California Mail (Warner Bros.) (1936)

“CALIFORNIA MAIL” EXPLOITATION AND PRODUCTION DATA INEXPENSIVE SELLING ANGLES GIVE AWAY ‘MAIL’ Have a man dressed in Pony Express regalia ride through the town on a horse, and stop at busy intersections to distribute throwaways which are enclosed in an envelope marked “CALIFORNIA MAIL”. Week in advance you might station an usher in the lobby with a mail bag over his shoulder, marked “CALIFORNIA MAIL”. He hands out envelopes to patrons as they leave the theatre. Dress up envelopes so that they look like the real thing. WINDOW DISPLAY Postal Telegraph or Western Union offices are always glad to co-operate with your theatre on a window display. A neat card could be worked out using this angle: “When The California Mail Was Delivered By Pony Express It Took ... Weeks But Now With Postal Telegraph It Takes Only... . Hours.” Spot a number of stills on card and, of course, your plug. COACH BRINGS FILM Possibly you can arrange to have the film mailed from the exchange by airmail and then you can meet the plane with a stage coach appropriately decorated with banners plugging film. Coach rides through the main sections ostensibly to deliver the film to your theatre. Of course you will get after the papers for story and picture breaks. Might use the coach as street bally during run of film. MAILMEN CAN HELP Arrange a special juvenile party and invite a few veteran postal employees. If the old timers can be persuaded to tell a few stories of the Pony Express Riders your show will be an outstanding event to the youngsters. Of course, you will promote as many giveaways as you can, and a few cowboy songs should help, too. Or if you want to be more serious have the stamp enthusiasts furnish part of the program. PLUG FILM IN CLUBS Boy and girl groups, always Western fans, may be reached by direct letters resulting in extra patronage. If there’s a California Club in your town by all means contact its officers, since they will undoubtedly want their children to see the film. Point out the part California played in the progress of our mail service. Contest for Collectors Offer ducats as prizes for most interesting California relics. Stamps, paper currency, gold “California Dol lars”, pony express envelopes, old Wells Fargo receipts, etc., will make an interesting lobby display and create real interest in the picture. Perhaps you could promote a few mail pouches and pony saddles to add to the showing. | PLUG SONGS If you have a radio tie-up, a contest for best “Cowboy Quartette” will start them singing on the corners. You can have a lobby contest or start the P. A. going. Let the audience sing, too, with your organist leading. RODEO FOR TINY TOTS Stage a rodeo for youngsters. One of the department stores should be willing to co-operate with you and sell the event via ads and displays in their window and in their children’s department in return for a plug in your lobby. Run off a few preliminaries each day from your stage, and then wind up with the finals near the end of your run. Store should be willing to supply the equipment for the races. MAIL BOX IN LOBBY Send star photos of Dick Foran to all the fans who write for them and deposit their request in a lobby mail box marked “California Mail”. Box can be made of compo-board and backed by a bit of scenic art if you have a house artist. You can have photos printed locally (2 col. scene cut mats will do) and either mailed to the patrons or given to them when they call at the office. DICK FORAN’S CLUB Make the most of the “Dick Foran Dude Ranch Club” which was started with the release of “Moonlight On The Prairie”. If your town has not a branch, now is the time to start one. Complete information can be found in the Campaign Plan on “Moonlight On The Prairie”, or write to Campaign Plan Editor. P. O. LOBBY DISPLAY An historical display in your lobby showing the transition of the mail service from the Pony Express days to modern methods could be arranged with the full co-operation of the postal authorities. Possibly the museum can furnish some relics. And don’t forget the stamp collectors. They may be able to supply you with a worthwhile display of early Californian