Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1921)

1624 Motion Picture News Lobby display used by the Astor theatre, St. Paul, to advertise the engagewent of " Now or Never " Barclay's Idea Works Two Ways Novel Exploitation for " Mother O'Mine " Put Over at Johnstown A. double-action publicity stunt that gave the current attraction plenty of advertising, made the showhouse one of the chief topics of discussion all over town, and incidentally won first honors and a big silver cup in a convention parade, was put over in connection with the showing of " Mother O' Mine," in the Nemo theatre at Jamestown, Pa., operated by the Grand Amusement Co. The Pennsylvania State Elks Association held its Fifteenth Annual Convention in Johnstown the week of August 23, winding up with a parade on Thursday afternoon, in which about 8,000 Elks from all over the state marched. George Panagotacos, president of the Grand Amusement Co., has a big Packard limousine. Six prizes, silver cups, were offered for the best decorated cars in line on the day of the parade. Managing Director L. W. Barclay called in Joseph Simons, decorator for the concern, and gave him a design for the machine — a reproduction of the floral-covered cars that line up in the annual parade at Pasadena, Cal. Simons went to M'ork. On the parade day, the car, covered entirely, roof and all, with an imitation white chrysanthemum background, trimmed in purple streamers and dotted all over the front, sides and rear with imitation purple chrysanthemums, car-ried Messrs. Panagotacos and Barclay, with some friends along the line of march. There was a continual cliorus of " ohs " and " ahs " from the thousands who lined the streets to see the procession. At the conclusion of the parade, the judges awarded the Nemo first prize, a silver cup 18 inches high. The machine was kept on the downtown streets all day and evening after the parade, and served better than a 24-sheet stand as advertising. The beauty of the decorations stopped the passersby, and O' the advertising signs on " Mother Mine " sent them to the theatre. The Nemo management took advantage of another feature of the convention. On parade day, aviators flew over the route of the procession and dropped messages and prize numbers among the crowds. Twenty parachutes that were let down from the planes bore numbers calling for double tickets for " Mother O' Mine " at the Nemo. In arranging the theatre front, the same idea as that used for the car was carried out. "Way Down East'' Prologue Presented at Brooklyn Strand With the aid of the right stage properties, light shadings and properly garbed singers and dancers, Edward L. Hyman, managing director of the Brooklyn Mark Strand theatre, presented a prologue for " Way Down East," that started the film off with a bang. A picket fence ran the length of the stage in the style one finds so often in the rural districts. Set foliage and a back drop showing a semi-pastoral maritime scene with emphasized rock and lichen ■ covered projections furnished just such a countryside scene as is found in New England, not too colorful, but made warm with the glow of early evening lights from, the projection room. The sky of the back drop wa? tinted with a rosy crimson relieved below with a filmy blue, a rich sunset effect. The curtain revealed naught, but the scenic art presentation. A country maiden came from left, her long ribboned hat dangling at her side. She wore a print dress and advanced to center stage behind the picket fence. She loitered here where another dancer garbed as a farm hand, straw hat, jumper, etc., stole up behind her and greeted her. The pair then came through the gate to front stage center where they gave a pretty rustic dance. The Mark Strand mixed quartette attired as the principal characters of the picture came on to sing " Love's Old Sweet Song," while the couple staged an impromptu love scene at one side of the stasfe. Entrance vieiv of the lobby display ivhich Frank Lacey, manager of the Majestic theatre, Portland, Ore., built for his recent engagement of thus picture