Reel and Slide (Mar-Dec 1918)

REEL and SLIDE 37 The Melodrama As a Screen Salesman 'All in the Service"— Three Reel Production Released by Inger soll-Rand Company Exploits Railway Equipment Before Selected Audiences Murphy fniist "fight" on the railroad. The Army demands the railroad "speed up." Murphy insists on using tamping ina. chines. Schmidt, the GermaUj can't see his duty. By John M. Bright ; OW far may a firm, spending many thousands of dollars on an advertising screen production, go in enlisting the "story," the human interest element — the drama — without reducing the value of the advertising contained therein? Every year the biggest and most able buyers of screen space find their productions going further and further afield — away from straight "buy my goods" arguments toward the more gripping, exciting and appealing field of melodrama and loVe story. To spend two dollars or more a foot on a drama that is to be presented to the exhibitor free of charge seems to many to be edging close to the altruistic. But it is not. It is good screen advertising. It is the inevitable solution of the problem of getting such industrial pictures shown without which showings they are just so much junk. Naked advertising without dramatic or educational appeal is resented by exhibitor and public alike. An exhibitor holds his screen space at so much per hour ; the public look for their money's worth when they pay at the gate. The IngersoU-Rand Campaign A three reel production that has set a new standard in screen publicity has been inaugurated by the Ingersoll-Rand Companj-iof New York, manufacturers of railway equipment. Their production is called, "All in the Service." In it, patriotism, a high moral lesson and entertainment are cleverly combined. It is a picture such as any theater owner would be glad to run and that any audience would be glad to see. It subtly shows the application of modern railway equipment, but only in the most natural and casual manner. The biggest outlet for this production, which is shown "By Courtesy of the Ingersoll-Rand Company," has been through the Young Men's Christian Association through their various Railway Branches throughout the United States. In this way, the company has been able to select class audiences of the best quality without waste and have appealed to their special customers cleverly on a subject in which all railroad men are interested — construction work. Recently this film was exhibited before the purchasing agent of the Imperial Government Railways of Japan, who was the guest of the Railroad Y. M. C. A. in New York. The scenario for "ALL in the Service" was prepared by an expert scenario writer. The production was made by the Visual Education Company of New iYork, of which W. A. Howell is director, a firm specializing in propaganda pictures. The Sales Scenario Unquestionably, the problem met by th? Ingersoll-Rand Company faces many other prospective users of screen space. In this case the advertised product chanced to be .modern track work tools, especially pneumatic tampers, which are great labor savers. A study of the skeletonized scenario of this stirring industrial drama gives an excellent idea of how the producers met the problem of holding interest, not only of railroad men but, if necessary, of the general public as well : Murphy came of fighting stock and he wanted to go to war. But his trigger fingers were stiff so the Army told him to go back on his old railway job and 'help win the war from there. Even as Murphy seeks his old job, the power of the Army bends the president of the road to do its bidding. Murphy is needed on the track. Hyphenated Americans can not yet see clearly their duty to the land that made them. Karl Schmidt cannot see that his speed in railroad track building expresses his loyalty to the road which serves the country in the hour of its military need. Murphv challenges Schmidt to make a show-down in a track-work race between their two section gangs. Murphy's using some new machines and Schmidt's using the old hand tools. And while they arrange the race, the military commander tells the desperate president of the road that while he may be doing all he can to aid the Government — he'll have to do more. The War Department will start rushing troop trains over his road in only two weeks' time. The great race starts upon which — ^all unknown to the contestants — ^hinges the up. holding of the honor of the road. Murphy's fighting spirit and wit in backing the modern machine methods wins the day, but what are the results on thf= hyphenated Americans led by Schmidt? Are they loyal ? The Race Against Time "Order twenty of those machines at once," the president commands the overjoyed Ryan. Loyal men in charge of the machines are now relied upon to overcome a situation made almost impossible by labor shortage. Now comes the test. Rvan and Murphy lead the gangs equipped with the machines in the great race against time. The men cheer Ryan as he presents an American flag to the machine crew that breaks all former tamping records. Under the acid test Schmidt turns out to be "pure gold." After his great fight with disloyalty in his own crew he says of the beaten laborer : "Ven he stops running he von't try any more of dot German monkey business on der railroads. Ve Americans show dose Huns!" With the honor of the road safely upheld by the work of Murphy and Ryan — the president tells the military commander— "Here come the troop trains, Colonel." And Ryan backed by Murphy and the machine crews tells the president to feel no concern about the track not "standing t'.e gaff" of unequaled trafific — "Don't worrv Sir, these machines use no ammunition except compressed air — but they certainly can put up a fight." Fairbank Company Plans Motion Pictures The N. K. Fairbank Company of Chicago will shortly launch a screen campaign exploiting the company's products through the Rothacker Company. These pictures will be given theater distribution throughout the country.