Sparrows (United Artists) (1926)

Putting Over “Sparrows” at Your Theatre A “Better Babies” Campaign Here is an “ace” piece of exploitation on “Sparrows.” A baby contest, properly handled, will deserve front page publicity during the run of the picture in your city. “Sparrows” is the story of a baby farm. The principal characters, are young children denied the proper care and nourishment a child is entitled to. To show the contrast between these children and those of your city, engineer a “Better Babies” contest. Have neighborhood groups competing, through neighborhood health centers, where babies may be weighed and graded for health points. One way is to tie up with the Parent-Teacher Association in your city or a similar organization. Have them stage the contest, with an idea of getting a break in all the local papers. Arrange with merchants and others for prizes. Have local photographers stimulate the contest, by their offering an extra dozen of portraits to each prize-winning child that has entered with a portrait made by them. Another plan is to arrange the contest exclusively with one newspaper. Make it the newspaper’s contest and yours. Let it tie in a subscription campaign. It will help to line up worthwhile prizes. Work the same plan also with the photographers, The paper should give big. art layouts to the contest, for a child contest is always sure-fire for a newspaper. The extent of such a contest is unlimited. In connection with a Mary Pickford picture it will be dignified and command respect. You get unlimited advertising. The newspaper gets a circulation benefit —the angle on this to be worked out by you and the newspaper, so many coupons for a new subscription, and so forth. The judging is to be done by physicians and nurses under the cus¬ tomary rules, the winning babies to appear on the stage the last night of your run. Try This On Your Lawns Once in a long while something like this is possible, and whenever it is possible it is very effective. Cards about 11 x 14 inches mounted on stakes may be planted on lawns about town—the legend reading: SPARROWS ALL GONE to the.Theatre with Mary Pickford. Luggage Shop Sure Thing Nothing ought to prevent anyone from getting fine window space in downtown luggage shops with a display of new handbags and a card: All that’s left of an ALLIGATOR that tried to bite MARY PICKFORD in “Sparrows” at the.Theatre. Lobby Displays For big houses, a lobby display can represent a swamp, with moss hanging from overhead boughs. You can have the house patrons enter the theatre over a wooden bridge, and at one side of the lobby have a small waterfall, with a pool of water covered with debris to represent the swamp. Flood light at night with red. Cut-outs of Miss Pickford can be used in this lobby to good effect. Tremendous and Original Lobby Idea Here Mary Pickford in “Sparrows” lends itself to a lobby display that the town will never quit talking about. Build up a short tree trunk with three forks, and in this fork build a six or eight-foot nest of inch-thick twigs. In this basket-like device have a bevy of children singing at stated hours of the day and evening. They are the “Sparrows” and this their nest. This same nest will also make a most spectacular design for a marquis decoration. The figures in it can be cut-out? from the six sheets or the 24 sheet, bent round to fit against the inner edge of the nest. It can be effec¬ tively flood lighted. Naturally, the nest idea can be worked out in a prologue stunt also, with living children or players. The nest idea is outstanding for its novelty, and will be widely used. A “Sparrows” Convention This is one of those things to promote “big doings” at your theatre. Organize a “Sparrows” convention. It amounts to a costume, contest for boys and girls in dressing up in the best imitation of a role in Mary Pickford’s “Sparrows.” The role may be that of “Mama Mollie,” or that of Ambrose Grimes (“Spec” O’Donnell), or of “Splutters” (Monty O’C^dy) or of any of the other “Sparrows,” as each individual contestant ma)^piect. Set a date at which the children are to gather in front of the theatre to be judged for costumes. A special morning matinee may be set aside for them, as a treat for all those who appear in costume. Have photographs taken of the gang for use in press notices. An affair of this sort is managed with the least possible difficulty, since the costumes present no problem of expense and are readily made up out of the home rag bag. A most picturesque demonstration will result, one that will wake up the public. Construct a shadow box, showing a section of the swamp with old 11 1 houses and barns, and small figures representing the people of the play. CrCclt Dane Lobby BallyllOO Light dimly, and have a glass front with water trickling down to give ram effect. A small automobile might be bogged down in the yard. Such a Here is a lobby ballyhoo that is different. A huge Great Dane dog display will cause comment. plays a prominent part in “Sparrows.” Obtain a Great Dane dog from __ nearby kennels, or trainer. Exhibit this dog on a raised platform in your lobby at certain hours afternoon and evening. Have its trainer explain to If there is an alligator farm near your city, a tank containing baby t ^ e crowds the traits of the Great Dane, why these dogs were really the alligators in your lobby will stop everyone in the street. This is a big “bloodhounds” of the old fashioned “Tom” shows, and give other interesting bet if there are alligators available. information about this breed of dog. A beautiful dog will always attract atten- Another striking front door figure would be a tall middle-aged man to tion, and with the lecture given by the trainer you have a lobby ballyhoo that represent the austere butler in the final sequence of “Sparrows.” He should is sure to get crowds every day. If the dog can do tricks, so much the stand with a plate in his hand, as if to receive cards. (Still 139 L.) better. But the dog alone will prove a big attraction in your lobby. >