Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1922)

1174 Motion Picture New White’s Prairie Schooner Exploits “White Oak” Nicely \\ hen “ White Oak ” played the Rex theatre, Sumter, S. C., Manager Oscar White set his thinking cap at work and originated some exploitation that stimulated business greatly. Feeling that Hart needed a boost in Sumter, Mr. White conceived a plan to wake his prospects up a bit and, incidentally, stimulate business. He borrowed from a local liveryman a two-horse wagon and had it covered to represent the old-time Prairie Schooner. On this he had painted : “ Ye Olden Times ” “To California or Bust” while underneath this in big red letters : “Wm. S. Hart in WHITE OAK.” The wagon was driven all over town and finally stopped in front of the theatre, where the mules were unhitched and the wagon pulled across the sidewalk into the lobby. A collection of such articles as are necessary for a cross-country trip, for instance, an old gun, a pick, shovel, coffee pot, frying pan, bucket, etc., were also placed in the lobby. This particularly stimulated the attention of all the old-timers in town. i ADDED FFft-rii This cut shows a portion of a specially painted 24 sheet used recently by the California theatre, Los Angeles, in which the Christie comedy, “ A Barnyard Cavalier" was given extra conspicuous billing ♦ Dignified “Disraeli” Campaign Put Over By Finke WHEN Manager D. H. Finke put on “ Disraeli ” at the new Bellevue theatre in Niagara Falls, N. Y., he exploited the production in a dignified manner. One of the features of his campaign was a private showing of the production for some 300 educators from both sides of the Niagara. At this screening the manager asked his guests to note their impressions of theVpicture on cards. These criticisms were later used in ads. placed by Mr. Finke in ’Falls papers. *A11 the teachers and principals were deeply impressed by the picture, said Mr Finke, and many of them recommended it highly to their students. Public Schools Help Winks on “ Connecticut Yankee ” Ray Winks, manager of the Sigma Theatre, Lima, O., used the school children of his city as a means to some excellent mouth-to-mouth advertising in connection with the showing of “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.” Because of the fact that several classes in the public schools were studying the works of Mark Twain at the time of the engagement of the picture, Mr. Winks found it an easy matter to tie up with the school authorities in conducting his exploitation campaign. Accordingly, it was announced through the teachers in Lima’s elementary and high schools that the Sigma Theatre would offer a special matinee for school children only, on the day prior to the opening of the scheduled run. Instead of the regular admission of 25 cents, the price was reduced to 10 cents for the “kids” matinee. As a result whole classes turned out accompanied by their instructors, and the boxoffice returns which followed this showing justified the extra pains taken by the management. Inexpensive Stunts Sell “What Do Men Want?” Some good exploitation helped John W. Creamer, manager of the Pert theatre, Gillespie, 111., put over “What Do Men Want?” in fine shape. Mr. Creamer began his campaign by painting a big question mark with the title running through it on the mirrors of the lobby doors. The title was in red and the question mark in blue. A quantity of smaller question marks were cut from card board and after being painted were hung in the lobby. Four teaser slides bearing the title of the picture and nothing else were next in order. The first slide bore the word “ What ” and the following three, the other words of the title. The slides were not run in rotation but were sandwiched in between advertising slides. Later, four explanatory slides were used to follow each of the teaser slides. A lobby display also helped sell the picture. Mr. Creamer painted a special one-sheet and a special cut-out display, in which a woman was shown pulling aside real lace curtains revealing such words as wealth, love, home, etc., painted on tissue paper. Behind the tissue paper was another big question mark also of original design. It was inexpensive exploitation but it sold the picture to excellent business according to Mr. Creamer’s report. Miller Builds Another Effectiv Lobby Display Manager Frank Miller of the Modjeska thi atre, Augusta, Ga., played “ Get-Rich-Quic Wallingford ” for a two-day run recently, wit a most effective lobby display. Some two months ago, one of Augusta’s leac ing banks failed most spectacularly. Naturall;! the subject is quite fresh in the minds of tb city — and will be for some time to come. So Manager Miller secured a quantity of th canvas money-bags used by this bank, with th name printed across the bags in black letter; These were stuffed with rocks, and bulged ver realistically. These were piled about a boxe' in space in the lobby. Bales and bundles o paper money, fastened with markers from th same ill-fated bank, were scattered careless!; around. The boxed-in space was triangular in appear ance, and was formed by a double line of smal cut-out wooden figures to represent messenge boys in perspective — those at the apex of th* triangle being very small, those at the other enc larger. Each of these messenger boys wore besides his uniform, a wide grin, and was trun-i [ dling a wheel-barrow full of “ money.” The}1' were all headed towards two life-sized cut-out; of “ Wallingford ” and “ Blackie,” who stood engaged in earnest consultation, in the centei of the lobby. The usual stock paper completed the display Bill Dillon Has a New One for i “What Do Men Want?” William A. Dillion, manager of the Strand \ Theatre, Ithaca, N. Y., has a large number of the students at Cornell as his patrons, and it is because he is always thinking up some new kink in bringing a picture to their attention. When “ What Do Men Want?” played at his house for three days recently, Mr. Dillon sent the following telegram to each fraternity house on the campus : \Wiat Do Men Want the First Half of the Week That They Won’t Get on the Last Half? — Mr. Ufindout, Strand Theatre. The result was a generous response to this message on the part of the students. IVitidozo display on “ The Conquering Power * secured for the showing of this picture at Loew’s Palace theatre, Washington, D. C. I IBS WILLIAMS PRINTING COMPANY. NEW TO!