Universal Weekly (1924-1936)

February 5, 1927. Universal Weekly 31 Three tie-ups mhich helped "Michael Strog off" to do excellent business at the Aladdin Theatre, Denver: the naval recruiting service boards, Russian cigarettes and Postal Telegraiph, whose w,essenger bo-ys wore cards in their caps reading, " 'Micfiael Strogoff,' the messenger of the Czar." "Strogoff' Tie-Ups In Denver Bring Publicity at Little Cost Two-Reelers Given Feature Exploitation In San Diago, Cal. BIG feature exploitation ushered "The Collegians" into the Superba Theatre, San Diego, Calif., where Manager Dwight L. Hill foun<l them popular fare with his patrons. Since George Lewis, the star of the Carl Laemmle, Jr., two-reel series, was a star athlete at Coronado High School, just across the bay from San Diego, before he entered the movies, the theatre hafl a powerful local angle which it played up to the utmost — with the help of H. D. McBride, Universal exploiteer. A "Coronado High School Night" was featured one night with prominent society women as "patronesses." This landed space in the heretofore closed society columns of the San Diego newspapers. The lobby that night was decorated with tlie school colors in honor of the occasion. Twelve hundred special blotters advertising "The Collegians" at the Superba were printed in green and white, the school colors, and placed on every school desk in the city of Coronado. These mentioned, of course, the fact that George Lewis had been a • student at Coronado High. Through a tie-up with the Mission Beach Dance Hall, 1000 regular "Collegians" heralds were di.stributed there and a banner was placed on the orchestra railing. A "Collegians Night at Mission Beach Dance Hall" was advertised with two-column space in all three papers at the dance hall's expense. One-third of all the theatre's newspaper advertising space was devoted to these short subjects, while five 24sheets, ten sixes and fifteen threesheets were posted on the series. Slides and trailers were run two days in advance and 1200 blotters were distributed in banks and other public places in San Diego. /TICHAEL STROGOFF," the _|_Y'J_ mighty Universal special, was selected as one of the first big pictures to play the new Aladdin Theatre, Denver's million dollar movie house. Charles E. Lounsbury. Universal exploitation man, went to work on the engagement and secured splendid publicity for the picture at little cost. His most important tie-up was with the Postal Telegraph which gave him excellent window displays, enclosed dodgers with messages and permitted their boys to wear hat bands announcing "Michael Strogofi", the messenger of the czar." The boys were told that if they kept their bands all week they would be given tickets to The Capitol Theatre in Lincoln, Nebr., put over this co-op page in the Lincoln Star for Denny's second great super-comedy, "The Cheerf ul Fraud." the next week's show at the Aladdin. The hat bands stayed in the hats and the theatre's message went into every bank and big office in the city, for Postal serves the bulk of the business houses. The dodgers were enclosed with each telegram leaving the office over a period of twelve days, five being in advance of the showing of "Michael Strogoff." These read: "From sender to you required a few minutes — That's Postal! — 'Michael Strogoff' courier of the Czar, spent six months traveling 5,000 miles with his message when Tartar hordes cut the Telegraph wires! — See the world premiere of the most colossal picture ever made —'Michael Strogoff'— 'Aladdin Theatre." A tie-up with the naval recruiting service gave a flash on all principal downtown corners. This copy appeared on the naval boards: "SeeNow-Aladdin Theatre Jules Verne's Michael Strogoff— Then see the foreign ports by enlisting in the U. S. Navy." Ivanoff Ru.ssian cigarettes were the basis of several window displays which advertised the picture, and Marlboro cigarettes, through another tie-up, distributed free cigarettes in the smoking section of the theatre during the week "Michael Strogoff" played there. A local dry goods store used "Strogoff" .stickers on all packages going out for a week. With this exploitation and excellent reviews in the newspaper "Michael Strogoff" was given a flying start and increased its pace throughout the week. THE merchants who advertised on the page at the left cooperated with the Capitol Theatre, Lincoln, Nebr., on a contest to determine the most beautiful girl in their city.