The Mad Genius (Warner Bros.) (1931)

gee EXPLOITATION AND SPECIAL X. Ploitation Says: D r amatic Highlight “The Mad Genius’”’ is by far Barrymore's , x | greatest acting achievement in his stage or of the screen career. It overshadows anything Year @ WOMEN— he is your master! Beware of his mad power! that he has ever done before. In addition, you have as box-office bait Marian Marsh, the girl who has received more publicity in the last six months than any other player on the screen and to doubly insure the boxoffice success of this picture, Warner Bros. give you Charles Butterworth, Donald Cook, Carmel Meyers and Luis Alberni. The important angles on which to base your campaign are Barrymore, the cast and one of the most startling stories the screen has ever known. Read This: Nothing could be more effective, nor in keeping with the theme of the picture than to stage a puppet prologue on the stage of your theatre. Puppet shows were the vogue many years ago and it would be a distinct novelty to revive one for the prologue of ‘‘The Mad Genius.”” Such a show would be more than an effect presentation. It would be a tremendous boxoffice value and would be a medium for an unusual amount of publicity and word of mouth advertising. Select one of the scenes from the picture and have it enacted by the puppets. Be careful not to overdo this prologue as puppet shows become very monotonous unless they are exceptionally conducted. It should not run more than six or seven minutes. The puppets should be costumed in keeping with the costumes worn by the players of ““The Mad Genius.”’ Though prologues are not as popular as they were years ago, this one offers you a chance to really cash in on one that is absolutely novel, distinctive and boxoffice. Another way of putting on this puppet show is to hire four dancing girls and dress them up to look exactly , like puvpets with straw hair and clothes to correspond = with the ninr_.s shown in “The Mad Genius.” ~~ | course, this presentation is more in the form of a dance with pantomime taking the place of dialogue. You might be able to tie up with a local dancing school and get these girls in return for the publicity you would give the school on your screen and im your theatre program. MAD in his desires | to possess the soul | of another man! MAD inhis methods of ruling a woman’s secret passions! MAD, stark mad -3 4 When one girl dares sidefy his demands! sinister terrifying reality of = this performance. 1! dominating, fearful as The MAD GENIUS with MARIAN MARSH with enlarged heads of Charles Butterworth, who has become one of the ace comedians of the | Hew . Crisler) Sec: oe ! Mad longings! A monster playing with the souls of his fellow beings! Weird drama as only Barrymore can create it! LOBBY DISPLAY It is important that you do not confine your lobby display to any one particular angle of é fie ne. Tie best oe to | Press and star sets, showing the : love scenes between Marian include every angle is to follow the following suggestions. Marsh and Donald Cook. BUTTERWORTH Donald Cook Get over the romantic angle by enlarging stills from your NO WOMAN WILL WANT TO MISS IT The theme of your lobby 35¢ 1 Con’t. MAIN “ COLISEUM 4th St. A Warner Bros. and pee Vitaphone Picture Cut No. 24 Cut 4oc Mat roc Performance Noon ’til Midiigh == Play up straight heads of Barrymore with copy describing his dramatic achievement in the role of ‘‘The Mad Genius’’ (see press sheet ads). Minimize the display of Barrymore in character. Play up Marian Marsh, the sensational new screen star. Suggest the comedy relief should be more in the artistic than the ballyhoo style. ‘‘The Mad Genius’’ is a picture of distinction. It cannot be sold as anything else. Every stunt, ad or display should be distinetive. Keep your campaign on as high a level as the picture itself. A Warner Bros. & Vitaphone Hit CAPITOL Cut No. 25 Cut 20c Mat 5c IMPORTANT COMMENT The ads in this press sheet have been designed along two definite lines. Some contain heads of John Barrymore in DRAMATIC LOBBY SUGGESTIONS THAT CARRY FORCE AND APPEAL the character of ‘‘The Mad Genius,’’ while others show Barrymore ‘‘straight.’’ We have followed this procedure in order to give every exhibitor a choice depending entirely upon the particular way in which his patrons have received John Barrymore in the past. If your public likes to see Barrymore in characterizations, you will naturally use the head of him in character. Should your patrons desire to see Barrymore in straight roles, use the straight heads of him. No matter which campaign you use you can be sure, that. once the customers are in your thea JOHN Barry More The .Mad Geni Genius} JOHN BARRYMORE the Mad Genius | THEMAD D GENIUS Enlarge still (Mad Genius 71) and | Mount stills (Mad Genius 92 and | Enlarge still (Mad Genius 70) and| Mount enlarged stills of (Mad Barrymore 43) with flesh tint over | run in natural tone. Background of Genius 4, 9, 92) and run flesh tint both faces. Circles in back of | man’s head is in yellow with girls | over features. Ground of heads ts a a 8 h Barrymore’s head in different shades | dress in pink against blue ground.|in black. Barrymore is in maroon, tre, they will receive the greatCast and copy in purple | Barrymore is in maroon, title and | title is in yellow with copy in dark est sereen treat Barrymor copy dark blue on green panel. blue on an orchid background. has ever given them. run in natural tones covering background in maroon. Title and copy in purple and Barrymore in bright red | of green. on a cream ground. and title in red on a white ground. cn. eae