stamps. YOUNG COWBOYS AID A tie-up with a friendly riding academy might net you some effective street ballyhoo. Offer ducats to youngsters who have cowboy uniforms and can ride. Then get them to tour the busy sections of the town and “whoop it up”. With your banner prominently displayed, it is sure to get your plug across. And when the young cowboys park in front of your theatre, it should attract the boys and girls. OFFICIAL BILLING Warner Bros. 25% Pictures, Inc. present 5% CALIFORNIA MAIL 100% with DICK FORAN 75% (The Singing Cowboy) 10% and Linda Perry 60% Ed. Cobb — Milton Kibbee — Tom Brower — James Farley 40% Directed by Noel Smith 20% A Warner Bros. : 10% Picture 10% PRODUCTION STAFF DIVE CCE OR ST Nai laa caaiea sto Nbs tia bu cbs tebesbvucebseoeoeeaes SE eR i TR Noel Smith CCCI ELOY: OY. ceases Rte chaste Regs ka haknn eae Roy Chanslor and Harold Buckley Photogaenhapch ype seperti ets Reais apc aeees Tecan tetas ence aati catew Pe Ted McCord, A.S.C. PEAT D IG UE OPS sais cas evis sas coe saad santas Gilad. ded cientguod sate Coinessihtas sipigueeitbincice ee a ee Doug Gould PAGO UG = DUE CCE Ta aces scgane cataadh casbsccszinnsaes ce Wintieeensa sks Basted Gus Shy RIE SE RUPGO UOT sce vscease cages cous cents Biase soi deb Suns Swica Sig Suan Las aa Sosa Te ae Sey Bad OE Ted Smith 51) AEF aaa 118 Re OD) BS 0} Ea ee Re ae SREB eae ee PTS Se M. K. Jerome and Jack Scholl THe CAST BUL: PIAL KN ESS eee asi oasis Dick Foran Mary =P oliver sta ccceen Linda Perry ROY BONGO tee 2S... Kae ed Ed Cobb BANGS DANTOW: 5. ccuconinean Milton Kibbee MU Ne TL OPTISON cssccanccca hace Tom Brower DONT OMIT = sic James Farley OMRON Sones ere Edward Keane Pete Ben Hendricks Sheriff Wilfred Lucas DEM SG Bee Ni i Cliff Saum POKE™ Oliver <5 05... atte Gene Alsace PELTED ers ctl ie ee Stee. Glen Strange Rr ank VWeyatt Aso. ks Bob Woodward Hank Ferguson ...ccccccccccssesee Fred Burns LENGTH OF FILM 4984 Feet RUNNING TIME 56 Minutes LE Eas TO RY After a skirmish with Indians, Bill Harkness (Dick Foran) a Pony Express rider, comes into Gold Creek where he is told by his father, Sam Harkness, (Tom Brower) that Stage Coaches will take over the mail route. The two plan to bid for the contract and Bill plans to propose to Mary Tolliver (Linda Perry), the girl he loves. Three bids for the contract are identical so the postmaster decides to hold a stage coach race, the winner getting the contract. The Banton Brothers are one of Bill’s opponents in the race. Roy (Eddie Cobb) hates Bill, who is his rival in love. They decide to put him out of the way. In the fight, Bill falls into a crevice, but is rescued by his horse, ‘‘Smoky”’. Bill loses the race because a bolt in his coach had been loosened by the Bantons, forcing him over the cliff. The Bantons are given the mail contract. While Bill is riding to Mary’s house, he discovers a band of men robbing the stage coach. To his surprise he recognizes the Bantons and their gang. To frame Bill, the Bantons_ steal “Smoky” and one of the members of the gang holds up the coach. Dan Toloes (James Farley), Mary’s father is <illed. Everyone, including Mary, believes that Bill did it, and he narrowly escapes being lynched. He is put into jail where the Bantons plan to have the jailor let him escape and then kill him when he gets on his horse. He escapes, but suspecting something, knocks the jailor out first. Bill and his father, wanting to get the real killers, arrange to have a fake gold shipment go on the coach and have word get to the Bantons’ ears. When Bill gets out of jail, he kidnaps the sheriff and collects his gang to ambush the stage coach robbers. The Bantons find the gold shipment is only rocks. Bill and his gang engage in a fight with them. Roy uses Mary, who is leaving town on the stage coach, for a shield. In the running gun fight, the Banton gang surrenders exree a who flees with Mary, pursued by Bill. Bill knocks Roy off the horse and the two tussle on the ground. Smoky comes to the aid of his master, killing Roy with a blow of his hoof. Bill, now a partner in the stage coach company with his father, and Mary are married. Bill sings a song for the wedding guests and the two drive off on their honeymoon. Page Three