Moving Picture World (Jan-Mar 1912)

30 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD used to head the advertising and on all printing. Pretty soon even the Lubin Liberty Bell will suggest the Mission to the patrons. It's a good idea and the moie thoroughly done ihe better it is. For slide making and similar purposes it might be well to have several sizes* of rubber stamps made, which can be done from the electros. For the advertising the bell and the word Mission are done in white on a black block, which makes the device stand out. White on black is always conspicuous if the lines of white are not too fine, but if made too small a film of ink will form and present a wholly black surface. This error has been avoided in the Mission work, as might have been expected, though Manager Daynes confesses to being new to the business. He has to tell it, for his work shows the care of a veteran. That Spoon Contest. Mr. Daynes also sends a coupon for the spoon contest recently described. It will be noted that an equal number of each letter is given out at each performance, which is guarantee that some essential letter is not held out. A good feature is the offer to supply a set of spoons for any seven coupons and a cash payment. We reproduce the coupon: SILVER TEASPOONS. How to Get Them Free. With each lo cent paid admission you will get one of these lettered coupons. A full set, spelling the name, MISSION, will entitle you to a set of six silver-plated Teaspoons, "Xarcissus" design, made by Wm. A. Rogers Mfg. Co. Seven miscellaneous coupons (any letters) and 35 cents in cash will be accepted in lieu of the full set. Present your complete set of coupons at box office and receive your spoons. An equal number of each letter will be given out at each performance. Void unless countersigned. MISSION. (Rubber Stamped.) Any coupon or voting contest is loaded unless you play absolutely fair. Don't try it unless you're prepared to do precisely what you say you will. It's not good showmanship to "trick it a little." That's all right for the circus grafter who is miles away next day, but the best way is Jo play fair and stay in one spot until you can go to a better. Another way to work the coupon scheme if you have from four to six letters in the name of your theater is to give out one letter for each day. If your house is the Star, for example, give coupons the first four days and the set and a Friday ticket get the spoons. With the Bijou you've got the five days covered and the Unique covers Saturday, too. Don't make the set in one week and stop. Spread it out. It is a good steady feature and the spoons are cheap enough to make it worth while. If you can't give six. give three or even one. Get That C. G. P. C. In some effective advertising matter Mr. Dayne makes the same mistake that scores of other exhibitors are making in announcing "C. G. P. C. O." That last C does not stand for company, but for cinematograph, the full title being "Compagnie Generale Phonographique et Cinematographique." That's lots more imposing. Why not get full value? From the South. From Atlanta comes the third "birthday" announcement of the Vaudette there, a quarter page advertisement v/ell displayed and well worded for the greater part though "Ours has been the greatest success of any motion picture theater in the world" is a rather broad statement. Better phrased is this paragraph: Out pictures are the very best obtainable, and are produced by Licensed studios only. Our singers are the best that money will secure. Our musicians are artists of unquestionable ability. Our operators are the highest paid of any in the South, and our attendants are people of refinement, while the theater itself is one of the most beautiful in the world, especially designed for comfort, containing five hundred seats thirty-seven inches apart, allowing ample room for passing through a section of seats without disturbing anyone. The acoustic properties are perfect, and an air of quiet elegance pervades the house, even when every seat is occupied, and the lobby filled with eager pleasure seekers. It is because of these facts that In view of the hot competition in Atlanta at present it is perhaps to be expected that phrases will grow florid, but it is better to make claims less ■weeping than world-wide even in a jubilee announcement. The little statement reads well because it argues that even with due allowance for exaggeration ther» is a solid foundation of fact, but the best line in the advertisement is next the last and simply announces "No vaudeville." There are at least 3,000,000 persons in the United States who each week are kept out of photoplay theaters by the sort of vaudeville that is run. There must be a quarter million in Greater New York alone. Another good line runs: Notwithstanding our efforts, however, without the generous patronage the people have accorded us, our enterprise would have failed, and we feel that we owe a debt of gratitude, deep indeed, to all persons who. by their presence