Movie Age (1927)

OCTOBER 1, 1927. PAGE 19 EXPLOITATION IDEAS HINTS Fox News Director Tells How to Exploit the News Reel in Six Timely Steps Exploitation of the newsreel is daily being more universally recognized as an important part of theatre operation. The most successful exhibitors are careful¬ ly planning and executing the advertis¬ ing of these reels because their value as a box office attraction is recognized as being very great. This summer when the public literally stormed the theatres to see pictures of Lindbergh and other trans-Atlantic fliers was one instance when the newsreel proved to be an even greater attraction than the feature. Truman H. Talley, director-in-chief of Fox news has prepared six important points giving the essential steps that are being used by exhibitors who are inter¬ ested in the promotion of the newsreel, and they are presented herein as fol¬ lows: 1. The most important point is to screen your newsreel the moment it reaches your theatre, which enables you to form your own opinion of the value of that particular issue and enables you to ascertain what subject or subjects may be worthy of newspaper advertising or special lobby display. 2. Next to featuring by special sign any unusual subject matter in a current release, a wise and profitable policy is to utilize one sheets issued by all news¬ reels. 3. The many exhibitors throughout the country who systematically advertise in the newspapers whether the trade-mark or special subjects of whatever newsreel they use is proof that it is worthwhile to spend money in this way. Many mil¬ lions of theatre patrons have their fa m vorite among newsreels just as they have among stars and producers. 4. In addition to advertising in the newspapers, the alert exhibitors can get at least a story a week in the local press on topics being presented in the current newsreel. 5. All sorts of novelty stunts can be devised to arouse still greater interest in the newsreel. For example, one ex¬ hibitor who co-operated with the educa¬ tional leaders of his city held an essay contest among school children on the outstanding topics of the day, thus cre¬ ating friends for the theatre among the intellectual and intelligent people of the community. 6. The music for a newsreel should be as carefully selected and cued as the music for a feature, as improperly pre¬ sented music can ruin the best of news¬ reels. It is true that some of the ideas list¬ ed here are quite obvious and may seem scarcely worthy of mention, but the number of exhibitors who ignore them is surprising. Detroit House Stimulates Matinees With “Joy Hour” A1 Ruttenberg, manager of the Iris, Detroit, gets a big early matinee crowd into his theatre by advertising a special “joy hour.” Oscar Hanson, manager of the Pathe short subject department in Detroit originated the idea. Under the system a serial and a tworeel comedy are shown ahead of the reg¬ ular matinee. It is advertised as a “joy hour” and other managers, as well as Mr. Ruttenberg, have declared that the idea is successful as it draws a large number of women and children to the matinee. Paint Merchants in Co-op Page for “Painting Town” A co-operative newspaper advertise¬ ment was worked up in the exploitation and advertising of “Painting the Town” when the picture played the Liberty Theatre, Youngstown, 0. The SherwinWilliams Paint Co. offered assistance as a tie-up for their own product. Those included in the co-operative page were a wall paper concern, a glass company, a hardware store, and other vendors of “cleaning up” products. Some of the concerns used window cards. Veterans Give Band Concert To Exploit “Big Parade” The Foreign War Veterans assisted in the exploitation of “The Big Parade” during its engagement at the Allen The¬ atre, Akron, 0. The Veteran’s band of 20 pieces gave a concert over the radio station WADC on the Friday night pre¬ ceding the picture’s opening. The band also gave a concert on the marquee of the theatre on Saturday and Sunday nights. Keith’s Palace Exploits “The Fighting Eagle” John F. Royal, manager of Keith’s Palace Theatre, The News and Hank Simmons, in charge of Pathe exploita¬ tions, all put their heads together to work out the following fine publicity stunt in connection with “The Fighting Eagle” booked at the Palace. Through The News, an SOS was sent forth for Cleveland men who had been connected with the U. S. Intelligence de¬ partment during the war. Those pre¬ senting the best credentials were chosen as guests of the Palace Theatre at a din¬ ner party at the Statler Hotel, followed by a theatre party at the Palace. After the first announcements in The News, follow-up stories appeared daily, so that readers could not fail to know what type of picture “The Fighting Eagle” was and where it was to play. Simmons also arranged a fine tie-up with the Cleveland Public Library. The library issued 20,000 book marks ad¬ vertising the picture. In addition it ar¬ ranged a special display of books by Sir A. Conan Doyle, author of the story from which the picture was made. Blatz Grape Gum Offers A Herald for “The Big Parade” The manufacturers of Blatz Grape Gum, have utilized some of the stills of “The Big Parade” to build a very good piece of advertising material that has a lot of value for the exhibitor and incidentally something for themselves. They have designed a herald 7x11 inches with eleven stills of “The Big Parade” — the front and back having large re¬ productions of John Gilbert and Renee Adoree in the chewing gum scenes which are part of certain sequences of the film and inside are eight other shots from various scenes, the whole being done in four colors. Only on the back page is there any ad for the “Grape Gum.” The front page has a space for the imprint of the theatre name and date. These placards are given away by the manufacturers to Exhibitors who are playing the picture. Information about them can be had at any of the M. G. M. exchanges.