Motion Picture News (Mar-Apr 1923)

1176 Motion Picture N e w S Cosmetic window display tied up with the showing of "The flirt" at Fred Walton's American theatre, Bellingham, fVash., arranged by Robert Bender, Universal exploiteer Dance Pre-view With Prizes Is Given on "Knighthood" Portsmouth, Ohio. — A special pre-view showing, together with a dance, was used here as a special exploitation measure of " When Knighthood was in Flower." Manager Fred Tynes, of the Columbia theatre, hired a local ballroom, two orchestras, and gave away $30 in gold as prizes to the young women wearing gowns modeled after any costume worn by Marion Davies in the picture. The admissions were $1.50 a couple, and three hundred and ten people paid their way, which more than amortized the expense. These people made a splendid nucleus of wordof -mouth advertising. The newspapers played it up as a news feature. Harry C. Swift, Paramount exploiteer from the Cincinnati exchange, helped with the exploitation and brought with him Harry Ross, Paramount district manager, and Morris A. Milligan, branch manager, as guests of honor. Phonograph store window tied up with "Broadway Rose " for the showing at the Crystal theatre, San Angelo, Texas. Excellent prominence is given the picture Kiss from Star Is Novel Stunt for "Queenie" TORONTO, Ont.— The management of the Furby theatre, in advertising " Queenie," sent each person on its mailing list " a kiss from Shirley Mason." The " kiss " was a print of the lips of the star in red ink on a small post card and proved its worth when many fans throughout the city telephoned the Furby for additional copies. The card explained " that Miss Shirley Mason is responsible for the very latest fashion in souvenir cards. She conceived the idea of leaving the imprint of her lips on cards sent to her dearest friends. She rouges her lips well, kisses the card and sends it to the lucky one." Vocabulary Test Used as Stunt to Aid "The Hottentot" Topeka, Kans. — If anyone doubts that the hardest job on a newspaper belongs to the Contest Editor, he should communicate with that person on the Topeka State Journal, who gained his experience at the time " The Hottentot " played the Isis theatre. G. L. Hooper is owner and manager of the Isis and Raymond B. Jones is publicity director. Between the two of them they evolved the plan to have the State Journal sponsor the contest called a " Vocabulary Test." Readers were asked how many words they could spell with the letters used in " Douglas MacLean in 'The Hottentot.'" The stunt was not new, but it has not been used in Topeka for some time and drew results. The first reply totaled 2,722 words. Who wants to he a contest editor? You Should Know the Truth Right Now Get out from under the camouflage that has blinded you for years. Wake up and read Bottle of Harmless Liquid Is "Strangers' Banquet" Aid Richmond, Va. — Goldwynner William N. Robson, in e: ploiting "The Strangers' Banquet," at the Colonial theatre, decided to invite all Richmond to a "strangers' banquet" and began to pass out sample bottles of the liquid part of the refreshments. This publicity stunt started something he had not expected— or perhaps he did. At any rate, the telephone at the Colonial theatre soon began buzzing with requests for samples, as well as with reports from those who already had samples. These reports grew to such an extent and were so widely disseminated that even the State Food and Dairy Inspection Board sent for samples. A quiet rumor was circulated around Richmond— of course, Robson had nothing to do with this — that these small bottles contained real champagne of rare vintage and were being quietly passed out to a limited few of the recognized patrons. The Richmond Times-Dispatch and the Richmond Evening Dispatch ran half-column accounts of this stunt and the stir it caused in Richmond, thereby adding fuel to the fire started by the innocent little bottles. L c * The Arezv State theatre, Urechsville, Ohio, during the run of " Dr. Jack,"_ had its orchestra Real Investment CHICAGO, ILL. do run special number with Dr. spectacles Jack hats and