The Moving picture world (November 1922-December 1922)

350 MOVING PICTURE WORLD N'ovember 25. 192? Halftone Screen for Masquerader Display Whether or not this display from the Rivoli Theatre, Portland, Ore., is a success or failure depends upon the point of view. If the idea was to sell on the halftones, then it is a failure, but if the halftone is merely used as a better — and more expensive— background to the silhouette, then it is successful, but not, we think, in proportion to its cost. In the original, lightly printed in a deep grey, the plate shows where the photographs were pasted down and where the painting was done, but in this reduction the effect is better than in the original newspaper copy. It gives an odd background for the essential advertisement, but we have seen as good in smaller space with no more than a solid back, done in line cut instead of halftone, and the line cut came up better, because there was more ink to get the color. For that matter it looks better still against a white ground, and has just as much sale value and about the same attention value. We are inclined to think that money was thrown away on this display, though it is an undeniably attractive idea when well carried out. But if the same effect can be gained in a three eights or even seven and a half, as against four elevens, we think this advertisement somewhat wasteful. The big question in advertising is not so much "How will it look?" as ''How much will it sell?" and the selling is done on the head and not on the background. Unless there is some local reason, there stems to be a A First National Rcleasi AN EXPENSIVE BACKGROUND waste here of about twenty column inches in space, not to mention the cost of the cut. —P. T. A.— done, and offers some good points. It will be noted that on one side is "Some Boy, Harold Lloyd, the laughter leader," and on the opposite side "Some joy. Grandma's Boy, his first five-part picture." This does not sound very thrilling, but it gets you none the less and has a ticket selling value of goodly proportions. It gives you the suggestion of the best comedian in his best play. The panels are straight selling talk, and below are the times of afternoon and evening showings. Under the matinee is added "School Children can see Lloyds as late as 4 P. M." and under the night shows late comers are told they can AMERICAN SOMt BOY? HAROLD LLOYD TV Liuichlcr Lndrr FIVE DAYS STARTING MONDAY, OaOBEK l( <WLY njVmN HIU. SH0»1\G MAV McAVOr -IV Top o( Nct. Vo* FRA.VKLTO rARMM A Pathr Release A GOOD LLOYD LAYOUT see the big feature as late as ten P. M. Xewark uses the vicious two feature idea, and the better of the two is run last, so that late business can be cared for. This display is rather full of type, but it is all so readably put that it will get over where fewer words in poorer display would fail. Xewark newspaper work is not always good, because they try to sell the two features, but Mr. Miller has the good sense to put most of his money on the best bet. The only thing we do not like is the line in the signature reading "Program subject to change at the discretion of the management." That is a bit raw. The management is the servant; not the dictator "Subject to change where unavoidable" would read better and provide as good an alibi. When a manager offers a bill, he should deliver the goods if possible and not announce he is going to do as he darned well pleases, even though he may not mean it to be read in that light. ~P. T. A — Going Back Having taken the exploitation idea from tne theatrical press agent and developed it to a point undreamed of by the old line agents, the picture exploiteer is now paying his debt by returning to the spoken drama the ideas so developed. One of the new New York productions used the lost key stunt the other day to put over its title of "East Side, West Side." Five keys were "lost," in the eastern side of one department store and five others in the ■'western side" of another, and the press agent took more space to tell of the stunt than advertising managers would have believed possible before the picture advertisers came along. p T. A — Program Display Is Auto Raced Train Good Ad, Layout, too to Sell ''Fast Mail This program display advertisement from Fox's American Theatre, Xewark, X. J., was laid out by George Miller, the publicity man. That it is a program display explains the use of the three fine screen cuts, but with line work instead of the fine half tone, the same idea would make a capital display for the new Lloyd comedy in newspaper work. The copy is well One of the stunts which helped H. G. Griffin, of the Pheil Theatre, St. Petersburg, Fla., to get $200 for a $10 investment was a train and auto race. The title was "The Fast Mail," and above the lobby he constructed a trestle over which a three-car electric train was run, a locomotive and not an electric dummy being used. The track was oval and the train ran behind the backing so that it showed only when going in one direction. The structure was masked in with rock profile. Below this was an endless belt with an auto, the belt being geared to a higher rate of speed than the train, so it won the race, as in the play. The stunt held the interest of the crowd and sold the play to a handsome increase. —P. r. A.— Cut and Line Work Is Nicely Combined Generally when half tone and line work is done in combination the half tone clouds the line cut and spoils the whole, but the Fox Terminal Theatre, Xewark, brought out a combination for "The Fast Mail" that could not be wrecked. This is a four elevens with a half tone five inches wide. Even if the half tone goes under, it will not mud to the point of obscuring the outline of the engine nor can it hide the figures on the cow-catcher. The four punch line cuts cannot be hurt, no matter what happens to the half tone, because they are held away from it. In any event there will be enough of that half tone left to stand for an attractor, for the light background and the dark engine have distinct values which cannot be wholly lost. It is not what might be called a pretty advertisement, but it possesses a great sales value than a merely nice advertisement, and it w-ill sell many more tickets; which is the chief function of any advertisement. Even that reverse title is not as bad as it might be, though a mortise and type would have been better, particularly as the lines are so close together. Apart from this the dis THE TERMINAL AD. play is exceptionally good in its planning. From every angle it is a large improvement over the customary Xewark work, partly because it can all be given to a single feature instead of being split. — p r. A Faulty Art Work Hurts a Display This US lines by three from Loew's Columbia, Washington, seems to be based on a press book cut, and a pretty poor one, at that. Most of the Paramount art work is so well done that it docs not pay to call in a local artist, but this woodeny