The Florentine Dagger (Warner Bros.) (1935)

EXPLOITATION A Heavy Build-Up With A Light Budget 9 WAYS TO PUT MYSTERY IN YOUR LOBBY NOTICES Here are a collection of inexpensive. easily-handled ideas which set up the mystery-atmosphere. You'll find they’re all applicable for lobby use particularly. We don’t expect you'll use ’em all—but we do think you can use any of ’em. BLOODY DAGGER Can you borrow an ornately jeweled dagger from a eostumer or jeweler? Placed in an antique chest, it’ll look good with a ecard saying: ‘‘This is a replica of the dagger used by the bloody Borgia family 300 years ago and featured in ‘The Florentine Dagger,’ coming to this Theatre soon.’’ CAN YOU PULL IT OUT ? Another dagger, stuck into a dummy or box, can be made into an interesting stunt. A release mechanism will enable it to be pulled out only at certain times of the day. Passes. of course, to those who ean pull it out. TEASER SNIPE In advance of opening, spot a few 11 x 14 eards with red splotches on them. Lettering says: ‘‘ ‘The Florentine Dagger’ will strike on (Wednesday).’’ Hither draw a dagger on the card, or pin it up with some inexpensive knife affair. ATMOSPHERIC SPOTS Of course, you’ll have the usual vari-colored spots to create that mystery effect... no? DAGGER DISPLAY Librarian or history teacher can help you eollect Florentine, Venetian, Russian, French, Roman and other daggers. Identification eards for the patrons’ sake. GOT ANY MASKS? From that same costumer, you probably ean get life-masks. Card tells gapers that they’re replicas of masks used by the Borgias centuries ago. Tie-in: masks form an important element in solution of picture’s story. BORGIA HISTORY Hero of the picture is supposed to be the last of the Borgias. Any relies you can uncover in town—or photostat blowups of family’s history will give you an authentic lobby. SUSPENDED DAGGER This one is good for lobby or for window of electric company, if you can get it. A ‘‘Florentine Dagger’’ is suspended from the ceiling by a transparent wire of string. (Electricians know the light combinations which will give you the invisible wire effect.) Window-watchers see dagger in mid-air and wonder how come. Copy card, plugging your date, tells "em why but not how. LOBBY KNIFE-THROWERS Part of your lobby, roped off, will make this stunt easy. You rig up a target and provide a few knives or daggers. Patrons can step up and take a shot at the target. Anyone who can make the knife stick in the bull’seye, gets an Annie Oakley. nh : F Twelve minutes of action and mystery plus three minutes of announcement on picture. (Sketch may also be pre sented by your ‘‘Clue Club’’ at their next meeting). You can get enough mimeographed copies for each member of the cast, by writing Campaign Plan Editor, Warner Bros., 321 West 44th Street, N. Y. C. 2 BOOK STORE TIE-UPS Here are two book angles for you to work on: 1. Ben Heeht, author of ‘‘The Florentine Dagger’’ has written many noted books. Copy and stills will simplify a window display... 2. Tie-up window display of books on Borgia history with stills from picture. Copy may read: ‘‘Read about the Borgias, bloody murderers of the 15th century. See the strange story of the last Borgia in ‘The Florentine Dagger’ comTHe SOTHO et eee Theatre.’’ : AUTHOR’S PAST HITS Ben Hecht has turned out many screen hits. Action stills from some of the best, in a lobby frame, will give you another selling angle. Copy identifies past hits, builds up this film, and sets up Ben Hecht for book and other tieups. ~ i MASKED WOMAN BALLY You may lke this one. Woman in black or all white with eye mask to match, promenades through main streets of town distributing throwaways and theatre programs. w j CUT-OUT FROM 6-SHEET Here’s a chance to make a neat full-color marquee flash, over 6-sheet in height. Ilustration shows your artist how our 6Sheet can be revamped. Compare this sketch to poster reproduced on baek page. Ww RADIO SPOT PLUG : Still following the suggestion of Gene Curtis, of Famous Players Canadian, we are continuing these radio spot announcements as a regular feature of our pressbooks. And if you can get the radio time here’s your copy—all ready to take the air... 100-WORD ANNOUNCEMENT A maddened woman flung her arm aloft, held it poised for a lightning second, and _-—the Florentine Dagger had found an other victim. It is the curse of the Borgias come to life in 1935. The most thrilling mystery of the month, chosen by Warner Bros.’ Clue Club experts and written by dynamic Ben Hecht, will open tomorrow hdd EE EES Theatre. Its name is “The Florentine Dagger,” and it stars a new romantic team, Miss Margaret Lindsay and Donald Woods. In the supporting cast, you will see C. Aubrey Smith, as the brilliant psychoanalyst, Robert Barrat, as an Italian Philo Vance, and Florence Fair who will chill you with her mask of flesh. See this mystery it’s different! Ww 4 RADIO FLASH TEASER | If you can get a break at your local stations, get a woman’s scream, followed by one of those horrible heh-heh-heh laughs. Then the menacing voice: ‘‘ ‘The Florentine Dagger’ has struck again.’’ DAGGER TEASER SPOTTED : IN COOPERATING STORES You know the large stores in your town; you’re familiar with the small ones. Plant one dagger (or papier maché duplieate) in each of many stores around town. Bury part of the blade in a grape-fruit if it’s a food store; in a cake if it’s the bake shop, ete. Have each card ask one question such as: (1) How much does The Florentine Dagger weigh? (2) How deep is blade imbedded’? (3) How wide is the blade? Plant these daggers and questions all over town. And, of course, don’t forget ecards announcing picture, where, when and who. Ww e MASK DISPLAY IN STORES Department and novelty stores sell masks. Arrange for window displays with store managers and ask permission to put stills alongside. Order the following stills which show masks: FD63, 75, 78; DR Pub L, O, PG By es Ww : GIANT MARQUEE DAGGER | A compo board, radium paint dagger, with spotlights playing, will give you that effective marquee display. Carpenter can cut out dagger and spray it with radium paint. Copy on it sells title and stars. Same idea could be used in lobby, with addition of scene stills and catchlines from ads. Ww é DICKS ON LOBBY P.A. For a flash opening, you might invite local sleuths to talk over lobby P.A. system. A famous crime that parallels the one in picture could be the subject. Staff announcer could question ’em as to how, why, and when. Don’t forget to let the papers know about the stunt. You might ask ’em to send reporters down to hear the detectives’ spiel. Ps i FOR PERSONAL COLUMNS _ Use gag copy in personal columns of local papers. Roxy in N. Y. featured it in a recent campaign. Here are a couple of samples: MARIO—Mother frantic at disappearance of The Florentine Dagger. Beg you to Fetarib aie ta THe fae ae Se Theatre manager, ; LUCREZIA CESARE—Mario has vanished with the Florentine Dagger. Must be apprehended at once. No telling what he’ll do. Mother prostrate. Manager of seeSaea coe he ee tee Theatre will help. LUCREZIA REMINDER: The 6-Day *“Clue Game’? Contest in the press book for “The White Cockatoo’’ is still good. Have you seen it? Page Three