Blessed Event (Warner Bros.) (1932)

IDEAS—CONTESTS— STUNTS Lobby Stunt Fix up a. 40 x 60 frame as a board on which to post items of local interest under the heading of ‘‘ Dishing The Dirt by Alvin Roberts.’’ If you can stir up enough interest in the idea, you will find plenty of contributions from patrons in your mail box. The customers will look forward to reading the ‘‘dirt.’? Your theatre employees can help greatly in getting the stunt under way. Have them gather news items from their friends and their friends’ friends in order to give it a start. If you get enough material, change the items each day. If the squibs come in slowly change the board every other day. Keep the frame on the sidewalk next to the box-office. You will find peopie will walk down to the theatre to see if their name is ‘‘posted.’’ Have the items ‘‘published’’ by your artist in a quick one-stroke letter. Prizes for Mothers During the week you are to play ‘¢Blessed Event’? announce through the columns of your local newspapers that your theatre will award gifts to all women who become mothers during the week of the showing of the picture. Promote the gifts from local merchants. Get the newspapers to break the stories in advance of your opening so you will obtain maximum benefits from the stunt. Add interest to these stories by obtaining from the local maternity wards the names of those mothers who stand a possible chance of carrying off tue-prizes. ——_-—— For a good sock punch, make a last minute announcement regarding special awards for mothers of twins, triplets or quadruplets. This will help stimulate reader interest and attract attention to your feature picture. Unusual “Blessed Events” Offer passes as prizes to readers who can remember stories of unusual ‘“blessed events,’’ such as births in street-cars, taxis, airplanes, ete. In this connection, pick out a few of them from the newspaper files, and have the newspaper repeat them in connection with the contest. SPECIAL BANNER Colored in brilliant shades “especially for suspension in your lobby or under your marquee. Size 20x30 inches and printed on heavy, durable canvas. Complete with eyelets ready for hanging. Economically Priced at 45c EACH Available only from MORRIS LIBERMAN 729 Broadway New York, N. Y. Cash with order or C.O.D. NOT AT EXCHANGE NOVEL DOORKNOB HANGER This door-knob hanger is a “‘natural’? that will create plenty of comment and warrants wide distribution. Use it for house doors, store doors, auto doors and anything that gives you a chance to hang it. Size: 1014x6 inches—on cardboard —Medium. Prices, with imprint: ME es MU ER an ee Gaptatee tt $4.50 OSB Me en neta ecartvctuaaeh 4.00 per M BM rei aah WINES 3.50 per M Oner DM knee es aes 3.00 per M Order directly from EXPLOITATION PRINTERS DA N+ 29d Se New York City Not available at the Exchange Keyhole Stunt Make a survey.of the empty stores in the business district. Next, make arrangements with the landlords to white wash the windows from the inside. Leave an outline of a small keyhole in the center of the glass. Place it just high enough so that passersby will be able to look in conveniently. Paint this message on the window with an arrow pointing to the keyhole: ‘‘Take A Peek At The Biggest Event Of Your Life.’’ Inside, on an easel, have a card reading: ‘‘You Will See Just What You’re Looking For in ‘‘Blessed Event’’ with Lee Tracy and Mary Brian at the Harle Theatre Next Week! ’’ This same stunt lends itself to a novel contest. In that case, place a series of hidden words on the other side of each keyhole and have the contestants put them together correctly for pass prizes. Cooperative Page Put over a full page or doubletruck cooperative ad splash on ‘*Blessed Event’? among the local merchants and run it in the newspapers as a final smash the day before your opening. *¢Blessed Event’’ lends itself to an ideal spread on every conceivable type of article: Dress Suits, Shoes, Hosiery, Wedding Gowns, Baby Carriages, Flowers, Candies, Baby Foods, Books of helpful hints to mothers, Kiddie Goods, Toys, Furniture, etc. Anything that applies in any way to marriage, love or motherhood is a cooperative possibility in connection with ‘‘ Blessed Event.’’ Turn one of your local newspaper advertising departments loose on it. They’ll cooperate in exchange for the idea. The head across the top of the page should read: ‘‘IT’S ALWAYS A ‘BLESSED EVENT’ TO SHOP AT THESE STORES.’’ Be sure to see that each ad mentions the picture, star and playdate at your theatre and get a good-sized ad free for your idea and efforts. é f Teaser Campaign ‘‘Blessed Event’’ lends itself to effective teaser advertising as few titles do. Use tack-cards, one-sheets and throwaways with the following teaser catchlines: ‘CA Blessed Event Will Happen Soon at (give theatre address but not the name) ’? ‘“Sh-h-h! Scandal! There’s Go ing To Be A Blessed Event In Town! ’’ “‘Tt Will Be A Boy At (give theatre address but not the name). You Can Tell By The Heart Beats, You Dope.’?’ ‘‘Tomorrow You’ll Know All All About The ‘Blessed Event’.’? The teasers should be very small as you should reserve plenty of money for a big smash ad on the opening day. Street Stunt With street ballyhoos falling off tremendously in the past year, a good street stunt as follows will attract plenty of attention. Build a big keyhole which a man can carry over his shoulders. In other words, a sandwich man carrying a keyhole. This keyhole should carry title, stars, playdate announcement and catchy phrases directly tied in with the theme of the picture, as follows: *“Look out! He will get your secret! ’? ‘flee Tracy as the Broadway Keyhole Columnist.’’ ‘‘Mary Brian as the girl on the other side of the door.’’ ‘‘Tf it’s scandal, he gets it—if it’s dirt, he prints it!?? The columnists in your city probably have their own pet phrases. Use these, with variations to carry out the theme of the stunt. Program Stunt If you publish a program, invite your theatre patrons to contribute articles which you will publish under the heading of ‘‘ Dishing The Dirt by Alvin Roberts.’’? The public will go for this stunt because it likes to see its name in print and gives the writers a chance to ‘‘dish the dirt’’ about some of their intimate friends. It is very important that the announcement of this stunt be handled properly so contributors can give their own name or a pen name for publication. This stunt can be carried further and used in a similar way in a newspaper, the idea being for the newspaper to establish a ‘‘Dishing The Dirt’’ column for the run of ‘‘ Blessed Event.’?’ The newspaper will ask its readers to send in articles and intimate bits of gossip. The stunt has reader interest which should make it valuable for the newspaper, as well as theatre. Adjectives Contest Offer passes as prizes to the newspaper readers who can think of the largest lists of adjectives to use in describing ‘‘Blessed Event’’ and its entertaining features. Run a few entries each day until the end of the showing and tie-up with book-dealers for dictionary display in conjunction with still and poster display on the picture. Insurance Tie-Up | Get insurance companies to advertise to the effect that ‘‘ blessed eventers’’ should insure themselves and the ‘‘blessed event’’ with the companies, and that readers can insure themselves of great entertainment in ‘“Blessed Hvent.’? in ITO rem WO oe GET AN EYEFUL! Hold To Light for a startling revelation — then turn card for important news. This clever novelty hits “Blessed Event’? from another smart angle: the “keyhole snooper.” When held to the light the keyhole reveals the scene illustrated here. Copy on back reads: “The Showdown On The Guy Who Gives You The Lowdown”; cast and title prominently mentioned; large imprint space, and Walter Winchell’s rave about the picture. Reasonably priced, it makes an excellent supplement for the special herald on the op posite page. Prices, with imprint: 1-2M, $5.00 per M; 3-4M, $4.50 per M; 5M or over, $4.00. per M. . Order directly from EXPLOITATION PRINTERS 20 West 22nd Street New York City Not Available at the Exchange Page Seventeen