Moving Picture World (Nov-Dec 1923)

December 8, 1923 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 553 A Patlie Release THIS FORTY-FOOT CUTOUT TIED LLOYD TO A TEASER CAMPAIGN The Liberty Theatre, Kansas City, broke all records for the past five years on Why Woi*ry largely through a clever teaser campaign which had to be tied to the star and attraction. This cutout is the largest ever used on a Kansas City theatre. Orphan Youngsters See Penrod and Sam New Orleans does not do much exploitation, so an orphans’ matinee was a novelty when the Liberty Theatre worked it for Penrod and Sam, and the trolley company provided the transportation in bannered cars while a motion picture was made of the group to get the last potential kick out of the stunt. But put a magnifying glass on the picture of a sample copy of the kiddies and note the little chap who stands fourth from the left, just at the end of the board. He would be a wonder in pictures if he could be trained to act. At any rate he has done First National a good turn, for he is the reason we are using the cut. An unusual angle was the detailing of a totally deaf reporter to cover the event. A prefatory note to the story told that he was unable to hear the laughter and had to judge their enjoyment wholly through their facial expression. It made a good novelty. It might be a good stunt for others to work, even if the newspaper has no reporter who is really deaf. Broke 5 Year Record with Why Worry Gags A First National Release HERE’S AN ORPHAN SOME COMPANY SHOULD ADOPT Put the glass on the fourth kiddie from the left. The women would rave ovet* him in the pictures, yet he’s just an orphan and one of the guests of the Saenger company in New Orleans at a Penrod and Sam showing. Something new for New Orleans. Breaking the cash records for five years largely with a teaser campaign is the brag of the Liberty theatre, Kansas City. The attraction was Why Worry, which lends itself particularly well to the teaser idea, but with the aid of Earle S. Nesbit, the advertising agent, they went further than most with the teasers. The opening gun was painted signs with five foot letters reading merely “Why Worry?” There was nothing to connect it with either play or theatre. This was followed by 2,000 14xl4-inch tack cards which were placed all over town. The text on these was “Join the Why Worry Club, the National Joy Movement.” An additional 500 were given lath supports and used as yard cards. Then there was a parade of the Priests of Pallas, a local carnival order. A local giant was built up to a seven-foot height and provided with a tin cannon, arranged to throw out packages of light throwaways with the “Why Worry?" slogan. The giant was attended by a short man dressed as Lloyd, and they perambulated the line of March. The cannon was built to explode a blank cartridge when the spring plunger was pulled back. Every little while the gun would be shot off and the lines of waiting spectators deluged with the throwaways. It got more attention than the $50,000 parade. Then a full page cooperative was worked with the merchants with prizes offered for the best letters regarding purchases made from any of the advertising merchants. The replies were to be sent to Harold Lloyd at the Liberty theatre, the first time the star or title had been used in connection with this campaign. To tie the teasers to the house liberal newspaper and bill advertising was done and a cutout 40 feet in height was placed on the marquise of the theatre. Under the canopy were two speedometer faces with movable numbers, which show as white oblongs in the cut. One was lettered : “Harold Lloyd’s Laugh-o-meter. 100,000 shrieks per minute.” This was supposed to ring up the laughs. The other was lettered: “Why Worry? Join the National Joy Movement now hysterical mem bers.” The blanks represent the figures on the speedometer indicator, and these numbers were changed at each performance. It was a splendidly planned campaign and it brought in more money than any other attraction in the five-year period. A Patlie Release THE LIBERTY SPEEDOMETERS Because the Kansas City team had won the Association pennant and were scheduled to play Baltimore for the Little Pennant, some 50,000 persons welcomed the team back to town after the last game in its own league. They were also met by a float which read: “Why worry? The Blues will win.” This followed the parade and was parked at the ball field gate when not in use as a perambulator.