The Moving picture world (May 1922)

288 MOVING PICTURE WORLD May 20, 1922 Selling the Picture to the#Public ^ . G RAN p TH EATRS Australian Exhibitor Wins Large Business J. L. Coombe, of the Grand Theatre. Perth, Australia, writes that he pulled in 23,000 people to see Tom Meighan in "The City of Silent Men" with the lobby pictured on this page. Street stunts are permitted in Perth and the convict was also perambulated. The convict pictured behind the bars was a live man and not a dummy, and there was also an armed warden to pace before the cell. The display is very carefully made and the painting is more convincing than the usual rough work put in on lobby displays. This looks like real stone. Another House Coming Mr. Coombe is not taking a back seat to any part of the world when it comes to lobby work, but it is worth while when you can play to 23.000 at one and two shillings admission. Mr. Coombe writes that another house is building in Perth to seat 2,500 and to cost about £65,000. He adds that "The Affairs of Anatol" ran for four weeks in Sydney and that "The Sheik." which followed, broke all records on the opening day. A paramount ficture. HOW AN AUSTRALIAN LIVE-WIRE WON 23,000 PEOPLE J. L. Coombe, of the Grand Theatre, Perth, used a familiar lobby with a live convict and warder for Tom Meighan in "The City of Silent Men," and played to a clean-up. The warden must have been out for lunch when this photograph was made Used Prize Fight to Advertise "Forever" Working on the proposition that the patrons of the Lyceum Theatre, Winnipeg, preferred punch to pathos, the management tied up to a local boxing event staged by the Elks. The Lyceum provided the souvenir programs, and after a string of five bouts announced "Wallace Reid vs. Ivan Linow," adding that this was an extra bout, to be staged in "Forever" at the Lyceum the following Monday. The reverse of the card carried a well-printed still of the prize tight scene in the play, which is largely incidental to the action. Another idea was the lucky key stunt, with a trunk in the lobby. Five thousand keys were carded and distributed, or you could use your own. The first person to unlock the trunk got the prize — a cash award. The keys used by the house were obtained from a locksmith and cost $5 for the lot. The house also tied in on a beauty contest in a local paper, arranging to have the winner appear and be introduced to the audience at each night performance, and no less a personage than the Mayor did the announcing. Finds Best Advertising Comes from Hooking Up In Worcester, Mass., the merchants know that a hook-in to a picture will help them move their own goods, and they lend a willing ear when someone comes around from the New Park Theatre. On "Penrod," for example, the clothier stocked a line of Penrod suits and then sold the show at the theatre to get attention to his own line. The garments took on some of the attraction of the theatre and moved rapidly. The sporting goods store was also hookedup, and this gave a strong angle, for the Holy Cross College turns out real athletic stars and interest in athletics is more than usually strong. A big display of stills and posters sold tickets and at the same time sold the window display of uniforms and baseball accessories. Another good window was gained on the books, and here the stills were even more liberally used. A First Aati(ynal ficture. PENROD SUITS SUIT THE STOREKEEPERS AND THE THEATRES ALIKE Both And them good advertising, and build business with the displays; and the stores do a better business when they hook to the showing at the theatre than when they attempt to play a lone hand and put it over without assistance. The right-hand cut shoxvs a tie-up with the local sporting goods store for the Nezc Park Thea tre, Worcester, Mass., home of Holy Cross College