The Moving picture world (November 1921)

966 MOVING PICTURE WORLD December 24, 1921 Selling the Picture to the^Public Buss Asks Questions in His Open Letters C. D. Buss, of the Strand Theatre, Eastern, Pa., combined the open letter with the personal approach in a series of advertisements for Goldwyn's "Ace of Hearts." He ran a series of advertisements addressed to well-known persons in town, asking if they thought a man could live too long. The question was startling and it had many persons interested, and by the time he was ready to run into a two column smash they were all eager for the answer, which, of course, was connected up with the play. Good Just Once This is a just once stunt, but the shock of seeing well known names will pull business if the questions are properly framed and do not give offense. It would not work as well, for example, were someone recently divorced to be thus publicly appealed to for his opinions of the morality of divorce. THIS LOBBY WAS ATTRACTIVE, SO IT SOLD THE PLAY It did not connect very well With the story of Lon Chancy in "The Night Rose," but it zvas so attractive that people came in to see the story because the lobby had sold them. It's the Strand Theatre, Asheville, and was J. C. Duncan's idea Pretty Lobby Display Sold Goldwyn Picture Not having much material to work with, J. C. Duncan, of the Strand Theatre, Asheville, went on the title of "The Night Rose" rather than the story of the Goldwyn production, and the "rose" in the title suggested a floral lobby. He got an unusually pretty effect, with a lattice work covered with Spanish moss and plenty of flowers and growing plants. Business went up about 25 per cent. One of the strongest arguments in favor of lobby work is found in the fact that an opposition house with a popular star trusted to the star to carry their picture over. The opening night was so poor that they made an attempt at lobby decoration the second day, but the effort was too weak to put the picture over, and that is where Duncan got his 25 per cent, of excess business. An odd point of the Strand dress is that the walls are calsomined on occasion to heigltten the effect of a lobby display. In this instance the walls were done in green to match the general display, and the paint washed off following the run without damage to the permanent painting. made a complete change from the floral dressing to the log cabin idea and did it while the rest of the town slept. He went to some trouble to get things just right and even had a dirt floor put down to make things more real. A new touch is the use of gay indian blankets on the doors. This gives a needed touch of bright coloring to the bark and boughs. There is a saddle and other gear over a rail at the left of the picture as well as an axe left sticking in the chopping block and the wash bench before the cabined box office. One Cent Sale Worked The City Line Theatre a neighborhood house in Brooklyn, made a one cent sale its exploitation for "Experience" and "The Hell Diggers." Jesse Weil, the manager, figured that if he could get out record crowds to see these pictures he did not have to worry about the cash receipts as he would get his money back in the weeks to come through bettered business. Taking hit cue from the drug stores, he announced a onecent sale for the week, a second ticket being sold for an additional penny. Just to make it easy, he gave the patron the penny in the form of a green promissory note on his throwaways. It not only brought out the families, but it had an odd angle in the number of small boys who watched up and down the street for single theatregoers with the appeal to let the kid supply the other penny, getting in on the second ticket. It made talk, and talk makes business. Where the week is split, it would be an even better angle to offer a seat for the second attraction for the extra penny. Ashevilh Lobby Is Quick Change Artist J. C. Duncan, of the Strand Theatre, Asheville, N. C, is a believer in lobby displays, because he has proven by the box office that they pay. He is not afraid to muss things up in order to gain an effect and by planning ahead he is able to effect a complete change in the appearance of the front overnight. The man who came out from the last show on the end of a run passes the house the next morning and wonders at the change, but he does not pass the theatre with the unspoken "O, well. I was there last night." He knows it is a new show and goes again. "The Girl from God's Country" followed the lobby, also shown on this page. Duncan THE STRAND THEATRE LOBBY, ASHEVILLE, IS A WONDER J . C. Duncan manages to change its appearance overnight, and he often uses elaborate dresses. This lobby immediately followed that for "The Night Rose," recently published, and sold "The Girl from God's Country" to even better business