Green Light (Warner Bros.) (1937)

CASH IN ON BOOK’S FAME GET CLERGY'’S AID Sermons mentioning or referring to ‘‘Green Light’’ would be a strong plug for film and should result in plenty of extra patronage. In addition to a special screening, one way of getting this co-operation from the clergy would be to arrange to send copies of the book to the most popular members of the clergy and then follow up this with a personal letter asking how they liked the book and announcing the screen adaptation. You might mention that the author —Lloyd C. Douglas—was a colleague of theirs until he gave up his pulpit to devote his time exclusively to writing. BOOK WINDOWS SELL FILM As a novel, ‘‘Green Light’’ has a strong reputation, and has had hundreds of thousands of readers—all of whom will be anxious to see it in film form. Cash in on this by getting as many window displays in book stores as possible. Displays of books and stills from show should be easy to arrange with every dealer. Might distribute bookmarks in all lending libraries and stores, and in the schools, as well. And if you’re lucky, you’ll be able to persuade a book store to take some co-op ads with you, too. If you're using giant book as street bally, plant it in store window during run. STORY PLUG Arrangements have been completed for the serialization of “Green Light’ in all Hearst newspapers. If you have a Hearst paper in your town, by all means try to get theatre and date underlines. See the circulation manager about bannering his trucks. SNIPE THE COVERS OF MAGAZINES Contact your local Cosmopolitan Magazine distributor and try to get him to use stickers plugging your show on current issues. You might work with him, too, on a co-operative campaign plugging picture and magazine. ‘‘Green Light” was published originally in the Cosmopolitan Magazine and the distributor, with a little encouragement from you, should be willing to use banners on his trucks and arrange for window and newsstand card distribution. Maybe you'll be able to get him to go in for a co-op herald or possibly even a co-op ad or two. Better see him early and get set on your campaign. ROVING BOOK BALLY jini | One of the most effective ways of ballying the picture to street crowds is to rig up a large perambulating book. A giant model of “Green Light’’ book which moves about in the most Populated sections of the town will be a traffic stopping Stunt. All you have to do is to construct a compo board model of the book leaving enough room inside for a man who will | Carry the book around. Front should be arranged with peepholes, of course, so that man will see where he is going. Might build book so that one of the covers could be made to swing open—this so that your man could stop and pass out heralds at the busiest intersections. A youngster would be able to do the trick for you, and he'll probably think it’s so much fun that he’ll be more than satisfied when you give him a brace of passes for his trouble. a SHOW FANS CIANT BOOK IN LOBBY A giant replica of the book built out of compoboard and spotted in a central location in your lobby will make an attractive display. Use a blow-up of book jacket for cover and arrange the inside pages with scenes and ad copy. Spot plenty of green light on the book and station a pretty girl or one of your ushers nearby to turn the pages for interested onlookers. After using this set-up in your lobby in advance of your showing you might get it placed in the window of one of the stores tieing up with your show. Giant book can also be used on your bally truck, if you're using one on _ this film. BOOK BOX-OFFICE Box office built in the shape of a book, as illustrated above, will help make your front attractive and at the same time remind passersby that you are playing the screen adaptation of Lloyd C. Douglas’ best-seller. The trick front could be constructed quite inexpensively and built around the regular box office. To make it more effective you might have the title in transparent letters with green lights behind flashing on and off. Your wall displays around the entrance to the lobby could also be made to resemble the book, thus adding to the general effect. We'll admit that the illustration above looks a bit elaborate, but you can get a swell effect by just using one big piece of compo-board, slashing a hole for your cashier to see through, and letting your artist do his stuff. Page Five