Dr. Socrates (Warner Bros.) (1935)

PEeKPE OT TAT AON & Ways OF Telling Football Fans It’ll be pigskin time again when you play this show—and while the show itself has nothing to do with football, you shouldn’t miss telling the football crowds about it. Here’s your handy memo list; check ’em off as you do ’em: 1. Hang pennants in stadium. SB MU ARE eplbee Jol! og tai FOLKS GET APPOINTMENT TO SEE ‘DR. SOCRATES’ Illustration shows pretty gal dressed as nurse, handing out fake doctors’ appointment cards in lobby reading “You have an appointment to see ‘Dr. Socrates’ ete.” Of course, you might think it a better gag to mail *em out to your patrons instead of programs. MESSAGE IN CODE TELLS HOW TO GET FREE DUCATS Here’s some copy for a puzzle — ecard to be distributed to patrons: “This message in code will tell you where to get a free ticket to the Strand Theatre. The first 10 people to decipher the message and fulfill its conditions, will receive tickets. 20-5-11-3-9-20 — 5-5-18-6 — 1 — 20-141-23 — 21-15-25 — 18-5-9-8-19-1-3 — 58-20 — 12-12-5-20 See PAUL MUNI in “DR. SOCRATES” Coming to the STRAND THEATRE next week” Believe it or not, this message says: ‘‘Tell the cashier you want a free ticket.’’ Each number represents the corresponding letter of the alphabet, and to make it a bit tougher, the whole thing is in reverse. PAGE “DR. SOCRATES”! You remember the stunt we suggested for ‘‘ Page Miss Glory’’... having a uniformed page boy covering hotels, restaurants, main streets, ballgames, ete., and ‘‘Paging Miss Glory.’’ Same thing can be done with ‘‘Dr. Socrates.’’ Your own P.A. system, the radio, and P.A. systems at any other local events also lend themselves to use in teasing the title this way. PUTTIN’ THE TITLE ACROSS Here are a few ways to keep the title in the public eye — 1. Signs ’round town and teaser ads in paper asking ‘‘Who is Dr. Socrates?’’ 2. Classified ads asking Dr. Socrates for advice on personal problems. 3. Call up hotels and ask ’em to page Dr. Soerates. 4, Tie-ups with all kinds of stores, with ‘Dr. Socrates advises,’ ‘Dr. Socrates suggests,’ ete. d. Calling cards with copy ‘‘Dr. Socrates, Strand Theatre.’’? Can be given out to patrons. Page Four Pass out heralds at stadium gates. Tack up signs on telegraph poles, etc., near the field. Pass out statistics of the players with your plug on reverse side. Print up schedule of games for schools in town. Pass ’em out at the schools. P.A. system at stadium can be used for your plug. Announce football results on air, getting in your copy as sponsor. Post scores on front for patrons and passersby to see. CASHING IN ON COLLIER’S ‘Dr. Socrates’ ran as a 5-week serial in Collier’s. Perhaps local distributors will tieup, letting you tack cards on news-stands and slip inserts into copies of the mag. Another angle would be to get hold of back numbers that carried story and blow up cover and first page yarn for a lobby display. AUTHOR BURNETT IS NEWS W. R. Burnett, author of ‘‘Little Caesar’’ and “Dark Hazard’’ wrote this story. Be sure to tell everybody about it — including the book stores and libraries. They might go for a tie up and you might even have your sign shop build a giant book for usher to carry around town. BANK TIE-UP ON VAULTS NETS COSTLESS PUBLICITY Banks always invite prospects to inspect safedeposit vaults and see how they’re protected against burglary. Maybe you can tie up with a bank on this stunt, having ’em pay for cards carrying your copy as well as theirs. Your usher can give ’em out in lobby, or you can distribute them on the street. BULLET DISPLAY SHOWS WORK DONE BY POLICE SL a Police Department may loan you bullets or photographs of bullets shot from different guns. A little copy tell how police identify guns by markings on bullets — and you have a lobby display. SNIPE INTO NEWSREEL If newsreel during the week in advance of film’s showing has any reference to crime, you might spot a one-frame trailer reading ‘‘For the lowdown on America’s war on crime, see ‘Dr. Socrates’ next week at this theatre.’’ “THE PICTURE OF THE MONTH’ ANGLE AGAIN—BY REQUEST! So many showmen have already gone for our ‘Picture of the Month’ campaign, that we’re repeating it again for the benefit of newcomers. You'll find some new slants below, and the old never-fail standbys. We recommend ’em to your attention: PAST HITS IN LOBBY DISPLAY — Stills from past hits on lobby board, labeling ’em as ‘‘The Pictures of the Months.’’ Tie-in line reads: And Now—the Picture of this Month—‘‘ Dr. Socrates.’’ SONG OF MONTH — Band features a ‘‘Song of the Month’’ dedicating it to ‘““Dr. Socrates — The Picture of the Month.’’ AS SLOGAN — Slogan ‘‘Dr. Socrates — The Picture of the Month’’ goes in publicity stories, displays, ads and tie-ups. PHOTO OF MONTH—Photographer holds ‘‘photo-of-the-month’’ contest with snapshots taken month before film’s opening eligible. Winner gets dozen prints or enlargements free and duecats to ‘‘Dr. Socrates. ”’ RADIO FLASHES—Spot announcements. You might use this one: FLASH ‘Dr. Socrates’ has just been picked as the Picture of the Month. It’s coming to the Strand Theatre next week, with Paul Mune as star. LOBBY BOARD—A large compo board eut-out resembles ‘‘blue ribbon’’ and film’s stills are mounted on it. Use blue ribbon as border with this line, ‘‘ Scenes from “Dr. Socrates’’—The Picture of the Month.’’ YOUR OKAY — Write a personal endorsement of picture on theatre stationery, playing it up as ‘‘The Picture of the Month.’’ Then ship them to your mailing list. POSTER SNIPES — Snipe posters and ads with ‘‘Picture of the Month’’ seals. MERCHANT TIE-UPS—If stores want to plug a style they can call it ‘‘The (Hat) of the Month.’’ Near it spot still with copy reading ‘‘The Picture of the Month — ‘Dr. Socrates’ starring Paul Muni and Ann Dvorak.’’ SOCRATES PRESCRIBES IN DRUG STORE TIE-UP For a drug store window, stills and caption ‘‘Dr. Socrates prescribes Tivoli Drug Store products. See Paul Muni in ‘Dr. Socrates’ at the Strand Theatre now.’’ Drug store might also use the idea for napkins, bags and ecards to be put in packages. If you want stills of Muni in a doctor’s uniform, order Still Nos. PM Pub A46, A48, A49, A50, A51 — Ten cents each — and a bargain it is, if you land the tie up. MARQUEE STUNT FOR MACHINE-GUN FIRE In lobby of the Colonial, Germantown, Pa., manager Lee Kline rigged up two fans as illustrated. One fan has blades removed and dise with knotted strings mounted on it instead. The other fan has a drum over it. The fan with the drum on it oscillates, so that once every few seconds, it turns so that the knotted strings hit the drum, giving the effect of machine-gun fire. The whole device was hidden behind a 24-sheet cut-out from ‘G-Men,’ and according to Manager Kline, it had people pretty curious about it. The same stunt ought to work on “Dr. So crates,” since it’s the same type of film.