The Great O'Malley (Warner Bros.) (1937)

“THE GREAT O'MALLEY” BASED ON THE COP ANGLE LECTURES SCHOOL ON TRAFFIC RULES One of the film’s big moments is the scene in which little Sybil Jason is knocked down by a car and badly injured. Which suggests something that will make a good object lesson for school kids. Traffic squads usually send an officer around to the schools, lecturing in assemblies on the need of children to observe all the safety rules. This officer certainly can be persuaded to use the incident in the film to make his point clearer and even more forceful. Officer can add a bit about a policeman’s life and training — this always interests children. If there is no such program at present, the police chief should welcome the suggestion. POLICE DAY Merchants’ Associations and city officials usually set aside one day in the year to honor policemen — Police Day or Safety First Day. If they have such plans, it should be advantageous to them to set aside this day during the run of this picture. Merchants will be particularly anxious to tie in with you on co-op ads and window displays. Lobby space can be devoted to police clippings, etc., and you might even go for special stage show. Worth trying—publicity like this can double your business. If you think you can work this stunt — and you want to do it in right style —let your eye roam over these two pages, you ought to be able to pick up plenty of ideas. Have your artist make a cutout of O’Brien in police uniform, twirling his club. Mounted on top of marquee and walking back and forth, figure makes good eye-catcher and swell plug for film. As figure of cop turns around at the end of each circuit of marquee, it should be painted on both sides. TEST REACTIONS Local university, auto school, or auto license bureau might have a reactometer on hand, which registers time it takes automobile drivers to react to various situations. If they can lend you one, set it up in the lobby and invite patrons to give it a try—it’s plenty of fun and helpful too. Tell folks that in conjunction with showing of this film, you are starting a ‘Better Driving’ campaign. Psychologist or license bureau official can help give tests and explain to standersby how to Operate reactometer, discussing some of the results already obtained from its use. STREET DRAMA Have Keystone-ish cop hail ‘planted’ car over to curb. Cop and driver start to put on ‘ticket’ act with some special gags that should hit the crowd just in the right spot. When crowd gets big enough, actors go in to plug for picture, cop claiming to be ‘The Great O’Malley.’ Cop then gets mad and hands out tickets to the whole crowd, but of course they’re really heralds. SKIRTS THE LAW Dress up clownish-looking fellow in skirts which are obviously too long for him. As he skips down the street passersby read sign on his back, which says: “You can’t skirt with the law when ‘The Great O’ Malley’ is pounding his beat.” He hands out heralds and you have a very good plug for your show. A bit gaggy, we admit, but effective—and it’s gags they want these days, anyways. Another angle on this stunt would be to have Keystone cop arrest ‘skirter.’ The two ballyers walking side-by-side make certain that idea isn’t missed, and adds a bit more ‘zip’ to an already surefire stunt. And it won’t hurt stunt at all if they do a bit of ‘kidding around’ on their own—give crowd some entertainment while they’re being ‘ballyed.’ CE BE CARETUL | ge ‘s CROSSING THIS STREET u'll be that much 1 nearer warning to the kids. OLDEST COP Oldest officer on force probably has a reportory of exciting tales in which your townfolk should be particularly interested. Invite him to the opening —perhaps he can be persuaded to make a stage appearance. SIGNS AROUND SCHOOLS | hes ta | CAS = Plant signs at crossings near school houses reading something like this: “Be Careful Crossing This Street. You'll be That Much Nearer to ‘The Great O’Malley,’ playing at the Strand Theatre.” Not only a good plug for the picture but a good EAPEO!TLATTON a AIR PLUGS If you go in for spot announcements on the radio, the most opportune ‘air’ time for your purposes is after G-Men programs like Dick Tracy, Dan Dunn, etc., since those listeners will surely want to see show. TRICK POLICE BROADCAST If you’d like to use a radio plug resembling a police broadcast, see how the one below suits you: Announcer: Calling all movie-goers! Calling all movie-goers! Proceed at once to the Strand Theatre, corner of Greene and Maple. It’s “The Great O’Malley’ and a great picture. Corner of Greene and Maple. This is a MUST order—hurry! Don’t miss it! It’s got Pat O’Brien, as two-fisted a cop as ever beat a street! Sybil Jason, Humphrey Bogart, Ann Sheridan, and Frieda Inescort. “The Great O’Malley’—the Strand Theatre. Go! That’s all. POLICE CAR Deck out large sedan to look as much like police car as possible. Install siren and ride around streets, bannering car in rear with your plug. COP'S SHOES Get a few pairs of those big heavy shoes ‘flatfoots’ are supposed to wear, and place them in street in front of box office. Small easel-backed card says—‘All the cops in town are sneaking off their beats to see ‘The Great O’ Malley’ .” STATEMENTS If you invite chief of police to opening, he’d probably like film enough so that it would be cinch for you to get statement from him plugging film. HANDSOMEST “Who's the handsomest cop in town?” Why not have your patrons leave their ballots at theatre stating which cop they think should take Adonis honors. Presentation should be made to ‘good-looker’ on stage of your theatre, with reporters present. Page Five