Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1922)

400 Motion Picture News Canton, O., Merchants Aid “Courage” Engagement John Kessler, who controls the destinies of the New Alhambra theatre, Canton, Ohio, arranged some most advantageous tie-ups and constructed some novelty advertising copy for his recent engagement of “ Courage.” A double truck of co-operative advertising in the Canton News was one result of his efforts. Four columns on each page, fifteen inches in depth, contained the theatre’s selling talk for the picture. The rest of the space was given over to advertising for local merchants. Two z'iezvs of the lobby display which Manager B. L. Park of the Rialto theatre, Chattanooga, Tenn., originated for his showing of “ The Iron Trail ” Dog Show Furnishes Cutts with Exploitation Idea The Seattle Star has been running a “ mutt ” dog show, only canines who were not thoroughbreds being eligible for entry, as a means of swelling the funds of the Community Chest. There were various prizes and a lot of publicity and interest for the event. William Cutts, manager of the Clemmer theatre, was running a Century comedy, “ Around Comers,” in which “ Brownie ” is the star performer. Consequently he saw an opportunity to horn in on the dog show, and this is the way he did it : He offered, through the Star’s columns, prizes to the two dogs most closely resembling “ Brownie,” and entered a painted “ Brownie ” in the show itself properly labelled to attract attention to the theatre and the showing of the picture. Local movies of the dog show were taken to be shown at the Clemmer. The idea was a hit from every angle. Special Lobby for “Life’s Darned Funny” Manager W. T. Murray celebrated his return to the post of manager of the Alamo No. 2 theatre, Atlanta, by a special lobby for a second-showing of “Life’s Darned Funny.” The picture has to do with life in Greenwich Village, and so the lobby represented a .studio in that muchtalked of section. A big easel, with a canvas on which a picture had been just sketched, occupied the center of the lobby. In front of it, a sort of stool held a palette with colors squeezed on it from various tubes of paint scattered around, and a paint-stained, much be-spattered smock was flung across one corner of the easel. At one side, stood a table on which is a bottle of “red ink” (an uncorked bottle of grape-juice), a half of a loaf of French bread from which bits have been tom instead of cut— food from a delicatessen in a little wooden tray. A glass half-full of grape-juice — all in a state of great confusion. And at the other side of the “studio,” is a dress-maker’s dummy, with a strip of doth flung around it, as if a dress was about to be draped on the figure. For all its interest-awaking atmosphere it was a most inexpensive lobby. Schwalm and His Local Editor Work Together The Hamilton Journal helped John Schwalm, manager of the Rialto theatre, Hamilton, Ohio, put over “ The Old Swimmin’ Hole ” by arranging and advertising a children’s matinee. The whole campaign was outlined so it would appear that Mr. Schwalm had nothing to do with the party except that he loaned the theatre and the picture. For several days the Journal carried big stories about the party and in every issue was a coupon to be clipped and presented by any child as partial admittance to the theatre. The party was a great success. Mercantile establishments worded their copy so that it tied up very well with the phrase “ Courage.” One ad for a local shoe store urged the people to “ Take Courage ” as shoe prices were coming down rapidly. A dentist stated that it ■“ Doesn’t Take Courage ” when you come to his office to have your dental work done. A fur store states that it “ Takes Courage ” to cut fur prices at this time of the year. At any rate, any reader of that issue of the Daily News was sure to have the word “ Courage ” impressed on his memory in indelible syllables. Four days after the ad was run Mr. Kessler stated that each and every one of the advertisers agreed that the ad was well worth while as it had increased the business of each concern that had had the “ Courage ” to go in on the double-page spread. This lobby front for “ North Wind’s Malice” is by the Isis theatre, Longmont, Colo.