The Great Divide (Warner Bros.) (1929)

EXPLOITATION Prologue As a prologue for “The Great Divide,” you can imitate the Spanish fiesta scene in the picture. You will find it illustrated in the press stills at the exchange. The proportion of this prologue can be regulated to conform with your stage facilities and expense. A Spanish dancer should be featured as well as the theme songs “The End of the Lonesome Trail” “Si, Si, Senor.” Your local dancing school might help. Amateur Night Put on an amateur show that will be in keeping with the theme of the picture. Advertise for amateur talent to play and dance as a prologue for “The Great Divide.” Use a scenic backdrop and dress the amateur players in Spanish costumes which you can hire very inexpensively from your local costumer. Dress Your Box-Office By the use of compo-board and your staff artist, you can dress up your box-office to look like the entrance to a log eabin. Signs on the sides of the cabin should eall attention to the fact that “This is the kind of cabin to which Stephen took Ruth when he kidnapped her.” The: novelty alone should attract plenty of attention and sell plenty of tickets. Street Stunt Dress up a rider in clothes similar to the ones worn by Ian Keith in “The Great Divide” (see stills) and have him ride through the busy sections of the town distributing heralds. A sign on his back should read: “I. am riding to the Strand Theatre to see “THE GREAT DIVIDE” with DOROTHY MACKAILL” Art Contest Arrange a contest with your local art schools, through your newspaper for the best scenic drawing illustrating the title, “The Great Divide.” There are many beautiful outdoor stills in the press set at your exchange showing the scenic grandeur of “The Great Divide.” Tack these up in your lobby frames and let the contestants copy them. This is one of the ways in’ which you will bring to the attention of the publie, the beautiful backgrounds in which the story of “The Great Divide” is laid. Send all drawings, properly credited to the artist, to your editor. Narquee Staccatos 100% talking, singing, dancing. Hear 150 mixed voices in the Spanish fiesta_ See and hear the West in all its glory. As big as the Heart of the West. Dear Patron: Next week’s feature attraction at our theatre will be “The Great Divide.’’ This is one of the most famous of American stage plays and now Dorothy Mackaill brings it to the screen as a first NationalVitaphone alli-talking and singing picture. The scenic grandeur of the west forms the background of this wonderful love story and the has caught, alone will be worth the price of admission. But there is a great cast telling a great story, one which we know you will not want to miss. LETTER OVER YOUR MAILING LIST TWO ENTRANCES LOEWS STATE: mE BOWY. OIRECTION~ WEST COAST THEATRES INC, 100% TALKING SINGING DANCING See and hear the gorgeous dancing and singing spectacles at a Mexican fiesta. Park Avenue debutante in the open spaces of the West. She thought she had tasted of every thrill in life, till the kiss of a Western he-man seared her soul! Dorothy Mackaill Ian Keith Myrna Loy Directed by Reginald Barker. Based on play by Wm. Vaughn Moody. Cut No.2 Cut 65¢ Mat rs5c A FIRST NATIONAL & VITAPHONE HIT “Vitaphone” is the registered trade mark of the Vitaphone Corp. designating its products. Camping Outfits Arrange for your local camping outfitter to display camping equipment in your lobby giving him eredit for the display. You might be able to build an imitation camp fire and surround it with the usual camping utensils. In return for this display in your lobby, the merchant should give you a window in which to arrange a similar display. This should be dressed up with stills from the picture and cut-out heads of Dorothy Mackaill as well as a sign ealling their attention to the fact that Dorothy Mackaill in “The Great Divide” will play at your theatre. .« DOFOIhy Mackall Cut No. 16 Cut 35¢ Mat 10c unusual sounds that Vitaphone Yours very truly, STRAND THEATRE TUNEFUL BALLAD THEME SONG OF “GREAT DIVIDE” Ian Keith Sings “At the End of the Lonesome Trail’ in Picture (CURRENT READER) One of the most charming features of “The Great Divide,” Dorothy Mackaill’s starring picture now showing at the Theatre, is the theme song, “At the End of the Lonesome Trail,” It is sung by Ian Keith, and the melody is strikingly appropriate to the settings and atmosphere of this Tomantic drama of the Western desert and mountain country. The song was written by Ray Perkins and Herman Ruby, two of America’s best-known authors of popular ballads. They were leading lights of Broadway and “Tin Pan Alley” until the recent development of Vitaphone pictures lured them, as it has lured so many other songwriters, to the golden West. “The Great Divide” was originally a stage play by William Vaughn Moody which