Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1921)

October 15, i g2 i 1999 This lnbb\ tor "The Skv Pilot" icas used by W. h. Druiiibar. inainu/cr of the Strand theatre. Knoxville, Ky. 4ayer Puts "Reputation" Over at Columbus Columbus, O., was ripe for a motion icture taking stunt when Joe Mayer, niversal exploiteer, went there recently i exploit the showing of " Reputation " 11 the James theatre. By advertising, heralds and cooperative lublicity with the local newspapers, Mr. \ I aver soon had the pretty and neariretty girls of Columbus all looking for' ard to screen tests. Permission was obined to make the tests in Franklin Park, lie of the City's beauty spots, on the Sunlav preceding the showing of " Reputa..n." Cooperating with J. Real Neth, maniger of the James theatre, Mayer aranged a short continuity built around a irogressive fashion show. Models were upplied by a local department store. Vfter pictures of the fashion parade had )een taken, intimate close-ups of volunteer creen subjects were taken. More than 5000 spectators crowded iround the camera-man. The screen tests aken were shown at the James theatre 'iiring the run of " Reputation " and then nt to Universal City to be viewed by the luting director. Considerable advertising also was obined through a " character " test, run in e various newspapers in connection with irious poses of Priscilla Dean, taken rom her several characterizations in Reputation." A double page truck tie-up advertisenent also was used in two Columbus lewspapers, built around the word DEPUTATION. The tie-up was very ffective and the double page spread made . smashing ad for the picture, the title of i'hich was plastered across the two-pages n two-inch letters. Teaser ads and a large amount of pecial story publicity completed Mayer's 'olumbus campaign. Drumbar Transforms Lobby Into Wilderness Transforming his lobby into a wilderness through the use of a profusion of greenery, ferns, leaves, evergreens, and branches of trees, W. E. Drumbar, manager of the Strand Theatre, Knoxville, Tenn., made an ideal setting for the little log church in the woods which was to exploit "The Sky Pilot." Over the entrance, exit and the front of the box office log cabin fronts had been built with window and doors. Worked in between, in panels of green, were the posters announcing this feature. Up above the center panel of the front Mr. Drumbar placed a small church bell and from time to time, as the crowds passed along the streets, the cashier would give the bell card a pull and set the bell to ringing. Another clever stunt was the procuring of a lot of locusts which were released in the lobby. They kept up a merry la_\-, attracting a great deal of attention. Forsyth Theatre Builds Fine Lobby Display Manager Irwin, of the Forsyth theatre, Atlanta, recently played "The Old Nest" for three days nnmediately following the picture's run at the Howard theatre. Yet the Forsyth played to capacity business, as well as the Howard. The lobby was transformed into a room, furnished as much like the Mother's room, in the picture, as possible. Seated at the window where the curtains were half drawn, was a life sized cut-out of the Mother's figure. Away in the distance seemingly miles away, so tiny it looked, was a railroad trestle. A big yellow harvest moon shone down on the seated figure at the window, and just outside the window within reach of the mother's hand, seemingly, was a tiny bird's nest. There was practically no expense to this lobby, due to the fact that almost if not quite all of the props were borrowed from the Howard where they had been used for a prologue, to the same picture, the week before. Shoming a scene from the prologue number for " The Passion Flower," presented by Managing Director Francis A. Mangan at the Allen theatre, Montreal