Freckles Comes Home (Monogram) (1942)

Here’s What You Have To Sell! 1. A famous title that will awaken nostalgic longings in the hearts of millions of Americans and hit a responsive chord with the legion of StrattonPorter readers. 2. A delightful and popular cast. Johnny Downs has been clicking strongly as the star of a number of romantic comedies and musicals for the major studios. Gale Storm is a pulse-quickening lovely who scored in Let's Go Collegiate’ and is really headed for stardom. Mantan Moreand has another of the hilarious roles that are carrying him to the top rank of laughmakers. Refreshing characterizations are delivered by such fine players as Irving Bacon, Bradley Page, Marvin Stephens and Betty Blythe. 3. LAUGHS! Right when every showman knows that the nation is laugh-hungry as never before, Monogram delivers a film that “brought down the house’ at two sneak previews. The picture is full of pep, youth and fun. Just what the doctor ordered for a populace harried by war nerves, jitters and worries! Plug Mantan Moreland To Your Colored Moviegoers “Rochester's closest rival” is what Look Magazine calls Mantan Moreland in a recent picture layout, and the popular colored comic is really racing along the box office highway. His fan mail jumps with every picture; major studios want to borrow him all the time; and theatre men tell us that his mere appearance on the screen brings an immediate enthusiastic audience response. Don't overlook Mantan Moreland in planning your campaign on ‘Freckles Cemes Home”. . . especially if you draw any business from colored folk. Mantan is a terrific draw with the members of his own race, so hammer home the important role he plays in the film. Shower the colored neighborhoods with stills of him and spread plenty of stories and mats in the newspapers published for negro readers. Exhibitors who have theatres located right in colored districts should waste no time starting Mantan Moreland clubs. You can be sure you'll get 100% co-operation from both Monogram and the comic. For street ballyhoo in the negro sections get a bunch of colored urchins parading with signs reading: We're on our way to see our favorite funny man—MANTAN MORELAND in “Freckles Comes Home.” MANTAN MORELAND One Col. Cut or Mat No. 5 Select the Most Popular Porter Mantan Moreland’s role as a porter in a small-town hotel leads right into a search for the most popular porter in your city. Tie in with hotels and business establishments to sponsor entrants from their ranks of employees. If there’s a newspaper for colored people in your community. this stunt will be a natural to plant. Otherwise run it in co-operation with colored fraternal groups, service workers’ union or a hotel association. Hay Wagon Ballyhoo a ‘Goodie’! Sell the delightful rural atmosphere of “Freckles Comes Home” by using a hay wagon ballyhoo. The stunt will prove particularly effective in cities where a vehicle like this will indeed be an unusual sight. Use passes to persuade a bunch of youngsters to climb aboard for this hayride through town, and tell ‘em the more noise they make, the better : you'll like it. Have them sing ; some good old-fashioned tunes like “On the Banks of the Wabash,” “Down by the Old Mill Stream,” etc. In addition to a sign plugging the picture and your theatre name, other placards can invite folks to climb aboard for a ride to the theatre. PROMOTE A BARN DANCE One of the most entertaining sequences of “Freckles Comes Home” is a barn dance, which provides a swell opportunity to tie in with local fraternal organizations or high school or collegiate groups for a good old-fashioned barn dance. Get together with the entertainment committee of one of these groups and work out a whole evening's program, starting, of course, with everybody attending your theatre in their barn dance costumes. Then they head for the musical shindig, which is featured by a special “Freckles” door prize for the most novel costume and “Freckles” prizes for dance and amateur talent contests. You can work out a combination ticket which admits folks to both your showing and the dance. THE TYPICAL AMERICAN YOUTH! The character “Freckles” is as American as apple pie. As a matter of fact, the Stratton-Porter literature and characters rank with Mark Twain as perfect reflections of American rural and small town life. This gives you a basis for a campaign to select the typical American youth. Tie up with schools and youth organizations such as the YMCA to sponsor the contest and you'll have a real ticket-selling stunt. The selection can be made on the basis of good citizenship, scholarship, personality and perhaps athletic ability. You can do it by balloting (in co-operation with your newspaper or school authorities) or a committee of prominent townspeople can do the picking. The typical American youth of your town should be presented from the stage on the last day of the picture’s run, and gifted with a season pass along with whatever other prizes you promote. Rent DeLuxe Lobby Displays Eye-catching silk screen posters are available on a rental basis to assure you an attractive lobby at very low cost. Sizes 30x40 and 40x60 plus colored lobby banner have been prepared by National Screen Accessories. They'll give your house that “big-time” look.