Moving Picture World (Nov-Dec 1927)

December 17, 1927 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 37 Hooked Movietone News To What Price Glory 1 1 1 | NOVEL ARMY EQUIPMENT FOR DRESS PARADE IN BROOKLYN This display in front of the Albee theatre, Brooklyn, N. Y., was supplied through the Army Recruiting Service, and included an 850,000,000 candlepower searchlight and the micro horns used to detect the approach of enemy airplanes. Offset a Poor Title With Street Exploit In some sections Two Arabian Knights has not drawn what it might have done because the title suggested an oriental costume play, and that didn't listen so good. H. D. Grove, of the Des Moines theatre, Des Moines, la., offset this by sending out a pair of men in overseas uniform astride a pair of donkeys. They wore banners to indicate that they were the two Arabian knights. Of course, this stunt does not require donkeys, but Mr. Grove got a pair that were natural born exploiters and they bucked and balked at precisely the right times to stress the comedy. It might not have appealed to the riders as comedy, but it hit the spectators from that angle, and they enjoyed the free street show so much that they paid money for the screen attraction. Most donkey owners can tell you just where you can tickle a donkey’s slats to get the most convincing response, and you can pass the information along if you use the jacks. If you don’t, at least try the “I am” doughboys, for the picture will please most patrons, and you won’t want them to miss this for their own sakes as well as yours. Page the S. P. C. A. Edgar Hart, now at the Hollywood theatre, Portland, Oregon, gave away four turkeys for Thanksgiving. He named them “Lapoluza,” “Lala,” “Popluza” and “Eimlast,” and the local S. P. S. C. didn’t do a darned thing about it, but the turks were glad to be slaughtered after they heard their new names. With his happy faculty for getting the last ounce out of a stunt, Edgar hooked the business luncheon clubs to the gag, and he borrowed a vacant store, two doors from the theatre, for a coop for the birds. Simple Making a three sheet into a lobby attractor was easy for Tom Holliday at the Imperial theatre, Columbia, S. C. He took a three sheet of Underworld, cut away the flash from the policeman’s revolver, covered the opening with red paper and put a flasher lamp behind it. All lobby lighting was red and purple to give atmosphere. Novel Army Equipment Told of Dress Parade Because of the location of the E. F. Albee theatre, Brooklyn, Dress Parade was given an exceptional campaign when it came to play that palatial house. The theatre lies just across from that section of Fulton street known locally as “The ladies half mile” since within that distance are practically all of the important stores, and nearly every woman gets over that stretch of sidewalk at least once each wreek. The theatre lies across the street, with another street running obliquely to form a triangular space that used to be a park before the New York subway was continued to Brooklyn. Now the space is railed in to protect a ventilating shaft. Irwin Zeltner, of the K-A Special Promotion Bureau, had to obtain the permission of the municipal Department of Highways, the Rapid Transit Commission and the Interborough Rapid Transit to build a platform over this triangle upon which to exhibit an 850,000,000 candlepower searchlight and a battery of airplane detectors, loaned by the Army through its recruiting service. Two details of men were told off to explain to the crowds how the huge horns caught the drone of an enemy plane long before it could be seen. Generator trucks, hidden by the apparatus, were parked on the far side to supply current to the huge searchlight, which can throw a beam thirty miles. Between the crowds on the street and the thousands using the elevated road which runs just this side of the spot show, most of Brooklyn knew all about Dress Parade. For bigness of display and advantage of location, this was an outstanding stunt. A THREE ANGLED BANNER ON GLORY USED IN DENVER The middle section, sells the picture itself, while on the left is the announcement of the Movietone accompaniment arranged by Roxy and on the right is the Movietone newsreel of the Legion convention in Paris.