Of Mice and Men (United Artists) (1939)

OF THE FAMOVS STORY you've R£AU about them in a great story HON MEET THEM ON THE SCREEN IN A GREAT PICTURE OF MICE AND MEN BUR&E^^ MEREDITH BETTY FIELD LON CHANEY JR CHARLES BICKFORD BOB STEELE ROMAN BOHNEN as'yuyiq£“ as'Mac" at>’‘Ie*it>tL£" aj"Slc*i^" as'CcutCcf" tie netespapers^ libraries, shops in a totrn-tride *john Steinbeck week * With Steinbeck’s two history-making books, “Of Mice and Men” and “The Grapes of Wrath,” selling in huge quantities and receiving unprecedented publicity, the idea of celebrating a John Steinbeck Week coinciding with your run of the picture is not only a natural for newspaper participation, book stores, libraries, schools, etc., but will also interest the average citizen whose interest in books is only casual. Do it in the big manner that the subject demands, starting with the formation of a committee composed of local book critics, columnists, booksellers, leading educators and figures prominent in general busi¬ ness. See if you can get the chamber of commerce or board of trade to sponsor the effort; and this is one time when you have every reason to invite the Mayor to participate with the expectation that he will accept. Launch the observance with a dinner or luncheon attended by local notables. Radio broadcasts and special ceremonies in the schools, win¬ dow strips and posters, and every other logical form of promotion should be arranged on a city-wide basis, and the cost shared by the newspapers, booksellers, and other trade interests which stand to profit by the publicity. Make your “John Steinbeck Week” a class promotion that will react resoundingly at your boxoffice! LEHER CONTEST THEMES ^^dream house^^ The famous scenes in the picture, where George tells Lennie “how it’s gonna be” in the future they dream of, provide a touching and intensely dramatic situation which gives you the basis for a contest of universal appeal. Here’s how the dialogue goes: “Some day (says George) we’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house, and a couple of acres and a cow and some pigs and live oflF the fat of the land! . . . We’ll have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit hutch and chickens. And when it rains in the winter we’ll just ‘skip the work.’ We’ll build up a fire in the stove, and set around it and listen to the rain cornin’ down on the roof. . . .” There’s your theme for a letter contest in which fans can tell what their ideal “dream house” is like. Offer guest tickets or cash prizes for the best letters written in 100 words or less. You might extend the scope of the stunt by inviting them to write of other dreams as well, as of fame, a chance to travel, a coveted career, etc. • ^^wvhat would they have done?^^ Another wide-interest letter contest can be set on the question: “If you were in George’s place, what would you have done about Lennie?” Lennie is the young giant with the mind of a child, whom George takes care of and who is always getting them into scrapes. Should George have deserted him? Let the fans decide what they would have done. • ^^choose favorite character^ “Who is your favorite character in ‘Of Mice And Men’—and why?” Get fans thinking about the remarkable array of persons in the story and their relations to one another by offering guest tickets for the best 50-word answers to this question. dispitBy yallery af famous characters The sensational success of “Of Mice and Men”—as Steinbeck’s first best-seller and as a prize-winning play—bas familiarized millions of fans witb the char¬ acters in your show. Cash in on this important ad¬ vance selling by preparing a life-size gallery display of the leading characters in the picture, giving the cast names and copy suggesting their roles. Here’s the data: Still No. H-105 (Burgess Mereclith)--"GEORGE ... All He Wanted Was a Piece of Land—For His Own". Still No. H-I3I (Lon Chaney, Jr.)—"LENNIE ... He Loved to Stroke Soft Puppies, with Hands of Iron". Still No. H-49 (Betty Field)—"MAE . . . Who Had Nobody to Talk to—and Was 'Trouble Set on a Trigger' ". Still No. H-96 (Charles Bickford)—"SLIM . . . He Was Straw Boss —In a Spot Full of Dynamite". Still No. H-24 (Roman Bohnen)—"CANDY . . . Out of the Wreck¬ age, He Knew What a Piece of Land Meant". Still No. H-20 (Bob Steele)—"CURLEY . . . He Was a Man Full of Hate—With a Wife Who Was Alone Too Much". pram^te shanv thraugh schaals “Of Mice and Men”—as the first film version of a Steinbeck novel—gives you an opportunity for thorough, profit-building showmanship through local schools and colleges. Exploit the educa¬ tional angle on your show through all available avenues, along these lines: • Special Screenings: Show the film to educational officials, prin¬ cipals, heads of English departments—inviting their comment for subsequent lobby and bulletin board exploitation. • Announcements: Herald your showing through the schools— on the bulletin boards, through announcements in classes involved and special rates to students. • Classes and Contest: Suggest to heads of literature and English departments that they hold special classes and lectures on Stein- heck, and on “Of Mice and Men” as a great American novel and film. Also, arrange for essay contests on the controversial and book-to-film angles, with thorough theatre exploitation on the results. • Likewise, don’t neglect such avenues of show-selling to students as bulletin hoard announcements on your show, assembly lectures on Steinbeck and “Of Mice and Men,” publicity in school papers, special students’ matinees for large school groups, etc. STORY SERIAL John Steinbeck’s moving, grippingly suspenseful story has been con¬ densed into a six-chapter newspaper serial with all the driving force and heart-touching pathos and drama of the original. It’s a feature any news¬ paper will be glad to get. Plant it in your local paper! Order complete set of six 2-column mats direct from United Artists Exploitation Dept., 729 Seventh Ave., N. Y. C. Price, $1.50. Page Five