The Moving picture world (November 1921)

December 3, 1921 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 579 Selling the Picture to the^Public It would be almost as good in 70 lines across two, though not as conspicuous. There is not a line too much — or too little — in this layout. It sells to the limit with comparatively little talk, and it stops before it becomes tiresome. There are two good punches, and a splendid display for the title. In this he was helped by the title itself, which is brief enough to give a strong display, but the fact that it can be so treated does not mean that it is always given the required handling. This is one of Malaney's best, even to the handling of the letters where they intrude upon the cut. This was probably intentionally done. You look first at the cut and you are reading the title before you are through with the cut. The title is interesting, so you read the descriptive banks, and the sale is completed. There is nothing pictorial about this display. It would have been "prettier" with a nice scene cut of Alaska. The use of reverse permits two punch lines in what is practically one space and centres the appeal, instead of offering two punches, one at the top and the other below the title. It does all the selling before the title is reached, and it does it in a clean-cut fashion that is comparatively rare. There is nothing striking to the display, yet it stands one of the best examples of intelligent work that could be desired. There is enough white space to catch the attention, even on a heavily loaded page, and yet not a square quarter inch of space is wasted in an effort to get more attention. Another line or two of type would very probably have wrecked the entire space. The advertising man knew just when to stop. —P. T. A.— Grauman Numbers His Twelve "Anatol" Stars Selling all twelve of the stars in "The Affairs of Anatol" has given more than one advertisement writer a lot of study. Grauman's adexpert has had more than his share of figuring to do, for the Paramount production ran for several weeks at Grauman's Rialto in Los Angeles. This display is that for the fourth week, and is one of the best of the bunch because it is attractive and ingenious. Ten of the stars and the producer are shown in the firmament CECIL B. , ^/DEMILLE JVX GREATEST PBOD'JCT-OW •# Y'Tfie Affairs of/. V Anatoli grauman1; RIALTO BROADWAY NEAR 6 GRAUMAN'S FOURTH WEEK DISPLAY while Reid and Miss Swanson are shown in a tableau pose at the left. Like the others, they are numbered, but unlike the others, they are also named. This hooks in to the text which starts off with a glaring "Dare you face your wife?" which would startle any married man and interest the bachelors, but the catchline trails off into a query as to whether you dare face your wife or sweetheart another day without inviting her to go to Grauman's to see the stars and the gowns and the big production. Not the least creditable bit about the display is the setting in of the title. It is a clear reverse set into the star panel, where it will most intimately hook up with the suggestion of a wealth of stars. Right there it does twice as much good as it would, did you look at the stars and then have to drop your glance to the bottom of the space to get the title. Knowing just where to place the title is an art, and this has been well done. — P. T. A.— Bill Hart Gets a Girl in California Display Milt Samis, in sending in one of Jewett Bubar's displays for Bill Hart in 'Three Word Brand," remarks that they have not used Bill with a girl in something more than a year, but that he thought it would be timely to use Miss Novak's picture in view of recent rumors of engagements and things. Quite apart from whatever news value the idea may have, we think the idea is a good one, and Bubar has done a nice piece of drawing for the faces. That is where his work stands out. We think that Miss Novak's eyelashes are a bit too flossy ; though probably you cannot notice this in the Caiifassaia WML. HART 3 WORD BRAND A BUBAR DRAWING reduction, but apart from that the drawing is forceful and the likeness unmistakable. The background is a model of its kind. It is right PICTURE THEATRE ADVERTISING is a book every exhibitor needs. Packed with ad-stunts, tested advertising wrinkles, information on every phase of advertising for the picture house. $2 postpaid. ORDER QUICK! YOU NEED IT! Chalmers Publishing Co. S16 Fifth Avenue New York there if you want to look for it, but if you don't, it is not so pronounced as to detract from the figures. Roth and Partington might be deemed lucky in their press department, but they are not. Luck is a matter of chance, and Roth and Partington do not trust to chance. When they want good work, they dig up people who can deliver the goods, which is the reason why they have the best symphony orchestra on the Pacific coast. It did not just happen, but it as planned and developed. In the same way they took on Nick Ayer and let him form his staff and when Nick needed help he trained Milt Samis in the way he should go. Now and then Bubar worships at the altar of false gods, such as running a fine toothed comb through his black letters before the ink dries, but he is not as bad as he might be in this respect and he is undeniably good in others. We think that in this display there is a trifle too much talk in the panel below Hart's name. The space is a little crowded. When so much type is used a light italic would be as strong and be less suggestive of crowding. Too black a type has a reducing effect upon the display, though this star and title assuredly get over. — P. T. A.— Scenes and Portrait Combined in One Ad Miller's Theatre, Los Angeles, shows a good combination of half tone and line in a display for Will Rogers in "Doubling for Romeo." There are two scene drawings in line set against the portrait of the star, taking up little or no more space than would be required for the portrait alone and getting over a suggestion of the play at no greater cost than the making of a combination cut entailed ; which is very much less than the line rate of additional space. We think that the copy writer exaggerates a trifle in that "5 centuries of laughter crowded into Now Playing 5 Centu ries o Laughter Crowded 6 Reels of Super-Comedy Goldwryn presents WILL ROGERS in his greatest comedy hit ~ Doubling For Romeo 'OH BUDDY" A CLEVER COMBINATION CUT six reels of super-comedy." It sells the story a little too hard, and makes it difficult for the production to make good for the promises. The two panels give the opinions of two of the local film critics to back up the announcement, and the text set into the cut reads : "He's a ridin, rompin,' roamin,' ropin' Romeo from Arizona. The portrait cut is a little too dark and makes Rogers look a little too much like a matinee hero. It would have beep better had a more characteristic picture been used, but otherwise the idea is capital and forms a neat display. GET A P. T. A.