The Moving picture world (November 1922-December 1922)

December 23, 1922 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 761 Had Sample Castle for ''Ghost Breaker'' What might be called a cumulative lobby was worked by A. B. Morrison, of Loew s Palace Theatre, Memphis, on "The Ghost Breaker." He began with cutouts of Lila Lee and Wallace Reid over the marquise. They were chaperoned up there by an owl with flasher eyes. When the play opened, a castle design was built under the marquise and out to the curb, with an opening for pedestrians. The cutouts on top of the marquise were retained, the entire design being planned as a whole. A truck with a large castle structure was run around town. Cutouts of Reid and Miss Lee were placed in the side windows while Walter Heirs looked out from the rear opening. The perambulator was used for three days in advance and three days of the run. As one of the days fell on Halloween, he $ent out five of his staff in masquerade costumes, and carrying cards for the attraction. There were one white and one negro ghost, a clown and two minstrels in cork, and they worked the entire downtown section. The lobby was also especially dressed for that night. Photos for Josh Putting a cutout of Roberts in "The Old Homestead" into a photographer's window gave point to a card reading "Uncle Josh is looking for those who have neglected to send their portraits to the folks back at the Old Homestead." The cutout was the one with Josh holding a lantern, and was surrounded by examples of the photographer's art. Bill Danziger, Paramounteer, and Paul Witte, of the Bijou Theatre, Decatur, 111., worked the stunt. A First National Release HERE IS ANOTHER WINKER STUNT FOR "EAST IS WEST" This is not a cutout in the pagoda, but a real girl who initiated the Ming Toy wink at the Garden Theatre, Davenport, la., when the Constance Talmadge play was run there. The poster shows the appreciation letter from a local stock actress who played the part The exploitation for "The Prisoner of Zenda" at the Ohio Theatre, Indianapolis, vvas hung to an automobile home which rolled into town opportunely. This car was occupied by a couple touring from New York to San Francisco, and the occupants seem to seek a hook-up in all the large towns they make, as the stunt has been reported several times lately. Possibly it is the same car used through Florida last winter. Had Cozy Comers for ''Burning Sands'' Cozy corners were Barry Burke's best bet when "Burning Sands" same to the Palace Theatre, Fort Worth, Texas. He had two, one in each corner, and into them went about all the Oriental rugs and furnishings the leading dealer could supply. Canopies, rugs, incense burners, lamps, divans and everything else were carted over to the theatre in return for a credit card, but the displays were very tastefully done and did not look overloaded. It taught a lot of people that good rugs make fine wall decorations, and helped the subsequent sales. A book store turned over for a window composed of desert sands and copies of the book, and a ten cent store, just opening with a big flourish of trumpets, gave one of its best windows largely to the plugger song, with a cutout. For a prologue a troupe of Hawaiians were turned into Bedouins. Beat All Records With Floral Lobby Harry Swift went over to Columbus, Ohio, and helped the Southern Theatre on a lobby for "The Old Homestead," which broke the records by more than $1,000 and got a second week for the feature. He did not make a barnyard of the entrance, but built a pretty floral display, with a cutout from the six sheet for a centrepiece and the rest greenery. Even the cutout letters forming the name were done in flowers. It is interesting to note that the b'Gosh lobby has not yet pulled to capacity. The record breaking has all been done through a different form of approach, which seems to bear out Lem Stewart's warning. Swift Menus Harry Swift, the Cincinnati Paramounteer, has gone in for domestic science. DroR-> ping in on Oxford, Ohio, where Miami College is located, he sought out one of the favored college eating places and sold them on the Blood and Sand sandwich. This is a thin steak and a fried egg (red and yellow) between two slices of bread, with potatoes and gravy on the side. It was advertised as "A meal in itself." Swift's sundae on the same play is yellow peach ice cream with marshmallow and topped with a red cherry and pink whipped cream. This gives the yellow and red color scheme. Then he made a hit with the 1,400 student prospects by announcing that "Big Red has the Blood and Sand to win all games," and he did it on the fence around the athletic field. A Fox lielcaJie BOTH DOING AND DARING IN THIS TOM MIX LOBBY Mix U a fine box office bet down South, and the nianagers play "P The rearing horse is a favorite display but the Plaza Theatre, Wheeling, W. Va.. added the airplane stunt from "Do and Dare." with a castle background. It pulled real money At last the men have had a fashion show. C. A. McFarland, of the Queen Theatre, Houston, figured that if fashion shows brought in the women, clothes for men might help "A Tailor Made Man," so he tied a local shop to a display of clothes for men from six to sixty, including sports clothing, and it got him a twenty per cent, boost in business at a cost of $30. The store contributed a series of large displayadvertisements as well as a window hookup.