Universal Weekly (1925-1933)

Vol. 23, No. 16. Universal Weekly 2!) Paper Sponsors "Sky Hunt" Exploiting "Skinner" Picture One of the planes that "bombed" Denver with "Skinner's Dress Suit" advertising. Charles E. Lounsburtj, the Universal exploiteer who engineered the "raid", is the last man at the right. Ohio Exhibitor Ties With Barber Shop On "Ace of Spades" ROY E. RUSSELL, manager of the Opera House, Millersburg, Ohio, has just come through with a good serial stunt, according to A. J. Sharick, Universal exploiteer in the Cleveland territory. Tying up with the Millersburg Hotel barber shop on Universale "The Ace of Spades," he got out a small, stiff card as pictured below. On the back was this copy: "For a good shave go to The Ace of Barbers at the Hotel barber shop. To see 'Close Shaves' go to Millersburg Opera House each Tuesday and Wednesday." Twenty-five hundred of these cards were distributed about town and at the barber shop two weeks before the serial opened. Mr. Russell reports a great opening and that the serial is one of the best he ever ran. THE AGE OF BARBERS THE AGE OF SPADES V J A local bai~ber shop cooperated with Roy E. Russell, Opera House, Millersburg, Ohio, on "The Ace of Spades." "His People" Replaces Sermon AS part of his work on "His People" at the New Theatre, Baltimore, Md., Al Feinman, Universal exploitation man, arranged to have the picture shown in a local synagogue in place of the usual Sunday sermon. This was the first time such a thing had been done, but if it proved successful was to be followed by other picture showings. CHARLES E. LOUNSBURY has done it again. Charles E., in case you have forgotten, is the Universal exploitation man who brought all Denver, including babes in arms and gray-haired grandpas, down town on St. Patrick's Day to see his "Cohen and Kelly'.' funeral for old man Gloom. Shortly afterward he had them all out again for a "sky hunt" advertising a new suburban subdivision and "Skinner's Dress Suit" at the America Theatre. It came about like this. A large real estate firm in Denver was opening Wilshire Park. Lounsbury suggested that the president of the company present the local national guard flying field with new hospital equipment. In return for this gift he received the use of three planes for seven days. Then the Denver Post was induced to sponsor a "sky hunt" and to open wide its news columns to announcements of the stunt. For five days the army airplanes flew over designated spots of the city and dropped small cards. One set of cards bore letters, which spelled "Wilshire Park" when the thirteen correct ones had been collected, and the others, the actual signature of Reginald Denny. The Denny cards admitted the holders to the America Theatre free of charge during the week "Skinner's Dress Suit" played there, and a full set of the others were awarded prizes by the real estate firm totalling over $300. The flights took place at noon, heralded by the explosion of three bombs on the roof of the Post Building. Each day the real estate firm carried large ads in the paper, and Reginald Denny and "Skinner's Dress Suit" at the America Theatre always found their way into these ads. One of the planes was christened "The Denny" and the other, "The Wilshire." Great crowds awaited the coming of the planes each day, and on the final Sunday when cards were dropped over Wilshire Park itself, more than 5000 persons were gathered there. The International Newsreel took pictures of the stunt which found their way onto all the local screens. This tie-up brought Denny and the America Theatre publicity day after day for ten days and fixed them in the public mind. And the best part of the stunt was that it cost the theatre only a few passes. New Theatre Opens With Denny Film WHEN Lucy and Wilkinson opened their new Broadway Theatre in Pueblo, Colo., said to be far the finest in the city, they selected Reginald Denny's UniversalJewel, "What Happened To Jones" as their first attraction. In addition to the regular campaign attending the opening of a theatre, a tie-up was effected with the Pueblo Chieftain, the leading newspaper, on an alibi contest as outlined in the Universal Press Book. Tickets were offered to the persons submitting the best "stalls," and a deluge of letters came to the Alibi Editor. Both the Chieftain and the StarJournal carried double truck cooperative pages on the opening Sunday. Attendance at the opening was a jam throughout the matinee and evening performances. The management was so well satisfied with the showing made by the picture that they signed up for UniversaPs entire new product.