Guns of the Pecos (Warner Bros.) (1937)

“GUNS OF THE PECOS” ND TA EASY EXPLOITATION STUNTS PIONEER DAY If you’re located in western town, Pioneer Day ought to be possible. With city officials in back of you there’s no end of ballys that can be worked. But just make sure that the ‘Old Timers” get to see your show. HARMONICA AND GUITAR CONTEST You'll find plenty of aspiring harmonica players sitting around, so why not give them a chance with a contest. Bring them on the stage—let ‘em loose in the lobby. You might throw in a couple of guitars. Prairie music will please the audience, too. 3 OLD TIMERS Here are three old stunts that have the advantage of having been tried and found good. You’ll find them inexpensive and easy to manage—and a great plug for your show. 1—Horseback riders dressed as cow boys ride the streets. Banners on 3 = —ed > Eagllaus Wis tan, the Stra ——— TS . ‘and see ‘Guns of the Pecos’.”’ 2—Stagecoach bally, with banners plugging show, of course. 3—Riding academy tie-up. Get them to offer special prices for riding lessons to patrons who present your ticket stubs at the academy. MAP COLORING GAME The Pecos River forms what is cal Texas the Pecos Valley located in the TexanPecos Providence near New Mexico. not tie-up with your local grade school and offer a prize to the student who does the best color map of Texas, showing where the picture takes place? Fun for the kids, an easy lesson for the teacher and stimulated interest for you. | THE STORY | Major Burton (Gordon Hart) is commissioned by General Grant to procure 5,000 head of horses for the Army. The Major finally gathers the horses, only to be killed by a band of cattle rustlers and outlaws led by Judge Blake (Robert Middlemass). Steve Ainslee (Dick Foran) and _his partner, Jeff Carter (Eddie Acuff), are Texas Rangers detailed to break up the ring and bring the killers to justice. Steve joins the band and learns they killed Burton while stealing the Army horses. When Luke Brady (Monte Montague) receives payment for the horses for Blake, Steve beats Luke and grabs the check. The two trail Blake and discover he is plotting to obtain the deed to Major Burton’s property and then cheat the murdered man’s daughter, Alice (Anne Nagel), out of her inheritance. Steve and Jeff advise Alice of Blake’s plans and get her promise not to let the papers out of her hands. But, one night as Steve attempts to capture a thief in the bedroom of Alice and her Aunt Carrie (Gabby Fay), the outlaws capture him. Then they convince Alice that Steve is the man who murdered her father and she gives the papers to Blake. Steve finally escapes and leads his troop of Texas Rangers against the outlaws and captures the whole gang. He wins the hand of Alice and makes plans for a double wedding with Jeff and Aunt Carrie as the other couple. Director Screen Play by Photography by Film Editor... PRODUCTION STAFF FLAPJACK FLIP CONTEST oe AA Here’s a swell way to tie up with local wholesale flour distributor. Set up a campfire scene in lobby with small hot plate as your fire. Dress a good flapjack flipping artist from a nearby restaurant in a cowboy suit. Let him challenge the customers with flips. If they can flip as well as he they get free ducats. Flour company supplies materials, and gets credit. Patrons get free flapjacks. KIDS HORSESHOE HUNT Hang three horseshoes in your lobby, with a tracking-down contest for the kids for the fourth horseshoe. Organize regular teams with sheriffs and deputies, etc., following treasure hunt idea. The winning outfit goes to see the show. __TOY STORE WINDOW Tie-up with local department or toy store for a window display of cowboy costumes, and toy guns. Give them plenty of stills and any other display material you have on hand. It’s a swell stunt for them, particularly if they put a special price on the stuff, and it’s a perfect plug for your show. You might blow up a still of Dick Foran (with ad copy) for the background of the display. FORAN CLUB Revive interest and contact your ‘Dick Foran Ranch Club’? Members. If you haven’t organized a group, now is the time