Mr Skeffington(Warner Bros.) (1944)

te my oat a In addition to the many special promotions achieved in the past, Warner Bros. recently introduced a new series of public service aids designed to promote new audiences for your theatre. This service reaches the nation’s schools and colleges, libraries, book publishers, book editors, bookstores, women’s clubs, education editors, etc. Special aids and services have been designed for distribution among the above individuals and institutions and it should prove a simple and profitable task for each exhibitor to follow through locally for his complete pre-date campaign. BOOK AIDS Illustrated (right) in reduced | size (actual size is 17” wide by 2217,’ deep) is Warners’ “Mr. Skeffington” poster. This poster has been distributed by Warners’ Educational Bureau to thousands of public and college libraries, booksellers, and women’s clubs across the country. Besides reach ing an enormous reading public, this unique service gives the individual exhibitor an opportunity to tie in his playdate directly with local libraries, schools and other community agencies. Using the stills illustrated, print or hand-letter your own posters. Then, check your local book outlets and arrange for display in advance of your playdate. The poster can also be used in connection with a book display in your lobby. Make sure you mention your playdate. Still captions read as follows: (Above, right) The newly-wedded Fanny Trellis (Bette Davis) and Job Skeffington (Claude Rains) celebrate their marriage by a ferryboat ride. Soon their life together is to be threatened by various complications and the outbreak of war. (Below, right) A scene from “MR. SKEFFINGTON” showing Fanny Trellis (Bette Davis), her cousin George Trellis (Walter Abel), and a group of admirers of Fanny and competitors of Job Skeffington. (Below, left) A portrait of Fanny Trellis (Bette Davis), adorns the home of the wealthy broker, Job Skeffington (Claude Rains). Later, Fanny discovers that Skeffington was the unknown admirer who had commissioned the painting. For eut-out figures of Bette Davis, Claude Bains and book, order Still MS # 574. For 3 additional scene stills illustrated, order MS Book Poster Stills # 50, 77, and 8. Order set of all 4 stills—40¢—irom Warner Bros. Still Editor, 321 W. 44th St... New York 18, N. Y. Illustrated (above right) in re duced size (actual size is 17” wide by 221/,” deep) is the window display card which was distributed to key bookstores throughout the country by Doubleday, Doran, publishers, who recently issued a special $1 reprint edition of the book. Tie in with your local bookshop or library and arrange for similar display cards to be illustrated with your own Exchange set of stills. Be sure to mention your playdate. by Bette Davis) Job Sketington (oleved by aS Claude Rein) to bring to Iie on the screen wo of _ the most dhecrting charociers i in modern fiction. _ SEE THE PICTURE READ THE BOOK ‘“REIBRARY SERVICE OF WARMER BROS. PICTURES A best-selling book becomes a *&* **& motion picture ~ MRSKEFFINGIO Ly ELIZABETH Thousands paid §2.50 for the original edition the picture BOOK-OF-THE-MONTH CLUB “Mr. Skeffington” was a best-selling Book-of-the-Month Club selection and, on publication, it received wide mention in the Book-of-the-Month Club News, regular club organ, as well as newspapers and magazines throughout the country. The Club’s News alone reached a membership list of more than half a million. Today, the film is not only benefiting from the book’s past publicity, but is being plugged again by the Book-of-the-Month Club with all the weight of its enormous influence and prestige. Here’s how: 1) “BOOKS AND AUTHORS,” a Book-of-the-Month Club radio program service used by more than 500 local radio stations throughout the country, carries a special plug and comment on the film version of “Mr. Skeffington.” 2) BOOK-NEWS LETTER, Bookof-the-Month Club’s special monthly service to nationwide reading groups and women’s clubs, carries a special comment on the film version of ‘Mr. Skeffington.” The number of clubs thus reached totals several thousand. 3) READING AND WRITING, the Book-of-the-Month Club’s weekly news letter to newspapers throughout the country, carries a special comment and line drawing about Warner Bros., Bette Davis and “Mr. Skeffington.” 4) BOOK OF THE MONTH CLUB NEWS, the Club’s monthly literary magazine which is distributed regularly to more than half a million members and reaches an estimated reader group total of over a million, includes the following special human-interest note on “Mr. Skeffington” in its current tie-in with the picture: “Book choices have a way of getting into the limelight—the Kleiglight rather. Now it’s ‘MR. SKEFFINGTON.’ Bette Davis first read it as a Book-ofthe-Month selection and decided it was her meat. ‘I don’t go browsing through novels hunting for difficult neurotic roles,’ she told someone. ‘But often when I read a story I do catch an imaginary picture of myself playing a certain role.’ That is what happened this time for in the movie version now showing, Miss Davis plays Mr. Skeffington’s wife, Fanny.” 13