The Moving picture world (November 1922-December 1922)

November 25, 1922 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 347 A Paramoii III [,'rlru.\> WHEN THEY TIRE OF SNOW TURN ON THE WATER SAYS WHITE Oscar White, of the Rex Theatre, Sumter, S. C, had too many snow lobbies and they were wearing sour, for The "Valley of Silent Men" be built a brook at a cost of $4.10 and he beat out a revival meeting for cash business. Made a Warm Berth for Sleeping Devil B. B.' Garner, of the Casino Theatre, Lakeland, Fla., used a novelty stunt on "While Satan Sleeps," and it helped to bring in an additional 50 per cent, in business. A borrowed doll was dressed to represent a devil and put to bed in a box about two feet long by sixteen inches high. The interior was painted bright red and two concealed 60-watt red lamps lighted strips of crepe paper kept in motion by an electric fan. The sign read, "While Satan Sleeps thrilling things happen." Where plenty of light is used, a black ground will show up the flames better, particularly if light yellow chiffon strips are used in place of crepe paper, but the general idea was a winner and built a big business at an outlay of a little less than $10. Teased 'Em Out Basing most of his newspaper campaign on the plan book teasers got a good business on "Pink Gods" for Thomas G. Coleman, of the Imperial Theatre, Gadsden, Ala. He also put out two boy perambulators who carried cards asking if the reader knew what pink gods were. He persuaded the jewelers to make displays of diamonds to hook to the suggestion that they see diamond mining at the Imperial. And for his lobby he had pink compo board diamonds lettered in blue. Apart from the usual advertising space the cost was practically nothing, as the compo board was 'old material overpainted. He got a 20 per cent, increase. Spare Parts Engine Sold Many Tickets One of the best novelties in the way of window dressing that we have seen comes from Knoxvillc, where B. F. Brock, of the Strand Theatre, collaborated with the local Ford dealers to build an engine of spare parts for Ford cars and Fordson tractors. Even the cab is made of curtains, and the cylinders are auto horns. To make it more interesting the house and the agency each contributed $10 as a prize to the first person who correctly named the parts. Most automobiiists knew the Ford parts, but the tractor spares tripped them up. The display was made in the window of a millinery store, to get a better location, and was used to advertise "The Fast Mail." Excepted the Cat J. M. Edgar Hart, of the Palace Theatre, El Paso, Texas, did not insist upon the theatre cat wearing goggles to foretell the coming of Harold Lloyd in "Grandma's Boy," but everyone else around the house wore big horn rims minus glasses, and J. M. Edgar set the example to the rest. He persuaded the street car company to donate their dashboards and used air brushed cards showing the glasses, with "Kum" on one lens and "Laugh" on the other. In the lobby he used painted glasses, one lens showing Harold and the other the grandmother, while the centre painting was a huge head of the star composed of the letters forming his name, the letters being faint or bold according to the color required. It was enlarged by the house artist from a small plan book cut. The only thing that worried Mr. Hart was the fact that the theatre was too small to accommodate the crowds. Well Watered Lobby Sold An Attraction Oscar White, of the Rex Theatre, Sumter, S. C, is a crank on lobby displays. It is about all he can do in his town and he does it well and cheaply. He had a number of snow lobbies and was getting tired of them, so he figured a new one for "The Valley of Silent Men." It does not show very clearly in the picture, but over on the right is a dark line beneath the trees. That is a brook. He built it himself out of stones and cement, with a hose at one end and a run-off into a drain in the alley at the other. The "real" water was a stunt to pull people down to the house, just to see it, so they went in, as long as they were there. There was a joint revival meeting of the seven churches in town and ordinarily Mr. White would have been as lonesome as a hermit, but the brook got the crowd and ljusiness with a little better than normal in spite of a competition that breaks managerial hear s down South. Won a Big Return for Twenty Dollars Laying out $20 for a lobbby display brought $175 to Charles H. Amos, of the Strand Theatre, Spartanburg, S. C. His picture was "The Delicious Little Devil," with Mae Murray and Valentino. He made a rectangular front board with a flattened oval opening. At the top was "Both were wrong" and on either side of the opening was a picture of one of the players. Under one was "To him she was an adventuress," and under the other, "To her he was a rounder." On the lower line were two cards each carrying the name of one player and the title of the play. In the opening was a cutout of Miss Murray in a dancing pose, backed by blue curtains set three feet back. In between were a piano lamp and potted plants. Wherever jewels were indicated in the cutout paste jewels were attached. A Fox Release A LOCOMOTIVE CONSTRUCTED ENTIRELY OF FORD SPARE PARTS This was worked in a window by W. F. Brock, of the Strand Theatre, Knoxville, Tenn., in conjunction with the local Ford agents. It was used to put over "The Fast Mail." It was so ingenious that it drew immense crowds and helped storey dealer and theatre