Numbered Men(Warner Bros.) (1930)

Newspaper Contests! Lobby Stunts! Street Tie-ups! Ballyhoos! PLAY UP THESE ANGLES IN SELLING THE PICTURE The timeliness of the story. The romance behind the jailbreaks. The honor system. Actual shots of San Quentin where much of the picture was made. The excellent cast. The marvelous direction. The inside story of prison riots. The riot itself with hundreds of convicts in one mad dash for freedom. Keep your exploitation dignified. Newspaper Contest Here is a chance to arouse in Newspaper Contest With the co-operation of your tensive reader discussion of a topic | joeaq] newspaper arrange a contest that has been continually headlined in newspapers everywhere. offering prizes to the persons hav Through the columns of your local ing the nearest thumbprint to that sheet, offer prizes of tickets to “Numbered Men” for the best argument for or against the present day “honor system” in effect in many State and Federal prisons. Explain in your announcement that the temptation to escape under lessened supervision of convicts placed upon -the ‘honor role’ is vividly depicted in the photoplay. The discussion should be, “is it good policy to reward ‘Numbered Men’ with more __ freedom of action for good conduct records.” this ‘Honor system’ be confined to lesser offenders against society, and short term prisoners or is there too much coddling generally of prisoners. Has anyone a better solution for encouraging discipline than the ‘honor systems’ now in vogue? Publish the best of these articles daily during period of contest and appoint as judges besides the editor of cooperating paper, local police and prison officials. Illustrate each day’s contest story with scenes from “Numbered Men.” Unusual Street Stunt Here is an idea that will sell “Numbered Men” in a big way and make every man and boy a walking ad for the picture. Have a few thousand tags made up with string attached, by which they can be tied to the lapels of coats. On these tags have printed on both sides “NUMBERED MEN” MINE IS (serial number). These tags should be numbered serially from 1 up to the last of amount printed. Place these tags in small envelopes bearing following copy. THIS MAY BE A LUCKY NUMBER! WEAR THIS TAG IN PLAIN VIEW! and watch for the ticket of Leave Convicts who are about town and have a list of the entitling 100 lucky numbers “Numbered Men” to Free Tickets to see this thrilling photodrama at the Blank Theatre. Every tag worn in plain view will be inspected. Watch for the Convicts! Ask the “question, shouid | of Conrad Nagel’s Claire’s. How closely does your thumbprint resemble these and Bernice Bernice Claire’s Thumbprint Cut No. 22 Conrad Nagel’s Thumbprint Cut 20¢c Mat 5c Lobby Stunt Try this one in conjunction with or independently of the newspaper finger-print tie-up. Arrange in various spots in the lobby or in the front of the theatre large sheets of white paper mounted on a compo board for a stiffener. In the center of the sheet have an enlargement of the fingerprints of Bernice Claire and Conrad Nagel mounted. It would be easier to keep track of the stunt if the prints of Claire and Nagel are mounted on separate sheets. Imprint the following at the top of each sheet: Five pairs of passes will be given to those persons whose finger prints most nearly represent Conrad Nagel’s and Bernice Claire’s. They will be seen here in “Numbered Men” on The way to work this stunt is to have a Bertillon or black ink pad handy so that any person wishing may make an impression on the paper, pencil a ring around his thumbprint, and autographing same for identification. Perhaps it would be worth the extra expense when announcing the winners to print their finger print with the listing of the names. i SR eS ber and compare with list. If not included on his list he informs the tag-wearer that the other convict Distribute these envelopes con-| has another list and that he still taining tags through every medium at your command to all males. Put out several young men attired in convict gray and give each a separate list of lucky numbers. If two “inspectors” are used furnish each with one half the entire list and so on. They are to approach every person wearing a tag and note the num Page Six has a chance to win. This stunt can be tied up with leading merchants and department stores by arranging to advertise that a ‘Convict’ in search for “Numbered certain hou This presents an angle for special newspaper ads placed by. cooperating merchants. Poster Cutouts In “Numbered Men,” the 24-sheet lends itself particularly to marquee display purposes. The figure of Ralph Ince placed over the menacing marquee and spotted in a green spot or flood light is a great attention getter. goes great as a street ballyhoo. Similar use may be made of the six sheet. The cutout heads.on the three sheets are admirable for any number of purposes—lobby trims, shadow box, decorative base for art panels, Or mounted on a truck it and tieup window displays. The value of the poster cutouts cannot be underestimated. They can be put to many uses and are away from the routine of usual display material. Neatly executed cutouts are units that find ready acceptance from cooperating