Elmer the Great (Warner Bros.) (1933)

TOSSING BALL INTO OPEN MOUTH, AS LOBBY STUNT This stunt is a good lobby attraction to sell “ELMER THE GREAT” in advance of its opening. Set up a large head of Joe E. Brown with his mouth wide open. Cut out a hole in the mouth large enough for a baseball to pass through it. Have patrons try to toss a baseball from a marked distance into the opening of the cutout. Those succeeding in tossing the ball in one try to receive a guest ticket to see Joe E. Brown in “ELMER THE GREAT.” Surround this display with plenty of stills and copy advertisng “ELMER THE GREAT” with coming playdates. Joe E. Brown “Field Day” a UNUSUAL ENDING OF PICTURE’S Trailer in Lobby Thru Cutout GAME AS BASIS FOR CONTEST The score in the final game played by the Cubs and the Yankees in “ELMER THE GREAT” offers you an unusually fine opportunity to stage a contest that will not only attract a lot of attention but will create plenty of word of mouth advertising. In the picture, the Yankees score two more runs in their half of the ninth inning, making the score three to nothing in their favor as the Cubs come up to bat. In their half of the last inning, the Cubs, due to a home run with three on base, by Joe E. Brown as “Elmer the Great,” win out by a score of 4 to 3. People who participate in the contest are naturally going to assume that Joe E. Brown, as the hero, wins the game, and will in a great majority of cases guess the final score as being 2 to 1 in favor of the Cubs. Few, if any, will figure on the Yankees having scored two more runs in the ninth inning. And for that reason you will have comparatively few tickets to award. Of course if “Elmer the Great” has recently been played in your city on the stage, then don’t use this stunt. You can use this stunt for an entire week in advance of your play date. P Be careful to check the answers as soon as they come in to make sure that too many haven’t the right answer. If you find they have, you can discontinue the contest. (Publicity Story) Can You Guess Final Score of Cubs -Yankees’ Game? Here you are, baseball fans. It looks as though the Cubs were going to lose that final game in the World’s Series between the Yankees and the Chicago Cubs. However, you can’t tell until the last man is out. Re member, “Elmer the Great,” the What do you think wag the final score of the game as shown in “Kilmer the Great,” which comes to this theatre .... If you can name the correct score, you'll be awarded two free tickets to see “Elmer the Great.” Fill out one of these blanks, with Corking Exploitation Stunt H ERE is a great attention builder—one that is sure to help put over “Elmer the Great” for you—a “Joe E. Brown Field Day,’ held at either a recreation field, public park or regu lation baseball park. Tie up with the schools—invite both boys and girls to compete in the various classes through your lobby, screen, newspapers, throwaways and posters. Of course time this “Field Day” so it does not conflict with your own show. Print up application blanks for distribution at all schools and have cooperating newspaper publish a duplieste ry re Cn = relative to time and place for con “SStests and a list of events in which contestants are to compete. Two divisions of each should be made: namely boys and girls. These divisions should be subdivided into age divisions, for children from 10 to 13 years of age and from 13 to 16. Here are the events suggested: 1—Long-distance contest from pitched ball. 2—Fungo batting (contestant batting ball tossed by himself). 3—Long-distance throwing curacy and distance to count). batting (ac 4—Base running (fastest time circling the bases). By all means try to get some well known local hall players to act as judges. Have your newspaper | sports editor and news photographers — a I ncteuct oll entrants to fill in name, address, age and school on blank and mark an X beside the contest in which they want to compete. Dealers in sports goods should be tied in, and prizes of balls, bats, catchers’ and fielders’ mitts, caps, etc., should be donated by them. The theatre can offer tickets to see “Elmer the Great” to the five runners-up in each class. Properly handled, you can make this a grand exploitation event. AII copy and exploitation should play up Joe Brown and the show from every angle of appeal to youngster and adult alike. “Circle Photos” of Baseball Crowd, as Publicity Gag OR attention getter aimed directly to your theatre, use the photo circle idea as an advance exploitation stunt several days before the opening of “Elmer the Great” at your theatre. Arrange with your local newspaper to get shots of crowds attend ing baseball games. Have a new photo printed daily in the cooperating newspaper with the heads of three, four or five persons encircled—depending on the number of guest tickets you want to award to the persons themselves in the circles—tickets to be good to see Joe E. Brown in “Elmer the Great.” On the days the crowd shots are made, distribute heralds or throwaways announcing the stunt. Be sure to emphasize very strongly Joe E. Brown in “Elmer the Great,’ the name of your theatre and play dates by using one of the display ads illustrated in this merchandising plan. Get extra prints of the photos showing the encircled people and display the photos in your lobby with copy as follows: identifying | ARE YOU AMONG THE LUCKY ONES WHO WILL SEE JOE E. BROWN in “ELMER THE GREAT” COMING TO THIS THEATRE NEXT WEEK (Days and Dates) For Complete Details Read THE DAILY NEWS This gives the newspaper an extra plug and encourages the readers to buy the paper for detail information on the stunt. Persons encircled in the photos must bring the copy of the paper containing the photo to the newspaper office or the theatre. Identification. must be beyond doubt in order to avoid errors or duplication. world’s champion batter, played by Joe E. Brown, is due to come to the bat for the Cubs in their half of the your guess, together with your name and address and place in ballot box in the lobby of the Strand Theatre no ninth. later than next (day and date). 1 2 3 4 & 6 7 8 9 TANKS 2 Lo [0-0 | 61-01) 070/12 CUS 1-0 70] 0° Fo 1040) 0] 012 [3 Final Score Is Submitted by Address ~ > birt Leto Here is an effective cutout to be used in your lobby which will attract 100 per cent attention in advance of laying Joe E. Brown in “ELMER THE GREAT.” Use Still No. JB44 in making a photo enlargement or poster. Cutout the opening of the mouth and mount a transparent screen on the back of the cutout. Then project the regular trailer through a continuous projector placed in back of the screen marked “A” in the illustration. This type projector may be secured from your local dealer who sells amateur motion picture projectors and supplies. Arrange to secure the use of this machine in return for a frame on the end of the trailer advertising the dealer and his business. Be sure to mask off the side of the cutout so that the projector is not seen, giving an added point of interest in the curiosity as to how the stunt is worked. Plug Your Show at Baseball Game Because of its baseball background “ELMER THE GREAT” is a natural for a special billing and distributing campaign at all ball parks and every field and lot where the “boys” get together for the noon-hour or after school game and practice. The same campaign should be carried out in all spots where the fans congregate such as club rooms, in front of score boards, cigar stores, pool halls, ete. Posters, snipes and window cards should be posted at all such points and the distribution of heralds and throwaways should supplement this billing campaign. HERE’S A NATURAL for KIDDIES’ MATINEES JOE E. BROWN | Penny Candy Sucker FREE! JOE E.BROWN MASK IN EVERY BOX 120 PIECES IN EACH BOX PRICE: 67¢c PER BOX Especially Priced and Packed For Theatre Give-Away ORDER DIRECT FROM BISHOP ann COMPANY inc. Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA Page Fifteen