The Moving picture world (September 1923-October 1923)

lb MOVING PICTURE WORLD September 1, 1923 A Paramount Release A SIMPLE DESIGN FOR A SMALL LOBBY TO CHANGE THE FORM Designed by Ollie Brownlee, of the Palace Theatre, Muskogee, for The Woman With Four Faces, but suitable for most titles. The four panels show the four phases which give the play its name. These can be changed for each re-use. Flippered Lobby Cheap at Fifteen Ollie Brownlee, of the Palace Theatre, Muskogee, Okla., has a rather small lobby, and it was a simple matter to build a pair of compo-board flippers that ran from the corner posts to the box office, with arches cut for entrance and exit. The tops were cut in a fanciful design, and this part can be changed with each subsequent use. The first time out it was employed for Betty Compson in The Woman With Four Faces, and the title and "A Paramount picture" was lettered on each side, the Paramount line being in the same style letter ns is used in the plan book credit lines. The name of the star and her support were lettered on a short section on top of the box office. Either side of the entrance were fancy panels and in each was one of the four "faces" which give the play its name. As the box office is in the center of the lobby, it was possible to cut off the regular appearance with a comparatively small investment for board and painting, the first cost being only $15. Subsequent uses will cost very much less. There is nothing elaborate about this design, but it is simple and practical for small houses, and can be worked as well with larger houses by widening the arch and extending the sides. That mark across the cut is the piped guy wire of a light pole at the sidewalk line which always gets in the picture. Made His Pitch at the Local Picnic George Gambrill, Paramounteer for and around Oklahoma City, was in Hartshorn, Okla., about the time they decided to have a Fourth of July celebration, so he suggested to W. A. Weaver, of the American theatre, that they fix up a car to go in the parade and tell the folks a little something about Back Home and Broke. Cutouts of Meighan were used front and rear on the car, the one showing being attached to the rear. The photograph makes the arm appear to point at the Rube following the car with a lettered suit case, but in reality the arm is headed straight at the spectator along the line of march. The sign reads : "Don't YOU miss this picture." The message was repeated by the man with the megaphone. The camera alongside is made of a letter file painted black and mounted on a tripod borrowed from the local photographer, but it looked very realistic with a real lens, and got full attention. The Rube followed the car over the line of march. But a still more constructive stunt was throwing out bills telling that Meighan would send his autographed photo to some young woman attending the picnic. All the girls looked for that, and when they got out to the picnic grounds they found a booth Gambrill had knocked up the night before and from which he distributed Paramount literature and told them all about the line of Paramounts coming to the American during the season, not only selling the immediate product but all the coming attractions. He talked himself hoarse, but they won't have to urge Weaver to use "A Paramount Picture" on all his advertising hereafter. He's sold solid on the idea. Good for Macon Because Macon, Ga., is the home of the middleweight champion of the South, George A. McDermit, of the Capitol theatre, snapped up the Texas idea on The Abysmal Brute and staged a boxing match between two 80 pound boys, with a fake knockout, when he played The Abysmal Brute. The best people attend the regular boxing matches and no one was offended at the invasion of the picture theatre. It even made the sporting pages of the local papers. New Terminal Most everyone has grown a bit blase on "If we please you, tell your friends; if not, tell us." That has lost most of its kick, but the Southern Theatre, Columbus, O., has given it a goat gland. Fury was doing so well that it was decided to hold it over, so a trailer was prepared reading: "This picture will be held over a second week. If you like it, tell your friends. If you don't sh-sh-sh." Most of them told their friends. Bagged 5,000 The Lyceum theatre, Duluth, gave out 5,000 sample bags of Exciter candy to advertise Bebe Daniels, a candy company supplying the goods. They also covered the safety zone signs with the advice : "Drive slowly. Don't be a speed maniac like Bebe Daniels in The Exciters at the Lyceum." Just to keep out of trouble, pplice O. K. was first obtained in this stunt. Swanke Enlarges Arthur Swanke, who' has been doing the advertising for the Rialto theatre. El Dorado, Ark., has been put in charge of all of the houses concerned in the recent merger, and is now the advertising manager for the Rialto, Mission, Majestic and Manhattan. He has done some capital lobby work for the Rialto and in his enlarged field should have even wider opportunities.