scored one of the greatest successes in the history of the American theatre; but for the purposes of the synchronized sereen it has been provided with a musical score of rare excellence. Cut No.15 Cut 35c¢ Mat roc BEAUTIFUL THEME SONGS Published, Publicized and Plugged by M. WITMARK and SONS 1650 BROADWAY, N. Y. and CITY ADDRESS MANAGER Boston Room 23. Tom Martin 181 Tremont St. Chicago 910 Woods Building Clarence F. Parrish 54 W. Randolph St. Detroit 901 Wurlitzer Bldg. Will Collins Broadway and John R Los Angeles 845 S. Broadway 402 Majestic Theatre Bldg. Art Schwartz Minneapolis First National Pictures, Inc. Phil Ford 1101 First Avenue N Philadelphia 1118 Chestnut St. Joe Fuchs St. Louis 401 Ambassador Thea. Bldg. Elmer MeDonald Denver 1527 Champa St. Jos. L. Mann Pittsburgh Magee Building Ben Fields bE 336 Fourth Ave. : Cincinnati e/o Warner Bros. Merrel Schwarz 1208 Central P’kway “THE END OF THE LONESOME TRAIL” and “SI, SI, SENOR” Words by Herman Ruby — Lyrics by Ray Perkins The beautiful two-colored cover illustrated on this page prominently displays a still from the picture as well as the title. Dummy covers are for tie-ups local music dealers. available with your Ask your local Witmark branch; or write to the executive offices at 1650 Broadway, New York City. Phonograph and Radio Stores It has not been decided as we o to press whether “The End of CSie: “S1, Senor” will be recorded by phono the Lonesome Trail” and graph record companies. Should a deal with Victor and other record companies be consummated, phonograph and radio stores will be good prospects for a window display. Cutouts and stills of Dorothy Mackaill together with copies of the songs will make an attractive. window. Ask your Witmark representative about the recordings. Photograph Title Sheets Stunt Another stunt that would work out to mutual advantage of exhibitors and music stores will be for the exhibitor to purchase a quantity of star photographs of Dorothy Mackaill for distribution by the musi¢ store to the first fifty people that buy copies of “The End of the Lonesome Trail” and “Si, Si, Senor.” Your ad for the picture could be imprinted on the back of the photograph. This will not only spread the popularity of the theme song but will also carry the name of the picture directly into the homes of prospect ticket buyers. And when they hear the songs they will want to see the picture. Herald Distribution An arrangement might be made with your local music store whereby he distributes a quantity of heralds on “The Great Divide” to his customers. On the back of these heralds have imprinted an advertisement announcing that “The Great Divide” contains singing of the theme songs, “The End of the Lonesome Trail” and “Si, Si, Senor.” In consideration of this herald distribution, you should reciprocate by distributing to your patrons a throwaway that the music store should prepare featuring “The End of the Lonesome Trail” and SO1, 3 aie Musical Dough-getters — For Livewire Go-getters Window Streamers A limited supply of window streamers is available on “The End of the Lonesome Trail” and “Si, Si, Senor.” Ask your local Witmark representative. You will find his name and address on this page. These window streamers as well as the title ads, are ready-made advertising material with which to complete your tie-up with your local music dealers. These window streamers are printed in two beautiful colors and give prominent display to the title of the picture as well as to the titles of the songs. Se eas De oe ia aay a There is an exceptionally powerful all-talking and singing trailer on “The Great Divide” at your local exchange. Get it now and show it until your playdate. First National’s all-talking and singing trailers are the most powerful advertising assets at your command. Get Behind Theme Songs Theme songs are powerful box office assets that you cannot afford to overlook. Go after your local radio stations now. Ask them to incorporate “The End of the Lonesome Trail” and “Si, Si, Senor” into their programs. Ask them to announce that these numbers are sung in “The Great Divide” which will play at your theatre on the playdate. Theme Songs “The End of the Lonesome Trail” and “Si, Si, Senor,” are sung in “The Great Divide.” They are featured in the musical synchronization throughout the picture. Herman Ruby and Ray Perkins are ace song writers with many notable hits to their credit. Accessories | On this page you will find a list of Witmark offices where song accessories such as window streamers and title sheets are available. If there is no Witmark branch in your town, ask your local First National exchange manager about the accessories. If you write to the executive offices of Witmark at 1650 Broadway, New York City, you will receive prompt action on any request that you might make.