Motion Picture News (Mar-Apr 1923)

2052 Motion Picture News Windou display in Spalding's sporting goods store on "Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood" at the Liberty theatre, Seattle Cut-outs Prove Great Aid to "Safety Last" Campaign Denver. Colo. — Cut-outs were used with particular effectiveness in the exploitation campaign conducted in connection with the showing at the Princess and Rialto theatres of " Safetv Last." Following the newspaper display announcements picturing the spectacled comedian swinging high above the street by the hands of a big clock, the theatre management got busy with a series of 24-sheet cut-outs showing his filmed climb of the twelve-story building— a different stage of the climb each day. These were mounted and posted in conspicuous places with tremendous effect on street crowds. Meantime, reproductions were printed in the newspapers, with captions after the following fashion : " It's no use to try to describe this picture. Words completely fail. You can see it next week, beginning Sunday, at both the Rialto and Princess theatres. It is in seven reels. But no one with a weak heart should go to see it ! .... In the above illustration Harold Lloyd is shown beginning his famous climb up the front of a twelve-story office building in Los Angeles .... Watch this space tomorrow, and we'll show you what happens when Lloyd gets to the sixth floor/* "Mighty Lak1 a Rose" Good for 250 Window Tie-Ups CHICAGO. 111.— "Mighty Lak' a Rose," with its possibilities for window tie-ups with florists, phonograph dealers and piano stores, proved readily exploitable when it played here, at the Chicago theatre. In Chicago alone, 250 window tie-ups were secured with the Victor and Columbia dealers. This was exclusive of other music tie-ups and floral establishments. The fact that the Chicago play date covered Valentine's Day was used by florists as a reason for emphasizing the sign: " Send Her a Rose for Valentine's Day and Take Her to See ' Mighty Lak' a Rose." With Mother's Day in the offing, this picture of heart appeal presents another good opportunity for florists. Copies of "Bella Donna" in Newspaper Campaign ST. LOUIS. MO.— In exploiting "Bella Donna.'" Ed Olmstead, publicity man of the Missouri theatre, bought 100 copies of the photoplay edition of Robert Hichen's novel at 65 cents each end gave them to the St. Louis Times as a premium for subscription. The times printed a quarter page ad announcing that for every six-month subscription taken between the dates. April 4 and 14, a book would be awarded. The copy of the ad gave a big display to the fact that " Bella Donna " was a Paramount pictuie and tl.e first maae by Pola Negri in America. This ad ran continuously for ten days prior to the showing. Word Contest is Conducted on "The Third Alarm" MEMPHIS, TENN. — The familiar word contest was used with excellent success by Pantages theatre in connection with the showing of " The Third Alarm." This contest consisted of offering twenty prices ranging from three months' season passes down to single tickets, for those who constructed the greatest number of words from the letters in " The Third Alarm " at Pantages theatre. "Robin Hood" Gets Tie-up with Meat Company on Odd Still Mount Vernon, N. Y. — A brand new tie-up on Douglas Fairbanks in " Robin Hood " was evolved by Leland Hayward of the United Artists' staff, who exploited the picture at the Westchester theatre. He gathered himself an armful of material, and in looking for some black and white stills for window display purposes, he ran across an off-stage picture of Douglas Fairbanks holding a huge papier mache " prop " ham and playing an imitation tune across the hambone with a huge Robin Hood bow — much as the " heavy " in an old-fashioned orchestra used to caress the " bull-fiddle." " Say it with hams," was the thought that flashed through Hayward's agile mind, and he slipped one of the off-stage stills into his portfolio. In Mount Vernon he wandered around looking for a likely looking meat market. This he found in the establishment of the Independent Beef Company's place. It took him three days to sell the idea of a connection between the famous hero of twelve centuries ago and the Independent Beef Company's prize hams. At the £ nd of three days, persistence won and for several days the still, glued to a 2*2x28 card, held the post of honor in the Independent Company's window, beneath the inscription: "If Robin Hood were alive today he'd buy our prize Hams."