Universal Weekly (1923-26)

Vol. 18, No. 18 Universal Weekly 19 EXPLOITATION STUNT QOES OVER BIQ THIS IS NOT A TICKET AND WILL NOT EVEN -ADMIT ONE TO A1MY • MATY FOOTBALL GAM E Polo Grounds, New York City SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1923 THE ARMY and NAVY FOOTBALL GAME is the greatest outdoor attraction in New York Qty today; but the biggest indoor entertainment in the entire world is "THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME" now in its fourth record-breaking month at the Astor Theatre, 45th St. & Broadway, Will Be Issued by The Universal Pictures Corp. FOR DIRECTIONS SEE ATTACHED COUPON RESERVED SEAT gjiiiiiiiiiiiimiii minimi mini lining 1 This ticket not good = for UPPER I STAND I I Sec 4 | | Row II 1 S Seat 44 I g But with one dollar | | ($1) will buy one | §j matinee seat for | 1 "The Hunchback | g of -Notre Dame" at | = the Astor Theatre. | iiiiiiimiiiiiiimmiiiilililiililiimimiiiiiiiiiiiiii™^ ARMY NAVY NOTRE DAME tfh ML • B» ' ml HJ tH 6. W. SMYTHE is the QUARTERBACK of WEST POINT and S. 6. BARCHET is the FULLBACK of ANNAPOLIS but LON CHANEY is the HUNCHBACK of NOTRE DAME Army-Navy Teaser Tickets Set New York Talking About "The Hunchback" at Astor Theatre. Front and back of Army-Navy Football Game Ticket (?) that really was a "Hunchback" ad. PAUL PEREZ and Joe Weil of Universal stole a march on their brother press agents by hooking up on the tremendous publicity given the big Army and Navy football game last Saturday. Tickets for the game were as scarce as the proverbial "hen's teeth" and were selling at from $15 to $35 apiece, every one being snapped up as soon as offered. On Friday the chief topic of conversation in New York was "Have you a ticket for the Army-Navy game?" The answer was "No!" ninety-nine times out of a hundred. The two Universal exploiteers proceeded to rectify this. They got up a throwaway which looked like a ticket, but which was not. On the back were photographs of Smythe and Barchet, of the service teams, and Lon Chaney. Under these the captions: "Smythe is the QUARTERBACK of West Point, and Barchet is the FULLBACK of Annapolis, but Lon Chaney is the HUNCHBACK of Notre Dame." Fifty thousand of these were distributed on the morning of the game and caused a sensation everywhere. The joke, once realized, was worked time and again on others,, by holders of the tickets. "U" City Watching La Plante Film ALL goes well with the unit at Universal City which is filming the first picture in which Laura LaPlante is the star. Miss LaPlante was recently promoted to stardom following a decision of Carl Laemmle a short time ago to pick all his stellar luminaries from the ranks of those who have done exceptionally well in supporting roles or minor parts. She is being starred for her first effort in "The Thrill Girl," which Robert F. Hill is directing. It is a fact indicative of the way the Universal Pictures corporation is managed that their greatest stars have been picked right from the lesser ranks on the lot, rather than being imported from other studios. Two who have in recent months won this same distinction are Mary Philbin and Virginia Valli. Miss Philbin was so enthusiastically proclaimed as a genuine "discovery" in "Merry Go Round" that she was made a star and given an elaborate first presentation in "My Mamie Rose," a screen transcription of Owen Kildare's novel directed by Irving Cummings. Miss Valli won cordial plaudits in "The Storm" and "The Shock" and was cast as featured player in the title role of Hobart Henley's production of "A Lady of Quality." Her work in this stamped her as unmistakable star material and she is now starring in "The Signal Tower," and Jewel special directed by Clarence L. Brown, who wielded the megaphone for "The Acquittal." Miss LaPlante is the newest of the three to attain stardom and her first effort is bearing the close surveillance of a host of friends in other centers of the screen colony besides Universal City.