The Moving picture world (November 1921)

December 3, 1921 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 569 Selling the Picture to the Public EPES WINTHROP SARGENT Seventeen-Day Contest on "Anatol" Is Cleaning Up Publicity Around Boston ALTHOUGH the figures are purely speculative, the Paramount Exploitation Department has it that an identification stunt wor'<ed as a newspaper contest by John P. McConville in and around Boston has yielded 57,120 lines of publicity, and is still going strong. This is figuring on eight inches to an issue for each daily space for the seventeen days the contest runs. As some of the papers have given as much as an entire page of publicity in a single issue, the probabilities are that the real figures will be found to be considerably in excess of this when the actual results are checked up, for it is a pretty poor paper which will not give a two-column head and a four-inch drop to its own contest. The basis of McConville's plan is this: He has fifteen cuts of as many stars appearing in "The Affairs of Anatol." There are only twelve stars billed, but he puts in three additional players, to make it a little more interesting. The first four or five are easy. Almost anyone can pick out Miss Swanson, Bebe Daniels, Wallace Reid or Theodore Roberts. Just about the time they are figuring that the contest' is a cinch, McConville slips in one of the minor players. The reader is sold on the idea and is not going to quit easily, so he sticks. The next day he is given another easy one. He knows the twelve listed stars, and can figure these easily. It would be a walkover except for this added feature, but this makes it really a test of memory. The circulation manager is sold on the scheme as an aid to his department. If he knows his business he knows that a contest will always raise the circulation for the period it runs. It is up to the paper to hold the gains. He is told that the theatre will supply the cuts and pay for an advertisement announcing the contest. The rest is up to him, including the cost of the prizes. Naturally there is an opening day announcement, the fifteen stars and the announcement of the winners. If the contest has brought results, the circulation man is apt to give all of the fifteen stars in this latter story, making thirty cut presentations. So far the contest has been worked in thirty towns in the vicinity of Boston, including one in Boston itself. The combined circulation of these papers is in excess of a quarter million— 265,000 to be more exact. Each house pays for one advertisement and gets the seventeen stories free, including mention of the house and the fact that "Anatol" is to be seen there. It benefits the theatre, the paper and Paramount, so everyone is pleased. This works best, of course for "Anatol" with its many stars, but the same idea can be worked with the stars of some particular releasing company, or with a combination of the stars you play. Now that McConville has made the model, you do not have to wait for someone to come along and help you. Go to it today on your own. You can put it over. . One indirect result of the stunt is a 120day contest now running in the Boston Advertiser on the identification of all stars, but McConville is helping the paper out with the stunt and Paramount stars will all get in. The paper is supplying all New England houses with slides advertising the contest in return for a listing in the contest story. Ready Made Campaign for "Rip Van Winkle" Herschel Stuart, of the Palace Theatre, Dallas, Texas, sets the campaign for the other houses of that section of Southern Enterprises. His dope sheet is so simple that we are giving it entire. The references to local people are self-explanatory, Merriweather, for example, being the superintendent of the local traction company. NEWSPAPERS— Ads talk about the American classis that will live as long as there are children. Press stories of interviews with local men on the following theme: If Rip Van Winkle lived in Dallas today and went to sleep for twenty years, what would he find? Interview with Dick Merriweather : What will Dallas street railways be in 1941? Will they be elevated, underground or surface? Interview with Laurence Miller: About sky-scrapers, residence district and the growth of real estate in 1941. Interview with Alex Sanger, the Merchant Prince: A vision of Dallas in 1941. Interview with J. F. Kimball, superintendent of schools: The educational problem in 1941. Interview with Mrs. Ethel Boyce, city censor: The morals of 1941. Will women smoke cigarettes in public? How will women dress? Etc. There should be seven articles, one run each day, all in one newpsaper. CO-OPERATION OF SCHOOLS— Hook up with newspapers and conduct an essay contest on "Rip Van Winkle," giving two prizes, being a gold watch to the boy writing the best essay, and another gold watch to the girl writing the best essay. All contestants should receive honorable mention in the newspapers conducting the contest, and all contestants will be admitted free to see the picture on Saturday, the last day of the contest. HOOK-UPS— Van Winkle Book Store — a banner and other displays. "J. D." not "Rip" Van Winkle first in Dallas. Hasn't slept for twenty years. Other book stores — Window card displays, card reading "The book, 'Rip Van Winkle' for sale here. See the play at the Palace this week." Music stores — Window card copy to read: "Sheet music and records here of 'Who Paid Mrs. Rip Van Winkle's Rent When He Went Away.' See 'Rip Van Winkle' at the alace this week." Downtown soda fountains — painted on mirrors, copy to read : "Rip Van Winkle Hooch — See Rip at the Palace this week." (Any drink with a strong maple flavoring will give the necessary wine taste.) LOBBY DISPLAY— Mr. Maloney should go to Mr. Dan Harston, sheriff, and secure an honest-to-goodness still, asking if possible to send along some bootlegger to erect it properly and place it in front of the box office at the Palace. ANOTHER HANDLING OF THE CITY DIRECTORY PRIZE IDEA This is the way the Universal Theatre, Auburn, N. Y., handled the directory prise stunt. Twelve names were supposed to have been selected by Wallace Reid and Miss Swanson for free tickets, the names of the winners being posted in the store. The card tells the story