The Moving picture world (November 1922-December 1922)

December 9, 1922 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 561 A LiclitiHuti Releit-fie PUTTING OVER "RICH MEN'S WIVES" IN YAKIMA, WASH. The Liberty Theatre made a board for this picture which worked to well that they made it a continued stunt for the time being. To avoid argument with the fire department, asbestos board was used for the foundation instead of compo board. Used "World" Lobby Like most of the lobby display suggestions given in this department, the front for "Blood and Sand" has been widely used, but Earl Settle, of the Palace Theatre, McAlester, Okla., followed it almost line for line— and gained a pretty effect. He put a balance around the marquise and this was lettered with star and title to face three ways. The lights were dyed yellow and red to match the colorings of the awning cloth. It made a wonderful flash for less than $20. A song tie-up was effected and a sporting goods house loaned one of its windows to be turned into a bull ring with a cutout of Valentino. Now the Palace has a new big business record. Let George Do It Believing in laying off costs where possible, the Orpheum Theatre, somewhere in Rick Ricketson's territory, let an automobile company stage the ballyhoo. In the space in front of the theatre the accident scene was staged, and along side the car was the statement that Lydia Thorne ran down and killed a motorcycle cop and was charged with "Manslaughter," adding that if she had used a car of the advertising make she could have throttled down to three miles an hour, avoiding the accident and the subsequent trouble. The motorcycle was supplied by another agency, which also got a credit card. The Orpheum supplied the idea and got the business. Four "Manslaughter" targets were used to fence off the space taken up by the display. The tableau was staged in the street because it was part of a local safety first campaign. Some Slam ! The First National publicity department starts off a story with the remark that "Even the unlimited resources of the Western Union and Postal Telegraph companies were taxed to meet the demands" of a 15,000 distrilnition of fake telegrams. Something must have happened to the well organized supplies departments of the telegraph companies very lately. They used to print blanks in quantity. The stunt was used by the Garden Theatre, Davenport, la., on "East Is V/est." Slick snd Slicker There was not much cost attached to the stunt used by the Melrose Theatre, a New York locality house. Manager Kraus found a man who owned a yellow slicker, sent him out with a sign on his back telling the world that "The Storm" was coming. Seeing that he was dressed for wet weather, they believed him. Jack Staub, a Universalist, helped him put the picture over. Hyman*s Overture Gets Them Early Figuring that the earlier they come, the sooner they get out to make room for others Edward L. Hyman, of the Mark-Strand, Brooklyn, has been playing up his overtures as a feature, and getting them in earlier than usual. For the first effort he used a self playing piano to reproduce Paderewski playing Chopin's March Militaire, with orchestral accompaniment, working the piano on the production stage in a handsome setting and giving the number importance by playing up the stunt as a feature in his advertising. The point in the idea is not the use of a reproducing piano — which is old, but in making the overture so important that the crowds come early. That is where the profit lies. A Change of Front Marked New Policy Changing a house over from a thirty cent, continuous policy to two-a-day and a dollar top, plu stax, is something of a problem. William Bedell, of the Rialto Theatre, Atlanta, accomplished the result very effectively by changing over the front. Marion Davies in "When Knighthood Was in Flower" was to be the attraction. The Hearst paper was back of the engagement, but Mr. Bedell figured that they could not reach everyone. He made over the corner lobby to suggest the old English style cf architecture, with dark beams and roughcast plastering, altering the lobby doors to harmonize. These look rather crude in the photograph, but the actual effect was pleasing. After the photograph was made vines were trained over the walls to further enhance the effect and to more accurately carry out the suggestion. At night the main building could not be seen, and the effect was that of a low-hung, two-storv Tudor period cottage, with only the electric lights contributing to the modern aspect. A double for the star, supposedly in one of ihf costumes worn in the play, appeared at ;i fashionable card party and a parade of knif'hts was made between the halves of a football game which had drawn some 15,000 persons. The net result was that practically no one objected to the increase and the business was well supported. NARIOK DAVIES .1 l*aramount Release. CHANGING THE FRONT OF A THEATRE FOR "WHEN KNIGHTHOOD WAS IN FLOWER" HELPED A RAISE The Rialto Theatre, Atlanta, was a thirty-cent continuous house. The Marion Davies feature was to run twice daily at one dollar plus tax. To get the patrons thinking of the house in a new light, William Bedell, the manager, remade the front into the suggestion of an old Tudor house and the change in the familiar corner gave emphasis to the altered policy. At night the lighting is such that the upper stories do not show at all.