Moving Picture World (Mar-Apr 1926)

278 Moving Picture World March 27. 1926 THE National Laugh Month Committee has announced the awarding of the final prizes in the Laugh Month exploitation contest, the prize money having just been mailed to the winners of the third and fourth weeks' competitions. All winners for the month are given here. The trade paper editors acting as judges of the exhibitors' explpitajtion campaigns awarded the $100 first prize for the third week to Mr. David Schaefer, Director of Exploitation and Publicity for the Haring & Blumenthal Enterprises, while first prize for the fourth week went to Walter Fenney, Manager of the Beldorf Theatre, Independence, Kansas. The third week's prize winners included also F. V. Kennebeck of the North Star Theatre, Omaha, Nebraska, who carried off second prize money for the third successive week; Roy Tillson, Manager of the Fuller Theatre, Kalamazoo, Michigan, who took third prize, and Miss Verne Ross of the Ross Theatre, Toledo, Oregon, fourth prize winner. The $50 second prize for the fourth week went to Sam Carlton, Manager of the Strand Theatre, Frankfort, Indiana. Third prize winner was Bud Silverman, Gould Theatre, Pittsburgh, Pa. Fourth prize went to Philip Rand, Rex Theatre, Salmon, Ind. ; fifth prize to M. L. Markowitz, Pompeii Theatre, San Francisco, and sixth prize to R. Guy Bays, Globe Theatre, Euena Vista, Va. Mr. Schaefer's campaign, which topped the third week’s entries, was one of the most complete campaigns of the sort ever engineered. It began two weeks ahead with a special trailer followed with a “teaser” campaign in the newspapers and a novel advance putdicity stunt in the form of a laugh insurance policy. Special readers were also run in the programs and special oneSheet and three-sheet posters and window cards were displayed lor some time in advance. During the campaign a large float carrying six grotesque figures and drawn by two gayly decorated horses paraded the streets of Jersey City. This was followed by an automobile bearing a special 24-sheet poster and driven by a clown with several other clowns in the automobile. The front of the theatre was gayly decorated with a profusion of comedy heads, while in the lobby there were a number of dancing, prancing mannequins. In the theatre the musicians were dressed in grotesque costumes. A tie-up was arranged with the “Laughter Magazine,” which was distributed free to patrons of the Central Theatre, selected for the principal part of the Haring & Blumenthal Laugh Month activities. “The result of the campaign,” wrote Mr. Schaefer in submitting his campaign to the Laugh Month Committee, “was far beyond our expectations in the way of record breaking business throughout the entire week, matinee and evening performances, with the result that my concern, the Haring & Blumenthal Enterprises, came to the decision to make this an annual feature.” Mr. Fenney, who carried off the last $100 award of the month, played an all-comedy circus for two days — January 27 and 28. His exploitation campaign was started six weeks in advance with “teaser” slides. Large quantities of one-sheet and three-sheet posters were used not only in the lobby but throughout of town, while 2,500 Heralds were distributed to the homes of the theatre’s patrons announcing a “Laugh Show for Kids from 8 to 88.” After outlining the program, the Herald then went on with this information : “Park “Laugh Month’’ Prize Awards Yourself Early and Hang on Tight — It'll be a Wild Ride — A Sure Cure for Anything from Despair to Dyspepsia! Two Days Only — Wednesday and Thursday.” The program included Harry Langdon in “The White Wing's Bride,” Charlie Chase in “His Wooden Wedding,’’ Jobyna Ralston in “Whistling Lions” and the Our Gang Comedy, “Good Cheer.” Mr. Fenney reports the results of his Laugh Month campaign in one short and snappy sentence — -“‘Box-office receipts on two days’ showing were 700 percent more than film rental.” Roy Tillson, Manager of the Fuller The Stern Bros . Releasing Comedy Series on March List “Buster’s Hunting Party,” a new Buster Brown Comedy, is the feature of a strong list of two-reel comedy releases being put out by the Stern Brothers this month through Universal exchanges. This comedy recently was prereleased in New York City, being shown in the New York Hippodrome as a special added attraction in that Keith Vaudeville house. Another