The Moving picture world (September 1923-October 1923)

48 MOVING PICTURE WORLD September 1, 1923 Ice a Winner Holding an ice carnival in July made a pot of money for the Lyric Theatre, Duluth. A "cold" feature, Clyde Cook in "The Esquimaux and a vaudeville ice skating act, with old news pictures of winter sports to run during the organ overture of winter songs was the program foundation for a snow lobby dressed with ice skates, ski and sleds borrowed from the hardware store. A little extra advertising and even without the vaudeville act the suggestion of winter will carry even into the box office report. The Lyceum cleaned up like a pitchman demonstrating a grease eradicator. Try it before the weather cools off. It's a good Free Car Banners a Help in Peoria Out in Peoria the good will existing between the Madison theatre and the car lines has resulted in permission to banner the 300 cars of the local lines fore and aft with Madison banners, the street railway officials believing that the business the banners make will include transportation to and from the house. On the Water Wagon H. D. McNally has a few extra banners printed up and tac<<s these to the water wagons, just to help along. The campaign was started with the showing of Only 38, but instead of only 38 there were more than 600. The Paramount was additionally advertised with 5000 postcards sent from the Ambassador Hotel, Atlantic City, and timed to reach Peoria two days in advance of the showing, and a few passes to the local paper for distribution through the want ads brought an additional four sevens for two days before the opening, this stunt breaking about the same time that the postcards came in. A First National Release ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE WORK OF A. H. McDONALD This is a cutout banner for "The Sunshine Trail," taken from a three sheet and worked up with house paintings. This improves the lobby where a straight banner would hurt the effect. Used at the new Rex Theatre, Eugene, Oregon. Careful Handling Gets a $400 Raise Selling The Abysmal Brute at the Galax theatre, Birmingham, Ala., Thomas G. Coleman got an increase of $400 over the previous two weeks at a cost of only $7. He employed no startling stunts, but he studied the picture and sold it from all possible selling angles. He interested the men in the fight and the girls in the handsome hero, he played up Jack London as the author and bragged about the society angle. His only lobby work was an oil painting and the still frames. No one feature was played above the others, but all were offered as reasons why the picture should be seen, and the theatre's advice was backed by an unusually good criticism in a local paper. The picture not only brought extra money, but it pleased the patrons and left them in line for the next big one. Snow on Patrons Was Not a Frost George A. McDermit, of the Capitol theatre, Macon, Ga., used a novel addition to his cold lobby on Snowdrift. He used a modification of his lobby on Snowbride, but above the ertrance door he hung a "snow bag" and as the patrons entered the doorman pulled a string and they gave up their tickets in a miniature snow storm. It was an unexpected effect and created a lot of talk. In case you do not know, the snowbag is merely a stout cloth from three .to six feet by as wide as needed, one end on a fixed batten and the other rigged to move on a cord. The bottom of the bag is slit and the movement permits cut paper to filter through when the cord is pulled, giving the effect of a gentle fall of snow. It tracked into the lobby, but it sold tickets and the Capitol has a broom. A Paramount Release SIX HUNDRED CAR BANNERS ON THREE HUNDRED CARS COST THE MADISON NOTHING AT ALL And they throw in the water wagons free out in Peoria, 111., where the street car people have been persuaded that Paramount pictures make business for the car lines, and three hundred cars are bannerd freont and rear ?t no greater cost than the price of the banners themselves. The stunt was commenced with "Only 38" and will be run through the season.