Sweet Music (Warner Bros.) (1935)

Easy Advance Promotion and Displays. . TITLE ON CURTAIN coming Ruby VALLEE Sweer Music” Curtain sells coming attractions for Johnnie McAuliffe of the Haven Theatre, Olean, N.Y. Letters are of plain cardboard in contrast with color of curtain. Ilustration shows simplicity of idea. @ MUSIC NOTE CUT-OUTS For lobby and marquee, small cutouts to resemble musical notes, each note bearing one letter from title. String ‘em from bulbs under marquee and in ~ lobby. Another idea, large letters floating over theatre on gas balloons. Lettered and outlined with luminous paint, notes’ll show up nicely at night. ANIMATED LOBBY PIECE Artist and electrician can fix Vallee fullfigure, so that arm holding baton moves up and down. On upper house-front, with baby-spots playing, action-piece should look right smart! @ MEMPHIS MOVING FRONT Illustration above is modeled after front used on “Wonder Bar” by Bill Hendricks of Memphis. Closely following Bill’s idea, Vallee’s arms are animated, moving up and down. Bill also suggests making a _ synthetic broadcasting station by placing P. A. system in vacant store window with loudspeakers outside. Play Vallee records on turntable. CUTOUTS FROM POSTERS All posters feature heads of stars, in different colors. Properly varnished and cut out, they ought to look good on front, on marquee, or upper housefront. Baby spots on ‘em for that ‘sweet effect’! Take a slant at the poster page for a better ideal a ‘VARIETY’ LINGO TRANSLATION CONTEST In the two stories below, No. 1 is written in Variety’s unique style; Story No. 2 is the same story written in usual newspaper style. Story No. 1 is printed in newspaper, on throwaway, or in any way you want. Best translations win ducats or promoted prizes. Translations need not be word-for-word, as long as entrants catch every thought, skipping none of the tough words. Story No. 2 is provided as a guide to you; showing how yarn can look when rewritten. Value: every entrant reads and digests nice plug for the picture... (Story No. 1) Rudy’s First New Deal Pic Brings Him W. B. Term Pact Rudy Vallee, whose labors as an air emcee have made him tops in the field, unveils his first WB pic, “Sweet Music”, at the Strand Wednesday eve. Rudy, sans meg, yodels bakers’ half-dozen hit tunes, especially scribed for his opus. Femme lead is played by Ann Dvorak, flitting from straight roles and premiering as a hoof-and-mouther. Add heart interest from Helen Morgan, torchy hanky-wringer of “Show Boat’. Sextette of ace howl-provokers numbers Ned’ Sparks, Allen Jenkins, Alice White, Robert Armstrong, Joe Cawthorn, Al Shean. Two orchs grind chunes, with Vallee’s own org, the Yankees, naming, and Frank and Milt Britton’s break-away outfit for specialties. Pic, rumor says, is filled with heart, eye, ear, and funnybone elements. Tale is of a boy stude whose musickers click in swank niteries, with head man (Rudy) causing palps as megger. Girl toe-artist (Ann) boosted by boy, melts after Arctic troubles. Rudy’s cellluloid effort socked biz for loop in first runs, and is expected to boom the nabe indies. On strength of b.o., WB have pacted white-haired boy for future trio. Opener, under new pact, is in cooler for moment but is skeded for Fall. @ 5 TIEUP SUGGESTIONS TUNE-HUNTING IN CLASSIFIED SECTION “There’s SWEET MUSIC in Our Classified Ads” can be line newspaper uses. Readers have to find song titles in ads by taking one word from first, another from second, etc. Those finding most song titles are in line for ducats to your show. WITH THE YEAST MEN ‘Try getting local distributor of Fleischman’s Yeast (Company sponsoring Vallee’s broadcasts) to work with you on picture. Co-op window cards, throwaways and package inserts might result. RADIO STORE WINDOWS Tie-up sign in radio store windows reads: “Hear Rudy Vallee, Star of ‘SWEET MUSIC’ On The Air Thursday Night With A New Stromtor Radio”. Mention of your showing follows. TIE-UPS IN BLOOM Here’s a line to tie-up with the orchid displays: ‘Orchids to Rudy Vallee, Star of ‘SWEET MUSIC’, now playing at the Strand.” Q IMITATIN’ RUDY 7 Impersonators will find material in Vallee and Helen Morgan numbers. Let ’em do their stuff on stage or over cooperating radio station, working exclusively with ‘Sweet Music’ tunes. (Story No. 2) Vallee’s Ist Motion Picture Gets Him W. B. Contract Rudy Vallee, whose work as a radio master-of-ceremonies has made him foremost in that field, will open in his first motion picture for Warner Bros., “Sweet Music’, at the Strand Wednesday evening. Rudy, without the megaphone which made him famous, will sing six hit songs, written especially for this picture. The female lead is played by Ann Dvorak, who leaves dramatic parts for her first chance at singing and dancing. Additional love interest is furnished by Helen Morgan, dramatic singing star of “Show Boat”. Six well-known comedians are also listed, including Ned Sparks, Allen Jenkins, Alice White, Robert Armstrong, Joe Cawthorn, and Al Shean. Two orchestras provide the melodies, with Valtee’s own organization, the Yankees, fea. tured, and Frank and Milt Britton’s roughae band, providing specialty num. ers. 2 Rumor has it that the picture is filled with romance, beauty, music, and comedy. It is a story of a young student, whose orchestra makes good in stylish night clubs, with its — leader (Rudy) breaking hearts as the singer. | He helps a young dancer (Ann) who finally falls for him, after numerous. tiffs and frigid set-tos. Rudy’s film did excellent business in the larger cities, and is expected to show fine returns in the independent neighborhood theaters. On the strength of the box-office returns, Warner Bros. have signed Vallee for three more films. The first one under the new contract, has been set aside for the time being, but is scheduled for the Fall. f RUDY RADIO IN LOBBY ~— ‘ a. | MLL TUNE IN ON RUDY VALLEE SSN TURN THE KNOB AND HEAR RUDY SING THE HIT SONGS FROM SWEET MUSIC THE WARNER BROS. MUSICAL, COMING FEB. 28—1 WEEK Your.artist could rig up an imitation radio, like illustration, to set in lobby. Then your electrician can get to work, attaching a victrola in back of it, so that when knob is turned, the Vallee recordings from the picture are played. It isn’t very difficult— really! Page Five