Sons o Guns (Warner Bros.) (1936)

This page has been designed for the busy smaller theatre manager. Ideas cover every campaign angle with special emphasis placed on small cash _ out-lay. NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY THE TRAILER The Vitaphone trailer on this film is fast and funny ... the best possible house advertising medium. Be sure to start screening it well in advance of your showing. LOBBY EXPLOITATION You ean probably borrow a victrola, if you haven’t one already, and the same goes for a laugh record. Play it so that front passers-by and lobby-lookers hear it coming from inside of theatre, giving ’em an idea of how hilarious the audience gets. You can also use laugh record stunt, as described on page 4, by playing it as a background for all phone ealls — letting people on other end of line think it’s your audience. POSTER CUT-OUTS Cut-outs below are taken right from the posters. They can be used for the marquee, front or lobby. 24-SHEET 1-SHEET 3-SHEET 6-SHEET Page Ten In the publicity section of this book, you'll find stories specially written for your theatres. Look ’em over, pick the ones your local daily or weekly would probably use, and send ’em in. Many of the shorts have been written with an eye for use in programs. Be sure to note the lead-off story, opening day story and review on page 24. If you find that there’s no outlet for the publicity stories in your situation, why not mount some of ’em on bulletin board in lobby. Cost for this stunt — not a cent. | 3-DAY CONTEST If newspaper co-operation is impossible, the 3-day contest on page 9 of this book can be adapted very easily for a lobby contest. You clip the illustrations and contest stories and mount them daily on a board in lobby. Sign tells patrons all about contest and offers 10 pair of ducats to the winning answer. Best part of contest is that contestants have to come to lobby for three days in order to qualify. They write their answers on paper which is provided — and then drop ’em in ballot box. All you need is a board, a sign and some paste. Actual cost — 10 pair of dueats. Fair enough ? TIE-UP SUGGESTIONS DEPARTMENT STORES On page 13 of this book, you'll find a series of tie-up ads illustrated. Why not try contacting a few store managers on the possibility of their giving you a cooperative ad or window display. Just order one of each still — and then show manager how they’d look in an ad (this, by letting him peek at the page in the pressbook). In the event that store doesn’t advertise in newspapers — suggest that they use still or two for window displays ... adding sign plugging film. Cost on this one? A dime a still. BOOK STORES John O’Hara, famous novelist, wrote a feature story on Joe EK. Brown, illustrated on page 21. Why not suggest that a book shop feature his books during week of film, and post the page from the pressbook on their window . . . or incorporate it as part of their display. BASEBALL BALLYS If there’s any interest in baseball in your town, page 8 will give you many inexpensive stunts on this angle. You'll find em especially suited for sandlot, school and semi-pro teams. NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING 1-eol ad and slug reproduced here were prepared especially for your campaign. While they’re small space takers, all of the show’s highlights are featured with plenty of room left over for theatre and playdate copy. Blow the Bugles!— Beat the Drums! ei is coming in SONS. O'GUNS From That Famous Musical Stage Hit, with BLONDELL PA BEVERLY ROBERTS > ERIC-BLORE WINIFRED SHAW CRAIG REYNOLDS JOSEPH KING ROBT. BARRAT Songs by Werren& Dubin 27. Lines . Mat. No. 116.—.10c It’s ove FUN AN{ “BRIGHT LIGHTS”! \ BROWN SONS 0’ GUNS 10 AN BL QHIELL Mat No. 115 — 10e STREET BALLY For a street bally, all you have to do is pick up the suggestion on page 4. Get a stout usher and a very thin one. Paint two sandwich signs for them, the fatty’s saying he saw film and the skinny’s saying that he didn’t. Fatty laughs and skinny frowns. Simple? And it’ll just cost the time off you give the ushers and the price of paper and paint.