The Moving picture world (June 1921)

June 4, 1921 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 505 Selling the Picture to the Public Sep EPES WINTHROP SARGENT Yale Faculty Aids a Promotion Scheme Interlocking schemes brought a lot of publicity to the Rialto Theatre, New Haven, recently. The first step was a voting con- test for the most popular actress, and the Yale students promptly proclaimed that Elsie Ferguson had that distinction. Then the house announced "Sacred and Profane Love" and offered a prize for the best art study of the star. The offer was limited to the Art School of the Univer- sity, and Professor Taylor, the head of the school, not only arranged the contest but acted as judge. The prize was a season pass to the Rialto, and was awarded to M. J. Mueller for a life-size study of the head. It is not a very good likeness but an excellent piece of drawing, and it made a compelling lobby display both for the students and the towns- folks. Albert S. Nathans,, Paramounteer for the New Haven district, was the chief engi- neer of the scheme. He has added a new stunt to the line of drawing ideas. If you use it, use it all, with the voting contest, the drawing stunt and the showing of a picture of the star while the contest is on. The contestants should not be required to see the picture, but most of them will. Another good angle is the distribution of postcard portraits in connection with the contest. Miss Ferguson's picture deco- rates the rooms in most of the student quarters and serves as a perpetual adver- tisement for the Rialto. Robson, Pittsburgh Paramounteer, Has New Stunt for Best Show Week WILLIAM N. ROBSON, Paramount exploitation man in Pittsburgh, has sprung a new idea for "Best Show in Town" week planned by Paramount. He is enabling all Paramount exhibitors to get free space in the Press in return for a slight slide service. The Famous Players-Lasky is taking a large space for its own announcement, as a part of the national advertising cam- paign. It occurred to Robson that where he was handing out a large chunk of space, it might be possible to demand some coupons. Suggested a Hook-Up He suggested to the Press that that news- paper also make it a Big Circulation Week, and the circulation manager was intrigued, as they say in novels. In plainer Eng- lish, he fell for the idea and fell ha:d. The scheme is very simple. All houses in the district to use Paramount service for that week can come in. The Press will give a three-inch single column display ad, which costs $12, in return for the dis- play for two weeks of a slide announcing some feature in the Sunday paper. Less Than Cash Considering the fact that few managers get $6 a week for a slide, most of them figured that they were making money. They will get a representation in the big splash for practically nothing, the Paramount will get the benefit of a big list of houses, and the paper will get more circulation. All of the Paramounteers are up on their toes, but Robson seems to be up a ladder and ahead of the rest. But all of the story has not yet been told. They are all work- ing. Wait. Writes, Own Press Book Where it Is Necessary Lem L. Stewart, the exploitation head of Southern Enterprises, writes his own plan books where the material supplied by the releasing company is insufficient ,or ineffi- cient. The plan book for "Skirts," for example, carries no readers and some irnpractical ideas. Mr. Stewart wrote a supplement in which he gives copy for ten classified ad- vertisements, readers for general use and the one big suggestion that this is a circus story and not another girl play. This helps the local man get his stuff over. But "Skirts" is only one of the stories for which he has had to supply readers. He does it whenever necessary, for he wants his house managers to have a full supply of the right ideas, and this is one reason why the Southern Enterprises exploita- tion department has been so successful. Use Johnston's Snoops If you are on the Paramount mailing list and get John LeRoy Johnston's "snoops," don't throw them into the wastebasket as "some more of that publicity stuff." It makes great program copy and your local photoplay editor will be glad to get the material. It's not the regulation press copy, but live wire stuff of the sort department conductors are always in search. Double Tie-up Idea Now Gaining Favor Harry Swift contributes another example to the rapidly growing list of double win- dow hook-ups. He got a display in Utica for "Forbidden Fruit" and set in a win- dow a card reading: "After partaking of 'Forbidden Fruit' at the De Luxe Theatre, take 'The Love Special' and see Wallace Reid, at the Avon." Now we are waiting to see the first ex- ample of a triple hook-up. It can be done where there are three houses in town taking the same service. The bulk of this window was given to "Forbidden Fruit," with plenty of cutouts and a very nice display. You cannot see them very well, but there is a string of stills along the entire front of the window. Intensive work along these lines is gen- erally held to exploitation men, but there is no reason why two houses should not, combine to get an effect. There is too much jealousy and far too little co-opera- tion, and it is costing a lot of opportunity. Just figure out that the other chap may be a good sort, too, and work in -^ith him. EVE/ST OF THE SEASON mmEH fm (b J^TS A PARAMOUNT PICTURE ! « MAKING A WINDOW DO THE WORK OF TWO IS THE NEW IDEA Harry Swift got this Utica window for "Forbidden Fruit," at the De Luxe; but he figured that "The Love Special" was not "Forbidden Fruit," so he made that a post- script and sold both Paramount productions, economizing space to advantage