The Moving picture world (November 1922-December 1922)

566 MOVING PICTURE WORLD December 9, 1922 better than three strips of red or the same number of all yellow. Each will give emphasis to the other, just as cut and drawn work will be different and therefore more distinctive. It is perhaps asking too much for "a complete reform.ition all at once, and perhaps now that they are on the right track they will go the distance and realize the display value of type for some of the lines. Lettering is good for star and titles, but it is best when thrown into greater prominence through contrast with type. The combination display is by far the more distinctive. At any rate Grauman is headed up and not down. For a time the ads were growing steadily worse until it seemed that they could not drop much further. Had Three Trailers on ' 'Remembrance **Ad The Majestic did not set much of a hookup for "Remembrance" when it plaj ed Jackson, .Mich., but it did hook in the three phonograph stores to the old songs idea, and swelled its space to better than a half page at about a half-page cost. It probably would have been as easy to get a full-page layout with other merchant hook-ups, but there may have been some local reason for the more restricted space. In any event a six-fifteens gives the house plenty of space to put over the picture, and the text is handled wi'h skill. You can be sold on the middle section without reference to tlie side columns. Init these come in after you are A Motion Picture You Will Remember Forever! THIS IS lUmembrana TODAY—'-' fin O, csr: DR. STRONG'S ; uotd iiajoltos . ORCHESTRA I'HAM'COMEDY CRlNNtLL BROniEM 'Rinumbraisx, Week A GoUlivyn Release A STRETCHED HALF PAGE at least partly sold and clinch your decision They look like pickups from the plan book, but they are cleverly phrased, whatever their origin, and they help to convince you that this is a different sort of story from the average. Sometimes it pays to hold out on a hook-up. particularly if you fee! reasonably certain of being able to sell without the aid of the merchants. Let in one line or one or two leaders and let the rest ask why they were not included, and you can apologize and tell them that you'll let them come in next time; then you have them lined up for some feature on which perhaps you feel you will recjuire outside aid to get over fully, and they will appreciate the opportunity the n-ore because their desire has been aroused through their failure to n-:akc the last. People apprecia'e more what is seemingly difficult to obtain, and you can sometimes get a doub'e truck on the strength of the fact that vou curtailed the last cooperative page. .^nd it is "or.'h a lot of money to you to h"vc then asking for a lookin instead of yielding a grudging assent and kicking about the price. — /». T. ,4.— What do you plan to do for the Christmas season.' Flan noif. Trained Windows In addition to a three strip banner across the street in front of the theatre, the Strand, Erie, Pa., put toy trains into a number of store windows, each lettered to hook to the store. One, for instance, announced that "'The Fast Mail' brings us new merchandise every day." Time and again it has been demonstrated that a toy train in the lobby works better than most exploitation stunts. The cumulative effect of half a dozen trains, in as many windows, can be imagined. — T. A.— Roche Wrote K.C.B's for Spencer Square Dan Roche, the Chicago Paraniountetr, w rote a set of one-word-a-line stories for the Spencer Square Theatre, Rock Island, 111., when "The Old Homstead" settled down out there. He advised the use of a single cut— the head of Uncle Josh— and with this motived a set of advertising stories, all of which commenced "I'nclc Josh says": P>ecau.sc the copy C^PBNCER yew'll i lose i *em ; when : the I cyclone 1 starts Added AttractioTU Lyric Trio Harmony and Comedy Entertainers Spencer Squ&re Concert Orches* tra Aesop Fables Latest News ; Uwrth o» till" prwtTMi "Tb* : Old HomPBlrti" »l»ft« i »i p. «. : |iipr< *^ ud Ue. to*» t''^ : rbotff \«or R#*#tt!U1<hi for ParU ~ uncle = josh Also . Lyric Trio = he DIrMt from S had OrBh«uis Circuit, = CO = many Spencer = frienda Square = in Orche* '-_ rock tra s island IE and Ae«op 1 *•« Fable* = don't = know News = whether No Airaiieo S they l> nitn. = come M to = see Uo, Ue = him = or 1 the ^ cyclone = the 1 old home s itead = and 1 ^ don't s care = juil = to = they = keep = on = comin' 1 by = gum A I* nimoinit h'flffisc THE ROCHE LINERS is unusual it gets quick attention, and because it is away from the .general advertising style it is read through. The best of the scries is one in which Josh figures that he should provide rocking chairs in the lobby for the standees ; only there would be no room to place them because of the large crowds. This sort of thing done now and then will carry greater weight than the mo>t carefully written sales copy done along the conventi ^nal lines. it is not that it is better, but that it is diflerent. Probably if you write to Dan he can send you the set, even though you may not be in his territory ; but it is more than probable that you can get them from the local Paramounteer, since all such material is relayed around. You will note that Dan plays up the cyclone — and the crowds — because the cyclone is the big selling point. People who will come to see "The Old Homestead" do not need to be argued into coming through sales talk centering on the play. They are sold on the announcement of the title. People who think they do not care to sec the story again can possibly l>e sold on the cyclone. So sell the cvclone. —P. T. A.— Mayor's Endorsement Sold This Feature (I'.tung the Major, among others, to see a preview of "Manslaughter," and then playing his endorsement in the newspaper work was what brought a substantial increase to the Rialto Theatre, Macon, Ga., though other stunts were also used. The reproduced advertisement shows the endorsement in a panel to the right of the portrait. The Mayor was one of the old-school of Southerners, and his approval Whers Does the Jazz-Trail End? AND THAT IS NOT ALL ■■M«n»J«oirhtnr" irlll Ew<<«p jrou oil your feet with iu boneity--(h«rF nM one bit 01 txAgmtioa in the whole picture. Cecil B.OeMille's WUl BE SHOWN ALL NEXT WEEK riaDto r ADHIS&tON AMt Sit. aUii »< .1 P<irnntount ReM'Ose THE MAYOR'S ENDORSEMENT carried greater weight than would be the case in many instances where the endorsement is more a political move than an expression of personal opinion. The public knew that the .Mayor would say what he thought, and the endorsement carried weight. He was not particularly gushing, at that, for his endorsement reads : "Having at your request witnessed the picture called "Manslaughter," I leave the theatre with the impression that while there are some rather excruciating scenes the general effect of the whole for the moral good generally far outweighs any adverse criticism. The picture is fine and I thank you for the opportunity of enjoying it." Probably this carried greater weight than would one written with an evident intent to make good advertising material. The rest of the display follows the plan book lines, but with a very nice layout. Other opinions were reproduced in smaller spaces for the remainder of the run. A direct hook-up was made with the issue of the Satur(hy Evening Post containing the national advertising on this picture. The Macon run was early, and each cr)iiv sold in town carried a eun^med sticker calling attention to the pages, by luimber. which contained "'an annoimccmcnt of crcat importmce to Macon Movie fans" and adding; that the picture would be displayed at the Ri.ilto Theatre the following week. The advisHbllitx of this si'rt of tliiiii; is open toquestion.