Variety (May 1933)

EXPLOITATION By Epes W. Sargent Oitla for Bondage One bid timet was revived for the run ot 'Bondage' at the N. Y. May- fair.' ' ■ From, somewhere a patrol wagon was prbcured with the sides lettered .'House o£ Correction' with- out any advertising for the picture. This was iciaded with girls iii uni- form and a-uniformed matron and a male guard walked the girls Into the theatre one by one. When they got 'em all ln< they., walked them back again %hd drove them around the block. It gathered a crowd each time, but to be questioned whether it made, direct sales of inany tickets. Those 'whoi''saw were too busy, tb enter ' but may haVe come back When the stimt is employed In smaller places, where advertising is coinblhation.. Raised letters give greater attentibn value than the best painting, and with a cut awl they ai'e easy to outline and can be prepared qiilckly and cheaply. Where it Is desired to repaint let- ters, it's a good plan to kill the prer vious color =wlth a coat of aluminum paint before ihakirig -the hew .1ob. Kills the undercoat far more effec- tively than white. If all letters are made tp conform to two or three styles, a: font can be built up that will presently All all needs and re- quire only repainting. Seeing Theii Names There iis a hint for managers in a stunt being worked by the makers of a well known.'chewlng' gum ahd candy products.' " Compiany. goes over the radio with an ofCef ot si. gift' to all kids Who ..write in, and Plnir Hn PhntoP (paper tIe-up on beer situation-and I Taking an Encoie XT ^^ '^ K«* ii=«4^"HnnA for sets: a half-page of publicity on Manager who originated the cleaii No matter what else is done for .g^er Baron,' Jim Gallagher stages,Utoop plan Is going to work it again 'Zoo In Budapsst' the photography, country nights and gives away 25 this year. So rhany woifnen offered wart-ants a special drive. Most Jay- $15 baskets of wares weekly, Hugh ^^xe. service if he Would men comment on the photography Campbell puts byer a Juvenile Mln- renew that he decided to revive the first and speak Of the story after; strel show for three successive 5at- i^ea but without charging. The. camera work makes the strong- urdays, ^Cha^e? B^^^^ Idea, in case you haye forgotten, est impression. page publicity with his stock com- ig to keep the front steps of h This should be capitalized with pany stars POe>ne fpP ♦S**^ wil!^ w« cleaned up when the residents go appeals to camera clubs, if therfe the states letting down the b^^^ goys make morning and l?e &ny In towml^nd particularly to beer drinking. BYW^G'^oea" Boea kyenlng trips to cl^ar away news- the Swnws imSteur motion after dally contests and so on down papers.advertlslns matter and any- S^eS^r "ocal dialers ca£. prob- thj JinC. 1^ thing else ,wbich. if .remaining, ably give the adflresses of %nost of the competitipn is quite Keen, cart be piilled dbwh after the crowd has gathered, tb spread the, adver- tisings message thereon. Not quite as good as the pinch and the call for the wagon; hut the latter does not belong to this, pic- ture and the adaptation of the ^tunt centered interest., around the the- atre. Brains <or Ball Games With all that's been done about theatre-promoted ball nines, ,it re- mains for 'Uncle Murray' Bracker; of the century Circuit's Sheepshead. theatre, Sheepshead. Bay, to work- out- a new gag on the old fpunda- .tlon. - ^" • He has -pas^sed ■ wprd to rthe -school Children that this summer the.'house will back two ball teams from the public schools, the nines to be com-, ppsed of the boys bfleerinsf the high- est scholarship marks, as certified by their teaches. , He figures - that the manifestly unfit will not apply for membership, (B.nd out of the others he's going to iorm two highly Intellectual putflts to be promoted on the bf-aihs-angle. Ability to pitch curves and ii^shoots will not stand a chance against the lad who can bat .900 or better in Algebra. . That's an Idea that can crash, the newspapers even In.the big towns, though he .has not" gone to work on the pre$s aheie. yet. Schools here do not close ..until June 30. : ling the product; . i^trlng Pf five and tens being given preference fcr their iocalities.. Letters ..re : displayed , in the wliidow with the result that the kids drag mother down,to. see their vet-y pwn letter in th* V^'^dpw, and Itf's up to the Btbre to sell alom