Moving Picture World (Nov-Dec 1923)

December 1, 1923 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 483 Appeals to Schools for History Group Having contracted for the Chronicles of America, the Stanley interests, Philadelphia, inaugurated a campaign to put over these Pathe releases. A week before the showing of the first subject, Columbus, the theatre sent a personal letter to the principal of each school, inviting him to bring his faculty to the Stanley to see the picture at the Aldine. Practically all responded, expressing their interest in the series, and most of them asked for more than the original enclosure of five tickets, having been told that tickets would be supplied for all teachers. Building up on this appeal, the company also sent letters to the heads of the city departments and to representative clergymen, lawyers, physicians and welfare workers. In this way the work on one picture directed attention to the entire series and will work for some time to come, these pictures being released about one a month. This is a scheme which all exhibitors will probably follow, since the greater value will come from the interest of teachers and others who can direct public opinion to their viewing. Window Trailer Is Big Help in London Horace Judge, who is doing the exploitation direction for First National Pictures in London and Great Britain in general, stuck another big feather in his cap when he set out to tell that Potash & Perliyiutter had opened for business at the Pavilion. He hooked in to Selfridge’s, the most famous department store in the world, with a window showing of the three-minute trailer, mostly given over to the model scenes and Abe’s cabaret party. This was projected on a daylight screen every ten minutes until the police, despairing of handling the crowds, asked that the stunt be withdrawn. But the thing had already run four days, and Judge was satisfied. For another angle he used sandwich men, the original form of theatrical publicity in London, but instead of sending out three or four, he used — well count them yourself. Walter Eberhardt says fifty, but we figured it as 64. First time we ever heard of a press agent underestimating. Walter is liable to expulsion from the Ananias Club, if he is not careful. The big point is that it put the picture over as well as it went over here. Ralph J. Puch, managing director of First National, George King, Judge’s assistant, and H. Seek, of Selfridges, were accessories before and after the fact. Production Hints from Edward L. Hyman Managing Director, MarkStrand Theatre, Brooklyn The chorus of women’s voices has caught on in great style, and for variety these singers were used to augment the orchestra for the overture, “Pomp and Circumstance,” the week that “The Common Law” was the photoplay attraction. Besides this, the chorus appeared in another number, Songs of Long Ago. In addition there was the Symphonized Jazz and a group of dances by the ballet. For “Pomp and Circumstance” the orchestra was hit by two 150-ampere dome spots, one rainbow color and the other orange. Two entrance spots, light pink, crossed on the canopy above the musicians. Borders of the large stage were full blues and greens one-half. The silver draw curtains of the small stage were used as a transparency, behind which was a deep blue plush cyclorama hit by one light green and one deep blue box lamps from the side. Two light amber and two orange spots from the sides shot across and forward, against the silver draws. Green borders small stage. One amber and one orange arch spots on the silver draws. The chorus was seated with the orchestra, to the left, garbed in black robes. The voices came in on the finale, with full orchestra, and as they stood for the finish they were hit by an orange spot from the booth. Tschaikowsky’s Nutcracker Suite of dances opened with Waltz of the Flowers by eight girls in drapes and flower-petaled dresses. At orchestral prelude two flower wheels on lamps in the footlight trough threw falling rose leaves upon a blue neutral back drop and continued through the dance, the girls at the close also strewing rose leaves upon the stage. Two set piece flower stands at either side were the only props. The second, the Chinese dance, was done by four girls in correct costume, before a plush cyclorama. Two long Chinese-lettered strips came down from the flies, and a set Buddha was centered. Two of the girls had three-foot sticks with a cross piece upon which was suspended two Chinese lanterns. A string of illuminated lanterns ran across the cyclorama beneath the borders. Front lighting was two booth Mestrum floods, medium green, on the orchestra. Two light green transparent windows, one each side. Two medium green entrance spots crossing on canopy fabric. On the set from the sides were two light green, two magenta and an orange spot. The third was the Dance of the Sugar Doll, a solo by Mile. Francelli, premiere danseuse, in white Yama Yama costume trimmed with black pom-poms. The back drop was blue cyclorama, against which at either side was a revolving column painted as stick-candy. No lighting was used except two pure white spots from the dome that followed the dancer. The fourth and final dance was the Russian, with eight girls, half costumed as girls and four as men — typical Trepak dress. The small-stage lighting on the dance was four orange and amber spots from the sides, and same color of foots. Orchestra windows orange; red coves, large borders reds full and white one-half. Background was Russian set wall before neutral blue drop. The Symphonized Jazz introduced four banjo players who double on saxophone, and marimbaphonist featured. Four popular tunes were specially orchestrated. At opening the proscenium llama cloth curtain was closed and upon it played a light pink booth flood and a rose purple, with two light pink dome floods and blue foots. At the center of the number the curtains opened and the lighting named above was left on the draw curtains of small stage, augmented by one lemon, one flesh pink, one amber and one straw arch spots on the pleats, from the sides. X-rays were light blue, with blue foots, blue coves and straw transparent windows. The fabric columns at proscenium were light green. Songs of Long Ago included five old favorites. The set was Colonial house exterior back drop, with set piece piazza. At opening the chorus, in Colonial dress, was seated across the set, some on the porch and others on benches to the sides. “Long, Long Ago” had light green and light blue box lamps on set from side. X-rays were light blue and magenta, with blue foots. Side spots were amber, orange, pink and blue. Second number, “Come Where My Love Lies Dreaming,” dimmed off the x-rays, and the dancers, also in Colonial dress, some as boys and some as girls, entered from the left in pairs for various poses during the song. Third number, “Sweet Genevieve,” dimmed off the box lamps, and tenor entered from right to escort soprano up-stage for the duet. Fourth number, "Drink To Me Only With Ihine Eyes,” was also duet with chorus. Fifth, “Bells of St. Mary’s,” had all front lighting off, which had been as follows during the numbers: Two booth spots, violet, on orchestra sides. Two dome floods, deep blue and violet, on orchestra. Purple borders large stage. Top of columns light green. Stage, strips left half red and other half blue. A FLOCK OF SANDWICH MEN EMPLOYED TO PUT OVER POTASH AND PERLMUTTER IN LONDON The sandwich man is still the favorite of the London managers, but they scorn to use fewer than half a dozen and here there are five or six dozen employed by the London Pavilion where this exceedingly funny comedy opened with a rush that duplicated the o the picture on this side of the big wet. There was also a window display that the police had to stop. , / success