Moving Picture World (Jul - Aug 1918)

August 31, 1918 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 1235 Ruff tier Uses Butte Fire Department ® * EPe$ w. sargent Western Manager Uses City Fire Department to Ballyhoo Daily for Selig "Still Alarm" and Works In "House of Hate" CERTAINLY it has to be handed to Ralph R. Ruffner, of the Rialto Theatre, Butte, Mont. He used the city fire department of Butte to ballyhoo for his presentation of Selig's "The Still Alarm" and he did it for three days hand running. More than one manager has borrowed a policeman or fireman for lobby work, and marines have "plugged" for "The Unbeliever" and other propaganda plays, but we think Mr. Ruffner is the first to use the fire department of a regular town for ballyhoo purposes for the full three days of a run. When he saw Selig was releasing a five reel version of the play that was one of the forerunners of the "practical props" school of melodrama he thought he saw a chance to do something real for a change. He had seen the play back in 1890— "when I was a very small boy," to quote his own words — -and he got busy. About a month ahead of the showing he had the picture sent to the house and he ran it before a select gathering including Chief Martin, of the Fire Department; the Mayor of Butte, the State Fire Marshal, the City Council and other city officials. Chief Martin was the man he was after, but he got them all in that none might be offended. Then he sent the reels back and booked them for a three-day showing after he had convinced the fire chief that here was a chance to show the citizens of Butte what a fine department they had. Just to be a good sport he was willing to have a crowd in front of the Rialto, since that was a good place to see from, and he would let them have it just before the matinee, because there would be a lot of people down that way, anyhow, coming to the matinee. The Chief and the Mayor seemed to feel the same way about it, and anyhow Ruffner was a good fellow, and so they took the scheme in. They got together and laid out a program. An alarm was to be turned in, the apparatus would roll up and they would see how long it would take to get to the top of the five story theatre and throw a stream. Then Ruff would have someone in readiness to be "rescued" and the people could see how that was done. It is not recorded that Ruff told them that the Hooded Terror would be the one to be rescued, but probably he had it in mind all the time. Then Ruff went to work on his advertising campaign. There were two daily papers and so both carried full pages on the opening day. Throughout it was announced as an "exhibition" by the Fire Department, and not as a ballyhoo. Of course the galloping horses and the flaming letters helped along the display, but there possibly are still some people in Butte who think it was fortunate that Ruffner happened to have a fire play about the time the Fire Department decided to have a display. Just to help things along, the city hall is only a block away, and the old fire bell was used to sound the alarm, "Box 61" being that nearest the house. The crowds were tremendous and packed the sidewalks long before the box was pulled. Trucks and a pumping engine dashed up, the aerial ladder was raised, with a fireman perched on the top rung, others stood in readiness to run up the hose and inside of 90 seconds from the start of the ladder there was Ralph R. Ruffner. a stream playing upon an imaginary fire on the roof of the building, which equals in height the average six story building. Of course some water came down on the crowd, but that FREE EXHIBITIONS AND AERIAL TRUCK DRILLS BY THE BUTTE FIRE DEPARTMENT WILL Sf CrVCM ON THE PARK STREET SRX OF THE RIALTO THEATER BUILDING, TOMORROW AND SATURDAY One of the Full-Page Display Advertisements Used to Announce the Exhibition by the Fire Department. only helped the fun along, and presently a shout arose as a diminutive "hooded terror" appeared in a window on the fourth floor with agonized appeals to be saved. The crowd • 5** The Butte Fire Department ; Advertise "The Still Alarm" with a Daily Fire Drill. The Hill in the Background Is Known as "the Richest Mountain in the World" Because of Its Mineral Wealth. roared as he was carried down the ladder by a stalwart fireman, for 'The House of Hate" is a Rialto serial, and