Movie Age (1927)

PAGE 20 MOVIE AGE Rodeo, Radio and Pulpit Boost “Ben Hur” Showing Chariots in the rodeo parade, a pre¬ view for clergymen, radio contests, and announcements, and a newspaper essay contest and other new original exploi¬ tation ideas were used to put over “Ben Hur” at the Rialto Theatre, Colorado Springs, Colo. Manager Buzz Briggs, assisted by a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer exploiteer, put on this complete campaign. Each summer Colorado Springs is the scene for the popular Pikes Peak rodeo, an event that opens with a colorful street parade. Permission was granted to enter two chariots bannered “Ben Hur” and “Messala,” respectively, driven by youths in Roman costumes. The rodeo held sway for three days and a chariot race between Ben Hur and Messala was one of the daily fea¬ tures. Rialto rodeo handbills, playing up “Ben Hur,” were distributed in the grandstand during the activities. Seventy-five members of the Colorado Springs Ministerial Alliance were in¬ vited to attend a special preview of the picture. During the intermission a short address was made from the stage requesting the clergymen to submit written expressions of opinion regard¬ ing “Ben Hur,” since it was only through such expressions that the Will Hays organization could determine what type of picture was best suited for pub¬ lic exhibition. The subsequent endorse¬ ments received were displayed in front of the theatre after clerical sanction had been obtained. A contest, giving more publicity, was conducted over radio Station KFUM. The Gazette-Telegraph ran an “Ama¬ teur Critic’s Contest” inviting reviews on “Ben Hur.” Theatre passes were given as prizes. A special lobby, mak¬ ing use of the column suggestion in the presssheet, was used. A three sheet cut-out of Novarro and McAvoy was displayed in the window of the Messalos Art Shop in connection with the children’s drawing contest. Tickets for “Ben Hur” were offered the ten winning entrants. Five thousand perfumed “Ben Hur” blotters obtained from the Jergen Co., were distributed in outdoing bundles of a laundry. Window displays of the book were used at book stores. One drug store displayed its “Ben Hur” perfumes and powders while fifteen stores used the eleven by fourteen stills in their windows. “Ben Hur” book¬ marks were distributed at the public li¬ brary. I W 2 “Shield of Honor” Badges Are An Easy Eploitation Here’s an exploitation that will link Universal’s forthcoming production, “The Shield of Honor,” with every school in the country. From time im¬ memorial, children have striven for gold stars, merit medals and honor rolls. They did it when you were a youngster, and they are still at it. Nat Rothstein, director of advertising and exploitation, conceived the idea of having the Philadelphia Badge Com¬ pany, 942 Market Street, Philadelphia, make up beautiful “Shield of Honor” badges to be given to all children who are proficient in their work and deport¬ ment a month or two weeks previous to the local premiere of the picture. This exploitation can be most effect¬ ively made between a local newspaper, schools and theatre. The schools are eager enough to secure a new and vital incentive to good work. In addition, the film portrays the valor of the police force and is inspiring to children. The newspaper, once the schools have en¬ dorsed the idea, will distribute the badges and give the necessary publicity to the picture. The schools furnish the paper with an honor roll of all pupils who have earned the “Shield of Honor” a month or two weeks in advance of the opening of the picture. On the day previous to the opening, the list is printed in the paper and the children call at the newspaper office for their badges. The badges are well worth winning. They are made of heavy cardboard with a lustrous finish achieved by a process that gives the appearance of genuine silver. The lettering is stamped on in heavy black, and a brass pin is securely fastened to the back. Public Showing Desire For Better Film Fare Says B. P. Schulberg “Development of the film-going pub¬ lic’s taste along changing lines is un¬ shackling the hands of the screen play¬ wright and giving him a freedom for bringing new ideas into pictures such as he has never possessed before.” This was the message brought by B. P. Schulberg, associate producer of Para¬ mount pictures, to the recent Paramount sales convention in Chicago. “The most marked change in public screen demands has come within the past year,” said Mr. Schulberg. “The public has shown that it wants positive characterizations in its film fare as well as incident. It has developed the de¬ mand for logic in the unfolding of screen stories which has made possible the production of pictures which do not have a happy ending. “The Way of All Flesh” and “Underworld,” two of the greatest box-office sensations of recent years, are outstanding examples of this. “Today the screen playwright may give vent to virtually any type of idea with reasonable assurance that the re¬ sultant picture will be a success, pro¬ vided he brings it to the screen in a drama of undeniable power that is logically worked out. New paths have also opened in comedy construction. “In response to this changed attitude, Paramount is preparing with assurance of success a list of pictures that even a year ago would have been a gamble requiring the utmost in business courage to produce,” Mr. Schulberg stated. He then went on to list “The Street of Sin,” an Emil Jannings picture of somber theme; “Honky Tonk,” a dra¬ matic vehicle to star George Bancroft; “Doomsday,” a picture that will pre¬ sent Florence Vidor in a role different from any she has ever before attempted. One method of exploiting “Rolled Stockings,” a Paramount comedy feature with Louise Brooks in the featured role.