Movie Age (1927)

PAGE 20 MOVIE AGE Old Gag Re-Vamped For Exploiting “The Unknown” The old gag of partially concealing the figure of a woman, and leaving the unconcealed portion to mislead the be¬ holder into thinking that the picture in its entirety would be a full nude was adapted with remarkable success for use as an exploitation novelty in con¬ nection with the showing of “The Un¬ known,” a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer star¬ ring picture for Lon Chaney at the Apollo Theatre, Peoria, Ill. Manager W. R. Lawler, who originated the idea, was assisted in putting it over by an M-G-M exploitear. The novelty consisted of a folder of light weight cardboard, the front of which was shorter than the back. When folded over, the front sheet, bearing the caption, “Oh Boy! What a Picture! ‘The Unknown’ ” allowed only the shapely legs and thighs of Joan Crawford to be seen. When opened the reader was sur¬ prised to find that the bare legs have misled him into believing that he would see her in the nude. In actuality she is clothed in a revealing dance costume. On the back of the folder was the thea¬ tre name and play-date. Smiles went around wherever this trick folder was distributed. A large, rotating display board was made up with stills from the Chaney film. The stills were mounted on Bristol board, one to a board, and swung on an unright support, the boards were hinged at the joined end, and so could be opened like a book. Appropriate copy and data were lettered below each still. Poster Contest Promoted For “Metropolis” Prizes The Cleveland School of Art is study¬ ing futuristic art in order to compete for prizes for the best posters to win the Cameo Theatre prize which is offered in connection with the showing of “Metro¬ polis.” A special screening of the pic¬ ture was staged in the News auditorium for the classes, graduates and artists at large. The Cameo Theatre is offering $100 in prizes for the best poster made in accordance with the ideas expressed in the film. A prize of $50 is offered for the best poster made by a student of the Cleveland School of Art. Another $50 prize is offered for the best poster made by a graduate or any other Cleveland artist. Dean Henry Turner Bailey of the Cleveland School of Art will select a committee to name the winners in the contest. “ LOBBY — Display rWindo'iv of y our ^heatrtj By JACK E. BAKER THE SHADOW BOX The shadow box plays a prominent role in the act of display staged in the motion picture theatre lobbies. It is an “attention-getter” and is a simple contrivance to make. Permit me to give you a brief detail of the manufacture ©f a shadow box. It is simple enough for a child to make. We will use a one-sheet for an ex¬ ample. First, go to your nearest lum¬ ber dealer and secure a piece of lum¬ ber 8 inches wide. Cut this piece of lumber into four pieces, two of which will be the size of the length of the onesheet and the other two the same size as the width of the one-sheet. Nail these pieces of lumber and make a frame of them. Then secure a piece of beaver board a little larger than your frame, to give you enough material to nail on the sides of the frame, so that the wood is completely covered. Place a solid piece of beaver board over the opening of the frame and sketch a de¬ sign and border. This border should extend at least four inches on the in¬ side of the frame. After you have nailed the design of the beaver board on your frame and your wood is completely covered, take a piece of mosquito netting the size of a one-sheet and paste inside of the designed border. Then secure six or seven porcelain electric light sockets, which you may buy for the small sum of ten cents, and arrange them evenly around the entire frame, on the inside. Then buy about a pound of plaster paris. Take an old paint brush and dab the plaster paris over the beaver board, completely covering it. Let it dry for about 24 hours. Then streak the plaster paris with guilt or gold paint. After this is finished, you will have a plaster effect attraction board. After you have stippled the beaver board and the frame is completely fin¬ ished, take a one-sheet from the photo¬ play which you wish to advertise — cut out the best part of it, mount it on a piece of bristle board, and insert in¬ side of the shadow box or if you wish you can take something symbolical to the picture and use that as an advertis¬ ing medium. For example, let us take “The Cat and the Canary.” One could use a drawing of the cage cut-out, or a black cat and a canary, using the title card on the outside of the frame. When it comes to the selection of lights, judge them according]'" We all know that green symbolizes “mystery.” When you are advertising a mystery picture, use bulbs dipped in green show card paint. If you are advertising a light comedy drama, use plain white bulbs. If you are advertising action pictures, use a combination of white and red. If you are advertising an intense¬ ly human interest drama, use blue colors. After your shadow box is completely finished, place it in a conspicuous place; then watch your patrons and you will note that about 80 per cent of them will be attracted by your display. For a flasher effect, you can secure button flashers from any of the motion pic¬ ture supply houses. Always remember that just a little time and thought in consideration of your lobby will always help to increase business. Rooster Contest is Used For National Pathe Week John F. Royal, manager of Keith’s Palace Theatre, The Cleveland Press and the Cleveland Pathe exchange are staging one of the most unique contests for National Pathe week. It’s a roos¬ ter contest. Manager Royal has offered $100 to the owner of the finest and most beautiful rooster in northern Ohio. The contest started November 11. On that date local contests were held all over the territory. Contestants were urged to bring their roosters to the theatre in their town which is participat¬ ing in the contest. A capable commit¬ tee will pass judgment on the rooster. Then the nine winning roosters in the territory will be brought to Cleveland for a final judging. The final judging will be held November 16 at the Nat¬ ional Livestock Show at the Public Audi¬ torium. Here is a partial list of the theatres in the territory participating in the con¬ test, where roosters were to be taken November 12 for local eliminations: McTood Theatre, Willoughby; Princess, Medina; Royal, Galion; Marion, Marion; Schade’s Sandusky; Moose, Norwalk; Liberty, Vermillion; Chardon, Chardon; and Ohio, Ravenna. “Hank” Simmons in charge of Pathe publicity and exploitation in this ter¬ ritory, hatched the idea. Singing Cut-Out Brings Crowd to “Girl From Rio” Louis Swee, manager of the Monarch Theatre, Cleveland, put on a ballyhoo last week that brought the crowds to his theatre and attracted many of them into the theatre. The picture exploited was “The Girl from Rio.” Swee made a big cut-out of the star and placed this in the outer lobby, where the passersby could see it. Then he placed a phonograph inside the lobby, and played selections of Rio Rita so that it seemed to the people that the girl wa3 really singing. Everybody stopped to listen and to look. Many stopped and bought admission who might have passed on if their attention had not been specifically captured.