The Moving picture world (January 1920-February 1920)

February 7, 1920 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 889 Give Them Girls and Gain Their Gold Plenty of Girls In and Out of Films Liven Things Up in Dallas BUILDING up on the film attractions with girls put over two recent film attractions to extra big business at the Lynch-Hulsey houses in Dallas, Texas. One was a "midnight cabaret," netting something like $2,400, and the other was a fashion show used as a prologue to "The Beauty Market." Both of these shows were based upon the fondness the average man has for girl shows and the infrequency with which decent shows of this sort reach the Texas towns. Most of the tabs and burlesque shows are of indifferent quality, and are too coarse to be attractive. Hal C. Norfleet, of the Hippodrome, knew this, and when they played "A Midnight Romance," the idea of a midnight cabaret came to him. There was a burlesque show in town and he chartered fifteen girls at $20 a week for a twenty minute turn each night. He built runways down the aisles just like a devil-may-care New York theatre, and he turned the publicity looseIt did not take long to teach the girls the plugger song written for this play. The rest of the show was built up of the specialties the girls knew. It was very little more than a burlesque first part without the unspeakable dialogue, brought over into a decent environment, but that and the novelty of the midnight performance drew the crowds. The stunt was used as a prologue to the film and the girls figured it as easy money for their twenty minute turn each night. The cost was well under $400 and the receipts were in excess of $2,800 for these special midnight shows, which started after the regular theatres were out. "Velvet" with a Pile. It was all velvet, for it did not appear to affect the usual evening business. It either brought them out again or it brought out a new crowd who were not the usual picture goers. Serpentines and confetti were freely used, the girls pranced down the runways, and the whole thing had the real New York air. It was not only a big winner on its own account, but it boomed the showing, of the film at the regular performance. Where burlesque shows are not available, there are always the dlancing*, teachers to fall back upon, most of whom will give all the aid required in return for a credit line on the program. In some ways the use of local chorus girls would probably be an even better business bringer. Not in Confliction. John D. Steffano, of the Queen, a sister house, hit upon another angle to the girl stuff in a fashion show preceding "The Beauty Market," and this idea can be worked even in the small towns. "The Beauty Market" is a society play and he planned a fashion show to give tho spectator an idea of how a day in the life of a society girl works out. He hooked up with a department store making a specialty of women's wear and arranged for the use of -ten models and what they needed in the way of clothes, showing a series of ten tableaus depicting the day of a society belle, under the title of "Milady's Boudoir." Starting with rising time, he took her through the day to bed time, and the pajama and nightie poses of the two ends of the day brought the most applause from men and women alike. This had an even better publicity angle, for the store used a part of its regular space to advertising its connection with the theatre and urged its readers to see the newest styles. It also gave window room to stills and portraits of Miss MacDonald, and in every way supplemented the efforts of the house. This prologue was put on at both the afternoon and evening showings and it drew men and women alike. Any fashion show is apt to draw attention, but this show has a particular aptness because of the nature of the picture, and each helped the other. The poses were carefully arranged and the costumes were the best the store had in stock. Both managers capitalized a local demand, and both increased the house takings at small risk. And don't think that it is only the men who go. The women like these attractions just as much as the men if they are clean and the house is of a proper sort. Under advertise and you are disappointed. Over boom and your patrons are dissatisfied. Steer the middle course and cut out superlatives. Persistent Evangelist Broke 28 Weeks Season TWENTY-EIGHT weeks in one house, with one star and only one change of bill, is another record to talk about, and only an evangelist, who had a prior right to bookings, brought the run of the second play to a close at the end of the ninth week. Mary Pickford was the star, "Daddy Long Legs" and "The Hoodlum" were the attractions, the Tremont Temple, Boston, was the house, and Nathan H. Gordon, owner of the First National franchise for New England, was the wonderworker. Tremont Temple is a structure owned by the Baptist Church. It is a little ofif the theatre district, but accessible. Mr. Gordon took the first Pickford picture in for a run and for nineteen weeks he enjoyed an unbroken success. Then he announced that he would follow with "The Hoodlum" and all of the "wise" men threw up their hands. He had gotten away with it once, they argued, but he was tempting fate to try and repeat with the same star. Mr. Gordon just smiled and started in, advertising with about two fives on Sunday and smaller spaces through the week. Things were going strong when trouble loomed in the shape of an evangelist who had a prior contract for a revival season. Mr. Gordon had bought of? some other contracts, but the preacher stood firm, and with a sigh Mr. Gordon wrote his last advertisement, which read, "Ninth and positively last week." He had run more than three months, but he knew he could have bettered that record and he was not satisfied. Put your theatre on Main Street, no matter tvhere it is located. — M. D. Selph. Rejoicing Miss Glaum. Actresses would rather be advertised than eat. Think how she must feel to be billed above Fairbanks! This is the lobby display of the Goodwin Theatre, Newark, N. J.