Sparrows (United Artists) (1926)

Humanizing The Campaign For “Sparrows” “Sparrows Week” As a Big _ Community Idea! Mary Pickford in “Sparrows” will sweep the heartstrings of her public with a deep, rich, harmonious chord. It will vibrate through every community fortunate enough to experience the m^gic of her touch in this new picture. “Sparrows” of all pic- tuv..® ever made by Mary Pickford, is the most intensely human. It is a picture whose echoes will ring through every home, will evoke response at every fireside, will rank as the supreme picture for the family. How focus the intense appeal of “Sparrows” to the full ad¬ vantage of your engagement? Do it so: Humanise your campaign! Rouse your community to a thought for the poor neglected children, who in daily life parallel the misfortunes of the little waifs in the picture, the “Sparrows” of the story. M!ake it possible for your public to think of saving a real- life “Sparrow” by adoption—giving it a home. Inaugurate a “Sparrows Week”, the purpose of which is to see how many will take this opportunity of seeking out some neglected or homeless child and becoming a father or mother to it. This is not an excursion into propaganda. Miss Pickford is not en¬ gaged in propaganda, and the picture is entertainment altogether. The theme of “Sparrows” is above propaganda, needs none. For kindness to homeless children is something the public whole-heartedly believes in, takes to its bosom, cheers for. Hence, when you humanize your campaign by inaugurating a “Spar¬ rows Week”, you are simply falling into step. The Sparrows Week” campaign is a combination of the following activities: 1. Personal activity. 2. Organization activity. 3. Publicity. The personal activity starts with the theatre manager. He enlists other personal activity by approaching some prominent leader in society or a patroness of welfare work. There are locally many such. Put it up to this leader that the picture “Sparrows” will arouse unusual interest in adoptions of orphans; that this good work will be promoted by the forming or a Sparrows League” which will co-operate towards adoptions, par- ticularly during a Sparrows Week”, which logically would be during the Sparrows engagement. , off, some one of prominence should be enlisted to undertake tne^rst adoption and head the movement. Then during “Sparrows Week” e ?T r y opportunity should be given benevolent-minded citizens to adopt other children. Here comes in organization activity. The “Sparrows League”, with t j nucleus already indicated, will take in superintendents of orphanages and home-finding societies, institutions seeking foster parents for their charges. The welfare folk on the outside will look for persons wishing to adopt orphans, the orphanages providing the candidates for adoption both to work together formally as “The Sparrows League”. The theatre is decidedly in this combination. It provides afternoon or morning showings of the picture for special parties of the orphans, especially those, that are eligible for adoption. And adoptions will result, once the subject is agitated. There are dozens of adoptions normally every week in every fair-sized city; and under stimulation, several weeks of adoptions will concentrate into “Sparrows Week”. The publicity consists in drawing up a sane, well-balanced program for “Sparrows Week” observance, and then getting behind it. After ar¬ rangements have been made for the first prominent person to adopt a child, the publicity can start. It may begin with an article by a newspaper an ac¬ count of the organization of the “Sparrows League, which volunteers to find persons who will adopt orphans. The query will be, “Who will be the first to adopt a ‘Sparrow’?” Right after this, the person who has un¬ dertaken to lead the movement comes out with an announcement that he MARV PICKFORD in "SPARROWS" NOTE—This cut story, “I HH-6—Two Cel. Scene M6t. Only (Mat icc) is especially adapted for use with the ■ike a Fairy Godmother,” on page 10 of Mary Pickford adoption the Press) Sheet. or she has adopted a “Sparrow”, little So-and-So. Then come interviews with leading welfare people and orphanage superintendents, commending the work and bringing out the great need for good foster parents for waifs Until now the movement need not directly tie up with the motion picture* but as the picture date breaks, the theatre enters the campaign decisively and announces “Sparrows League” matinees. It also distributes literature and gives screen notice to the League slogan: “Will You Take a “Sparrow” In Your Home?” The theatre may even set aside one afternoon to hold an Adoption Party for “Sparrows.” Whether there are adoptions actually at the theatre, or outside each adoption during “Sparrows Week” should be given a special story and also screen notice. The special story on Mary Pickford’s effort to adopt Baby Louise Miller is pertinent publicity to employ during this period. (See page 10 in the press book.) Also use the radio to broadcast appeals in behalf of the Sparrows League.”