Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1923)

February i o , 1923 699 Tasteful window display tying up with " Suzanna," obtained when that picture was playing at the Mission theatre, Los Angeles 4 4 Knighthood" Well Exploited in Extensive Campaign Jacksonville, Fla. — Manager Guy A. Kenimer of the Arcade theatre put over a thorough exploitation campaign for " When Knighthood was in Flower," embracing the following features, among others: Window display arranged with Jacksonville's only book store, the first time this store has ever cooperated. Large window dressed with about sixty copies of special Marion Davies edition of the book, and with cards and stills from the picture. Mailing list of about 1,500 carefully selected names was used. They were sent a letter endorsing and recommending the picture, together with a program and a herald. One of the neatest and most attractive lobby displays ever featured at the Arcade was used. The entire lobby, front, side and back, was enclosed with compoboard painted to represent a stone castle. The opening in the front was a wide arch. There were arches along both sides and arches over the doors in the back leading into the theatre. Shields and crossed spears hung on the walls around the lobby and over the entrance arch. Otherwise the lobby was entirely bare except for a cut-out of Marion Davies in boyish costume, and an artistic panel giving the billing of the picture, and flanked on each side by a tall, slender plant. man Vixbtxus a l!5 !■ urn imldZ !;~ u y si W «•= J! ■■ J. C. Wodetsky, manager of the Regent theatre, Kalamazoo, Mich., used this attractive lobby sign for " Singed Wings " Old Derrick Put Up in Lobbv for 4 The Hell Diggers" TIMPSON. Texas. — M. K. Moore of the Victory theatre carried out an effective lobby display idea on "The Hell Diggers." He had an oil derrick fourteen feet high built of 1x4 lumber. The derrick was placed in front of his theatre and several pieces of casing were set in the derrick to make it look business like. He also poured over the casing some black oil to make it still more business like. The entire display was labelled " Hell Diggers Oil Company." Wallace Reid, president, Paramount Well No. 1. This display several days in advance caused considerable talk. Moore had a wild cat whistle, the kind that the fire trucks use. The mayor allowed him to use it on the opening night. After setting off four big railroad fuse torches, he started his wild cat whistle. Of course the people thought that the town was on fire. Moore, himself, said it brought them all out. Novelties Exploit 44$5 Baby" and "Trifling Women" Sandusky, 0. — George Schade of the Schade tlicatre upheld his reputation for effective novelty advertising in his exploitation for " The Five Dollar Baby " and " Trifling Women." " Trifling Women " inspired a thermometrystunt. A little tube, partly filled with a liquid of the hue of pink lemonade at the circus was glued to a slip of cardboard about the size of a chock in a dairy lunch. The degrees of amorous affection were marked: Indifferent, Real Love, Jealous Love. Hate and FuriouLove. At the top of the card was the inscription : " Trifling Women " Thermometer. Turn over for instructions. Following the instruction revealed this direction: See "Trifling Women," a drama of three kinds of love, witli the date and so forth. " The Five Dollar Baby " appeared in person on a card big enough to display a onecolumn advertising cut. A kewpie, no larger than a capsule, was pinned to the pasteboard. Newspaper Finally Won Over By 44OHver Twist" Matinee Springfield, 111. — Manager W. G. Watts of the Princess theatre, after many attempts to break into the news columns of a local paper, which has rigid anti-publicity rules, finally succeeded and obtained most advantageous publicity for " Oliver Twist." The stunt that enabled the Princess manager to purloin the valuable space was a special Saturday morning showing for the orphans of Springfield. The idea was sold to the Illinois State Journal by giving the paper full credit for staging the orphans' showing, the stories indicating that the party was being staged by the newspaper. In addition, Mr. Watts worked the stunt into a big ballyhoo when he persuaded the local scout master to assemble the scouts as an honorary escort to the orphans. The orphans were brought on Saturday morning to a designated spot and there the boy scouts, in full regalia, met them and marched through the city in parade formation, led by the scouts' fife and drum corps. The scouts carried three fifteen-foot banners announcing the special showing. The parade, as expected, attracted a great deal of attention, which in addition to the newspaper publicity given to the stunt by the State Journal, made the double fie-up a highly effective one. " Rags to Riches Clarke, manager ' lobby executed by H. B. of the Majestic theatre, Memphis