Showmen's Trade Review (1939)

July 15, 1939 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW Page 15 Posters That Sell Although the schools will not be in session probably when you play this picture, its educational value should not be lost sight of. Get the history teacher to talk over the radio, possibly circularizing her classes in advance, pointing out the historical significance of "The Man in the Iron Mask." In the past few years, fencing has become an increasingly popular sport both with men and women. Probably there are fencing classes in your local schools, in the Y.M.C.A. or in recreational centers of various types. Your own local situation must determine how you do this but in some way get hold of a pair who are proficient in fencing and have them demonstrate in the lobby or in a large window of a department store. If it is practical, costume the fencers in outfits of the Louis XIV period and have one wear the iron mask. Have a spieler with them announce through a public address system that duelling was unusually prevalent in the days of "The Man in the Iron Mask." Stills of the picture should be spotted around the scene of the demonstration wherever it is held. Twin Stunts Indicated Louis Hayward plays a dual role in the picture as he not only is seen as "The Man in the Iron Mask" but also as Louis XIV, his twin brother. This should suggest to you a stunt which is time-honored but still good. Run a doubles contest. Try to find the man in your city who looks the most like Louis Hayward. This can be best done through the newspaper. You can run heads of Hayward in different poses with the would-be doubles required to submit a photograph of themselves in one of these poses. Since the story conies from a famous book, you can obtain considerable publicity through a minimum of expense. Here's how to do it. Buy a well-bound copy of the book and after informing the newspaper, present it to the public library with the explanation that the picture's showing on your screen will probably inspire a lot of people to read the book again. City officials and representatives of various movie groups can be present and be photographed at the presentation ceremonies. Use Books In Windows The book is also available in cheap editions for special prizes in any local contests you might consider running. You might arrange for a display of them in the lobby and by all means have a display in a store selling the book. The book angle also suggests the possibility of a jumbo open book as a lobby display, using old face type from the ads and action stills and silhouettes featuring the historical cast of characters. There are a number of national tieups in connection with the picture which can be used to obtain local displays and additional publicity. For example, the Conoco Oil Co. tied up with the picture. You can get displays at various filling stations in your town as a result. Comoy Pipes have also cooperated on a national basis, thus giving you an outlet in tobacconists. The Singer Sewing Machine, in connection with its current promotions based on historical costumes. Singer is distributing thousands of pamphlets promoting the tieup and has primed its dealers to be read}' to cooperate. Novelty Jewelry Tieups The attractive novelty jewelry worn by Joan Bennett in the picture provided the idea for a tieup with a firm of manufacturers of novelty jewelry. Window and counter displays are available to you and the manufacturer is planning coperative campaigns. The jewelry angle also provides an opportunity for plenty of displays in jewelers' windows. The magnificent jewelry worn by Joan Bennett in her role as Maria Theresa is illustrated in a number of stills. The jeweler can display his own modern merchandise alongside photos of the 17th Century type and sell his own merchandise with copy inviting comparison between the crude workmanship of that time and the precision gem-cutting of today. Since "The Man in the Iron Mask" is a twin brother of Louis XIV the idea of a twin contest presents itself immediately. Hold it on your stage a few nights before the picture opens and announce that the pair of twins who most resemble each other will be given a prize offered by Louis Hayward, star of "The Man in the Iron Mask." You could also admit free any twins, provided you can obtain sufficient newspaper publicity to make the stunt worthwhile. If the newspaper will cooperate with you on this, you won't give out too many free tickets. "The Man in the Iron Mask" opened in New York last Thursday and the campaign put on for the opening at the Radio City Music Hall is worthy of emulation by any showman who wants to get business on this picture. The theatre sponsored a fencing contest between the champions of 27 well-known fencing clubs in New York. Each contestant wore a papier mache mask for publicity purposes. Considerable publicity was obtained. Usherette's Fencing Contest The Music Hall's usherettes wore special costumes for their own fencing contest held on the roof of the theatre. Because of the so called "leg-art," there was plenty of newspaper publicity on this stunt, too. The Grosset and Dunlap edition of the book was used to obtain several prominent store windows in New York. Among these were a number of chain stores. A fancier edition of the book was presented to each of the critics. As a teaser stunt, six men walked through Times Square and busy streets wearing masks. They carried no signs until a day or two before the opening, thus exciting considerable curiosity. Our space is almost gone but we still have room enough to point out to you that "The Man in the Iron Mask" can be sold through any number of media. Simple ballyhoos like the masked men in conjunction with newspaper advertising, lobby displays, cooperative tieups, window displays, radio announcements and many other types of exploitation can be combined to give you a campaign that will let everyone in town know that you are playing "The Man in the Iron Mask." What more can you ask? the mminthriRon ma$n LOUIS HAYWARD . JOAN BENNETT PtHE MAN pi th e IRON MASK 1 |^ HAYWABO "^^"S^jf BENNETT /£ Ads of All Sizes Hit Every Angle The ads have that swashbuckling feeling that you'll want to get into your campaign. Note, too, how they sell the romance. The smaller ads, lower right, are especially good on this picture and are reproduced just to show that you don't have to spend a lot of money to get effective ads.