Motion Picture News (Mar-Apr 1923)

117-4 Motion Picture News Combination of poster cut-outs and artwork in lobby for " Quincy Adams Sawyer," at Manager Charles E. Sasseen's Queen theatre, Galveston, Texas Road Signs and Contest Used to Exploit " East Is West" Wichita Falls, Texas. — In addition to< decorating his lobby elaborately for " East Is West," Manager Robert Sparks of tbe Olympic theatre placed road signs on every road leading into Wichita Falls which read: "East Is West." These signs were placed one week in advance of play date and were covered three days in advance of play date with follow up signs giving the play date and the theatre. All the roads carried the signs from five to fifteen miles out of the city. Mr. Sparks carried out successfully the "winking" contest as outlined in the press sheet. He also arranged a tie-up with a local art teacher to conduct a "poster" contest among her students, having them to draw posters and announcements. This "poster" drawing contest was tied up with the "winking" contest since all drawings of Constance Talmadge were to show the star winking. These drawings were displayed in the theatre lobby the week before the picture opened and during the run of the picture were placed around town in prominent windows and at soda fountains. Striking Lobby Display for "The World's Applause" OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.— Manager S. S. Wallace, Jr., of the Capitol theatre arranged a lobby display to advertise "The World's Applause" that attracted considerable attention. The display was made of beaver board and was painted and cut to represent purple plush curtains drawn to one side by a gold cord. Behind this curtain was a cut-out of Bebe Daniels shown in her dancing costume and on this cut-out played a spot-light. The effect was that of a stage, which created the proper atmosphere for the theme of the picture. Telephone Is Used in Novel Way with "Dr. Jack" GREENWOOD, S. C— Manager W. A. Byers of the Liberty theatre, in his campaign for " Dr. Jack," played up the catch-line: " The greatest laugh you'll have in 1923." Playing card heralds were distributed to the homes and Harold Lloyd spectacles were given to the children on their way to school. On opening day the telephone was used in a novel way. The following message was delivered to all residences: " Hello! This is Dr. Jack talking. I understand that you have not been laughing well lately. I will be able to give you a laugh appointment at 2, 3:30, 5, 6:30, 8 or 9:30 at the Liberty theatre. I will be in town just two days." "Voice from the Minaret" Is Given Colorful Prologue New York, N. Y. — Managing Director Joseph Plunkett of the New York Mark Strand theatre provided a prologue to " The Voice from the Minaret " with excellent atmosphere. The orchestral overture, " Scene Fantastiqtte," was followed by "The Swan," with Mile. Chabelska as premier danseuse. As an interlude between short subjects, Mile. Klementowiz and M. Bourmann did a Russian folk dance. To introduce the feature a back drop was lowered, showing the roofs of Damascus with the muezzin in his balcony calling the faithful to prayer. The scene was reproduced in all the natural coloring of the sun baked city of Arabia. A woman penitent on the stage rendered " The Desert Love Song." She was Eldora Stanford, soprano, and the solo became a duet when J. Horace Smithey, baritone, joined in the verse. The concluding bars were the signal for the lowering of the scrim and the flashing of the feature title. "Front Page Story" Boosted by Paper Through Tie-Up TOLEDO, Ohio — Another angle in the way of a newspaper tie-up on "A Front Page Story " was evolved by the Toledo Blade and the Temple theatre. In several cities, front page contests, with prizes offered for the best stories by readers, have been used, but the Blade employed a tie-up of its own. The picture had frequent reference to the value of newspaper advertising and uses the expression " Want ads get results" The Blade, for two weeks before the showing of the picture at the Temple theatre, ran a two column scene cut from the production each dav with a brief synopsis of the story and closing: It shows that Want ads get results. Phone your ad now to the Blade. «a ik thrills .ttwrm vmmr ofa ufetihe in TO HAVE and to HOI n ™™-nimmm. colonial kkhayik Striking street ballyhoo for "To Have and to Hold" used by Manager Charles F. McManus of the Colonial theatre, Tacoma