The Moving picture world (November 1921)

968 MOVING PICTURE WORLD December 24, J.921 Selling the Picture to the&Public . WHICU IS THE rOGUSU age"*? DO YOU KNOW u.. ■ TWO NICE EXAMPLES OF E. R. ROGERS' DRAWINGS The manager of the Tivoli, Chattanooga, makes, his own posters and finds that a few of these in desirable locations help the regular lithographs to sell more tickets than ■would the lithographs if used without these aids Good Jungle Lobby Sold First Chapter Huy A. Kenimcr, of the Rialto Theatre, Jacksonville, had to sell the first episode of "Miracles of the Jungle" on Hallowe'en night when all of .the kids and most of their elders were planning parties. He had to do something strong to pull them away from the apple tub and the rest of the time hallowed stunts. No heralds were available, but he posted five twenty-four sheets in advantageous positions in addition to live sixes, seven threes and twenty one-sheets. A little advance newspaper work was also done and slides were used in the other Jacksonville houses of Southern Enterprises. But the seller was the lobby. He used scrub palms, palmetto, limbs of trees and a lot of Spanish moss to change his lobby into a jungle with open paths to the box office, the entrance and exits. The palmetto was tacked against the wall, with the bases covered with moss, and through the bare branches of the trees could be seen three cutouts from the paper ; the fight with a lion, the crouching tiger and the wounded man. Slightly hidden by the trees, these proved more startling than if they had been openly displayed and at a cost of $7.40 Mr. Kenimer boosted his receipts over his Monday average nearly $70. He didn't say he could do nothing. He went out and did it, which is much the better way from the box office angle. Trusted to Teasers on "The Foolish Age" R. R. Rogers, of the Tivoli Theatre, Chattanooga, worked an elaborate teaser campaign on "The Foolish Age" and put over the Doris May picture. All sorts of changes were rung on the question as to what was the foolish age, from the flapper who "rolls her own" to "Is 16 or 60 the Foolish Age." When he had them all guessing, he came out with the facts and everyone read to find out if it gave the answer. It did not, so they went to see the play. Paints Them Himself Mr. Rogers is doing some exceptionally pretty work in the poster line, painting them himself. We reproduce two on this page. Worked in with the straight lithographs, they seem to help the display and can be placed in windows where no lithograph, no matter how ornate, can find lodgement. The cuts do not suggest the color values, but they do show exceptional drawing. the star from the three sheet, illuminated by the frosted white lights on the frame. Some six inches back was a drape of royal purple satin, which gave the touch of elegance to the entire display. The banner board at the top is a stock affair, already wired for lights, which are set in to match the scheme of the other decorations. This is an exceptionally handsome design, can be used for any single pose, and is best used for an attraction intended to appeal to the better class of patrons. Kept Lloyd Winking Oscar White, of the Rex Theatre, Sumter, S. C, used a cutout of Harold Lloyd for "I Do," but he put small electric bulbs on flasher sockets into the eye holes and Lloyd winked furiously all of the time, with a consequent gain in attention. He also used a ballyhoo clown on the street and at the fair grounds to distribute heralds for "I Do" and "The Three Musketeers." The copy for the Lloyd throwaway read : "Do you solemnly promise to see Harold Lloyd today in his latest laughter special, 'I Do?'" Getting a laugh offset some of the fair counter pull. Distinguished Lobby for "The Great Moment" Distinction in the lobby display for "The Great Moment" brought a fifty per cent, increase in business for Gloria Swanson at the Rialto Theatre, Columbus, Ga. For only $12, plus some old material, C. B. Grimes got a display that not only sold this Paramount but gave tone to the house. Apart from the lithograph boards in the lobby and just outside, the attention was centered upon the display in front of the box office. This was a box frame in pale green, surmounted by a clock face, also in pale green, with the numerals in black with the exception of the 12. This was in red, as were the clock hands which stand at two minutes to twelve. Frosted white bulbs are set at each hour with the exception of the twelve, which had a red light on a flasher socket. Just in front of the frame was a cutout of "THE GREAT MOMENT" IS TWO MINUTES TO TWELVE At least that is the way C. B. Grimes, of the Rialto Theatre, Columbus, Ga.. looks at the time in the Gloria Sivanson-Elinor Glynn-Paramount production. This is a good example of a plain but rich lobby effect. It cost $12