displays, on billboards, in your lobby cut-outs, or a ballyhoo, must bear some sort of relationship to the tone of the picture. For instance, an exploitation campaign for 'Back to God's Country' would naturally call for something suggesting the big punch of the story. You could not get 100 percent, results from an exploitation campaign which did not reflect either on the title or theme of your picture. "I think that this is an often neglected and overlooked feature of motion picture exploitation. Too often the exhibitor gives no thought as to the type of exploitation he is putting forth. The art of devising forceful exploitation, I believe, rests in the knack of presenting something that causes the title of the picture to be remembered. If your exploitation isn't reflective, it isn't exploitation. It doesn't make a bit of difference how costly or how lavish is your advertising campaign — if it doesn't carry the reflective detail it is not hitting on all four. "In originating our 'Old Mill Jazz Band,' we merely brought about the novelty that we had been considering for some time. We had held the matter in abeyance for over two months before we launched it. Simply because we were waiting for the right opportunity. We realized that the jazz band as an exploitation boost would not get its just share of appreciation if launched with a picture that did not correspond to its type of exploitation. Consequently we held up the band until we found the picture that it fit. We found this picture in 'Go and Get It' Marshall Neilan's second through Associated First National Pictures. "It so happened that the booking of this attraction happened along just at the right time. As soon as we had the engagement definitely 9> settled we went to work organizing the ninepiece jazz band — entirely independent from the personnel of our regular orchestra. "In making up the band we did not have to call upon any member of our regular music crew. We procured local talent which had hitherto not been engaged in our house. We engaged men also who had played together, and who knew that they could render the sort of jazz music that we were looking for. Among the lot were: a saxophone, a violin, a piano, a clarinet, a trap drummer, a trombone, a cornet, a bass saxophone and a jazz band director. That constituted the personnel of the jazz organization. "We did not use the band to accompany the picture — except during half the first reel. We were forced to do this as a necessity. We had our program laid out so that there were six complete performances during the day. The jazz band worked only during intermisison, and during the regular show ON THE SIDEWALK in front of the lobby. "When the lights were turned on after each performance the jazz band would blare forth its exploitation message. It would render three separate jazz selections, the naming of which was left to the director and his men. We had planned to have the band play only these given song numbers; but only once or twice during the week they were able to stop after the third number. They usually were forced to respond to two or three encores. So we devised the scheme of allowing them to start the picture with a soft but jazzy number, and after the audience's interest was transferred to the screen, they halted the jazz operations. It proved to be a huge success. So huge, in fact, that we have made a permanent institution of the jazz band. "However, the playing inside the theatre was only the fulfilment of our exploitation promises. The real work was done outside on the sidewalk. At one hour intervals while not occupied during the intermissions, the jazz band would play in the lobby front of the theatre." How Posters Put An Attraction Over ACADEMY IN NORTHAMPTON, MASS., CONCENTRATES ON THEM FOR "WHAT WOMEN LOVE" THE use of display posters in connection with motion picture advertising while always a reliable exploitation medium can often be made to produce remarkable results when the posters are used in a manner different than the ordinary system pasting posters on signboards here and there throughout a town or city. Recently, the Academy of Music in Northampton, Mass., used a supply of posters in a way that was unusual ; that attracted the attention of every person who happened to pass by the place or store where the posters were exhibited. The scheme was used in connection with Associated First National Pictures release "What Women Love," starring Annette Kellerman. In the first place, Manager Powell recognized that this Associated First National picture was an unusual one by reason of its box office the clearness of the picture itself and its wonderful undersea photography. Mr. Powell determined to exhibit this picture but one day, but in view of the unusualness of "What Women Love," it was decided to exhibit this picture for three days. It was thought that if some novel stunt could be employed previous to the showing, the theatre would be sure to have every one of its 1096 seats filled during every performance. The posters that were sent for the exlpoitation of this picture were once recognized as a means of calling unusual attention to the pic ture. With the collaboration of Albert F. Boudway, assistant manager, two large sixsheets showing Miss Kellerman in full form, were cut along the contour of her whole form. These "life size" forms were mounted on beaver board and provided with suitable supports and braces, and then placed on the lawn in front of the theatre. Several smaller posters showing Miss Kellerman in a similar pose, were cut and mounted in a similar manner and these were placed in several of the store windows on Main Street. It is needless to say that every person passing by the window was immediately attracted by the unusual poster displayed therein; and the store owners in every instance were glad to cooperate in the display for they felt that the posters served as an added means to draw the attention of the passerby to the products of the store in the window. Especially did the large "cut-outs" on the Academy lawn perform their duty in drawing attention. Every street car that comes in or goes out of town had to pass these signs. The high school students and the pupils from the center schools focussed their eyes on these posters every time they were dismissed from school for six whole days; every person who had occasion to be on the upper end of Main Street— and in Northampton that means at least once every day— could not pass by without observing Miss Kellerman beckoning to them. Effective lobby display of the Strand Theatre, Laredo, Texas. William Epstein is manager How Oklahoma City Put On Dinty Day to Advantage Although there have been scores of novel and clever stunts to exploit "DINTY," Marshall Neilan's latest release through Associated First National Pictures, Inc., great credit must be given Tom H. Boland, manager of the Empress Theatre, Oklahoma City, Okla., for the keen showmanship that inspired him to so carefully work out the plans for a "DINTY DAY" in connection with the showing of this feature. By interesting the Oklahoma News in a plan whereby the newsboys of the city would be encouraged to increase the street sales of the paper, Mr. Boland secured the cooperation of practically "all newsboys, former newsboys, and boys who wanted to be newsboys," so the announcement said. As a result of Mr. Boland's planning, the great majority of newsboys selling papers on the streets of Oklahoma City, wore bright red tags pinned to their coats. The tag was similar to that used by express companies and carried the following reading matter: "Buy Your NEWS From Me I want to win a DINTY DAY PRIZE By Selling the Most News Today. See Dinty at the Empress Theatre." As a reward for the newsboys selling the greatest number of papers, the theatre and the paper agreed to give $5 in gold to the best seller, $3 to the second best seller, and $2 to the third best seller. Cut-outs mounted as banners, and a variety of posters enabled the newsboys to hold several parades boosting "DINTY." Gets Prettiest Girl to Exploit "The Scoffer" E. J. Weisfeldt, manager of the New Strand Theatre, Milwaukee, with the cooperation of The Milwaukee Journal, succeeded in having Miss Edith May, recently chosen as the most beautiful salesgirl in America, tell the audiences who came to review "The Scoffer," an Allan Dwan release through Associated First National Pictures, Inc., "just how it feels to be famous." Miss May told the audiences all about her being chosen as the most beautiful salesgirl in America, her subsequent trip to New York, a promising offer from one of the foremost film companies to become a film star, and her experience with the Ziegfeld productions. Miss May, until recently, lived with her mother a"d father in Monroe, Wis.