The Moving picture world (March 1925-April 1925)

March 28, 1925 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 351 Publishers Hook to New York Run When Colleen Moore in So Big opened at the New York Mark-Strand, Doubleday, Page & Co., the publishers of the book took ■a 105 by 2 to advertise the novel and the fact that free tickets were to be had with early copies of the book purchased at the stores listed in the display. It was a nicely Courtesy of first Rational Pictures How big are you? Are you as big as you might he — or are you just stretching your arms and saying .So BigU Measure yourself by reading America's bestselling novel, Edna Ferber'sSe Big — and by seeing Colleen Moore at the Strand Theatre, Broadway & 47th, in her powerful picturization of this mighty story. Buy Soo-o-o Big! at Free! Today With the Gni 200 copies of .Vo Big sold to-day at the stores listed in ihis advertisement we arc distributing complimentary tickets to the film production of .So Big •t the Mark Strand Theatre. Get your copy of the year's greatest novel, and your ticket to this movie, to-day, for— . . . Shop 18 Wall Sir, r WhaJei Hi Fifth Kvm IBM Avenue 11.. . I Shop 57S MftdltM Avaw F-. P Duironr. Cr, HI F.hh A» »lh Sir. I Br< $2. Doubleday, Page & Co. A First National Release FROM THE PUBLISHERS displayed advertisement and the cut, done from a photograph, was given greater value through the drop-out process, which consists in etching the high lights, as was done with the Valentino cuts on Beaucaire. It had all of the nice display of a magazine advertisement and the style can be adapted for a picture theatre if the copy is written with that end in view. You can get a great many good ideas from the better class magazines if you take the trouble to look them over with seeing eyes. As So Big is still a two dollar book, the publishers could afford a drive, but it goes to show that even the large concerns appreciate the value of the hook-up idea, and it may be useful to show your local book seller. If Doubleday, Page & Co. can cooperate, he can. Sells Lincoln Story on an Itemized List Taking a nine and a half inch drop across seven columns, the American Theatre, Columbus, Ohio, has plenty of space in which to list the chief events in the picture, and it does it very completely. There is no display of fancy typography, but the space is intelligently set, because it is planned to be read without effort. Breaking the items into two columns makes the text much easier to read. Thrown in single lines across that 33-em space, the type would have confused and few persons would have struggled through to the end. Making it not much wider than a newspaper column and not too wide for the ten point type gives ease in reading, and probably few went away from the space without reading the majority of the talk, and reading it, some of the points simply had to sell. There is appeal to many of the "whys" set forth here, and if one does not make a sale another probably will. It gives a suggestion of completeness and veracity, and the portrait cut helps materially. The smaller cuts relieve the space but probably do not do much selling, and in the lower left hand corner is a special appeal to the school children, which probably backs up other efforts along the same lines. This space would have been better had the printer contrived to give the house name a better showing, but where the story is so completely sold, the 24 point name will get over, for people will look for it in case they do not see it at first. For that matter it is probable that the billboards and accessory advertising established the connection between the house and attraction long before this advertisement was run. We do not, as a rule, favor such large displays, but in this instance we believe that the added space was a good investment in dignity, if nothing else. It made the picture look big because it was so generously displayed. Most spaces of this size probably would carry more cut material. There is just one thing that will sell Lincoln, and that is his own picture and the idea of the story of his life, and this latter may be gotten over more completely in type than in cut. We think that the American did a nice job of proportioning, using neither too much nor too little, but just about enough. We have seen fancier displays on this subject, but not much better advertising, for advertising is a matter of selling and not merely of appearance. At that this is not an unsightly space by any means. It is merely that it is too businesslike to be highly decorative. cently for a knockout. Al Feinman, Universalist, helped to frame the stunt, which included meeting Chester at the station and escorting him to the Garden. For this purpose the Sun had organized the youthful population into a Chester Gump Club the preceding fortnight. Some 5,000 boys and a band of 42 pieces formed his escort and even the other papers had to take notice of Chester's presence. Sells This Play With Much Detail Balaban and Katz in their Sunday space for the Chicago Theatre, take 100 lines on three for Love's Wilderness, and give the play every chance with a line of talk that is SHE WAS AN INNOCENT BIGAMIST! 1 Lave Tricked the Young and Beautiful Linda Lou, Belle of Romantic Louisiana. Love Led Hej Aero; Canadian Blizzard*. Through Society / "N. A Ballroom*. Into Snuth Sea / . 7^ Jtmgtet, in a Strc-nre Mar. / r.age Tangle. imFFIIM n ». LOVES WILDERNESS ) v fi'iinuou, noon popular Di|niph,umi 'oiirrri Colleen M* ICAGO -Sri'te St ;LaV Chester Was There Co-operating with the Baltimore Sun, which runs the Gump comics in that city, the Garden Theatre entertained Chester Gump re A First National Release A PLAY WELL SOLD more ample than the usual Chicago announcement where words cost several cents apiece. That top bank gives the suggestion of an amply actioned play with its listing of the swift changes of scene, while the top line A First National Release A NICE BALANCE BETWEEN CUT AND SALES TALK