in our theater have contributed so vitally to our success, and particularly to those regular patrons who have from our opening day been regular attendants. We feel a personal interest in each and every one of them, and wish for them a full measure of happiness during the coming year. Make a man think he's helped you and he'll be eager to help some more. Do you ever thank your patrons? You should. Here's Chaney Again. And now comes Manager Chaney, of the Hillsboro (Ohio) Orpheum, with some snappy reading notices that we are going to quote as good examples of what we mean by writing catchy paragraphs, but first we are going to quote an unsolicited comment from the editor of the Hillsboro Dispatch on Colleen Bawn: A Wonderful Picture. Motion picture manufacturers are to be commended for such pictures as "Colleen Bawn," seen at the Orpheum last week. The sending of large numbers of actors to foreign countries in order that all historic features be reproduced accurately, represents a large expense and many expressions of appreciation for such films must encourage these lirras to follow this policy of devoting time and money to subjects of real worth. Why not get your own newspaper people into the house when you run those Made-in-Ireland Kalems, and when they come tell them about the new Holy Land trip. Those Kalems advertise more than themselves or the Kalem Company; they advertise the entire picture business. Now for the readers: A race between a hand-car and an automobile looks like a "cinch" for the latter, but this was not true in "Love's Victory," for the hand-car was the winner and love won out in spite of parental objection. This thrilling race can be seen at the Orpheum Wednesday night. Just one night only. If you miss seeing "A Day at West Point Military Academy" at the Orpheum to-night, you are going to miss the best number on the entire program. It is one of the greatest military pictures ever shown. "Nobody loves a fat man" is an expression you often hear, but it is not true as you will agree with us when you see "Bunny" in "Kitty and the Cowboys" at the Orpheum to-night and Wednesday night. He is some cowboy sure. That's all for this time, but we've some stuff from a man in Exeter, N. H., who seems to sit up nights to hustle, that we are going to use next week. FUTURE IMP RELEASES. A Strong New Year's Program OutHned By Carl Laemmle — a Western Company Formed. The pictures to be released by the Imp Films Company with the new year are exceptionally strong in many respects. The Imp drama nowadays is universally conceded to touch high-water mark in excellence of story, powerful acting and good photography. Typical of this class of work may be mentioned "In the Northern Woods," a very strong drama, set to a Canadian background. The scenes in this drama are singularly fine representations of winter life in a logging camp. The treachery of a half-breed supplies the main motive of the story. Two industrial pictures that will command attention are one, illustrating cotton growing in South Carolina, and the building of the greatest dam in the world. The works at this dam, which is across the Mississippi, equal in magnitude those in progress at Panama, and the Irtip C9mpany have secured a striking series of views of the gigantic engineering operations in progress. Besides being exceptionally strong in the dramatic and industrial ends, the Imp Company is just now devoting great attention to 500 feet humorous comedies. These have a laugh in every foot, and are proving exceptionally popular. Thus the Imp Films Company is well equipped at all points of picture production, and it may be safe to prophesy that their pictures will advance in popularity in leaps and bounds in 1912. Several important additions have been made to the staff of directors, actors, and photographers, with a view of maintaining the pre-eminent position which the Imp Company have obtained in the world's market. The Imp Scenario Contest, for which hundreds of scenarios have been received from all parts of the world, will close on December 31. The names of the winners in this competition will be announced in the trade papers in due course. The Western Imp Company will depart for California at the end of December, with the purpose of making a series of romantic photoplays against the background of the magnificent scenery for which California is noted throughout the world. ATTENTION, MOVING PICTURE EXHIBITORS OF MICHIGAN. A special meeting of the Moving Picture Exhibitors of the State of Michigan, will be held in Lansing, Mich., on Jan. 8, 1912, at 2 P. M. The headquarters will be the Wentworth Hotel. All moving picture exhibitors of Michigan are invited to attend this meeting, as matters of the utmost importance concerning their affairs will be taken up. We have every reason to believe that this will be the largest gathering of moving picture exhibitors ever held in this or any other State. Every exhibitor is invited to attend. Peter J. Jeup, President. W. Lester Levy, Secretary.