The Silk Express (Warner Bros.) (1933)

The following adaptation of the always popular “code puzzle” is sure to arouse much interest by its novelty. The sentence presented in code for deciphering is: SILK EXPRESS IS THE MOST EXCITING MYSTERY PICTURE OF THE YEAR. Tie up with local newspaper with the understanding that beside the story inaugurating the contest, the two patterns showing the “code” and the sentence in code be printed. Offer guest tickets to the twenty-five persons who first send to the Silk Express Code Editor, care of your theatre, the correct answer. SENTENCE WRITTEN IN CODE, DANDY NEWSPAPER CONTEST Below are the two designs which explain the “code” which is used to represent different letters of the alphabet. For example, the lines forming a right-angle, at the upper lefthand corner, stand for the letter A; the letter B is represented by the same right-angle, with the addition of the dot. The letter I is represented by the square shown at the centre of the design; the letter J is shown by the same square, with the added dot. And so with all the other letters. The sentence is printed in “code.” Contestants by use of the two patterns figure out the words. Decipher Code Sentence and See The “Silk Express” Free Guest ‘Tickets to Strand Offered by The News to First 25 Readers Sending in Solutions the Warner Bros. photoplay which comes to the .. . . Theatre O« of the many thrilling sequences in “The Silk Express,” next, is that in which someone on the “Silk Express” sends a mysterious message in code to a group of silk speculators intent on preventing the train from reaching its destination, New York. In connection with this fact, Manager of the Strand Theatre, and the News offer a brain-teaser in the form of a ‘code’ pen Nene cit ED hE etl sentence. Guest tickets to “The Silk Express” will be awarded the first twenty-five persons who send correct wording of the sentence to the Silk Express Code Editor, care of the -... Theatre. The key to the code is shown by the illustrations given. For example: It will be seen that the letter A is represented by the lines forming a right angle, in the upper left-hand corner of the pattern. The letter B is indicated by the same angle with the addition of a dot. To further illustrate: The letter I is represented hy the square in the centre, while J is shown by the same square with the dot. And so on. You'll have a lot of fun working out the sentence which is given in code. It’s not too hard and not too easy. Get busy and perhaps you’ll be one of the twenty-five who will see the years biggest thriller as the guest of the .... Theatre. The strong cast of “The Silk Express” is headed by Neil Hamilton, Sheila Terry, Arthur Byron, Dudley Digges, Allen Jenkins and Guy Kibbee. Now for your Sherlock Holmes stuff! Decipher the “Silk Express” message. (MESSAGE) VOEC LARMFLVV OV Va3L VWVV LAUDVOAI IvVLF> MOUVCFL Nt VIL LIF The CODE and MESSAGE iNustrations are available in one unit. Cut No. 17 Cut 30c Mat 10c Newspaper Style Lobby Bulletin With “Silk Express” Headlines Price up news bulletins, using bold black lettering on a special 40x60, made up of ordinary manila paper to resetnble the notices posted in front of newspaper offices. Post two a day for several days before the date of the picture. Use in lobby or in prominent window, with action. stills from the picture used as a border for the bulletin board. You can also have this bulletin board made up to resemble a railroad station bulletin board. First Bulletin: (Post at beginning). EXTRA! World Supply of Silk Reported Cornered! Fashion Centres Report Coming Vogue of Silk! Price of Silk Soars As Shortage Is Reported! Post Second Day: Silk Manufacturers to Import “The Silk Express,” Own Silk in Fight Against Silk | Profiteers! Silk Cargo Lands | Page Eigh: Plot Unearthed in Port of Seattle in Fight Against Artificial | $3,000,000 in Silk Unloaded in Record Time and Placed Shortage! Aboard “Silk Express” Post third day: Silk Express” Heavily Guarded Leaves Seattle for New York! to Prevent Arrival of Valuable “Silk. = Express” Silk Speculators Reported Ready to Resort to Des erat Methods to Stop Silk Rapioos! Post fourth day: Fire Breaks Out on Mystery Express! Man Discovered Murdered on Silk Express in Burning Silk Laden Train! I Loaded with Thrills, Arrives at the Strand Tonight! FINE LOBBY AND FRONT IDEAS THAT BALLYHOO “SILK EXPRESS” A great flash to ballyhoo “Silk Express” in your lobby and on your front may be effected inexpensively in the following ways: To announce the coming of “Silk Express,” put up a big map showing ‘ the cross-country railroad route from Seattle to New York. A week before the engagement opens start a red tape from Seattle, advancing the tape daily to marked spaces indicating the number of days remaining before it reaches your theatre. Final destination should be your playdate. Over this display carry the following copy: “ON ITS WAY! ‘SILK EXPRESS’ — THE NON STOP THRILLER—DUE HERE” (Date). Effective animation can easily be worked by having a toy electric train run around a level of this display. Every time the train reaches the front of the display it illuminates a set of electric letters or a transparency reading, “SILK EXPRESS” DUE HERE (playdates). Surround this display with railroad semaphores, flags, lamps, signals and other equipment secured from your local railroads; and plenty of action stills from “Silk Express.” In setting up such displays, do not overlook the thrill-packed incidents on the “SILK EXPRESS.” Use a large blackboard on the style of a station announcement board listing all the thrills: “Silk Express” racing against death! Murder in the baggage car of “The Silk Express”’! Silk speculators secretly working to wreck the train! Who killed the man on “The Silk Express”? What weapon was used to kill? One woman among thirteen strange men! Everyone is suspected on “The Silk Express”! Something every minute on this treasure laden train! “Silk Express” (List Stars) Due Here (playdates) The bulletin board resembling that, office, with a sign over the box office in front of a newspaper office mentioned elsewhere in this exploitation section can also be used. Everything you use in your lobby can be moved out for your front display. Augment your front display with strong billing of the large cast of stars and plenty of action stills. The front of your box office can be made to resemble a railroad ticket reading: “GET ON BOARD THE ‘SILK EXPRESS.’ STARTS HERE DAILY.” Then give time of showings and a complete listing of the thrills in the picture as given above. the thrill selling copy picked up from Your street man or an usher can be dressed as a train conductor and hand out railroad tickets to passersby. This novelty is described elsewhere in this merchandising plan. LOCOMOTIVE SET PIECE FOR LOBBY AND FRONT DISPLAY GUY KI6BBEE SHELLA TERRY ARTHUR BYRON DUDLEY DIGGES HAROLD HUBER ALLEN JENKINS The lobby set piece sketched above which can be made with little effort and expense, will serve as an attention-getting advertising stunt in advance of your opening of “SILK EXPRESS.” Later it can be moved to the front of your box office to be part of your barricade display. The head light on the locomotive can be effected by use of a spot light. Other signal lamps and flags placed around the cutout will add a general realistic touch to the display. On the back of the drum is a circular display of stills or transparent enlargements revolving on a pivot. As each scene passes before the front opening it is illuminated by a strong light coming from the back of the display. The same light also serves to illuminate the title “SILK EXPRESS” which is cut out from transparent letters. Here is the copy for the place indicated: (a) A LIFETIME OF THRILLS IN ONE CROSS-CONTINENTAL TRIP! (b) THE MOST DARINGLY DIFFERENT PICTURE OF THE YEAR! 2 (c) LIST TITLE AND STARS. EXPLOITATION