high-light in the current Stern Brothers release schedule is the inclusion of the Wanda Wiley comedies. This will be of special interest to theatre owners because of this comedienne’s large following. Two “Wanda Wiley nights” in one month should mean extra profits. The March comedy releases are “Flying Wheels,” a Wanda Wiley Comedy; “Al’s Troubles,” an A1 Alt comedy; “Buster’s Hunting Party;” “Yearning for Love,” another Wanda Wiley comedy, and “A Flivver Vacation," featuring Eddie Gordon. Ed Luddy directed the Wiley comedies, Gus Meins the Buster Brown Comedy, Charles Lamont the A1 Alt two reeler and Noel Smith the Gordon picture. “Flying Wheels,”’ released March 3, is a combination golf and auto racing picture, showing Miss Wiley in a series of amusing golf scenes and later as the driver of a midget auto racer, in which she wins a sweepstakes for her father, maker of the car. “Al’s Troubles,” released March 10, is a humorous melange of comedy situations in which A1 and his pal, played by Jack Singleton, continually find themselves in hot water. “Buster's Hunting Party” is marked for release on March 17. “Yearning for Love,” the Stern Brothers release for March 24, is another Wanda Wiley comedy. Charles King, a featured player with the Stern Brothers, starred in the new “Excuse Maker” series for next year, plays opposite Miss Wiley. The last March release by the Stern Brothers is “A Flivver Vacation" with Eddie Gordon, scheduled for March 31. atre, Kalamazoo, Michigan, won first prize — $100 — for the best entry for the first weel in the Laugh Month exploitation contest. The second prize for the week — $50 — was awarded to F. V. Kennebeck, North Star Theatre, Omaha, Nebraska, a second-run house. The $25 third prize went to J. A. Murphy and Lou Williams of Family Theatre, Philadelphia, a neighborhood house with a daily change of program. It was Lou Williams who won the cup recently awarded by “The Exhibitor,” the Philadelphia regional trade publication, for “the best featurette exploitation campaign." Sam Carlton, Manager of the Strand Theatre, Frankfort, Indiana, took fourth prize, $12.50. Fifth prize, $10, went to Guy Bays, Globe Theatre, Buena Vista, Va., for a ballyhoo in connection with the two-reel Century Comedy “Queen of Aces.” Sixth prize, $5, was awarded to H. A. Giles. Royal Theatre, Garrett, Indiana. Mr. Giles’ mail for the month of January went out in envelopes bearing a large type display calling attention to Laugh Month. H. G. Olson, of the Majestic Theatre, Reedsburg, Wisconsin, won the first prize of $100 for the second week of the Laugh Month exploitation contest with one of the most comprehensive campaigns of exploitation and publicity ever conducted in a small town. F. V. Kennebeck, exploitation manager of the North Star Theatre, Omaha, Nebraska, who won the second prize for the first week, again took second prize, $50, in the second week's contest. The third prize went to David J. Lustig, who, in addition to using art posters and a lobby display and trailers tying up with Laugh Month, conducted a Charleston contest at the Regun Theatre, New York City, in connection with the single-reel Cameo Comedy, “Hot Feet.” Cranfield & Clarke Handle Film Craft Studio’s Product Cranfield & Clarke have made a contract to handle all the product for the Film Craft Studios, Inc., of Los Angeles, Calif., which includes four Alice Calhoun 5 reel features, and several series of comedies. Cranfield & Clarke have made arrangements with Mr. Kaufmann of the Film Craft Studios, Inc., to handle the C. & C. output on the West Coast territory from Denver, Colorado to the Coast. The first print on the Alice Calhoun features arrived in New York recently, and the English rights were immediately disposed of. Stan Laurel Directing Stan Laurel, formerly a popular Pathe star in two-reel comedies hi j at last realized his ambition to become a director of the screen, and is now collaborating in the direction of Hal Roach comedies for Pathe release. The former comedian is thoroughly equipped by a long successful career as a screen comic and his experience is proving a valuable asset in the making of the numerous Hal Roach fun-films. Laurel was recently associated with Richard Wallace in the direction of the Theda Bara comedy, tentatively titled “High Explosive." He is now assisting director Wallace on the filming of a new Claude Gillingwater vehicle.