dealers who ordinarily bar the standard type of tieup trim from their windows. Special Preview Run a special preview of “Numbered Men” and invite the local newspaper men, police, court, prison and the local political officers. Run their official statements in connection with your local ads. Word your invitation so that the people invited will expect something out of the ordinary. Dispiay — Lobby Easel Mount the following excerpt from Oscar Wilde’s poem Ballad of Reading Gaol on an easel. Set your lobby and illustrate the poem with appropriate stills from the This type of: lobby is a and 11 in picture. good attention getter sales builder. “T never saw a man who looked With such a wistful eye Upon that little rent of blue Which prisoners call the sky, And at every drifting cloud that went With sails of silver by. Souvenir Photos Every movie fan in the world would welcome the opportunity to secure an autographed photo of Bernice Claire and no better way to fill that certain off matinee or “supper” capacity audience can be devised than to advertise a special Souvenir Photo Performance. show with a These photos ordered in quantities are reasonable in cost and can be secured through your exchange. Vitaphone | Accessories Available at your local exchanges are many Vitaphone accessories that will help you cash in on the million dollar Vitaphone advertising cam| ‘paign. ‘ ‘mats; Men” will be at so-and-so store at a} sv Free trade mark euts and Vitaphone slug cuts; Vita phone SEEEUEY manager. paper and a free Vitaphone ||| 24-sheet are on hand. Ask your ac Some Don’ts To Watch In Advertising And Exploitation Don’t sell “Numbered Men’’ as just another jail break story. It’s a big, dramatic love story told with a prison background. Don’t decorate the front of your theatre to look like a prison. Keep it etc. Don’t mix into politics either by statement or implication. Don’t glorify convicts. Don’t have striped convicts parading. Don’t forget the romantic angle of this picture. WHIRLWIND CAMPAIGN By whirlwind campaign in this instance, we refer to a concentrated drive for a box-office record, bringing into play the augmented advertising mediums you would usually employ, doubled and tripled, together with every other exploitation medium than can constructively hook up with these units. “Numbered Men” is the biggest picture you have ever played. That is a fact you must sell to your public in the most convincing way. you have ever sold anything. BILL LIKE A CIRCUS The posters and other accessories on “Numbered Men” are of strictly bigtime calibre, the liberal use of yee aCveiivaws portance of this Wonlertal attraction. Beg, borrow and steal every stand location in town. Plaster every available ‘shot’ with the smaller posters. Lithograph every empty window. Bill the limit with window eards. Herald the town like it has never been heralded before, SUPPLEMENTARY BILLING Don’t be satisfied in grabbing off every standard poster location. Send out a “bucket brigade’ along the highways, the site of buildings under construction and being dismantled, barns, fences and every available spot where a snipe can be posted. For this campaign get out type one and three sheets with copy similar to following: “NUMBERED MEN” Tells the Inside Story of Jail Riots with Conrad Nagel Bernice Claire Raymond Hackett Strand Next Week Get out tack cards with same copy and “hit” every post, tree and spot available. No matter where a person turns let your “Numbered Men” message meet his gaze. tn nna tas = which 1s bouna to ne Watch The Newspapers the stories and enlarge them for lobby and outside display. Dress them up with stills from the picture, and catchlines reading “This is what happens in ‘Numbered Men’ PLACE CARD This unit in itself establishes class. Deliver generous supplies of neatly executed place cards bearing copy suggested here, to managers of principal hotels, and headwaiters of your leading restaurants and cabarets. These should be welcomed on account of the gesture of friendliness these cards embody for their guests and patrons. The usual complimentaries for the co-operating parties are in order and arrange that in the case of hotels, these cards are placed in each mail box or under the glass top of desk in rooms and in restaurants at the plate of each patron. Here is your copy. -WE. LIKE TO FEEL THAT YOU ARE OUR HONORED GUEST, BECAUSE YOU ENJOY THE GOOD THINGS IN LIFE, APPRECIATE OT™ EFFORTS TO PLEASE 4 OUR PERSONAL PLEASU. IN MAKING YOU WELCOME. MIGHT WE SUGGEST FOR YOUR FURTHER ENJOYMENT, THE WITNESSING OF THAT HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ATTRACTION, “NUMBERED MEN” AT THE STRAND THEATRE. THE MANAGEMENT With a slight alteration of copy, these cards are ideal for taxis and bus lines, also as counter cards in leading stores and smart shops. PAPER BAGS An additional angle is furnished here, namely supplying one or more grocers with a few thousand standard sized paper bags carrying the following imprint. THANK YOU. CALL AGA’ IN FURTHER APPREC. TION MIGHT WE MAKE ._ SUGGESTION THAT WILL MAKE YOUR SHOPPING EX PEDITION ALL THE MORE PROFITABLE. BY ALS MEANS SEE “NUMBERED MEN” AT THE STRAND. for headline news about jails. Clip 99 etc.