Showmen's Trade Review (1939)

July 22, 1939 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW Page 9 AUGUST 14th ELI WHITNEY PATENTS COTTON GIN. This offers a good opportunity to plug a picture with a Southern background. Also how about a repeat run on that March of Time issue, "Dixie-U.S.A." 15th PANAMA CANAL OPENED, 1914. This is the 25th* anniversary and therefore well worth plugging. There are a number of features with a Panama background as well as several shorts with that locale, all especially suitable for this occasion. SIR WALTER SCOTT BORN, 1771. Offer your theatre as a meeting place for a literary group this morning. Be sure to put up some kind of a notice that you will show Scott's "ivanhoe" which has been announced by RKO. ANDREW JACKSON BORN 1794. There are lots pictures in which "Old Hickory" appears as a character which are especially appropriate. NAPOLEON BORN 1769. Here's a birthday which is especially appropriate for observations in many localities. There are lots of Napoleon pictures which you can play on this occasion. You might also arrange a display of any Napoleonic relics you can get hold of. 16th BATTLE OF BENNINGTON. This day is widely observed in the Green Mountain State and Ethan Allen costumes and historical data are the order of the day. 17 th FIRST ATLANTIC CABLE MESSAGE, 1858. Send a jumbo cable to several prominent people on the occasion of your next picture with a European background. This anniversary should make the tieup easy. 21st LINCOLN DOUGLAS DEBATE, 1858. The anniversary of these famous debates might be used to plug your showing of any of the Lincoln pictures now at the height of their popularity. ' 22nd SAMUEL PIERPONT LANCLEY, pioneer aviator born, 1834. Your newspaper editor might be interested in some pictures of Langley's planes contrasted with those in some recent aviation films. OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES, poet and author born, 1809. He was the father of the famous jurist and the author of "The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table." Literary societies could be interested in this occasion. 23 rd OLIVER HAZARD PERRY, hero of the battle of Lake Erie born, 1785. It was in this battle that the Marines were first active, so here's your cue for a tieup with any picture about the Navy or Marines. 26th WOMAN'S SUFFRAGE AMENDMENT ratified, V920. This is a day on which to plug the picture which has the woman's angle predominating. "Four Feathers" Invitations Two lovely messenger-ettes in a miniature Crosley automobile delivered tickets recently to Hollywood celebrities for the premiere of Alexander Korda's "Four Feathers" at Grauman's Chinese Theatre. The girls, Crystal Keate and Penny Gill, are young film players. Russell Birdwell devised the novel stunt. Daughters Courageous" Campaign Book Issued A wealth of stunts, stories, ads and accessories are contained in a large press book on "Daughters Courageous" which the home office advertising and publicity department has distributed to exhibitors. The cover of the book illustrates the handling of the art, title and selling copy as related to the previous, "Four Daughters". Inside may be found trade press quotes which point to the business potentialities of the picture above that of "Four Daughters". Highlights of the New York Strand's campaign are presented as well as direct-from-the-field exploitation. Because of the success of the "Four Daughters" serialization, it was decided to incorporate one on "Daughters Courageous" in the campaign. Following are seven pages of publicity stories and art, with special attention given to the woman's angle. There is enough material for "exclusives" to all papers in a majority of situations. Easy working ideas are shown next in regard to reaching the family trade as well as many other diversified stunts. In this section is also included the national tieups with Chesterfield Cigarettes, Lux Soap, the Electric Auto-Lite, Philco and the House of Westmore. An easy six-day contest which points up several situation highlights of the picture and is an interesting newspaper feature, is also outlined. The remainder of the book proper carries accessories and posters for displays and general ballyhoo. A twelve page advertising section presents a variety of ads for use in all situations and for large and small budgets. FOR BETTER SHOW SELLING Showmanalyses Have Appeared In STR on Following Pictures Bridal Suite June 3 Broadway Serenade... April 1 Captain Fury May 20 Dark Victory April 22 Flving Irishman March 11 Hardys Ride High April 22 Hound of the Baskervilles March 25 Juarez June 10 Little Princess Mar. 4 l.ucky Night May 13 Man About Town July 1 Man in the Iron Mask July 15 Man of Conquest April 2" On Borrowed Time July 15 Only Angels Have Wings May 27 Prison Without Bars April 8 Pygmalion March 11 Spirit of Culver March 18 Story of Alexander Graham Bell April 15 Streets of New York Anril 15 Tarzan Finds A Son! June 24 Three Smart Girls Grow Up March 25 Union Pacific May 6 You Can't Cheat An Honest Man.... Feb. 18 Young Mr. Lincoln June 10 Zenobia Mar. 18 Black Hires 'Chutes with Dolls, Passes Released from Airplane A stunt that created a lot of comment and won him liberal space in the newspapers was staged recently by Manager Lew Black of the Warner Theatre, Wilmington, Del., for his engagement of "Only Angels Have Wings." Lew hired a flyer to take up 300 toy parachutes to which dolls were attached. Some also had passes. They were released over tht city. A photograph of a small girl with one oi the dolls was published in the newspapers Phoning the "Lone Ranger" from the World's Fair Republic crashed the wire services recently with an unusual stunt. Barry Arnold Forman, seven and a half year old Brooklyn youngster, won a free call at the Fair and elected to talk to the Lone Ranger. The call was put through to the Republic Studios in Hollywood where Bob Livingston who enacts the part on the screen answered. Above are the youthful caller making his call and Livingston receiving it. Somebody told us that Charles Reed Jones, Al Adams' assistant at Republic, inspired the lad. It certainly was a good stunt.