Moving Picture World (Jan-Feb 1927)

28S MOVING PICTURE WORLD January 22, 1927 Let Three Tin Hats Bicycle an Advance Ballyhoo BUTTONING UP BUSINESS IN AUGUSTA, GA., ON LANGDON This nice old lady would sew on the buttons you laughed off your vest while you viewed The Strong Man. Between times she worked on a pile of old clothes supplied by Frank J. Miller. Builds up an old idea nicely. Scatter Ads Useful in Selling Comedy Scatter ads are not a novelty, but Bob Gary handled them very neatly in Mexico, Mo., putting over Take It From Me at the New Grand. He used two styles. The first were small readers with the usual “Advt” omitted, each starting with some common surname such as “Mrs. Brown says — ” or “Mrs. Lewis says — .” In a small town each reader starts to wonder which Mrs. Brown is referred to and reads to find out. In each instance the lady said that Reginald Denny in Take It From Me was the funniest picture she had ever seen.” The reader may have skipped all but the first, but each item renewed the suggestion even though it were not read through. The other set was composed of positive statements headed “Take it from me” and signed by Denny. Twenty of these were used, varying from local topics to the declaration that well known people would enjoy the show. In addition to this newspaper campaign, every residence in the telephone book was called up. It had not been done in Mexico for some years and was just as good as new. Said With Flowers J. H. Mayer, of the Palace Theatre, Hamilton, Ohio, writes that his chief aid in putting over You Never Know Women was Florence Vidor’s personality. He chiefly used a cut from the press book showing a couple of roses against the player’s throat and with “The Lovely Orchid Lady of the Screen” for special billing. Miss Vidor is what showfolk call “the class” and Mr. Mayer sold class to better advantage than a strange title. Probably you can, too. Dix Digs Them From all sections The Quarterback brings in new records. It got $225 over the top at the Imperial Theatre, Columbia, S. C., largely through the efforts of the sporting writers, who attended a pre-screening. There was a drive on the local football games, and football cutout heralds and similar devices were used in addition to field signs. Used Bicycle Bally For Tin Hats Stunt Three men in military uniform with riflesand full marching equipment astonished the residents of Lincoln, Neb., by riding around the town for two days. There was nothing to indicate who they were or what they were up to, and they gave no satisfaction to questioners. The third day they again appeared, but this time they wore on their packs signs reading “Tin Hats. Rialto. Next week.” Strictly it was against the city ordinances, but Ed. Harrison was told he could go ahead with the idea. With the idea of three soldiers on bicycles well established, the town was covered with cheap throwaways reproducing a cut of Nagel, Cooper and Roach from a scene still and a large “Wanted for desertion” with a couple of paragraphs telling what they had done. Alone the throwaway would have been effective, but following the ballyhoo it was far more valuable. The week before the showing the ushers were dressed in uniform with a sash advertising the attraction. Selling Steel Men Because Men of Steel was made in Alabama, T. Y. Walker, of the Noble Theatre, Anniston, landed a cooperative page on “Selling Alabama Products at Home” when he played the Sills feature. Stickers were supplied several local plants and were put on all pay enveopes, which carried the message to those who were particularly interested. AN EFFECTIVE RIG FOR A REGULAR HOUSE SEDAN This is the regular runabout car for the Mozart Theatre, Canton, Ohio, dressed to advertise The Midnight Sun. A reflector fed by the storage battery lights the title at night. Some very effective combinations can be developed.