Hard to Handle (Warner Bros.) (1933)

YOUR EXPLOITATION STAGE GRAPEFRUIT LOADING Complete Campaign for Welcoming Cagney Back = wesce JIMMY With all the advance publicity that has been accorded James Cagney’s return to the screen by newspapers and magazines, your showing can be made into a real civie event. Stage a ‘““WELCOME BACK JIMMY’? cam-paign in exactly the manner you would if he were a prominent local celebrity, returning after a prolonged absence. Banners Hang valances under the marquee reading ‘Welcome Back Jimmy,’’ in advance of mgur aan, ushers and ticketstaker wear opening. Have your a = Co-sperative Tie up every window in town with signs, co-operative displays and banners. Tie-up cards for use during your run can be worked along this line: WELCOME BACK JIMMY CAGNEY We know you are thrilled at James Cagney’s new hit, “Hard To Handle,” at the Strand. For another real thrill take a look at our newly arrived shipment of the latest in afternoon attire. They're the smartest dresses shown in many a month—and real bargains, too! etc. etc. Get your florist to donate flowers for your lobby in exchange for credit. Have a large head of Cagney or the one-sheet size blow-up available from Photo-Color (mentioned in this section) decorated with a floral wreath in your front. Prat . "Mt ec. WIG ex Windows™ = 4 CAGNEY sanz : , Opening Have a celebrity opening with special invitations to local ‘‘names.’’ If possible arrange for a parade to ‘‘Welecome’’ the print of the film on its arrival at the station. Banners, motoreyele policeman, et al. in a parade from the depot to your theatre is certain to get tons of added attention to your showing. Previcus to the picture’s title flash on your opening night, it would be a good idea to show the telegram suggested below. Telegram Get the mayor or other important send 4 local fans enjoyed © dle.’’? This is a sure newspaper break for the mayor as well as your show. Newspapers The newspapers are an important part of your ‘‘Welcome’’ campaign. In addition to your publicity breaks, carry slugs in advance of your regular ads on ‘‘Hard To Handle’’ with the line: HELP WELCOME BACK JAMES CAGNEY! Strand Feb. 16th If you have affiliated theatres this slug should be carried in their advertisements as well. A small head of Cagney about 1% column in width can be used in the slug. Trailer and Lobby Starting 38 weeks ahead of your opening date, tack a ‘‘welcome’’ trailer to the regular Vitaphone trailer. Get teaser ‘‘ Welcomes’’ spotted in the lobby at the same time. This should be done in your affiliated houses in addition to the one in which the film is booked. “HARD TO HANDLE WORDS” CONTEST Variety reports that theatres throughout the country are cashing in on the recently published list’ of the ten most beautiful words, by holding contests along this line. Hundreds of houses are building-up business with variations of the ten beautiful words list, such as the ten best, the ten most humorous, ete. Now, uere’s your chance to climb upon this attention-getting bandwagon by taking advantage of this picture’s title, with a ‘‘ ‘Hard To Handle’ Word’’ Contest. Here is the way to go about it: Contact your local newspaper to ask their readers to submit the ten words they have found hard to handle, hardest to spell or pronounce. Also, Page Twenty A TIMELY STUNT announce the contest from your screen, in your regular ads on the picture and in your theatre programs. Have these lists sent direct to the theatre. Offer passes to the ten persons who send in the best list of ‘‘Hard to Handle’’ words each day. Read off the winning lists from the stage of your theatre on the opening night of ‘¢Hard To Handle.’’ A lot of comedy can be injected into this stunt by calling upon the winners to define and pronounce their list of words. A theatre which did this reported that it got big laughs from the audience, when the selectors found themselves unable to define most of the words on their lists. CONTEST FOR WOMEN GOOD FUN We can assure you a lot of uproarious fun and at the same time successfully advertise ‘‘Hard to Handle’? with this stunt which is applicable for advance or current use. The stunt should be presented about a week preceding the coming of the picture. Advertise it in the newspaper giving the time, place and prizes offered and also announce it from your screen of course. Here is the Idea. Stack up a pyramid of grapefruit on your stage or in the lobby and invite the fat women in the audience to come to the stage and load their arms with as many of the grapefruit as they can possibly hold. The woman or women, all depending on the number of prizes you offer, who holds in her arms the largest number of grapefruit to be awarded the prize or prizes. You could promote the grapefruit from some dealer and make the prize be the number of grapefruits that the prize winner is able to pick up and hold. This stunt is due to create a lot of laughs especially when these fat women try to pick up more than they can hold. Naturally, when they get the last one up in their arms some of the grapefruits are due to fall out of their arms. Of course, in putting over this stunt, mention should be made of the fact that in ‘‘Hard to Handle’’ James Cagney puts over a great promotion stunt with the aid of grapefruit. GRAPEFRUIT EATING MARATHON CONTEST FOR Stage a grapefruit eating marathon contest in a prominent spot in the city with a lot of ballyhooing. If possible have the contest held in a restaurant on the main street. Permit only women contestants who are fat and who are to be weighed before and after the contest, the big prize going.to.the one shéwing “¢le greatest loss of weight. If possible, leave the name of the picture out of it until the final. day,. but : 2 Se acs BE <r would be to run an ad asking for fat women to participate in the contest. Copy should stress Lefty Merrill’s contention that a grapefruit diet will take off weight. You can have the fat women who enter, report at the play up“ FAT WOMEN theatre, or restuarant if you succeed in getting a restuarant to go for the stunt. The attention that the stunt will attract to the restaurant, should induce the owner to supply the grapefruit. Have the weighing in, before the . so@ “*eoritest. starts; = : and then daily throughout the contest, at the theatre. — You can arrango vour own + a to the: conditions of the contest, pb ctavin “the Bainyj per ofserame pts ting oes etc. Once the contest gets under way, you’ll find the newspapers giving the stunt lots of space with pictures ete. -In sending out publicity on the contest, use a picture of James Cagney bearing the name Lefty Merrill. BALKY MULES FOR STREET BALLYHOO, GOOD STUNT Ballyhoo suited to the title ‘‘ HARD TO HANDLE’’ would be provided by the stunts mentioned below. Secure a pair of balky mules. Hitch them to rickety conveyance, bannered with ‘‘SEE JAMES :CAGNEY IN ‘HARD TO HANDLE.’ ’’ It will be sure to attract a lot of attention as the driver tries to get the animals to move. JAMES CAGNEY Here is an excellent opportunity to tie in with your local newspaper and every store in town. Many business organizations have slogans which they continually use in all their ads and displays: ‘‘KEEP THAT SCHOOLGIRL COMPLEXION,’’ EVENTUALLY, WHY NOT NOW?,’”’ “THEY SATISFY,’’ to mention only a few slogans, have received nation wide interest. Similar slogans from national as well as local advertisers and merchants could be selected for use in this contest. Idea is If the town boasts a bucking broneo and rider, uproarious fun will be had by all when the two do their stuff along prominent thoroughfares. Even if the mules aren’t actualy balky the driver could pretend they were. The well known characteristic balkiness of mules, plus the title ‘‘Hard to Handle’’ are bound to bring a big laugh from the crowds. SLOGAN CONTEST to list a buneh of these slogans without telling the name of the advertiser. The contestants are to list the advertisers who use each slogan and in addition ‘‘they are to write a slogan suitable for James Cagney, in ‘tHard To Handle,’’ giving the readers a brief synopsis of the picture. You should have no difficulty promoting prizes from the merchants whose names and slogans--you use in this stunt as the attention called to their establishments is a valuable plug for them. each eo + must eat at each stc-———— g