Moving Picture World (Nov-Dec 1927)

December 31, 1927 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 37 Four Good Examples of Newspaper Displays Makes Passion Sales With Jannig’s Name Selling the reissued Passion, which is now a Tiffany release, the Strand Theatre, Schenectady makes its appeal with Janning’s name, but uses so large a cut that the name is held down to a small 18 point almost lost between the house signature and the cut. OBSCURING THE STAR With Jannings being widely exploited, it would have helped to have cut down the “Strand prices” at the bottom of the space to distribute the space above and below the star’s name. The prices speak for themselves and a pica above and below the name would have given a much larger display to the name without any additional investment in space. The cut is attractive, but is does not possess the sales value of a well advertised star, and it does becloud the star’s name. A little effort at visualizing the effect will often make a decided difference in the result and largely increase the sales value of the display. Here little effort seems to have been made to value the display, and the result is out of proportion. On the other hand, an ingenious use has been made of a little space on the corner cut for the comedy. These cuts are made short width, and the addition of three “Laffs” set in type, gives emphasis to the comedy idea and decidedly increases the appeal. Benday Background Has Good Display Values This Ben Hur space from the Mosque Theatre, Newark, N. J., stands out like a lighthouse on a dark night because of intelligent handling. It comes through with a greater value than would accrue from a straight reverse, and there is no danger of a poor impression spoiling the effect. On a good black, the probabilities are that the white letters would stand out even slightly better, but since a really good black is almost unobtainable with rapid press work, the benday ground is far better, and the lining around the edges contributes the required color. MASQUE 3A STftNLEV-FABlAN THEATRE Manley Compaiui of Qjnericd^ t DECIDEDLY GOOD The sketch at the bottom is a semi-silhouette that is better than some of the involved drawings given this scene in other displays and is just bold enough to attract without being so obtrusive that it overshadows the title. It ranks with the best work on this title. A Better Hand Layout From Loew’s Valentine Just to show that he can do it when he wants to, the artist of Loew’s Valentine Theatre, gets out a display for The Road to Romance that is hurt only slightly by the hand lettering. For the main display he has produced a really handsome letter and design, and had he used type, or at least a good letter, in those panels at the bottom this would have been very sightly. Here the signature is clear and elegant, the main lettering is really artistic, but the display dribbles off to some rather hurried lettering at the bottom that is like a smudge on a fine drawing. A man who can do let me Star of Ben Hup" wwajtpo 5? fie ROAD TO ROMAN! MABCELINE DAY If aft ms'.&'i&ggsgg* £V£. 15<25!'40(‘ atm/ | Comlr’jffoon!" [Dg(>fc[)(l[iJM VERY WELL DONE tering like that star and title should have an artistic perception that should hold him from the minor atrocities. The space looks like a woman in an elegant gown with a pair of very muddy overshoes sticking out below. All Hand Lettering Is Decidedly Poor Display With Baltimore getting splendid typographical displays, we think that the Metropolitan Theatre is losing a bet in using all hand lettering — or mostly all. For Sailor Izzy Murphy, there is only one type set panel, and the rest looks rather ineffective. v TAILOR. zzy murphy* 4 WARNER BROS. PRODUCpON \ |JHE BIGGEST SHOW IN TOWN 'X Jeffs/ 1 ^Matinees ■ 25 f 6 35* Children IS? 625$ s. PRODUCpON VITAPHOneJ SPECIAL PROGRAM / BIFF £ BANG PlSTICUPP PUNSTERS SHERRY tOUISE MARSHALL aiyi>3 6AD BOyS FLEESON £i BAXTER. NOT SO GOOD Even the halftones do not come out strongly, and the illustration is largely reduced to the life reservers.