Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1918)

September 28 , 1 9 1 8 2017 General view of lobby display at Broadway theatre on "Talk of the Town" and the center piece of the display, with the owl Birds in Lobby of the Broadway Bring Crowds to See rr Talk of the Town " FOR the first time in his career, M. Kashin advertised a picture without hinging all the publicity on the theme of the photoplay. The truth of the matter is that the theme is of such a nature as to appear, on the surface only, of course, proGerman. Briefly, the picture deals with the possible effects of military discipline on the home. How would Kashin advertise, " The Talk of the Town," the new Dorothy Phillips feature? It was up to Kashin, then, to hunt for some other selling point. What he finally resorted to was the simile of a girl in a gilded cage. The appearance of the lobby of the Broadway this week is different from any of Kashin's previous displays. First of all, it is wide open and plenty of sunshine enters the inner lobby. Ahove the main entrance is a huge cage which imprisons a very beautifully gowned woman. A bird in a small cage is the subject of her gaze. The line on the bottom of theh cage reads : " The brightness of gilt bars oft illumines one's outlook into the darkness of the outer world." The box office in the middle of the entrance is built like a huge bird cage. On a perch a wise old owl blinks his eyes at the passing throngs. The inner lobby is very simply dressed. Over the entrance to the foyer are a few nice draperies to charm the eye. On the side walls brass frames hold hand-colored enlargements of stills. A huge cage is painted on the glass over each enlargement. The interior of the theatre is a veritable aviary. Birds warble to the delight of the audience. The doors are all dressed up with bars resembling a wicker cage. It may be recalled by some exhibitors that recently when a certain picture was released the showmen were advised to use a single bird in a cage in the lobby of their theatres and doubtless some of them did without attracting more than passing attention. But one can imagine not only that the crowds that will be attracted by the number of birds as used at the Broadway, but by the impression that will be left on those who see the display. Now that is one of the important things about lobby displays. Of course the original purpose is to get the attention of the individual and cause him to go to the box office and buy a ticket. Yet there is an even greater value if you can create the word of mouth advertising that caused people to ask : " Did you see the birds in the lobby at the Broadway?" It means greater interest and therefore the net result of larger box office receipts. Indianapolis Neivspaper Puts Photoplays Ahead Indianapolis is one of the larger cities that has just taken a stronger turn to motion pictures. When the article on the situation there appeared in the Motion Picture News one of the criticisms of the Sunday Star was that the screen was made secondary to the speaking stage and that practically the whole front page of the "Drama and Society" section was given over to the legitimate and vaudeville. Now the situation has been reversed by the Star, and in the last two issues there is an eight-column strip used on the pictures at the photoplay theatres, while the spoken drama has to be content with a four-column cut at the bottom of the page. Nearly all of the reading matter on this page is also given over to pictures. It includes an interesting column headed " Comments on the Screen." ARE YOU USING THEM? Articles on Newspaper Cooperation Bring Help to Many Exhibitors WITHIN the past two weeks we have had letters from exhibitors in three principal cities telling of the benefit that has come from the discussion of the situation in their cities. All three report that there is greater co-operation on behalf of the newspapers and that there is prospect of still further improvement. This is the purpose with which these articles are printed. Nothing can be gained of a mere recital of what is being done in various cities unless the exhibitors benefit and unless they call the attention of their newspapers to them. The News does not send out free copies, and if you want the newspapers to see these articles you should make it a point that they do. But not alone Ln the cities treated are these doing good. And they can do more and more good if you will bring the salient points that these articles make to the attention of the management of your papers. Almost any newspaper is open to fair argument and now that baseball is in the discard until after the war and the sporting pages are bare this is the time to make your argument. These articles are for your benefit. Get the most out of them.