The Moving Picture Weekly (1919-1922)

Vol. 15, No. 15 The Moving Picture Weekly 27 Receive Fifty Dollars Apiece paca, Wis.; H. K. Meade, Strand Theatre, Bradford, Pa., and E. F. Descutner, Avalon, Pa. ROBERT HARMON, manager of the Knickerbocker Theatre, Columbus, 0., one of this week's fifty-dollar prize winners, used the bicycle stunt with splendid success. During the run of "Robinson Crusoe," Mr. Harmon ran a popularity cotest for the boys and girls, the winners in each division to receive a fifty-dollar Dayton bicycle as first prize, $10 in gold for the second, and a $15 gold piece for third. Thus, the most popular girl and boy each received a bicycle, the second most popular pair divided twenty dollars between themselves, and the third prize winners were awarded five dollars each. Coupon book covers were printed and, by means of a hand stapling device, the theatre's own ten-cent tickets were bound in, ten to a book. Each book sold for one dollar and carried ten votes on the bicycle contest. These books were displayed at the box-office, explanatory slides thrown on the screen, and want ads inserted in local papers for three days urging boys and girls to get busy selling the books. Each boy or girl selling a book was not only entered in the contest automatically but received a free admission to the first episode. One boy, alone, sold more books before the first day's showing than the entire cost of both bicycles! THE advantages of the stunt are many. Fifty or sixty children sell tickets for the theatre at par. Patrons who buy them, even if they happen to be regulars, will spend tickets already in their possession much faster than they will money. Furthermore, it brings in many persons who never came to the theatre before. The theatre's admissions are always ten to twenty cents; the tickets are good for a ten-cent seat at any time, or two of them are good for a twentycent seat when exchanged at the box office. The cashier then sells all coupon tickets taken in on exchange, over again, at ten cents and the war tax is automatically taken care of on the twenty-cent ticket by the exchange. Mr. Harmon's letter, written four days after the first listing was made, mentions that several hundred dollars' worth of books had already been sold, so phenomenal receipts should be on hand August 15, when the final awards are made. The Knickerbocker Theatre has two Amateur Nights weeklv and patrons are buying the books and placing the votes to the credit of their favorites, a great many of whom are youngsters. The bicycles with cards in the centre of the frames are on display constantly in the lobby, and on Amateur Nights, on the stage. A special free show given to the Boy Scouts helped the opening and aroused further interest in the contest. Each ad placed by the theatre ran a line or two calling attention to "The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe." Two half-sheet posters, shown on page 32, were displayed in lobby and foyer. A tabulated list of contestants was inserted and kept up-to-date by daily corrections. (Continued on Page 30) "C'TST^'lJl Steamship TRIP through the 1000 Island". tbV d\ * *V JSlfifl Beautiful St. Lawrence, Shoot the Lachine Rapids fiS^ and visit Montreal FREE PASSES FOR FATHER and SOH PREE PASSF,S F0R MOTHER and DAUGHTER ■ Easy Comf 'MP/ petition open to Beach Patrons. ^ JjB?| What Ten Things Would You Want%^ *iWL^ ^ ^ou ^ere Shipwrecked Like ROBINSON CRUSOE? fl 1 Nannette Models 20M QUEEN EAST BEACH »S60» Criuot >m or If you «rr. (olni .-ampin*. ..a? off b, ) ounttU. | -hat ten article, or *eta of art.tlca . „ld ull | To the Boy or CtI WlttM m It* beat .r>-»er to the fort, | i^n^qotattoni will b» river. Frr. Steam.hlp i'aaa*. u abr»< 1 ^ Aji*w*r» mo-i be confined to artafea advartiaol un Batt pajx IA) The name of Uir .n ,. ,, (B) Whore you would buy It (you mu»i specify nne nf tnc patera admlWd on Dili page lO Why you would f<t the .nrtiuh .1 thai partfcukr otore [ All i«»(n muil b* taken to (he A Den Beatb TWtrr cmrt ajllen'Seach RADIO Amateari W« at* rvonlno • Radio rtodlyfiwn ">rTT"t1Cm The Elect Electric (« MAIN STREET PHONE BEACH SS39* if you are MOVING 'Bcaco 155 BEACH TRANSFER QUEEN EAST Opp Fxrt KaU Hadame Wurm 323 DANFORTH Fm HixK-Ou* and I Eathiajvj MlUld<t7 Gerr. 697 John Harvie and Sons Carpenter^ 1 omber. Loth ud SnbifVs Sawn Sharpened and Re-a*l MOVING and CARTAGE SI WKEELtK AV^WE THEATRE CRUSOE TheWjrids Most Hatv*!^ (^pterTptaj \ PICTURED AT LA^-! fi^M TtoiC7d"i%ro7fnrjrri37 ; '■' :1 ekapter play that a-lll brinj hapfr ' ' brought 1o Jiff 'SflfiffTSl. &f' SAUSBY5 CholceOladlola Jl >.l rv. Hark— mtFitLSu 1 °oth' Wok. r^k^ljO killed *, to PatBlSl Haidv Rao'li* ahrtAa. *tc Sausby 7 Wavirky PHONE BEACH 1290 E.Holden £*ectnc«n Coatlract Work Old House WlrtDf without damaa» to aVnnHbinRepair Work „ To All EW tj-icai AppUancea for [ndualriaJ and Ekrrmttlo 4 BUTLER AVE. Sen peeUjiaadpaper. HARDWQOD Cattail « Cl«»,r>ee PrUw Reasonable .PHONE BEACH 3016 W. DYSON ' 2 WHEELER AVE TW. SEMCHES Singer Sewing Machine*. Brunswick Phono gT»pha J. Murchie 2181 QUEEN ST. EAST PHONE BEACH 2736 RESJALL PLUMBER LTI thl EWl •>*>, ««d Wolooelr (standi A PHONE BE»CH 4671* JackAlsblh&Co. 1103 GERHARD ST. WHY? CLEANING uid DVEPiC ' McMILLIN & COSTAIN ' Hardware Company 166 MAIN STREET EAST TORONTO PHONE BEACH 3645 H^'w^'oib. Patau STORAGE RJNCBEACH SB CoabracU taken 1 to 3'i-U4> Trucka. "RING BEACH SB ROBINSON CRUSOE CLAYTON'S Choice Meats . GeiihaiAuto PAINTED far Sp..n« BEACH AUTO PAINT SHOP R*a» 2032 QUEEN E. BEACH 3193* Beach Taxi PHONE BEACH 457 Da>e*Nif>l SERVICE BEACH TAXI and AUTO LIVERY N. 8. Cobbledick 2560 D ANFORTH A VE. PHONE BEACH 73 2068 QUEEN ST. EAST PHONE BEACH 676 D WOODBINE n BATVCBY SERVICE 117 WOODBINE AVE. Vlnce tt Sausby Carpenlcra and Cabinet Mall**. 1945 QUEEN ST CAST PHONE BEACH 31 32 Alexander School SUM SILKS Men c S» Start. Maafa AO Order w. A. Scott Shady ver^d.h Coxy Paint Ben Rcecc Tenia, Awniruja. Boat Stub and Cover. Slop 19. KINGSTON P P ,67 LAKESIDE AVE BIRCH CLIFF j Phone Bert Ntwaon Harvey Williams, Manager of the Allen Beach Theatre, Toronto, Canada, Tied-Up Local Merchants on Full-Page Co-operative Newspaper Ads for Ten Weeks Make It the Biggest Summer You Ever Had!