The Moving picture world (January 1922)

January 28, 1922 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 415 Selling the Pictme to the^Public A Good Postal Sometimes it is what you don't say that counts. The New Theatre, Baltimore, sent out postals recently with a double rule border. Down in the lower right hand corner was a iwo line Don't tell everything done in a neat script. That's all there was on the card, but a lot of people hunted around until they matched it to the Paramount picture and a lot more knew it in advance, but had their interest more strongly aroused. It's a just once idea, but it is very good that once, and this title works especially well with it. MAKING TWO CUTOUTS FOR A CHRISTIE SELL TICKETS The Strand Theatre, Seattle, thought so well of "Pure and Simple," iinth Bobby Vernon and Josephine Hill that it made tzvo cutouts of the clever pair the chief feature of the front lobby, figuring that it zvould hold its oivn zinth a big feature A Sectional Dictionary Bridgeport residents recently received a folder in the mails with only their address and "pocket dictionary" on the outside. The thing seemed to be too small for a dictionary and the natural instinct to make the other man out a liar caused them to open and read the piece. Inside was an enlargement of the dictionary definition of "Shame" with text to explain that the Fox picture of that title would be seen at Dawe's Theatre. As a dictionary it was all right as far as it went, but it was better as an advertisement, because it was more effective than the usual mailing piece. A one-word dictionary is not generally helpful, but perhaps Dawe's is going to amplify the idea. Played Up a Christie Along with a Feature Pat Dowling, the Christie Comedies press agent, is exulting over the Christmas present he received in Seattle. The Strand Theatre, a Jensen and Von Herberg house there, played up two cutouts from the three sheet, showing Bobby Vernon and Josephine Hill in "Pure and Simple." The cutouts made more of a showing than the greater display for the feature and helped to emphasize the fact that it was an all comedy bill. That's a good scheme, but we think it is an even better one to play up these comedies when there is a heavy bill, to pull in the people who do not care for drama. A Christie Comedy can pull a man in all by itself if given half a chance. Business is starting up. People feel that with the coming of the new year conditions must clmnge. All over the country the Rotary Clubs arc conducting a campaign of optimism. Get in the movement. Make your screen one of the advance agents of prosperity. Rotary will give you the material if there is a club in your town. If there is not, work on your oivn slides, but help the country to come back and you 'will profit from the extra tickets sold. Get back of the movement and keep the ball rolling. You are working for yourself as zvell as for the merchants. W 'ork hard. /^'TWO MINUTES TOGO" Staged Football Match With Two on Each Side One of the best lobby exploitation stunts on Charles Ray in "Two Minutes to Go" comes up from Memphis, where Thomas G. Coleman, of the Strand, built a miniature football grid- iron on a platform in the lobby for this First National attraction. He was at a loss for a grass mat for the field until he thought of mixing sand, chrome yellow and dry green paint. He made this into a smalt and painted the beaverboard with this, getting a better effect than he could have gained with a straight green. The lines were put down in white, and the goal posts were also painted white. This paint and the cloth for the border were the only items of expense, for the four players were football statuettes bor- rowed from a merchant, while the pennants overhead were loaned by a sporting goods store. The entire display cost only $3 and this was but a small fraction of the additional ticket .sale. The lobby miniature seems to he gaining in favor as a display, and this suggestion comes in lime to help out many who have yet to play the picture. It also oflFers a hint for other lobby displays. THIS FOOTBALL MATCH HAD ONLY FOUR PLAYERS Thomas G. Coleman, of the Strand, Memphis, could have built a full gridiron for Charles Ray, but he could borrow only four players for Charles Ray in "Two Minutes to Go." Ho'wever, it turned the trick for the First National release and built business