Motion Picture News (Jul-Aug 1919)

August 2 , I g I g (Exhibitors Service) 1065 Pittsfield Stores and Theatre Cooperate And Both Story of LAST week the news drifted in to this department that H. C. Young, manager of the Strand theatre, Pittsfield, Mass., was doing something unusual with the Red Lantern. We wired Mr. Young to tell us all ahout his exploitation and to have photographs taken of his window and lobby displays. Mr. Young came through all right, but he makes some apologies for his photographs. Here is what he said about them. It seems that Mr. Young is an amateur photographer along with his other profession that of a first class show man. " Three of my displays are shown in the photos. The others didn't come out good, for as a photographer I am a good swimmer." At the time Mr. Young wrote us, he was playing " The Red Lantern " his third day with a prospect of holding it over for^ a week. How is that for a city of 32,000 inhabitants? Here is the way Mr. Young went after Mr. and Mrs. Pubhc of Pittsfield for his week's run on the Red Lantern. The bill boards of Pittsfield are not open to the Strand for some reason or other so big stands welre not possible consequently Mr. Young began looking for windows which were available for displays and he found five and could have secured more, only his supply of oil paintings of " Nazimoya'.' which he had secured from the exchange, ran out and he could not get more in time for use in his showing. Next came 500 window cards with which he decorated windows of stores in which he could secure space and the balance were tacked up in -conspicuous places in all parts of the town. .Five thousand Heralds were placed i nto the hands " of five thousand persons '.' and the majority of two thousand cut out lanterns, an attractive small advertising medium gotten out for the Red Lantern campaign, were hung about the city. The balance of this lot of advertising material was hung on the door knobs of Pittsfield's residents during the night. The next step in Mr. Young's campaign 'to put the Nazimova feature over to big business was a generous' purchase of newspaper space and a careful framing of his ads. He didn't throw his copy at the printer but carefully considered how he could get the most publicity for his money. ■ Benefit — Show Your Local Merchants This "The Red Lantern" in Pittsfield, Mass. "The Red Lantern'^ '.'.'liith is to be pl.iycrf'lhc lir>l part of next M'eek at the Strand Theatre can be obtained here in book form. Read the book so you can appreciate the pliy. "D.ingerous Days." by Mary Roberts Rinehart and '■hi Sesref," by Robert V/. Chambers are two new novels .which you will enpov. "in Secret," is not Chambers' usual style, Init a very good detective story. CHAMBERLAIN BROS. Tel. 567 34 North St. A live book-seller teamed up with Manager Young to the benefit of both Then Mr. Young rested awhile, for as he states in his letter to us on this subject: "I had that feeling of satisfaction in knowing I had done everything I could to let the public know that the Strand was the place to go too and that the Red Lantern was the picture to see." Inaction however is a word which Mr. Young knows httle about. Soon another idea came along and being practical he used it before some of his , friends should tell him it was no good. Mr. Young stood in so well with the management of the Street R. R. Co., that he was able to get a big card hung on the front of every car that operated in Pittsfield, stating that the " Red Lantern " was to be shown at the Strand, and giving the dates, prices of admission, etc. Then Mr. Young found some more spare time which he didn't know what to do with and gathering his theatre force about him he began decorating the house. Five hundred Chinese lanterns were hung about the theatre auditorium and the lobby was decorated in Oriental style that attracted a lot of attention. Still time hung heavy on Manager Young's hands and he looked for something else to do. Now Woolworth's and Kresge's both operate stores in Pittsfield, and both sell copies of popular songs. Young monopolized a window in each store and got rid of 500 hundred more Red Lantern cutouts' on the interiors of the "five and ten" emporiums. Down by the music counters were ten foot paper banners advising the public to buy The Red Lantern song. If it hadn't come time for Young to get back to the theatre and take in the money his Red Lantern engagement was producing, there is no knowing what he might have done next, for ideas seem to grow in his fertile brain. However, Monday, July 16th, was His opening day and at noon Wednesday he was way in the lead and going strong. We haven't heard but we are willing to gamble that he made the picture hold up for the whole week. Boys, you can do the same thing if you will only wake up and go after the business. It's in your town just as well as in Pittsfield but it isn't going to come to you. Is Your Theatre Visibly Cool — Here's One That Is {Continued from page 1064) usually pretty and restful. The blue lights above the falls made the white foam and spray which arose from the stage or falls base where numerous rocks were placed, a ghostly white appearance, and added realism. Two large stage fans placed at angles behind the right and left stage, blew directly toward the audience across the falls and forced a good portion of the spray from the walls forward, clarifying the air. With wall fans, over a score of them, about the theatre and a big roof fan pulling out the old air. ' with the added effect of the unusual stage arrangement, it can be easily understood that the New Lyric was made "visibly cool." Manager Vance received numerous compliments from his patrons and newspaper criticisms of his shows mentioned the unique cooling stunt. Show your local merchants how these stores got live attention — bringing , displ ays by , cooperating wnth their theatre matvager. The photo to the left shows Woolworth's store; the next, the Rscher music stores; •'■then Kresge's display and at the right another view of the Escher display i