The Moving picture world (November 1925-December 1925)

December 5, 1925 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 471 Girl Represented Spirit of New Paramount House Miss Paramount Was 'New Theatre Opener Here's some good dope for those who were about to open or reopen a theatre. This was worked in Reading, Pa., for the new Paramount State Theatre, but it can be adapted to any town. The house was scheduled to open October 12, but this later was changed to the tenth. On September 28 a clever woman arrived in town and was met at the train by the staff of the State Theatre and newspaper men, touring the business section on the way to her hotel. She naturally was attractive and quick witted, and was known only as Miss Paramount. The following day she visited the hospitals, carrying flowers to the bedridden. She also was guest at a dance for disabled war veterans and made appearances at two of the local theatres. At each place she made a little talk about the opening of the State. She was guest at a restaurant for lunch and also took a beauty treatment at a local parlor, both of the events being written up in the newspapers. Gave Roses and Cards Wednesday she visited the stores, accompanied by reporters, and gave out 2,000 roses and 5,000 announcement cards. In the evening she sang from a local radio station, told all about the State and ofTered passes to those who would apply. Within ten minutes there were ninety telephone requests for tickets over the four trunk lines leading to the station, and 350 mail applications were made. She also talked at the Rajah Mosque and the Capitol Theatre. On Friday she repeated the shopping tours and spoke at the theatres, while she was back on Saturday to announce the shift in the opening date. Monday the program was much the same, but on Tuesday she visited the industrial plants and talked Paramount in each. She also was a guest of the Sisterhood of Temple Sholem, where she gave several songs in addition to her talk. A Fox Release THREE SETS OF IRON HORSES HIT THIS LOCATION This is Broad Street, Elizabeth, N. J., one of the few cobble stone main streets left in this country. Below the banner is a Pennsylvania locomotive. It is standing on a bridge crossing the tracks of the Central Railroad of New Jersey. Nothing but Iron Horses. Wednesday, in addition to the usual routine she was a guest at the state convention of Kiwanis clubs and attended the luncheon and the ball. The broadcasting was repeated on Thursday, and both Thursday and Friday she shopped and visited the theatres. All of this was reported by the newspapers, to give the fullest publicity. Saturday she motored to the theatre with a police escort and acted as hostess. Local merchants loaned her $20,000 worth of diamonds, and furs to the value of $2,500, while her afternoon gown, costing $175 and a $250 evening dress also were loaned. The result was that the line started to form in front of the State at seven in the morning, and the 1,200 seat house played to standees up to eleven in the evening, compet ing with the dedication of a monument and three scoreboards giving the World Series results. The big idea was to give a personality to the campaign. She was the theatre to all intents, and more interesting than the brick and stone she represented. It gave the personal touch to an impersonal event. Spotlighted One of the advantages of being someone in your home town was demonstrated the other day when Frank J. Miller was designated as the announcer for "Augusta Night" at the Atlanta Journal's radio studios. Mr. Miller arranged to have the program repeated in the theatre, and the local paper ran a story, with a picture, for two days, announcing that the manager of the Modjeska Theatre would represent the town when it went on the air. It even threw in a mention of The Midshipman, the current attraction. It made for a packed house, for every one without a radio came to listen in. A First National Release HERE'S A BANNER FROM JOLLY LINDGREN ON COLLEEN Mr. Lindgren is under O. T. Taylor, in Aberdeen, Wash., now and he and Jim Emery are doing their stuff under Taylor's direction. This banner is six by twelve feet, mostly yellows, reds and greens. It possessed high visibility. Old Bills Old railroad schedules and advertisements were part of the historical display in the lobby of the Colonial Theatre, Indianapolis, during the run of The Iron Horse. One was a poster of "The old reliable Bellefontaine route'" and another a time table of the Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad, announced as the "Winter arrangement" of trains for 1884. These are contrasted with a model of one of the New York Central's most modern locos. Indians were added to make for interest, but Indians and locomotive ballyhoos fail to give us a thrill any more. They're still good, but there are so many of them. '