The Dark Horse (Warner Bros.) (1932)

Political Display for Theatre Front Be sure to hang out plenty of flags and bunting for your showing of ‘‘The Dark Horse.”’ If city ordinances permit, string big election banners across the streets of your business district, all of which are to carry picture and star copy. Run pennant strings from your marquee corners to a point several feet above the marquee. Put a speaker’s rostrum on the marquee, with dummy microphones. Connect your public address system to the marquee. Put a spell-binding speaker in the box and have him talk away at passersby. Have him use the political forms of speaking, devoting all of his talk to the picture. Be sure to have him make campaign promises and announce ‘‘The Dark Horse’s’’ platform: a thousand laughs for every one, etc., ete. Banner every available inch on the front of your theatre. Throw floodlights on the front at night, and in every other possible way eall attention to the bigness of the attraction. It’s an ideal chance for smart ballyhoo. Important Note Because these merchandising plans are intended to make your selling job easier and bring the best possible results, suggestions and criticisms will be appreci ated. Furthermore, should you need additional help ‘and advice because of a strictly local condition, send your problem to us. Address: MERCHANDISING PLAN EDITOR Warner Bros. Pictures, Ine. 321 West 44th Street New York City Page Eight LOBBY FRAME SUGGESTIONS Soap-Box Ballyhoo Political soap-box orators are a common sight on street corners at election time. Take advantage of the ballyhoo possibilities in this stunt. Stand a barker in front of your house dressed in loud clothes. Give him a typical platform like those used by the street orators with a mounted cut-out head or still of Warren William draped with a small flag on either side. In imitation of the usual electioneering posters letter VOTE THE LAFF TICKET above the _ portrait and ‘‘THE DARK HORSEH”’ and the east below. If possible, write a very short hokum talk tied-in with the picture and extend the idea to busy street corners using the back of an open truck. Taek Cards Plaster the town with tack cards imitating regular crossroads sign posts, lettering them or adapting the 24-sheet line, ‘‘Hilarity Is Just Around The Corner —Vote for ‘The Dark Horse.’ ’’ These tack cards can apply to any situation in town, with the greatest effect being secured in the immediate vicinity of the theatre. Have vour theatre carpenter make a few wooden cross-roads posts for the better locations you secure. Special Teaser Posters In order to cash in on the vast amount of interest in the present red hot political campaign, secure a couple of prominent spots in town and apply the novelty idea illustrated in this section to a teaser poster campaign. The copy should read: ‘‘The Dark Horse of the 1932 Camparen dss ey 4 Next to the copy should be a big oval space, appropriately draped in red, white and blue. After you’ve had the poster up a few days, with the oval blank and no other copy, put a blown up photo of Guy Kibbee or Warren William in the oval along with the necessary copy on the picture and your play date. Street B: yhoo In keeping w th the nature of the picture, you can take advantage of an old campaign stunt: giving away smokes. Secure as many cigarettes as you will need from your local jobber or tobarconist. Then have an usher give them out on the streets, in stores and offices. Dress him up in frock coat, striped trousers and high hat. Put banners on him carrying the line ‘‘Vote for Warren Wiliam in ‘The Dark Horse’ At The Strand.’’ You can do the same thing in the lobby of your theatre as the patrons leave. | One Sheets On Trucks Don’t neglect the opportunity to widen your bill-posting field with the cooperation of truck owners in your locality. Tie up with hem for onesheet space on th sides of their trucks, in return, or which you give them passes or a slide on the screen. Many exhibitors are using this additional advertising means with exeellent results. It’s an easy matter to arrange, involving no more expense than the frames for the sheets, which your carpenter can make. All you need do, once you’ve set this, *« change the paper each week. , Attention Getting Bus Ballyhoo To get a lot of attention for ‘‘The Dark Horse”’ send a big bus through the streets of the town. Fill the bus with kids, give them noisemakers and tell them to have a good time. They will make enough noise to attract attention to the bus. With the bus appropriately bannered for your showing, no one will miss the fact that ‘“‘The Dark Hoxse’’ is coming to your theatre., Use heads of cast members on the banners, which should be on front, back, and sides. | if as you would your own candidate! . thee Back “The Dark Horse” “Pin The Tail On The Dark Horse” Game—Contest All you need for this game is a large figure of a black horse and a pin. Mount the figure of the horse on a large board, after cutting the tail off. Use heads of cast members in each corner of the board, with copy explaining the game, and an announcement of your playdate. The contest is a variation of ‘‘Pinning The Tail On The Donkey.’’ Offer passes to patrons who pin the tail of the horse exactly upon a designated spot which contestants must hit to win. Contestants, of course, will be blindfolded before attempting to pin on the tail. In addition to using this as a lobby stunt you ean suggest it as a party stunt to be called the ‘‘Dark Horse Game,’’ with the players using the head of their favorite candidate instead of the horse’s head. Classified Ad Tie-Up Your newspaper is looking for any idea that would help promote its classified ad seetion. Give them this stunt in advanee of your ‘‘ Dark Horse”’ opening: Have readers search through the classified ads to find the missing letter in each one. When put together the letters should spell ‘‘ Warren William.’’ Announce the contest in this manner: FIND THE LETTERS MISSING FROM THE ADVERTISEMENTS ON THIS PAGE. WHEN PUT TOGETHER THEY WILL SPELL THE NAME OF A SCREEN ACTOR WHO RECENTLY ROSE TO PROMINENCE. NAME THE PICTURE IN WHICH HE WILL SOON APPEAR AT THE STRAND AND MAIL IT IN TO THE ‘“‘MISSING LETTER’’ EDITOR. Award passes to the winners. The paper should give you a free ad in exchange for your co-operation, BANNER Hirarity Is JUST AROUND Excellent for marquee and lobby hanging. Size 20 by 30 inches. Printed in brilliant colors on durable canvas. Comes with eyelets. PRICE 50c EACH Do Not Order from Exchange! Available Only from | METRO FLAG-BANNER CO. 2 EAST 23rd STREET NEW YORK, N. Y. Cash with Order or C. O. D. COLORTONE PRESENTATION Make your screen presentation artistic and colorful with this atmospheric effect, elaborately colored, beautifully created. 4x5—Colored positive only_.$2.00 Set (positive and negative). 3.00 314x4Colored positive only 1.50 Set (positive and negative). 2.25 Order by No. N-266 NATIONAL STUDIOS, Inc. 226 West 56th St., New York Be sure to specify. size and send re mittance with order to avoid parcel post and C.O.D. charges. Send _ for catalogue of Colortone Effects. . Tips For Your Summer Lobby Summer is the time for cold lobbies and managers are on the lookout for features which will permit an arctic treatment of the entrance. Generally this is the familiar layout of fir trees and cotton snow, both of which are highly inflammable. There is no record of a serious blaze ever having developed, but there always exists the danger and fire departments frown on the display. Spruce and pine should be avoided, but it is possible to make a log cabin out of the box-office and thick whitewash will make even better snow than cotton, when applied to the logs. We suggest you clip this item and place it in a conspicuous position as a reminder when you plan your summer lobby displays.