The Moving picture world (November 1922-December 1922)

December 16, 1922 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 655 Gained Two Days on Special Week Ordinarily the Majestic Tlieatre, Dresden, Ont., has been opened but four nights a week, but tliey were sold on the idea of a full week with an all-First National program and special stunts. It went over. Monday was "Ladies Night," when each ■woman was presented with a flower and a card from Norma Talmadge. Tuesday was "Club Night," with special numbers presented by members of various societies. Wednesday was "Jazz Night," with kazoos, balloons and community singing, and two vaudeville acts made Thursday "Vaudeville Night." Pop Contest Too A popularity contest, launched earlier in the week, was ended on Friday, the winning man and girl being presented to the audience by the Mayor, and Saturday was nominated "Out-of-Town Night," and a successful effort was made to round up the rural patronage. It not only drew extra business for the extra nights, but it brought the entire town out at least once, since the stunts were framed so that at least one would appeal to practically everyone. Pigs Is Publicity Ellis Parker Butler wrote that "Pigs is pigs," but Jack Staub, Universalist, argues that they are publicity. He invaded Paterson, N. J., recently, in the interest of "Human Hearts," playing at Fox's American. There was a big school football game on, and he persuaded the managers that a little diversion in the intermission would help along, so they let him stage a greased-pig chase over the gridiron, and he also threw out one hundred balloons with passes attached. Pre-announcement of these features helped the attendance at the game, and it put the picture over as well, since the field was sniped for the attraction. Get This, Bill John E. Kennebeck, the Omaha Paramounteer, put over "The Ghost Breaker" for the Strand Theatre, by offering $25 to anyone who would sleep all night in a graveyard. It's been a good stunt ever since "Bill" Yearsley of First National originated the idea for "The Greatest Question" some years ago. It still works, for Kennebeck got a good front page story out of the Bee. Capsules Revived One of the earliest exploitation stunts was revived by H. T. Browning, of the Grand Theatre, Middletown, Conn., when he issued capsuled circulars on "East is West." In case you do not know the stunt, you print your selling talk on very thin paper, roll it compactly, preferably so that a catch word shows through, and put it into a gelatine capsule of fairly large size. In Mr. Brown's case the attractor was the word "Dope," which was appropriate to a Chinese play and at the same time conveyed the suggestion of information. It is something of a job to fold the circulars, but it makes a striking appeal. What Meighan Saw Fortune telling naturally connects with "The Man Who Saw Tomorrow," so C. W. Irvin, of the Imperial Theatre, Columbia, S. C, borrowed a small tent of striped cloth from a fortune telling booth. The centre piece was a small table on the front of which was a banner reading, "Your future foretold by 'The Man Who Saw Tomorrow,' " On the table was an upturned arc light globe with a tiny Hawaiian dancer inside. When the lights flashed on, the dancer was clearly revealed. Back of this was a one sheet of Meighan so placed that his glance seemed to be directed to the globe, and when they saw the dancer no one wondered at the intentness of his gaze. It was simple and inexpensive, and it told a story. His Burning Sands Were All Red Hot Major I. C. Holloway, of the Rialto Theatre, Columbus, Ga., got a double business on "Burning Sands" through exploitation. He got a table about three feet square, with a glass top and a shadow box below. On the table he built a tent of black and white striped material about the same size as the table top. The open flaps showed the sanded interior. In the shadow box he placed red lamps and these, shining through the thin layer of sand, gave a real meaning to the title. This was used a week in advance for the foyer and then moved to the outer lobby, where it was supplemented with the title cut from board. This was the only unusual work he did on the title, but it gave him twice the usual business. A Daily Change Effecting a hook-up with a store, the Valentine Theatre, Toledo, got a fine window in which the single wax model was dressed in a new evening gown each day of the week run. The model stood in front of a dark paneling against which the costume was effectively displayed. A small framed card gave_ the title, "The Eternal Flame," the house and the playing dates. A framed photograph of the star was also used in an oval in the background, set in back of the twoplane structure. Two Miniatures Two miniatures were used by Barry Burke, of the Palace Theatre, Fort Worth, Texas, for "The Storm." One showed the log cabin, banked with snow, and the other side of the box office displayed a forest fire almost warm enough to melt the snow on the cabin. Burke also dressed a window in a sporting goods store to hook-up the outdoor idea. A First National Release PRIZES FOR WINKERS PUT OVER "EAST IS WEST" AT THE REGENT THEATRE, PATERSON The management of The Regent tied the local paper to a winking contest, using the one-sheet wink of the star as a starter, and adapting a stunt from the United Candy Stores, which recently gave boxes of candy for the most pleasant smiles. The centre picture shows the poster, the surrounding frame the results obtained. You can use a still camera just as well.