Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1922)

February 25, 1922 1233 Don’t Worry % PICK the right pictures. Give them proper exploitation and the result will be dollars in the box office. Which are the right pictures? The BOOKING GUIDE and your NEWS file will tell you. By the same method you can arrive at the best manner of presentation. Special Talking Machine Serves New Lobby Purpose As a special stunt for calling attention to his lobby during the recent showing of “Don’t Tell Everything,’’ Manager J. M. Edgar Hart, of the Palace theatre, El Paso, rigged up a special talking machine and attached it to the ceiling in front of his box office. The contrivance was given the name of “Spooks” and a sign placed before the large black box with phonograph horn extending asked the passer-by to ask “Spooks” any question and receive an answer. With signs bearing the words “Don’t Tell Everything” on all sides people became naturally curious to find out whether the funny looking talking machine would answer their queries or not. A tube was extended from the horn outside to the office within the theatre and a man kept in the office constantly to answer the questions as they came through the tube. Humorous answers were given always and to put a finishing touch onto the idea with each answer “Spooks” voice told the questioner to see “Don’t Tell Everything.” The picture played four days to exceptional business, thousands asked questions of the “Spooks” machine and newspapers gave the idea special publicity. All in all the idea was one of the most talked about stunts ever pulled in El Paso and it is not unusual to see pedestrians who pass by the theatre hurriedly glance up at the ceiling to see if the “Spooks” machine is still there, even today. Mr. Hart has had numerous requests for the loan of the special lobby contrivance, with the result that his clever idea is being used to call attention to “Don’t Tell Everything” in several cities of Texas at the present time. Here is a window display on “Get Rich Quick Wallingford” arranged by Ray Whitfield, manager of the Lyric theatre, San Angelo, Texas Ernest Gets Local Merchants’ Aid Again CHARLES H. ERNEST, manager of the Palm theatre, Pueblo, Colo., has put over another full page co-operative newspaper display stunt. The picture for which Mr. Ernest secured the aid of Pueblo merchants was “ Mother O’Mine.” There were thirteen mercantile ads. Mr. Ernest’s space was the equivalent of a quarter page, placed in the center of the space with a cut of Miss Talmadge the principal feature. The results for both the merchants and the theatre were entirely satisfactory, according to Mr. Ernest. Tivo views of the talking machine stunt used by the Palace theatre, El Paso, Texas, to exploit ‘‘Don’t Tell Everything” Hyman Presents Attractive “Doll’s House” Prologue AN old-fashioned rope garden swing illuminated with colored lights, hung in a rose-arbor, and in which was seated a Colonial maiden in crinoline while a dandy in powdered wig and velvet coat swung her high, was the exploitation idea used in a prologue at the Brooklyn Mark Strand theatre preceding the showing of “ A Doll’s House.” The number opened revealing a French colonial garden with trellises and ivycovered walls. On one side of the stage Edgar Kiefer, as the lover in the film, sang Friml’s “ I Love You, Dear,” to his sweetheart — Sonia Serova, danseuse, who at the end of the song in her crinoline skirt featured a modest dance. Then while another young couple in costume of the period, Mary Fabian, soprano, and Frederick Jagel, tenor, joined in a duet rendition of Grieg’s “ Sunshine Song,” Miss Serova took her seat in the swing and the lights in colors on the long robes flamed out. Mrs. Koch Compiles Interesting Figures Mrs. B. Koch, who conducts the Novelty theatre, Anthony, Kas., has secured some interesting data from her patrons on why people attend her picture shows. Through the aid of the Anthony Bulletin, Mrs. Koch has compiled a list of these reasons and later transferred them to percentages. She finds that thirty-nine per cent of her patrons come for the sake of entertainment; thirty per cent alleged an educational reason ; fourteen per cent for recreation, which is very much the same thing as entertainment ; four per cent for music, two per cent for morals and eleven per cent for various unimportant reasons. It is probable that Mrs. Koch’s figures alone do not prove anything about audiences, but in Mrs. Koch’s idea is a chance for producers and distributors to compile some country-wide percentage figures that might mean a great deal to the industry. It is significant that fifty per cent of the Novelty patrons expressed themselves interested only from the standpoint of entertainment, that only two per cent cared about the theme of a picture and only four per cent were attracted by the music.