Publix Opinion (Jun 8, 1929)

an soerneniyrnatesntenrsetatnti HERE’S THE OFFER! HOUSE MANAGERS AND ADVERTISING MANAGERS Every theatre advertising and publicity man dreams of the day when the ideal press book on a motion picture will be laid on his desk. You will reeall the press book on Harold Lioyd in “Speedy,” in which we used in detail = the ideas of leading advertising and publicity men as to how to put this pic= ture over, This press book was a distinct novelty and made a big hit. Now we are about to begin work on | @ press book on Harold Lioyd’s next | production for Paramount release, en= | titled “WELCOME DANGER,” which = is a sound and dialogue as well as: si | lent picture. We want to create the E | ideal book—one that every prac= press tical showman will agree is the 100% seat seller. In this we need your help. WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF WHAT | ‘THIS 100% PRESS BOOK SHOULD BE? 2] IN WHAT FORM SHOULD IT BE MADE UP? WHAT GENERAL ITEMS : SHOULD IT CONTAIN? HOW SHOULD IT DIFFER FROM ANY PRESS BOOK SO FAR CREATED? WHAT FIVE EXPLOITATION STUNTS COULD BE WORKED BY ANY THEATRE THAT WILL HELP SELL HAROLD LLOYD IN “WELCOME DANGER” TQ THE PUBBLIC? Both Harold Licyd and Paramount will appreciate it very much if you will sit down and answer briefly the above | questions in a letter. A CASH AWARD OF $25.00 WILL BE GIVEN TO EACH OF THE BEST TWENTY-FIVE LETTERS SUBMITTED. ) Also, we will promise to do all we can to incorporate your ideas in the press book on ““‘WELOOME DANGER.” To assist you, a brief synopsis of “WELCOME DANGER” is enclosed. Send in only five exploitation ideas. With best regards, Very truly yours, RUSSELL HOLMAN Advertising Manager Paramount Famous Lasky ——_ _—— __—_-—— NEWS FLASHES! Boston, installed a telephone typewriter his the Press.” The machine was secured ‘of the had Boston newspapers. qwere constantly in use from 10 30 in the morn As fast as the news came i, the sheets were on a special bulletin board as shown m the | Director of Advertising and Publicity of Publix | ; courts 30 at nig tersburg, tive way eents of Manager Publix Florida Theatre, St PUBLIX OPINION, WEEK OF JUNE 8rH, 1929 AKE IDEAL PRESS-BOOK "HAROLD LLOYD IN “WELCOME DANGER” ir views. UAUUUEREADAGEMASERAGHUUUGEGAGHSEOREGUCSSEEEEOEEEUEOTUCDUEEUALEROOEDRSEAOUE =; (NOVEL CONTEST Richard Dorman, of publicizing “‘Inno-| to see the amount\of advertising Paris” translation contest which instant-| operating with the theatre. (Synopsis) Jim Bledsoe, famous San Francisco cop, was both feared and loved by the Chinese in ’Frisco’s Chinatown. He could keep them in check when no one else could doanything. Jim passed on leaving one son. Twenty years later, hell breaks loose in Chinatown. No one can bring the Chinese under control. A political reformer stirs up the situation by threatening to “get’? the captain of the precinct. About this time, the picture cuts back to Boston. Here we find Jim Bledsce’s son (portrayed by Harold Lioyd). He is everything his dad was not. Instead of being interested, in police work, he is a specialist in flowers—a botanist. This night he is shown with his girl, winning first prize at a horticultural show with a plant of his own creation. On his arrival home from this affair, Harold accidentally knocks a gun from the wall where he has his father’s treasures, medals, guns, etc. The gun explodes and out of a closet rush two crooks with their hands up. The crooks had been chased into the house just before Harold’s arrival, and when the shot goes off they think the cops have found them. The cops rush in at this moment, and of course, Harold becomes a great hero. “Jim Bledsoe’s son a hero” goes out over the A. P. wire and of course is played up in the 'Frisco papers. This story gives the captain’s advisors an idea. Why not bring Jim Bledsoe’s kid out to ’Frisco to put the Chinese under control? Harold is induced to leave his home in Boston, and also the girl he is supposed to marry. Not a love match, but one of those family arranged affairs. He starts west by train. At one of the stops he sees a girl who attracts him very much, but before he