The Moving picture world (May 1922)

184 MOVING PICTURE WORLD May 13, 1922 Selling the Picture to the^Public /J Gofdwyn Picture. THAT IS AN AUTOMOBILE UNDER THE SIX-SHEET It's more than that. It is an old steamer, with a record of 180 miles an hour. It made a good lobby atlractor for Goldwyn's "Watch Your Step" when it played the Meralta Theatre, Los Angeles. A buzzer under the bonnet added to the effect Old Steam Automobile Made Them Watch Step An automobile in a lobby always seems to draw. A steam automobile with a record of 180 miles an hour is more of an attraction. K. C. Manny, of the Meralta Theatre. Los Angeles, got hold of the old steamer and housed it in his lobby. A common electric buzzer concealed in the hood gave a kick to the idea, and you could not very well look at the car without seeing the dozen stills strung across the side. If you missed that, you got the banner just above or the electric sign still higher. Stenciled the Streets You did not have to go to the theatre to be told to "Watch Your Step," however, for the title was stenciled on the street corners for blocks around. The title was apt and it made talk which eventually connected, through the posted bills, with the show at the Meralta. The two stunts combined cost less than ten dollars. They brought the largest gross business Mr. Manny had ever done on a Goldwyn. He has it figured out in dollars and cents that it pays to exploit. An Elegant Display Is Simply Achieved You can use a hundred dollars in your lobby and achieve an effect that will keep people away or you can use the money intelligently and get them in. You don't have to use the hundred dollars, for that matter. Use some money and more brains and you will obtain a better effect. G. M. Phillips, of the Rialto Theatre, Columbus, Ga., did not spend a large sum in getting the lobby effect shown on this page, but he produced something that is rich and effective. The star and title are cut out of card and strung from wires run across the front, having the paneling of the natural lobby for a background. On either side are cutouts. Two nicely painted insert cards are framed for the lobby floor and the stills flank a shadow box in which is a smaller cutout against a fabric backing. This is a night timed exposure, and the lights fight some of the effect, but you can imagine the richness and yet simplicity of the appeal. It will sell the unthinking and still pull in those who are repulsed by the overdressed lobby. The overstuffed lobby is all right for the dime museum crowd, but it won't bring in the most desirable class of patrons as will some effect such as this. The brass band had to be paid, but the autos were borrowed from an agency in return for credit banners and a slide. The impersonator was cheap and the entire stunt probably cost less than a half page advertisement and pulled more than an entire newspaper could draw. You have to force them to read an advertisement, but no man can overlook a street parade. The stunt can be worked for any picture, but it is best where the chief character in the picture is more or less pictorial. You can imagine the Queen of Sheba arriving on the 11.45. Passed Door Knobs Eller Metzger, of the Strand Theatre, Creston. la., has found a way to make doorknobs more interesting. When he booked Norma Talmadge in "The Sign on the Door," he advertised that there would be a sign on everyone's door on a certain morning, and that some of them would be good for free admissions. About 40 passes were clipped to the hangers and doorknobs never worked as hard as they did in Creston. Some persons even came down in their night clothing when they heard the distributors around. When you can keep them sitting up nights for your advertising, it's good. Welcomed a Sir Boss With Big Brass Band About the best stunt yet pulled for "A Connecticut Yankee" comes from Peoria, 111., where the New Madison Theatre welcomed Sir Boss with a brass band at the Union Station. The theatre picked out a train to arrive shortly before noon and sent the impersonator of the Twain hero to a station ten miles up the road with instructions to make that train. Dressed as in the picture, with a banner for the theatre on the slender staff he carried the ballyhoo carried out his orders. When the train rolled into the station, the band struck up "Hail the Conquering Hero Comes" and Sir Boss alighted and was received with all the pomp the theatre could throw into the stunt. He was paraded all throui^h the business district and to the theatre and by the time lie was paid off the whole town knew. A Metro Picture. WIRED THE TITLE FOR 'PEACOCK ALLEY" LOBBY FRONT How G. M. Phillips, of the Rialto Theatre, Columbus, Ga., worked in his cutouts for the Metro production. The shadow box on the floor does not shozi' up ns ti'dl as it should in a flat photograph, but it offered a striking effect