Stella Dallas (United Artists, 1925) (1925)

Tried and Proven Exploitation Suggestions Book Exploitation Make the book shops exploit your showing of “Stella Dallas.” Besides their Grosset & Dunlap display of the cheaper edition, give them black and white stills of the production for their windows. Make a cutout of the one sheet for your lobby, displaying the book. Get the book card up, all over your town. Pass out and mail out the herald. If possible, get up a float reproducing a book and make a cutout of the central figure of the twenty-four sheet to paste up with it. Have the float driven around town a week prior to your showing, with theatre and date sniped. . . , . . , Remember your greatest box office pull is the fact that this novel has been seen, read and heard by millions and millions. Fashion Tie-up Get three gowns from a local fashion shop, one usually worn by a girl of twenty, another by a woman of thirty and another by a woman of forty. Try to select ^reproductions of those shown in the stills of “Stella Dallas.” Ask them to make a display in their shop windows, with the following copy: See these gowns as worn by Stella Dallas in the photoplay at the . Theatre. You can tell the kind of a girl who would wear this gown and this gown and this gown. We fit all sizes and ages of women. See the photoplay, written by a woman, Mrs. Olive Higgins P'routy, from the scenario by a woman, Frances Marion, and acted by a woman, Belle Bennett, who plays the ages of twenty, thirty and forty. This same idea can be utilized in the lobby by getting the gowns and displaying them there with copy to suit. Other fashion stills from the picture can be used in tie-ups with shops, particularly those worn by Alice Joyce and Lois Moran. For men shops, Ronald Colman is a fashion plate type, while Jean Hersholt is of the eccentric type. All the pictures of clothes taken from the photoplay make mighty good tie-ups for men and women shops. Prologue Idea Open Up on a scene of a porch on a small town home. Girl seated in gingham dress, similar to one worn by Stella in early part of picture. She is mooning, dreaming and gives romantic impression. Behind the fence are two kids who “hush” each other. A young man makes his appearance on the scene. Stella gives the impression that he is the one she has “set her cap for.” Mild flirtation. They meet. She sings a love song to him; he answers. (Any popular love song will do.) At finish she reaches up and kisses him. The kids who have been watching this all the time, rush out, do the shame-finger stunt, and start shouting, “Stella, Stella, kissed a feller.” Black out-stage, drop curtain, start feature, “STELLA DALLAS.” Publicity Tie-up The publicity story about Belle Bennett—“Life’s Tragedy Made Her a Great Actress”—is true, authentic and electric with human interest. Inas¬ much as this story has been on the front page of some newspaper in every city throughout the country, it would be well to plant this well in advance so as to create a lot of talk about the picture. Another story about Belle Bennett playing the ages twenty, thirty and forty, and another about Lois Moran comforting Belle Bennett on the death of her son headed “Belle Bennett’s Life Blow Aids Drama in Great Film,” should be as effective in your exploitation campaign as any stunt that you can create. Essay Contest Ideas Stage an essay contest with one of the local papers, directing the copy to single young men and single girls. Ask them to write an essay of one hundred words or less on the question: “Would you marry anyone in a social sphere below yours? Would you marry anyone in a social sphere higher than yours?” The answers should be interesting inasmuch as they come from people inexperienced in marriage. It will, however, show a trend and should be an interest stimulator as far as the contest idea goes. Suitable prizes in the form of tickets or other kinds can be given by the house, while the newspaper will, ofl course, run the pictures and prizes will be presented from the stage. Theatre Program Copy COMING! The Screen’s Great Emotional Epic! To give a new realistic revelation of romance Drama’s most vivid ex-ray of a girl’s love-life, filled with feeling, alive with laughter, pounding with pathos It) will stir you, exalt you, and hold you spellbound, with its power and thrill Miss everything else but see Samuel Goldwyn’s presentation of the Henry King Production “STELLA DALLAS” Adapted for the screen by Frances Marion from Olive Higgins Prouty’s novel With Ronald Colman, Belle Bennett, Alice Joyce, Jean Hersholt, Lois Moran, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. The Great American Photodrama Great as a book. Great as. a play. Greatest as an Inspiring Film Masterpiece Hidden Title Idea In an ad in a throw-away card or in your lobby a week before you show “Stella Dallas,” print up the following: Find the Hidden Title which is coming to the.Theatre.date. The letters are in consecutive order in the sentence. All you have to do is join up the letters and place them properly. Here is the sentence: Here is a pastel, lad, all assembled. Applause Card Idea Have some cards printed. At the beginning of the performance hand these out to those going in to see “Stella Dallas.” Have someone stationed at the door as the people go out to collect same, then make an analysis of your cards and use them for publicity, lobby display and telephone call exploitation, particularly if some prominent person writes something ex¬ ceptionally fine about the picture which they undoubtedly will. Here is a sample idea for the applause card; “I was greatly impressed with the work of Belle Bennett as Stella Dallas, Ronald Colman as Stephen Dallas, Alice Joyce as Mrs. Morrison, Jean Hersholt as Ed Munn, Lois Moran as Laurel and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., as Richard Grovesnor. “The situation that impressed me most was- Remarks.” Inquiring Reporter Stunt First plant a lot of publicity about Lois Moran, the unsophisticated and unmodernized child wonder, playing the role of Laurel in “Stella Dallas.” Then suggest to the local “inquiring reporter” to ask five persons, picked at random, the question, “For how long can a girl remain unmod¬ ernized and unsophisticated? Is there such a thing as a Peter Pan who never grows up in real life?” When the answers appear, you can have them enlarged and plac^P in your lobby for display, using a photograph of Lois Moran. Window Display Tie-ups Still No. 5, with proper caption, ties up with Tennis Racquets. Stills No. 30, 31, 210, 284, Pub. 3, properly titled, tie up with Girl’s Sport Clothes. Still No. 5.1, properly titled, ties up with Bathing Suits. Stills No. 135, 318, 319, 325, properly captioned, tie up with Men’s and Boy’s Clothing. Still No. 199, properly captioned, ties up with Bridal Costumes. Stills No. 292, 312 and 3, properly titled, tie up with Jewelry. Still No. 402, properly captioned, ties up with Riding Habits. Still Pub. 3, properly captioned, ties up with Bicycles. Public Library Tie-up If your local public library carries the novel “Stella Dallas,” give them an array of black and white stills, properly captioned, for display at the library. Try to effect a tie-up with thel head librarian and ask hec^to distribute copies of your heralds, with your theatre imprint, to those taking out books. This would link up well with your commercial book shop tie-up.