The Moving picture world (November 1922-December 1922)

December 9, 1922 MOVING PICTURE IV O R LD ==59 Black and White Good for Windows The best angle in this window display of the Mary Anderson Theatre, Louisville, for "Skin Deep" is the black and white background. The display was a drug store and the articles were cosmetics and the stunt carries two cards, with four stills each and two question mark cards. A First National Release THE DRUG STORE WINDOW Adapting an idea already used on several First National productions, starting with Jackie Coogan in "Trouble," a drive was made for clothing for needy ex-service men, hooking to Armistice Day and the war angle of the picture. It got over because it was played up to the limit, but the clothing stunt promises to become as much of a pest as the newsboy parade. Exploited by Inches Persons arc said to be dying by inches, but Fred V. Greene, Jr., the erstwhile Paramounteer, who is now out on Long Island, exploited 6y inches. He dug out the old film specimen idea and gave it a revarnishing. One frame of film was attached to cards which read: "Here is one inch of 'Pink Gods,' a Paramount Picture. You must not miss the other 85,307 inches at the Rialto Theatre." And there really was an inch of film, because while a frame is only about threefourths of an inch high. Fred used slightly more than one frame. Unlike Max Rosenfield, he is accurate in his measurements. Fred reports that most of the cards went home with the patrons and that the few cards he did find in the lobby had had their film cuttings detached. Ran Second Week on ''East Is West" H. B. Watts, of the Strand Theatre, Omaha, worked up "East Is West" so effectively that he got a second week of good business out of the Constance Talmadge production. He used to love boat prologue and dressed his usherettes in Chinese dress — which did not mean Japanese kimonas but the trousers and blouse of the Celestial Kingdom. It was more unusual, and so more effective. The lobby was lavishly decorated in the Chinese style and tea was served by a little maiden properly costumed. A large grocery firm supplied a brand tea in return for the advertising, and the Loose-Wiles people contributed the wafers on the same payment plan. It all worked for the general effect and brought a first week's business which assured a successful continuation. The tea stand will help in any house, and you can work off the cost if you start early enough, even in a small town. Give your grocer time to write his jobber and you can get the goods free. Homed In Omaha is in the throes of a Cleaner City movement, and the populace is being educated to throw trash into the metal containers and not on the sidewalk or into the gutter. Each container was tagged with the appeal "Help Keep the City Clean." Advertising space on the cans is rented and Harry Goldberg of the Sun Theatre, saw his opportunity. He took the space directly below to tell of "The Silent Call" at his house. The strips were chiefly title, which gave the impression that the Sun was hooking the First National to the movement. It was effective work. Revived The clothes line lobby bobs up every now and then, and the Empire Theatre, Syracuse, used a line containing worn garments and new clothes, so disposed that the title "Rags to Riches," represented by gilt cutout letters, rested against the old garments for the "rags" and the new for "riches." What else do you suppose they did for this Wesley Barry picture? Of course! A newsboy's matinee. It's no longer very original, but it made a good ballyhoo. Hired Real Arabs for ''Under Two Flags" Since New York is the center for Arab acrobats who are not playing, it was no trick at all for Jack Staub, Universalist, to dig up a couple for the Bishop Theatre, Hoboken, for "Under Two Flags." RICE AND MULEY They are Rice Hassan and Muley Ali, and they are getting on this page to give a line on real Arabic dress. You can fake the robes by sewing up the front of a gaily colored bathrobe. Tlie desert head dress on the left is easier to handle than the turban, which requires skillful winding. It is a skull cap of white cloth of several thicknesses, with an extension to cover the back of the head and lower part of the face, preventing the desert sands from working down inside the shirt. The shirt can be a dicky of any bright cloth, preferably pleated. It is really very simple to fake such a costume for the numerous desert plays. "As human as a hole in your sock — as funny as a baby's first tooth" is the way Ralph Ruffner put over "Clarence" at the Capitol Theatre, Vancouver. It got them despite the fact that Wally is not over popular in B. C. .Another stunt was an essay contest on the comparative values of "The Old Homestead" and "Way Down East," which got ( / ii-.v/ Xalioii'il l;,lrvsr HOW TOM BOLAND, OF THE EMPRESS THEATRE, OKLAHOMA ClTV, SOLVED A DISPLAY PROBLEM He built up the love boat scene from "East Is West" on top of his marquise, skillfully working cutouts into the new buildincr. To get visibility, he set the display on so sharp an incline that it was completely visible from across the street, as this photograph demonstrates. The same idea can be applied to a dual display facing both ways from the house on the same side of the street. Looks as though Mr. Boland were due to receive a vote of thanks.