can get her name, etc., the train pulls out and he has to chase it to make it. Further on the way, the train has to stop for a hot box or some accident, and Harold goes looking for unusual flowers. Of course, the train pulls out and he is left behind. Then comes his meeting again with the girl who is motoring across the country in an old Ford, taking her little lame brother to ’Frisco where he is to be treated by a world famous Chinese surgeon. Eventually we get Harold to ’Frisco. The above is just hitting the high spots, and overlooks the gags and connecting plot. On Harold’s arrival in San Francisco, the police captain finds him everything his father was not, but inasmuch as the captain has him on his hands, he gives him a badge and sends him into Chinatown with a flat-foot rookie. You can imagine the trouble they get into when they hit the underground channels, looking for the ring leader of the Chinese band which is stirring up the trouble. As the plot develops, one of the fighting factions steals the doctor who is treating the little boy, because of the campaigning he is doing to break up the opium ring in Chinatown which really has been causing all the turmoil. Harold, ready to quit at this point, can do nothing but keep in the struggle, if only to return the doctor for the sake of the girl he loves. The outcome finds Harold, through his love of flowers which fosters his interest in finger-printing, uncovering the reformer as the leader of the dope ring and the one who is stirring up the trouble. They get around the love triumverate situation by having the girl in Boston wed a boy whom she loves, leaving Harold free to marry Barbara Kent, sister of the lame boy. This is very rough, but it gives you the high points of the story development. nent buildings, ete. The naturai| 1ently in his lobby. ‘This pleased Oe x ashi : S please | of Paris” then playing by means of a/the company was getting by co at lv aroused a tremendous interest and following in town, One week before playdate, a wire, addressed to Manager Dorman, was received from Maurice | Chevalier in Hollywood. This | wire, in French, expressed Cheva-| lier’s pleasure in learning that his) picture, “Innoncents of Paris,’’ was | to appear so soon in Florida and} his interest in learning just what welcome the public will accord to his first Paramount talking and singing picture. He ventured the | hope that the people of St. Peters| burg would derive as much pleas| ure in witnessing the picture as he} /had enjoyed'in making it. | This telegram was reproduced | in the Sunday edition. of the local | paper under the caption, gion) Vous Francais?” > Then followed) lthe rules of the contest, whereby} lthe first 25 correct translations) | i ticket te see the picture. company distributed fifty of these telegrams around hotels, promi 9 A a Manager Dorman did not stop curiosity attending a telegram in|there. For the first time in the the characteristic blue envelope; history of WSUN, the local municihit STAMPEDES ALL aroused much attention wherever} pally owned radio station, | | this telegram went. Manager Dor-;songs of the picture were broadman had a six-sheet made of the| cast with announcements that they ST. PETERSBURG telegram and displayed it promi-| W°T¢ from the Paramount all talk: ing and singing picture ‘Innocents the the Postal company so much that Piorida Theatre. Inasmuch as this Pe-| the district manager and the Tam-| procedure was a direct violation : x ; S » | of the rules of the station, Dorman ‘a. hit upon an effec-| Pa Manager came to St. Petersburg | 0! * : 8 on, Fia., k feels satisfied that the ice has been broken for future co-operative stunts with this most valuable modern exploitation medium. lwere td be rewarded with a free) | 1; Because of the publicity which | ) } | it enjoyed, the Postal Telegram | | A WHOPPER! The six-sheet telegram from Chevalier exhibited by Manager Dorman in the lobby of the Publix Florida Theatre. St. Petersburg, for “Innocents of Paris.” posTAL TELEGRAPH ~ COMMERCIAL CABLES ZO CAMLEGRAMS Peg Ser yan me WORLD eS im @ Ane FRwsh 7M Rene ky sOEYWOOD CALIF MAY | (922 VOR QUE