Fox West Coast Theaters Now (May 14, 1930)

NOW HERE'S HOW / Top I Greates with Me because there is no synonym . . you can’t say ‘former wife’ or ‘late wife’ or ‘recent wife’ . . . it just doesn’t run off the tongue . . it doesn’t look good in print —it doesn’t make sense. Maybe you will think we are merely hiding behind a subterfuge . . . maybe we are— but our intention is honest. Personally . . I don’t think we need to depend upon a refer- ® YOU will note in the advertise- ments given you on this page that they are all made up from illu tions of the production and are Half - <! tone cuts. This is the first time ( in j these pages you have been shown an jf advertising campaign consisting pf half-tones only. No line drawings are offered you. The reason for this is that the stills of the production lend themselves so admirably to ad- vertising lay-G*vtsi and they further # A Distinct problem itself in the playing of The Divorcee. It is this .... Permission to film Ex-Wife was given with a definite un- derstanding that no mention of the book be made in the adver- tising. This obligation con- cerned the Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer studio and they, in their advertising, have lived up to Ex-Wife. The only story re- semblance they have in com- mon . . is the cause which separated the leading characters of the novel. Now then . . if we advertise “taken from the novel Ex-Wife” ... we are deliberately advertis- ing an untruth . . the story was not taken from the novel . . the theme was merely suggested by the novel. If we advertise “this is the screen version of Ex-Wife” . . . then we are piling censorship troubles on our head and . . . We will be flying in the face of the very organization that every film producer . . distribu- tor and exhibitor . . is paying —the organization that is try- ing to correct apparent, and malicious, evils in our own business. We. of Fox West Coast . . nor racy and . . above all things—for the love of Heaven . . don’t use the word “hot” in connection with it. The Divorcee is beautiful . . it is beautiful in theme . . it is beautifully enacted . . beauti- fully produced—it is far above any cheap method of advertis- ing that you might be tempted to use. In the months to come— The Divorcee is going to rate as a classic! I mean this ... it is—a classic. Do you think Norma Shearer was good in Their Own Desire, The Last of Mrs. Cheyney or Mary Dugan? You haven't seen the real Norma Shearer . . until you see her play “Jerry'' in The Divorcee. 9 NOTE these ads . . . note the sense of them—note the way we used the word Ex-Wife. Never do we refer to Ex-Wife as the title of a book from which the picture was taken . . because it isn’t necessary—the copy sells the picture . . the star and the story. Never do we capitalize Ex- Wife nor do we quote Ex-Wife but we use the word ex-wife • NO need to point out the high lights of each of these ads. You as a showman rec- ognize it as copy and lay-out that has a strong appeal. They are all designed for your use . . designed to bring people into your theatre. We repeat every cut is available to you in mat form. This cut is Mat No. 138. • READ the copy in this ad. It has power. Power to pull woman patronage. It is a picture that will inspire copy such as this and it will also get the tongues to clatter- ing for that most valued of all ads, word of mouth. You can have this cut by ordering Mat. No. 137. THEATRES, can sell this splen- did attraction in an honest, sincere and dignified manner . . we can secure for ourselves a worthwhile profit and, at the same time, we can set an example to the rest of the coun- try by the integrity of our methods. The Divorcee is not a sensa- tional story ... it isn’t sexy • THIS is a two column cut. For reproduction here it was reduced. All other single column cuts on this page are really two column measure for your use. Every cut is of course available to you in mat form. When ordering be sure to refer to mat number to facilitate handling at this end. This cut is Mat No. 136. the spirit and letter of the con- tract. We, of Fox West Coast Theatres, must share in this obligation, because we owe our moral support to the Hays office and to the promises made by M-G-M. There is still another reason and this is—truthful . . and decent . . advertising. The Divorcee is not Ex-Wife . . not by any stretch of the imagination—the only thing they have in common is the fact that the story of The Divorcee was suggested by the story of MAY 14TH 19 3 0