Moving Picture World (Jul - Aug 1918)

August 31, 1918 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 1259 #G^OQ>9c^>s?? Advertising for Exhibitors Conducted by EPES WINTHROP SARGENT guagjsusff, mmi&vmmn} Getting It Right. LATELY the Rivoli and Rialto theaters, in New York, got out a fourpager with the title of "Telling Our Patrons the Truth." S. L. Rothapfel is credited with the authorship. It makes no mention of any special film, but offers a forceful presentation of the house policy. It tells that superlatives are not freely employed "for the commonsense reason that by their constant use they lose their effectiveness," and admits that sometimes the programs are slightly below par because of lack of material, but adds: "In any case, if our pictures are not up to standard, wo will not attempt to make up their deficiencies by extravagant advance notices or misleading advertisements." We wish that could be thrown up on a three sheet and hung in every motion picture theater in America. The art of advertising properly is not to make every bill appear to be the best ever. The true art is to slide gracefully over the poor films that you may be believed when you say you have a good offering. And even better is this on patriotic pictures : We earnestly deplore the prevailing tendency to make capital of the patriotic fervor which imbues the American people at the present moment, as evidenced in the production of crudely conceived and badly executed pictures in which an ill-concealed attempt is made o commercialize our love of country. There is no room on our screens for such films nor for any news pictures whose captions have been written in a swaggering vein of braggadocio entirely foreign to the spirit which animated the men who are actually on the firing line for us. Contrasting our efforts along patriotic lines with such productions as those just mentioned, Mr. Dayton Stoddard, of The Sun, said in a recent review, "The sort of thing that is really a patriotic stimulus is the type of cinema that is being shown at The Rialto this week. 'Fighting Along the Paive' is the name of the picture, which' has to do with the activities of Italian troops along that section of the front where the battle raged last week." An appreciation of that sort means more to us than any possible box office returns which we might receive by exploiting a sensational and flamboyant "patriotic" picture. If all theaters were run on these same lines, we believe that the pictures would be received with greater respct. If you want war material, use the authentic pictures from the fronts. You can clean up with a pseudo-patriotic picture that is nothing but cheap melodrama with a Kaiser in it, but you can't hold the patrons you win this way and you may lose many of your old-time regulars. Mr. Rothapfel has the right idea. Copies Cromelein. The Dreamland, Maryville, Tenn., is using the Paul Cromelein advertising idea. It makes good program copy and the catchword gets attention. The house uses a single sheet, 3% by 6, and prints the program on one side and some chat on the other. The form is simple and easily DREAMfcftN|T& Tut House of Quality V-p KAKRY M. BIRD. Mgr. MONDAY, JULY 8 ALMA •RLF.'l .MS in a special 7-Act Triangle feats*. I *3EE ANSWER". TUESDAY, JULY 9 WM. S. HART in. "THE COLD DECK". FATTY ARBUCKLE in "MOONSHINE". Big Double Bill Today. 10 and 20 cents. WEDNESDAY, JULY 10 DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS in "A MODERN MUSKETEER" A pepful Artcraft picture. ALSO PATHE NEWS. THURSDAY, JULY 11 Mrytle Lind in "NANCY COMES HOME". 5-Act Triangle feature. Also New World Comedy. '-MAIN 1-2-3", featuring FAY TINCHER. FRIDAY. JULY 12 ■RUNAWAY ROMANY", a Patheplay starring Fannie Ward. ALSO PATHE NEWS. SATURDAY. JULY 13 ENID BENNETT in "NAUGHTY, NAUGHTY" Sounds good, eh? Better see it! It's a Paramount! ALSO FUNNY KEYSTONE KOMEDY COMING "Berlin via America" Featuring Francis Ford A CHAT WITH YOU THE battle for Democracy must be as hard fought on American soil as in the front line trenches. America's boys — our boys are^over in France giving all — They can't win the war alone. War is a 50-50 propostion. A tremendous responsibility is ours. The greatest of all is the folks at home, the fathers, the mothers, the workers, sjlof us— must be kept in the right frame of mind. The motion picture exhibitor must do his part — President Wilson has said so — General Pershing has said so. It is just as important to project the right sort of pictures as it is to fire the right sort of cartridges. We have that right sort of pictures in the very best that money can buy. Everyday is our best picture for we show nothing but the best. No junk here— Visit the Dreamland and keep in the right frame of mind — You owe it to yourself See our program of fine pictures on other side. —WE ARE DOING OUR PART— The two faces of the Dreamland program etc. etc. handled, and is reproduced here that it may off< r suggestion to others. The "Nojunk" text runs : "NOJUNK." It is not the name of some strange ape just discovered by an Artcraft exploring party, but it is the single word that can best describe the Dreamland policy as to the grade of pictures it shows. Under NO circumstances will we handle what Is known as "junk" film. We say emphatically "NOJUNK." We have had films of the "junk" sort offered us at our own figure, but in every instance have declined to do business with the folks making the offers. We will not offer junk films to our patrons because it not only causes dissatisfaction to you but loss of patronage to us. All features you see here are made by recognized companies, all comedies and short reels are late and up-to-date. Nothing but the best for Dreamland patrons and you will do us a favor to let us know how else we can serve you. If you have a friend who would like to receive our program each week, kindly leave their name at box office and a copy will be mailed them. This can be adapted to suit, but furnishes a foundation for any changes you may wish to make. A Fullerton Campaign. Gordon F. Fullerton, of the Jensen and Von Herberg houses in Seattle, sends in a part of his campaign for "You Can't Have Everything," and adds that as far as it has gone, it would appear that the film will be up to the record mark. His opening gun was a full page in PLAYING: De Mille's Latest —SIX REELS ZStZi. IIP It's remarkable how knowing a wife's enjoying herself can spoil a man's evening! All the world loves a lover — unless he's deceiving his wife! einifl.aJ..i STARS— Kathlyn Williams Elliott Dexter Sylvia Bremer Theodore Roberts Wanda Hawley Raymond Matton Vully Marshall —And five others that space will OTKEffiM' GREATER COLISEUM SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRA 30 PIECES Fifth at Pl%#— C«wtiM iZO>— CfelUr.a Oct The Two Faces of the Dreamland Program, Maryville, Tenn. The Sheet is but 3*>£ by 6 Inches. A Full Page from the Colliseum, Seattle, Note How the Arrows Link the Boxes with the Title. the Sunday paper. Note the arrows that lead from the boxes to the title. No less than six selling points are used in this single display. We don't quite like that "and five others that space will not permit