Moving Picture World (Jan-Feb 1927)

508 MOVING PICTURE WORLD .. February 12, 1927 Used Marine Postal Guard To Ballyhoo Chaney Postal Marines Used to Help Navy Feature Guy Kenimer, of the Arcade Theatre, Jacksonville, Fla., has found something new; which is not unusual for Kenimer. He had Tell It to the Marines and wanted H. M. ADDISON’S KEWPIE CUTUPS AT BINGHAMTON The kiddie party is an unusual event at Binghamton, N. Y., and not only yields a wonderful three-day business, but makes a good-will that lasts the season through. Mrs. Addison is even standing in the centre. A Mysterious Strogoff Was Cleanup in Detroit With hundreds of Russian refugees finding asylum in America, it was a comparatively simple matter for Raoul Cleaver, Universal exploiteer, to hire a former officer in the Russian army to impersonate Michael Strogoff in an interesting campaign for the Broadway Strand Theatre, Detroit, when the Jules Verne story came to the automobile city. Two uniforms, one closely approximating the dress uniform worn by Strogoff at the Imperial palace, but without a curiass, were provided, and a simpler uniform was obtained for an orderly. The two men arrived in town by train, were received with much pomp and driven to one of the leading hotels where the visitor was registered as Strogoff. He visited the theatre, where he was elaborately welcomed by the manager — on the sidewalk — and then proceeded to do the town pretty thoroughly, always attended by his orderly, who handed out cards copied from the press book, with the Imperial crest and “Michael Strogoff, Courier of the Czar.” More than 5,000 of these cards were given out, but many other thousands saw and were impressed by the military figure, all of which reacted in favor of the theatre. Shod a Henpecked There seems to be something phoney about a contest recently staged by H. M. King, Jr., of the Plaza Theatre, Asheville, N. C. He offered a pair of shoes to the most henpecked husband in the audience the opening night of So’s Your Old Man. And someone claimed the shoes, though no henpecked husband would dare to brave his wife. He must have been a bachelor. Anyhow he got the shoes and the stunt not only got a big first night audience to go out and talk about the picture, but the store supplying the shoes did a lot of newspaper and window advertising. This beats a Cinderella contest in a small town. A MICHAEL STROGOFF HELPED DETROIT’S BROADWAY-STRAND A former Russian officer was hired to come to town to get interest for the picture, and with his orderly he did a lot of special exploitation work following the lines of the usual mysterious woman. It was a business maker. H. M . Addison Gets Space With Two Regular Stunts H. M. Addison, of Binghamton, N. Y., has been out after space again, and has brought large additions to his scrap books. He knows that he will, because he always does. The first of these is the annual Kiddie Carnival which runs for three nights about this time, of year. All of the music and dancing teachers co-operate. Mrs. Addison, who was professionally known as Kathleen Barry, assembles the units into a clever revue that will compare more than favorably with most of the professional talent that comes to Binghamton. You can get some idea of the personnel through the photograph on this page, but the camera could not get them all in. If the Metropolitan Opera Company came to Binghamton they would not draw more space, and we are very sure that they would not command such enthusiastic criticisms. Mr. Addison got an enormous business and every mother and father thinks more kindly than ever of the enterprises Mr. Addison conducts. If you are overlooking the kiddie revue, wake up. It is a winner whenever used, if you can make a creditable showing, and you always can find someone to stage manage the affair. Mr. Addison’s other space-grabber was the usual overcoat party when coats still good, but a trifle shabby are contributed by their owners to be distributed to the needy. The papers carry large stories in their appeal for garments. Two tickets are given for each coat. This year; the seventh, more than 150 coats were passed along to those who had none. to get it over to the limit. A detachment of 25 marines had been sent to Jacksonville to guard the mails. Kenimer arranged with the officer in charge to have the Marines hang about the Arcade lobby when not on postal duty, and as the train movement is not very heavy in Jax, there was plenty of time for ballyhoo purposes. Kenimer used the recruiting service for a special drive, recruiting officers telling off men to special booths in good locations to profit by the interest'aroused. The Service provides special paper, but Kenimer built them special booths. All recruits were given free tickets to the Arcade. Along more usual lines he gave a special matinee for boy and girl scouts, with the usual parade to the theatre with 675 scouts in line. With a special lobby and 5,000 telephone hangers, he got the business in.