The Moving picture world (November 1925-December 1925)

December 5, 1925 M O V I N G P I C T U R E W O R L D 465 Makes Float Into Attractive Lobby Display Production Hints from Edward L. Hyman Managing Director, Mark Strand Theatre, Brooklyn Makes Don Q Lobby From Float Fixture ^ O. T. Taylor is too busy to send in much material these days. In place of one theatre he now has four to look after, and he has delegated the work to "Jolly" Lindgreen, who some of you may recall, did some mighty nice airbrush work in these columns three or four years ago. But Mr. Taylor takes the time to send in a couple of pictures showing how he worked a float into a lobby display. The float was used back in August for the convention of the D. O. K. K. in Aberdeen, Washington. The D. & R. Theatres contributed this float to tell about greater movie season. You'll note that they were advertising Don Q back then. The material is not compo board but "chip board" which is lighter in weight, cheaper and tougher. It is covered with plastic material. When Don Q came to the D, & R. he took the side pieces you note on the right of the float picture, to form supporters for a large electrical Q. The jog into the lobby where Fairbanks stands under the awning you will notice as the side piece of the float. The pillars are serving a third term, for with the arch bearing the words "Greater Movie Season" they formed part of the setting for The Spaniard. The stuff will all go back to the store and come out again. Everything Mr. Taylor builds is sectional and capable of repeated use. Prudent Getting the idea of using animals in the lobby for The Silent Pal, Bert Jordan, of the Majestic Theatre, Memphis, used a sheep and a police dog. As the animals were in separate cages he was able to run it for the full week. The display drew more than the usual crowds into the lobby. r^ONTINUING to supply the demand for ^ popular music, Eddie Peabody, the banjo king, and his band were engaged for the program which had Corinne Griffith in "Classified" as the feature picture. Besides the presentation worked up with Peabody's there were two other elaborate musical presentations and the Topical Review. The complete show ran 1 hour and 56 minutes, of which time "Classified" required 73 minutes. The musical numbers took up 35 minutes, leaving 8 minutes for the Topical Review. Opening each deluxe performance, of which there are four each day, the orchestra of versatile soloists was presented under its new conductor, Harold Stern. First was the "Twelfth Hungarian Rhapsody" (Liszt), featuring Lilly Kovacs, sensational girl piano soloist of the orchestra. Second number by the orchestra was "On The Mall" (Goldman) and the third was a medley of popular numbers including "Bam Bam Bamy Shore," "What Could Be Sweeter Than You" and "Let's Wander Away," featuring Harry Breuer, xylophone virtuoso of the orchestra. Lights : purple spangled draw-curtains closed over small production stage and lighted by four arch spots, two of which were yellow and two medium green; straw spot on the girl pianist from the dome while she was doing her number; orange flood on the orchestra from the dome ; large stage in red ; the straw spot on pianist changed to a flood on the musicians for the second number; amber spot from the booth on xylophonist for the third number with other lights remaining. This cycle took up 13 minutes. "The Old Music Master" was the second Jtage presentation, featuring a bass-baritone in the make-up of an old musician seated at the console of a huge organ. He sang "The Lost Chord" (Sullivan), after which lights came up behind the transparent dropcurtain on which the organ was painted and the Mark Strand Ballet Corps danced Mendelssohn's "Spring Song" on a raised platform, representing the dream of the old master. At the conclusion of the dance the lights came up again on the scrim and the bass-baritone sang the second chorus of "The Lost Chord." For this number the stage was lighted in amber with two steel blue spots on the singer. The lighting of the ballet was light pink and light blue. On the orchestra stage blue borders and foots were used with deep blue floods on the orchestra from the projection room. This number required 6 minutes. After the Mark Strand Topical Review came Eddie Peabody and his band. The setting was a terrace against a blue sky with transparency for stars. Four steps led from the terrace down to the stage. Selections used were "Kamenoi Ostrow" for opening. Then "Ukelele Lady," by Eddie Peabody and two of his musicians, a ukelele specialty; "I Miss My Swiss," danced by Leonard Workman ; "Poet and Peasant Overture," as a banjo solo by Eddie Peabody"; "Sentimental Me," by four members of the ballet and Leonard Workman, costumed minstrel style; "Show Me the Way to Go Home," and "Charlesburg." Sixteen minutes for this presentation. A United Artists Release O. T. TAYLOR MADE A FLOAT INTO A SMASHING LOBBY DISPLAY FOR DON Q The sides o* the float are used for jogs and the front pillars now support the huge electrical Q. Other parts of the float have been used in other pictures, for Mr. Taylor always plans his stuff for reuse, but this display on the Fairbankt picture is the most elaborate of the lot, and brought a big business to the D. & R. Theatre, Aberdeen, Washington.