The Moving picture world (November 1921)

December 24, 1921 MOVING PICTURE WORLD %7 Selling the Picture to the#Public • # Borrowed a Theatre to Sell "Footlights" Roy S. Smart, of the Noble Theatre, Gadsden, Ala., borrowed a toy theatre from a dealer for the run of "Footlights." For three days before the Paramount opened he displayed this in the lobby of the house, with cutouts from the 11x14 stills for the players, and with a one-sheet made up of stills placed alongside. When the attraction opened, and he needed more lobby room, he took the display over to a drug store and landed their window. The theatre outfit was very elaborate, with electric footlights and all the trimmings, and it worked almost as hard as does the toy train in getting attention. A Double Deck Display Fox's Strand Theatre, Denver, made a twostory lobby display for Wid Gunning's "The Girl from God's Country." A false ceiling of compo board was put in, and on this the house artist built a wood scene with a lot of stuffed animals, borrowed from a furrier, with a backing made from a cutout six-sheet with the house's own lettering. The display was shallow and showed up well from the sidewalk and even better from across the street, and the novelty brought more attention than would a ground floor display. Made 48-sheets Sell Two Gunning Features Two pigs under a gate make more noise than one, and H. W. Poole, of the Liberty Theatre, Klamath Falls, Oregon, figured that by putting up 24-sheets stands for both "The Old Oaken Bucket" and "Our Mutual Friend" he could sell both to better advantage. He booked them for a split week and then got busy. He did a lot of newspaper advertising to back up the posters, but the fact that he was using two twenty-four sheets was what seemed to convince the average patron that he was selling something good. He made his drive on "Our Mutual Friend," adopting the slogan, "You'll like the Liberty better after seeing 'Our Mutual Friend'," and the patrons yessed the idea after they had seen the picture. THESE TWO 24-SHEETS FROM KLAMATH FALLS MADE THE TOWN THINK OF A CIRCUS It would be small exploitation in some sections, but in Klamath Falls it zvas a knockout to get up two 24-sheets for the same week; and it had an additional effect — that both were Wid Gunning productions. There was the suggestion that tivo headlincrs with the same l>nr:J must be something out of the ordinary, and so they went to see both in the conviction that they must be good GEORGE SCHADE SAYS HE MADE THESE FLOWERS HIMSELF Every one of these pink tissue posies is the work of his own fair hands, and the town came down to inspect his handiwork , 'which is perhaps the reason he says he made them. But it put Constance Talmadge over in Sandusky. That counts! George Schade Turns Out Tissue Flowers George J. Schade, of the Schade Theatre, Sandusky, says he made each and every one of the paper flowers used in his bridal bower for Constance Talmadge himself, personality. He had "Wedding Bells" and felt that it was up to him io provide a canopy for the bride, so he got busy with tissue paper and paste and wire — so he says — and turned out these flowers — so he says — and put them up in place with no more assistance than could be had from his secretary, two or three girl ushers and a step ladder. He cheated a little by making the side bells of beaverboard and lettering them for the First National attraction, but the rest he'll tell the world, he personally fabricated. He did tell that portion of the world which lives in Sandusky and they came down to the theatre to criticize his work. It is this press work angle which makes us just a trifleskeptical of the picture the press agent paints of George down cellar laboring with the tools of his new trade. Be Dignified The manager ic/10 fails to make his personality felt is losing his best asset, but the man who is so crazy for personal publicity that he neglects to boom his house and attractions is the greater fool of the two because he soon becomes a public nuisance. Make yourself known, but not obnoxious to your public.