Moving Picture World (Sep-Oct 1927)

244 MOVING PICTURE WORLD September 24. 1927 Lew Stewart Excels Himself In His New Manual A VIVID FRONT ON ROOKIES FROM THE BEN ALI THEATRE Miss Annabell Ward, of the Phoenix Amusement Co., Lexington, Ky., devised this spirited showing for the M-G-M release. You could not pass the house without feeling that you were missing something if you did not enter. A Publix Masterpiece In default of Greater Movie Season this year, Publix theatres will celebrate October as “Harvest Drive” and all Publix houses will concentrate upon the month as a whole as well as the component features in detail. October has been selected as being late enough for the Southern theatres and not too late for the Northern houses. In this connection, Lew Stewart, who handles the general exploitation under M. A. Bottsford, has prepared the most elaborate “manual” ever gotten out by Publix or any other enterprise. It covers every phase of the exploitation with practical suggestions proven in connection with other pictures, but directly germane to the special drive. It includes everything from the early advance to a special stage presentation, and every phase of exploitation from the co-op page to a ten story banner. Lem has turned out some very useful manuals, but he never equalled this. If you are not a Publix manager and you know one, ask him to let you have a peep. It’s a liberal education, and if Harvest Drive does not bring in the money, it’s because there is no money. Swiped the Parade Out in Denver, Ross A. Wiegand, of the Rialto Theatre, knows it pays to be nice to people. Because the fire chief liked him, he tipped Wiegand off to the fact that there was to be a parade of fire apparatus for a group of mu nicipal electricians who were passing through Denver. Not many persons read about the visit and when they saw about 80 private cars, a brass band and a flock of fire engines, they wondered what it was all about until the tail of the line came along. Then they knew it was a demonstration for Fireman, Save My Child! for the last truck was bannered for the picture. And it happened on the opening day, which helped the house to break all records. It gave the house an entire new set of figures. Weighed Up Carol C. McPike revived the fortune telling scale for The Love of Sunya at the LeClaire Theatre, Moline, 111. He borrowed a scale from a department store, in return for a credit card, and framed it in with a card announcing that Sunya would tell fortunes. The coin actuating device was left on, so a penny was required. This bought a fortune and a record card of the weight. It was used in the lobby a week in advance and then parked in front of the store during the showing. Staged a Show Harold Le Valley, of the Palace Theatre, Lockport, X. Y., used two trailers on Twelve Miles Out. One was thrown on the screen and the other ran in a store window. The window was dark while an Aesop’s Fable and the trailer were run, then the lights went on to show a display of stills and announcement cards. When the crowd drifted on another show was given. It held a crowd all the evening. Broke Two Although the only special stunt on Hula at the Florida Theatre, St. Petersburg, was autographed pictures of the star to music store customers, the picture broke the one and fourday records. This carried an ornate window show. All in Black Jack Hoby used a shadow box for After Midnight at the Tampa Theatre, Tampa. At the bottom was a silhouette of a city skyline with a perforated sign reading “Cabaret” and “Dancing” that winked on and off. A cutout of the star and a clock face constituted the main design. This was used in the foyer four days in advance, and it brought many department patrons to a full stop. Most of them came back for the picture. MADE SUN A TRADE MARK FOR THE SEA TIGER The Orpheum Theatre, Everett, Wash., did its own poster boards for Milton Sills and on each used the same orange sun on a blue sky. It gave cohesion to the lobby display that helped not a little to sell the patrons.