Motography (Jan-Jun 1918)

1060 MOTOGRAPHY Vol. XIX. No. 22 Carload of Children Advertise Film Get Free Ride in Trolley Bearing "BlueBird" Posters, Only Requirement Being That They Make Lots of Noise THE Allen Theatre, Calgary, put over a good advertising stunt in the presentation of the Artcraft feature, "The Blue Bird." A private trolley car was chartered for a Saturday morning and through an advertisement in the newspapers children with strong voices were invited to take a ride in the car free. On the sides of the car were long streams advertising the coming of the feature. "We want some real strong lungs for these trips and if you cannot make enough noise to suit we will help you out," the management announced. The noise was produced. The Allen Theatre, Toronto, has been making a specialty of various advertising stunts which have proved successful. One of the plans consists of the distribution of picture post cards, which bear views of the exterior and interior of the theatre. The cards are given freely to patrons with the suggestion that they write to their friends, the theatre paying the postage. Almost every day from thirty to forty of the cards are handed to ushers or ticket sellers for mailing. Of course, the messages are not private and it is noted that in almost every instance the writers praise the theatre. In the opinion of the management this form of advertising forms valuable boosting. The cards and other advertising literature are always to be found on a small table just inside the entrance. The other literature consists of the Allen News, a weekly house organ containing details of coming attractions and references to various house features, musical request lists and small calendars for the current month. The lists of musical selections are changed each month and with these the orchestra is able to provide music that the patrons desire. Requested selections of a special nature are played on Tuesdays and Thursdays of each week. Show Uncensored Film The managers of twenty-eight moving picture theatres in Winnipeg, Manitoba, have been found guilty of exhibiting an uncensored moving picture. The film in question was a one-reel subject which was released by a civic committee in charge of a clean-up campaign. Charles H. Webster, secretary of the committee, said: ' "We had no time to have the film censored. If the censor board closes the shows the province will lose a couple of days' receipts from the Amusements Tax Act." Local newspapers took up the discussion editorially. No actual prosecutions are expected, however. Pathe and Press Join Hands on New Travel Series By virtue of an important deal just consummated between Pathe and the Post Film Company, the release throughout the country of a new travel series will be made by Pathe in conjunction with leading daily newspapers. Many of the most important papers in the United States are parties to the contract, and as each film is shown in each city, a travel article corresponding appears in the newspaper. The subjects are in single reel form. The first release will be on June 16 and affords a striking and comprehensive picture of life in St. Thomas, in the Virgin Islands, bought from Denmark by the United States last year. The newspapers signed up to participate in this project are as follows: New York Evening Mail, Philadelphia Inquirer, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Pittsburg Press, Baltimore American, Detroit News, San Francisco Chronicle, St. Louis Globe-Democrat, Chicago Evening Post, Buffalo Evening News, Minneapolis Daily Tribune, Los Angeles Express Tribune, Milwaukee Journal, Denver News-Times, Portland Oregonian, Houston Chronicle, Atlanta Journal, Salt Lake Telegram, Dallas Dispatch, Charlotte Observer, Richmond (Va.) Times Dispatch, Duluth News Tribune, Grand Rapids Herald, New Orleans Item, Hartford Courant, Albany Times-Union Topeka Daily Capital, Birmingham AgeHerald, Arizona (Phoenix) Republican, and the Des Moines News. Hot Fight Over Sunday Shows Commissioner Carl H. Stubig of Sandusky, O., for the fourth time has sworn out warrants charging Commissioner John A. Himmelein, owner and manager of the Sandusky Theatre, and George J. Schade, W. W. Pope and William F. Seitz, Jr., other exhibitors, with having kept their places open on Sunday. All of the cases are pending in municipal court. City Solicitor E. S. Stephens having refused to prosecute the cases, Judge Malcolm Kelly has been designated as special prosecutor. Scenic and ballet spectacle entitled "The Primeval Forest," produced by S. Barrett McCormick, managing director of the Circle Theatre, Indianapolis, as a prologue to "Tarzan of the Apes." The ballet was composed of professional dancers and students of a ballet school. The scenes and electric effects were devised in a studio managed by the theatre. New O. Henry Picture Promised Another of O. Henry's famous stories is to make its appearance shortly as a Vitagraph Blue Ribbon feature. It is "One Thousand Dollars," taken from the volume published under the title of "The Voice of the City." Albert E. Smith, president of the Vitagraph Company, selected a special cast for the picture and is featuring Edward Earle, Agnes Ayres and Florence Deshon, with Templar Saxe, Anne Brody and Nell Spencer in strong supporting roles.