The Moving picture world (November 1922-December 1922)

442 MOVING PICTURE WORLD Deceniher 2. 1922 m BATES POST "THE WfiUMKm Red Silhouettes Starred in Lobby Because he liad little time to prepare for Post in 'The Masquerader," Gus Metzger, of the Rialto Theatre, Portland, Ore., had to work fast. He took the First National paper and cut out the portion shown in the cut, backing these with red translucent paper. The rest was painted a dead black and the whole was set into false prosceniums set up in the lobby. With plenty of light at the back these showed strongly even in the daytime, and were different, and therefore attractive. A little brush work on the face would have made it even better, but here is the germ of a corking good idea. Metzger made three of these and put one in the tunnel over the sidewalk before a building operation, where the overhead protection required by law gave a semi-darkness that permitted the display to show up in daylight hours. .•1 First Silt tonal ItLha.'-f RED SILHOUETTES MADE A FINE LOBBY DISPLAY FOR POST Gus Metzger used this idea for the Rivoli Theatre, Portland, Oreg.. These were not stage displays, but silhouettes in miniature prosceniums and were used for lobby work. The paper was cut out, backed with red and then blackened. Paper Masquerader Opposition Raffles Puffed At a Fag Making connections with an art student at the University of Wisconsin gave A. S. Desormeaus, of the Strand Theatre, Madison, a fine ballyhoo. The undergraduate was clever at papier mache work and executed an enormous head of Guy Bates Post in the costume made familiar by the silhouette. This was provided with electrical eyes and the mouth was connected to a rubber tube whereby the figure appeared to smoke a cigarette. The design was mounted in an automobile and driven through the streets, lighted at night by four baby spots, and attracted considerable attention, particularly when the clouds of smoke issued from the paper lips. This is rather beyond the range of the average house, but papier mache is not as difficult to work as it sounds, and you do not even need a 'mould if you can model. Try for a minor effect at first and work up to more pretentious showings. Wet newspapers and a good stiff flour paste will work. It made extra money for the First National attraction and the possibilities are limitless. An odd situation recently arose in Terre Houte, Ind., where Brentlinger, of the Liberty Theatre, arranged for a Raffles stunt for "The Masquerader," not knowing that a traveling theatrical company had also arranged to work .the same scheme with an opposition newspaper. As a result two Raffles were on the street at the same time and no one knew which of the two challenges to give suspiciously acting characters. Several times the right masquerader was taken to the wrong office, and the resultant excitement helped the game along and increased the interest so that both raffles made more business for their respective employers. Don't complain ; exploit. Quick Thinking Won Big Display What Max Rosenfield — who has a college education — calls "cerebral acceleration" got a fine display for George F. Rabbit, of the Alcazar Theatre, Naugatuck, Conn. Rabbit and Russell Moon, Paramounteer, were motormg into Bristol when they came upon a car m the ditch. Rosenfield says it was smashed beyond recognition, but then he is the chap who talks about Golems. Really it was only ditched, as the photograph shows. Anyhow it was ditched to a fare-ye-well in a swampy drain and Rabbit hustled back to his home town, got out a sign which read "This might have resulted in Manslaughter. Drive carefully," and added the advice that they see "Manslaughter" at the Alcazar. According to the Golem Man the car rested in tlie ditch, in full view of state road traffic, for two days. Then it was towed in. with the signs still on, and the kind hearted garage man paraded it around town before he took it under cover. According to the Paramounteer's report, it was the other side of car which was smashed, but he took the side with the siijns. Literary Puzzle Was Good Ticket Seller The inherent love for puzzles was capitalized by the Grand Theatre, Lancaster, Pa., for "Shelock Holmes." It ties a local paper to a contest in which the titles of a number of Conan Doyle's stories were jumbled. The first, for example was Sn eth of gi Fr uo It did not require much labor to decide that this was "The Sign of the Four," but some of the others were more difficult. The prizes were tickets and copies of one of Doyle's books, the latter supplied by a news stone, which contributed a fine window display to the rest of the advertising, and sold out on the books in consequence. A t^aramount Rrhnse THIS IS NOT A FAKE, BUT A REAL ACCIDENT STUNT The car went into the ditch. Rabbit, of the Alcazar Theatre, Naugatuck, Conn., it and rushed back to town to get some tack cards. The car was left out in the for two days then towed into town to the garage, signs still on. saw cold