Motion Picture News (Jul-Aug 1916)

1062 MOTION PICTURE NEWS Vol. 14. No. 7 LIVING MODELS TO SHOW STYLES Homer Ellison, manager of the Empress theatre of Salt Lake City, Utah, has proven himself an able manager. During his career as a theatre manager in Denver Ellison was credited with being the most lively publicity man on Denver's great white way. His original ideas were the talk of the town. Upon assuming charge of the Empress theatre at Salt Lake, he has more than doubled the business of that house. His latest successful stunt is a fashion show with living models, which was a recent feature at the Empress. It was found that the showing of stunning styles in ladies' raiment brought to the theatre a host of new faces which included women of the best social circles. This fashion show was promoted with a small cost to the management, the burden of the expense being borne by one of the larger department stores. The department store sent out 25,000 neat announcements through the mail and also advertised the affair in its full page newspaper advertisements. New gowns were shown each day by six beautiful models and appropriate stage settings were used. With the stage tastefully dressed with palms, the orchestra playing and spotlights on the models, the affair was both unique and effective. " Carmen," featuring Geraldine Farrar, was the other feature of the show during the week. The Empress played to capacity business each performance. FREE TICKETS FOR SOLDIERS A novel advertising stunt as well as a highly appreciated act was pulled off by Manager W. L. Whitehead of the Republic theatre, Jacksonville, Fla., recently, when he announced through the daily newspapers that he would give free tickets to all members of the National Guard of Florida, who desired' visiting his play house. One thousand four hundred men of the Second Regiment, N. G. F., are encamped at the State Camp Grounds at Black Point, and several hundred of them come to the city daily. No great rush was made on the Republic by the guardsmen as a result of the offer, but a large number of them took advantage of this opportunity to see Chaplin and other productions shown at the theatre, and the movement on the part of Mr. Whitehead was highly commended throughout the city, and he states his patronage has increased since making the announcement. PLAYING UP TO LOCAL PRIDE WINS Denver film fans believe in patronizing home products. This fact was brought out by Manager Megahan, of the New Strand Theatre of Denver, who, in his advertisement of " The Half Million Bribe," featured the fact that Marguerite Snow was a Denver girl. Consequently the Strand played to capacity while other theatres on the street played to normal business. CHILDREN VISIT THEATRES ON BIRTHDAY OF KANSAS GOVERNOR The birthday of Governor Arthur Capper, of Kansas, who is publisher of the Topeka Capital, and of a string of weeklies, has been celebrated for several years by treats for children. This year, the birthday, July 14, was celebrated as was last year's, by giving the children free tickets to the moving picture houses of Topeka. A general invitation had been sent out, and children all over Kansas were welcome. Naturally those of Topeka had the advantage— and more than 6,000 of them assembled in front of the Capper building early in the morning. They were given ice cream cones, and then started on their rounds of the theatres. The tickets issued had coupons, each coupon designating the theatre where it was to be presented. The order of the theatre on the tickets varied, so that parts of the crowd went to different theatres, and none was seriously overcrowded. There were ten theatres in the entertainment, and the children kept going until 5 o'clock. There was a recess at noon, however, during which the children went home to dinner, then assembled on the State House grounds for a band concert. The tickets given out bore a picture of the Governor, surrounded by children's faces. Following is the ticket, and the programs of the theatres : TUIC TirifFT WUl Admit One Boy or One Gin lillj lll^IVLil (not over Sixteen Years of Age) :=== to the various Topeka Theatres. ARTHUR CAPPER'S BIRTHDAY Good Only Friday, July 14, 1916, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets Must Be Used in Order Numbered Gem Theatre 1 1 Princess Theatre lO Orpheum Theatre 9 Apex Theatre 8 Aurora Theatre 7 Best Theatre 6 Cozy Theatre 5 Novelty Theatre 4 Crystal Theatre 3 Iris Theatre 2 Ice Cream 1 CATCHING THE KIDDIES IN THEIR WEAK SPOTS J. B. Cronk, manager of the Allen theatre in Calgary, Alberta, has just put into effect his great Summer drawing card for Clip tKis coupon and bring to the Capper Building. Eighth and Jackson Streets. Friday morning, July 14, and exchange for ice cream and ten theatre tickets. children, and is now giving an ice cream cone to each child attending the matinees on Saturdays. It hardly seems necessary to add that Saturday matinee business at the Allen is fine. SUNDAES NAMED AFTER FILM STARS MAKE NOVEL WINDOW DISPLAY A window display consisting of stindaes, especially concocted and named after the various film stars, and directly behind the dish a photo of the star and the name of the downtown theatre he appeared at, attracted much attention in Milwaukee last week. The window was that of the Spiegel Drug Company, and as long as the display was there crowds were banked outside. The idea, which is an elaboration of the special star sundae, proved very effective. Walter Hildcbrand, manager of the Butteerfly theatre, got the major share of the advertising by co operating with the window trimmer. The idea is one that can be used by any theatre very effectively, if it arranges to use only the names of the stars in the pictures then showing at the theatre. Window Display of A. Spiegel Co., Milwaukee PHOTOPLAYS INVADE MILWAUKEE special to Motion Pictujie News. Milwaukee, Wis., Aug. 5. The annual summer invasion of Milwaukee's legitimate and vaudeville theatres by photoplays has taken place and with the exception of the Crystal theatre, playing vaudeville, and the Empress, showing burlesque, everj local theatre is either presenting the silent drama or is dark. The Orpheum theatre, which up to date has been placing continuous vaudeville very successfully, is the latest to put in photoplays. This house opens Sunday with "The Little Girl Next Door," the big Chicago vice picture with which Jones, Linick and Schafer made such a success at the LaSalle theatre, Chicago. A Unique Visiting Card