Midnight Alibi (Warner Bros.) (1934)

HERES YOUR CAMPAIGN, SHOWMAN 0s noe ain iia Merchants Cooperate In Big Bargain Displays All the stores can come in on this one! And there are three ways of handling it—without cost to you! The idea is to get each store to take one hour on the face of the clock—and advertise some bargain special. Thus on the face of the clock, at one, Brown’s shoe store will advertise brown suede booties; at two, Delehanty’s will plug their evening gowns; at the top of the dial, at twelve o’clock, theatre name and ‘Midnight Alibi’ share prominence. This can be handled either with a big clock, constructed by carpenter, and displayed on busy street corner, or put up on card throwaways for distribution by the stores. Your ‘“‘TWELVE HOURS OF BARGAINS” ean include ramifications and permutations enough to work in the whole town. Love Problem Make-Up Contest Barthelmess appears in two roles in this picture, one of fifty years ago, and one of modern dress. This is managed by means of clever make-up. Stills OD 13 and 60 show him in his two roles. Blow these up or post ’em conspicuously in your lobby for bait in make-up contest. Entrants are to show how they would make themselves up for a dual characterization. May be handled by photographs as newspaper contest. In that case, Barthelmess heads should be shown in paper with announcement story. Other means of running contest is with make-up tables in lobby, entrants to be judged by committee of beauty and make-up experts. A father’s refusal to permit his daughter to wed the man of her choice results in life-long unhappiness for a character in the _ picture. Helen Lowell is the victim of the unfortunate cireumtances. If you have a contact with your local ‘lovelorn’ column, this problem ean stir up quite a tempest in a teapot. Should a parent’s choice govern a child’s decision in affairs of love? Is it fair? Plant it as a question from a girl in a similar position, or as editorial comment from the editor of the column. Photo Contest There’s nothing old couples like to do more than reminisce over old photos. Let’s use the photos in the form of a contest. If done with cooperating paper, Still OD 209, of Helen Chandler and Richard Barthelmess, as a happy young couple of the 80’s, will serve as illustration. Award prizes to best photos. As a lobby contest . . . couples submit photos, they’re displayed in lobby with voting numbers. Patrons judge winner by ballot. Pencils, ballots and _ ballot box provided by theatre. Movie Memories This is Barthelmess’s fiftyfirst picture. See how many of his pictures the fans remember. Award passes and prizes to the longest lists of his pictures sent to the cooperating paper. Unusual method of listing might be taken into consideration. In case your newspaper morgue ean’t help you in deciding the winner, just write in to usg@Always glad to help you out. Page Sia 2 Jeweler Tieups | Variety’s Epes ° Sargent relays this method of tying up pop-priced jewelry emporium. Merchant winds up eight day clock, starting it at midnight of a chosen day. It is placed in window with announcements that any person may enter shop and go on record as to what time on eighth day clock will stop. Entrants must choose hour, minute and second. Jeweler went for the idea because any passerby who stopped in immediately _ became a_ prospective customer. As worked in Baltimore, exhib also received conservative card in window directly plugging his show. First instance in that town that film received plug in bigtime jeweler’s window. yJ Instead of letting * his clocks stand on display stopped any which-way, try to convince your favorite jeweler to have all the hands pointing directly to midnight. A card can explain the idea, saying: “This clock saved a man’s life. It gave him a ‘MIDNIGHT ALIBI.’ ” Similar display in lobby with promoted clock ean be paid for with credit card to jeweler. Special Feature For Fashion Page Lovely Ann Dvorak, who stars with Richard Barthelmess in “Midnight Alibi’ at the Strand, has found her color medium—and it isn’t a color at all. With her light brown hair, and summer clothes in style, some of Ann’s white wardrobe is seen here. From left to right, the beautiful young actress displays a ruffled net evening gown with violets high at the neck and a ruffled cape following the line of the skirt. In the center, a flat crepe dinner dress with simple grecian lines. And last, a riding habit of white linen and white sport hat. The brown boots are in perfect taste. Mat No. 12—30¢ New Mothers’ Day Stunt We know that Mothers’ Day is past! But here’s a way to revive it for a day and get loads of publicity and good will at the same time. Invite fifty of the oldest from the old ladies home. Reason: you want them to see the sweetest old lady in the world, Helen Lowell. Announce it in your publicity and ads as “STRAND THEATRE’S OWN MOTHER’S DAY.’’ Also make a note in your ads that it’s a good picture for sons to take their mothers to. Have reporters and photographers down to snap the old dolls as they come in. Nicknamettes Clock Roulette Damon Runyon’s | nicknames are famous wherever his stories are known. A few of them are listed in the paragraphs below. Get the town a-thinkin’, and a-tryin’ to win dueats by devising clever nicknames. (Publicity Story) Queer Nicknames Of Local Celebs May Snare Prizes ARE YOU | LUCKY ? NEXT SPIN Nicknames may make or mar a career, and many a man would be lost to fame or notoriety were it not for the queer appellation he bore through life. Who remembers the real name of “Gyp the Blood,” executed for the murder of a New York gambler many years ago? John L. Sullivan is still the “Boston Strong Boy,” and it took John MeGraw 20 years to stop people calling him “Muggsy.” Al Smith is the “Happy Warrior” to millions, and Jack Dempsey remains the “Manassa Mauler.” Damon Runyon, New York sports writer and famous short story author is an expert at creating queer nicknames. In “Midnight Alibi,” in which First National has starred Richard Barthelmess and which will open at [FOS Pa eercrtge ee ae eet Theatre cn =a sree y Mey -Of his ¢haracters have alliterative or discriptive nicknames. “Angie the Ox,” “Babe the Butcher,” “Benny the Gouge” are examples. What are, and wlio bear, the queerest nicknames in this city? In order to’find out, the (newspaper) will award several pairs of tickets to the .............. Theatre during the presentation of “Midnight Alibi,’ to those who send in the funniest, weirdest or queerest nicknames, whether they are original with the writer, or are actually used in reference to some individual. Simply send in your contribution to the Nickname Contest Editor. of. the aa.....an6-.3 before Aaae aee Names of the winners will be published as soon as the judges make known their decision. Spieler in front of theatre distributes time slips while he gabs on picture. Then he spins hour hand. Holder of correct time gets pass. Counting half-hours, there are twenty-four possible times. Questions We don’t have to tell you about the inquiring reporter stunt. If your paper will go for it, here’s the question... *“In ‘Midnight Alibi,’ Richard Barthelmess proposes to a girl, when he knows her family disapproves of him. Would you marry a girl against the wishes of her family ?’’