to do so. Adopters of the plan have found it of real advantage. Write to the Campaign Plan Editor for complete information. Address is still 321 West 44th Street, New York City. led in Why region LARIAT TRICKS Possibly you can find a fellow who is light-fingered with rope antics. If so, plant him in lobby and let him do his stuff. If you want, have him teach the kids—or if they know how, organize a rope-spinning contest for them. DISPLAY AND GUESS CONTEST Contact your local hardware and sporting goods store. Arrange an effective display by contrasting old weapons with the latest. Add to the effect with a western saddle, lariats, and action stills. You might fill a cowboy hat with bullets to add further interest, with closest guess to the number winning ducats. THEATRE DISPLAYS For your lobby, here are three suggestions for displays that tie in perfectly with your show, and should be fairly simple for you to rig up. 1—Borrow all the cowboy equipment —saddles, lariats, ten-gallon hats, and anything else you can find, and make them up into a display. 2-—Canvass among your patrons for some interesting horse photograchs to display. Might use this for a contest, with ducats for the best collection. 3—If you have any papier-mache guns left over from G-Men or other western pictures, you can use them to good advantage on this film. HORSESHOE CONTEST Here’s one that will delight the old timers as well as the young. Let the boys toss horseshoes for ducats. Sponsor it as the favorite sport of the cowboys when they’re hanging around the ranch. Contact local clubs and encourage teams to enter and you'll find you've got a big stunt on your hands. If you can work it in co-operation with local paper, so much the better. Original story by Music and lyrics by OFFICIAL BILLING F125 ft: a teers ace ie a Seer pa M. K. Jerome and Jack Scholl Ted Smith ae cogs oe kee See Harry Seymour 100% “GUNS OF THE PECOS” with DICK FORAN 75% (The Singing Cowboy) 10% and ; Anne Nagel 60% Gordon Hart—Joseph Crehan—Eddie Acuff 40% Directed by Noel Smith 20% A First National 10% Productions Corporation 10% icture 10% Running Time _56min. | BIOGRAPHIES| Dick Foran Dick Foran was born in Flemington, J., June 18, 1910. After attending Mercersberg Academy and Hunn Preparatory School he entered Princeton University, where he was a star on the football, baseball, lacrosse and ice hockey teams. He was also a member of the Princeton Dramatic and Glee Clubs. After finishing at Princeton he went to work for the Pennsylvania Railway, and was sent to California. While there he was given a screen test and a contract. His first picture—‘Stand Up and Cheer.” His recent pictures include ‘‘Trailin’ West,’”’ ‘“‘Earthworm Tractors,” and ‘“Public Enemy’s Wife.” His current production is ‘‘Guns of the Pecos” which comes to the... sbheatres On... 2 2 Anne Nagel Anne Nagel was born Anna Dolan in Boston, Mass., Sept. 20, 1915, but changed Dolan to Nagel, the name of her stepfather, a well known producer of technicolor featurettes. Later she changed her Christian name to Anne on the advice of a numerologist. After graduating from Notre Dame Academy in Boston, she joined the Shubert Players and appeared in the musical | THE CAST StevesAmslées ae ae Dick Foran Alice: Burton =, i Set Anne Nagel Major “Burton mes oe = es Gordon Hart Captain Norris_... Joseph Crehan Jel = Carters tc teeter = Eddie Acuff Judee—Blake= = Robert Middlemass Aunt. Carrie 2 See Gaby Fay Wellman = ae es Gordon Elliott LURe Hoe beet a To a Monte Montague Capos: 22ers ee Milton Kibbee JGRe = <= ae Bud Osborne Bartenders ee eee Cliff Saum Ty phere see eres ee ee Henry Otho DOV AC Bre ete one de ee Bob Burns Governors a= ee Douglas Wood ee ee ———— comedies ‘Sons QO’ Guns,” ‘Countess Maritza,” and “The Desert Song.”’ In 1935 she went to Hollywood with her father, appearing in many films. In private life she is Mrs. Ross Alexander. First National recently signed her to a contract, her first picture with that company being ‘Hot Money.” Her current picture is “Guns of the Pecos,’ which comes= to [thes 2 ee Theatre on Page Three