Motion Picture News (Apr - Jun 1927)

.1 p III 15. 1927 1347 Petri I). Hcikno ot the Cit\ 'riicatiiat Hi^lilaiul I'alls, N.\'., has luii<j; sliouii Patlu News. What exploitation of a news reel has meant to him can he hest exempliHed h\ his recent statement to the effect that "at least 50 of his patrons come especiallv to see Pathe News regiilarl\. Kij^ht officers from West Point are weekly customers, arriving as the News Reel is ahout to be shown and lea%'in<; immediately foliowiiiji its screening." Oftentimes our men make a direct tieup on a news reel item wiiich brings in extra dollars at the box-office. Just recently our Philadel|ihia assistant manager, C. J. Martin, advised the General Manager of the local electric light company of the picturization of a mammoth turbine in the News. After inquiring where the reel could be seen he advised our Mr. Martin that every technical man on the iia\ri]ll would be given tickets to view the picture that same day. And some theatre profited as a result. Pathe maintains close contact with lieadipiarters of Playground Associations, the I/.aak Walton League, Women's Clubs and other organizations which may be interested in supporting the various types of motion pictures which are included from time to time in our many Short P'eatures. A countless number of valuable tie-ups have been effected in New York direct with these bodies, resulting in local groups attending showings in large nimibers. J'aluahle Sport lit/ lit Tie-Up Out in Omaha recently before the Grantland Rice Sportlight "\V\'ather Proof" was shown first run, our manager made a valuable tie-up with all bowling alle\s. Mort I-indsley, one of the world's greatest bowlers, appears in the film showing the correct way to bowl. Owners of all alleys were glad to follow through on the suggestion of mailing a notice to every bowler on their list, notifying them of the showing of the I eel. Posters were displayed in the alleys and exhibitors reported a direct reaction from this stunt. I {Cntitiiiucd from page 1344) This has been a good year for color in the short subject field, and there are even more startling developments now on foot of which I am not free to speak at the moment, but which will be revolutionary and far-reaching in their effect. An important result of all this will be a growing knowledge of how to use color rightly on the screen. It is not enough to make motion pictures which happen to have the added element of color. That color must be used properly and harmonioush — its possibilities must be explored — to obtain the full advantages. The Color StajJ THE development that is certainly coming, and which will do much to stimulate the employment ot color, will be the Will Riiger-' tilegrapliei scjuibs appear ilail\ on the tront (lage of ever) newspaper 111 the United States using the McNaught Suuiicate Service. Arthur Kelle\, Publicit\ Director of the Kastman Theatre, loeited at Rochester, N.Y., turned this kiiDW ledge into cash. In a five-minute interview he sold the Rochester Democrat ^ ('hrouicle the idea of displaying in a box under the Rogers scjuib: "See Will Rogers, ()ur UnofTicial Ambassa^lor Abroad, at the i!astmaii Theatre all this week." In return for that publicit_\', he prepared for the newspaper, a trailer reading: "Read W^ill Rogers' Daily Squib in the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle." 'This trailer was shown on the screen of all of the Eastman theatres the week prior to the engagement and during the run of the picture. 'The same tieap will follow witli tlie sliow ing of each Rogers subject. Eddie Zorii. Manager of the Stratford Theatre, a Publix theatre located at Poughkeepsie, N.Y., sold local merchants 1 full page of advertising to accompany his id copy on Rogers. The newspaper offered 25 pairs of tickets to the persons making the most words out of the combined word Will Rogers. Just ask Eddie if the effOrt was \vorth while, and incidentalK , do you e\'er recall having seen a similar tie-up on a one-reel subject? Three-AIintite Men When we released "The Fighting Marine," the U.S. Marine Corps furnished three-minute speakers to talk on the life of Tuiiney. 'Tlie\ also provided \vhere\cr a\ai!ablc, a squad of marines, gims and other material for lobby display. With our last serial, "On Guard," we made arrangements with the U.S. Army Headquarters direct at Washington, whereby they bought and posted 20,000 special one-sheets on "A" boards in principal cities throughout the country. Army equipment such as machine guns, lorries, troops, etc., are a\ailable to our customers for the mere asking. As an example of what the\ ha\'e done, we cite the COJIO'K trained technical and art staff" working solely in color. It would be trite to say that the possibilities of color have barely been touched, but it would be very true. The objection sometimes raised that present methods are only in two colors, and therefore cannot give a full and adequate color rendering, are beside the point. They are much more desirable from a practical point of view, as present methods stand — and two colors are so much better than none that there would seem little room for argument. When we have gone as far as we can go in two-color rendering it will be time enough to worry about the full spectrum. The improvement in color pictures has been steady and constant. Technicolor maintains an experimental staff, working year in and year out to find ways of bettering the method. 'This was responsible for the recent campaign in the Des \I(»ines tcrritor\ when one Fort Commander furnished a complete army band and a s(|uad of soldiers in full field regalia. A parade preceded the opening of episode number one of the serial, also a concert in front of the theatre. Nearly the whole to\s n turned out. This outfit toured eight nearby towns, assisting our customers to get off with a gofjd start on episode number one. During the filming of our new serial, "Melting Millions," we posed the star, Allene Ra>, in various pictures showing her using nationally advertised products, such as t(X)th paste, soap, waffle irons, furniture, radio, flour, kitchen cleansers, etc. 'These photos we sent to the advertising departments of the respective manufacturers. man\ of whom have already agreed to arrange excellent window displays for local dealers in cooperation with our customers. Special Timely Releases Special releases and topical short subjects which measure up to the Pathe standard are acquired for our program from time to time. In nearly every instance such product has sc\'cral unique exploitation slants none of which are overlooked in our efforts. It is unfortunate that circumstances will not permit us at this time to incorporate in our article full details of what we believe is the greatest Short Subject exploitation tie-up in the historv of the motion picture business. Maybe a brief outline will suffice. Special Campaign Within the next two weeks one of the biggest food product concerns in the world will inaugurate a nation-wide billboard advertising and publicity campaign costing close to a million dollars. A Pathe Short Subject will dominate all copy. Billboards uill be placed where theatres may derive the greatest benefit. Handsome prizes awarded through theatres cooperating with local dealers is only a small part of the plan. recent new process by which both colors are now placed on the same side of the film, doing away with the old double-coated stock. The means that when the film is scratched there will be no "color flashes" on the screen, as in the old days, because the scratch will remove both colors and not merely one. .The cost, too, is being lowered and will be still lower when the use of color is more extensive — a time not far off', from all present indications. This is but an instance of the progress being made in every branch of the art of motion pictures in color, technically and artistically. The method is there — all that remains is to learn to use it rightly, and short subjects, because of their diversity and compactness, will be a leading factor in teaching us how to use the magic touch that transforms the screen into a mirror of life — color.