Moving Picture World (Nov-Dec 1923)

Selling the Picture to the Public EDITED BY EPES WINTHROP SARGENT Makes Prospective Patrons Blow Hard on a Simple and Good Ballyhoo Stunt ABOUT every so often someone comes along with a stunt that is destined for a place in the advertising Hall of Fame, and often they do not seem to realize that they have hit something better than usual. Lawrence William Carroll, of the Princess Theatre, Berlin, N. H., is almost casual in a report of a stunt he worked on Are You a Failure? recently, and yet it has the makings of a winner for anyone who wishes to figure out a connection with a title. Air. Carroll worked it on the failure story, but a little thought will hook up to almost any title. How He Worked It Air. Carroll set a box beside the box office, wired to a switch inside the office. Within the box was a card for the title and in front of this a red globe. From the bottom of the box protruded a length of hose and an additional card asked: “Are You a Failure? See if you can light the lamp by blowing into the tube. A free ticket if you can.” This stunt was used for two days in advance of the picture, and scores of persons came into the lobby just to try the lamp, having heard of it from others. The lighting of the bulb was controlled by the cashier. who used her own judgment as to the number of persons who succeeded. The stunt drew such large crowds that it was necessary to discontinue the ballyhoo at the rush hours, partly because the cashier could not attend to the switch, but more because the crowd blocked the lobby. Work It Outside We think this stunt will work even better in the lobby, with some attendant to handle the switch, and the crowd it will draw will be worth the salary paid the attendant, who should be a reliable person. We believe, however, that this stunt will find its greater value as a window attraction. In this event the tube should be placed outside the window and the lamp within. This does not necessitate the cutting of the window, the tube can be affixed to a block set on the window or just below, or, where there is a ventilator, run through the opening, ostensibly to run up through the flooring inside the window. Wherever it is placed, there should be an apparent join to a tube inside the window and running to the box on which the lamp is set, and which apparently conceals the mechanism. Jazz It Up The stunt can be worked up by having a number of lights of different colors and different values, a red lamp carrying one ticket, a green two and an amber a box or a limited season ticket. In this case the lights should be worked so that the red lamp can be lighted first and held in while the blue comes on, and perhaps the amber, to convey the suggestion that the greater the inflation the larger the number of lights set in. In any event the switches should be handled by someone in the window with a black scrim lookout which will permit the operator to see out and yet conceal him from the crowds. Properly worked, this can be run into a local sensation even in the smaller cities, and it can upset a small town. Of course in window work the outside tube should be disconnected except at stated hours. Be generous in the number of single tickets given out. It’s a good stunt, be willing to pay for the crowd co-operation. Hereys a Hint From the program of the Palace Theatre, Hamilton, O., which we read even to the advertising, we note that in an effort to boom a comparatively new business street, the Third Street Business Boosters organized a dancing party for Hallowe’en Night, providing two bands and street illumination. The stores were all lighted to display the bargains to be placed on sale the following day. Here’s a chance to horn in on a similar local movement, if you can find or create one. Get them down to the new street, and get your share of the advertising in what amounts to a municipal event. If it is too late in the season for street dances in your locality, remember the idea again next spring. In Search of Youth A novel contest is being worked in New Orleans by the Item and the theatre which has booked Black Oxen. The Item will run the novel serially and to put it ove'r is offering prizes for the youngest looking old man and woman. Of course this calls for an explanation about the Atherton novel and the First National play, and is getting the town all worked up for the engagement. The start was a showing of stage stars over fifty who do not loox it, including, of course, Edna Wallace Hopper, upon whom the mantle of Lillian Russell seems to have fallen. Dan Is Fixed Dan Roche, one of the original exploitation staff of Paramount, hired to put over The Aliracle Alan, and who since then has been in charge of exploitation in the Chicago district and who has achieved some wonderful results, was let out along with most of the others in Claud Saunders’ department in the 'recent Paramount housecleaning. He was immediately engaged to put over The Hunchback of Notre Dame at the Sam H. Harris Theatre, Chicago. Having put over The Covered Wagon in Chicago, Dan feels a natural pride in his connection with the two outstanding hits of the current season and he says he is going to hammer it over to a fare-ye-well. Dan doesn’t get his name in the papers much, but he pulls some wonderful stuff. He was the first to invade a judicial court in his campaign for What’s Your Hurry, when he got one of the slogan banners into the traffic court, right over the judge’s head, and we believe that he was the first to get a 24-sheet bill into the window of an occupied store. Universal is to be congratulated upon having added Dan to its string. He is out to beat his Covered Wagon record, which will be going some. Continuous First National’s publicity hound, Walter Enerhardt, writes that Jackie Coogan’s birthday “is getting to be a national event.” What he should have said is that it is a continuous performance. Earle Hall Payne, of the Kentucky theatre, Louisville, had one the other day to put over Circus Days and invisted 2,000 youngsters to a special performance. Jackie’s press agent is a good sport and willing to vouch for a birthday 365 days a year. Wise managers, however, will limit Jackie to not more than three birth dates in any one year. The thing can be overdone, of course. .4 Goldwyn Release WE HOPE OUR SINS WILL FIND US OUT IF THEY ARE LIKE THESE The Dance of the Seven Sins which decorated the panel above the entrance to Ascher’s Merrill Theatre, Milwaukee, for Slave of Desire. This panel is put to as good use as the foyer in the Howard Theatre, Atlanta.