a f^w dimes' worth of, something. Idea is sometimes' ii$ed-in cpn- hectibn with prize competitions, with the winning entries displayed lii a window, but hefe all the letters go, and it seems to make business. In a city the best plan Is to district the town and make the deal with several stores* Svhich preferably should be those making' appeal»to theTWbmemr - , " - might tip ofe burglars. In some ln< these "operators,'and certainly they I ——- I stances the boys . have vestibule can be reached through an appeal p^,- « fiaflTleS keys and bring the mall to the the- in the supply houses carrying 16mm ^ r«ntlv 'Hello Sister' Is gPing ^l''^^ ^^il^^^l film Teit them here Is a Chance tC Apparently Heup fc»isier is gwniB forwarded and the second and third get valuable lessons in shots, and to need all the help it can get, anadass mail retained to await the they'll flock in and bring their apparently pne of the best bets is return pf the householder, . friends In on their subsequent raves.. a girl RafElesi who is to be adr Boys are paid In theatre tickets, This should not be, made the chief dressed with the greeting 'Hello and the Idea costs ilttle else than appeal, but used to supplement the sister, you ar^. the girl from the time, but the manager, writes that ordinary drive. - " - ijaUy "News." Please give me that 1 nothing he has lever;^ , I «10 > [such general, appreciation and feels No matter how Pften the stunt Is that he has been making business worked, it seems to be a repeater on the . good-will all . winter. Bedtime T&les O.ne good ride to be gotten out of 'Bedtime iStory'' is a hook' tp a n.ews> Paper for the best bedtime stories. Bidn't Work ^^^^^^ One. bright idea went into the I ^J'^J^j^^'^.^'^^^-^'a"^^^ dlscai'd lately. Manager ran ihtp a ling which wcrks in the title sample' package of new cpugh nat^urally/ With; the Innumerable drop, containing three drops. He store and pther tleups possible, it thought it would be a great idea: I is not difficult tP Pbtaln wprthwhile to get some and slip them to Pa- Prizes, through co-opera^^^^ Because ot trons whose coughing was; annoyA new ga^ is to advertise that the likelihood that soihe entrants ing their neighbors; Ushers were girl will lunch at a epe^^^^^ o„ ^rt the wrong loot, it €iven . a supply with instructions^ to rant each day and pick up the^^check ^^^^ ^ ^^^^ 1^^^ to «rlnt a slip a package to any excessive of the first person who hands her r;^'' ^ , ^^^-* ^j^^, ^ cbughter. It worised nicely until the proper greeting. wanted the kids got wlee and after that^t^^^^ _ _ This should be In Imitation pf the place sPunded like a hpspltav<^^^ Giveawav Tie-in juve , stuff pyer the radlp, with Ing a whooping cough^ep demic un- .Uiveaway ^.nireles Wty ot bipod and thunder to send til a screen sign :^^^<>^nf^d thfit Los Angeles. ^^e kids oft to bed in a happy frame the. :pli*n. .ha9^ been_«lsco_n^^^^^ In other words; burlesque Soft . ,Brinks ; with beer the'talk of the hour, the iaoft drink manufacturers are more or less on the sp'ot a'nd prob- ably will lend a willing ear tp any mah9.ger'who Wants to-stage a/soft drink giveaway in his lobby the first hot day. Make ydur deal now, but hold it back until the weather gets really hot and ^hen get the bottlers to unite with you in a big adver- tising splurge, you giving space in your newspaper ads in return for the sides of their delivery fleet. In previous summers' these give- aways have been popular with the soft stuff in demand. It should be even easier with 9:2 taking the center of the thirst stage. If you want.something to replace the pretzels, there ai* the cookie' bakers and the cheese makers, who might cpntribute crackers ahd cheese tP gp with the grape er pine- a^le^ drink. . Wlietheir tb limit the offer to pa- trons or to stage a giveaway largely depends upon the number of bottler the manufacturer is Willing to do- nate. \ — Just as Good Manager who had -seen one of- those electric devices which operate when a person stands close to the wlhdo-w thought it would be a good stunt for a lobby display, but the , -cost was. more than; his small the- atre Could standi But he still wanted one, or at least somethirier. He made a light framework to let in a sheet of glass about 18x24 and made this a window shadow box, veiling it with scrim so, that the dark interior could not be seen when the inside lights were oK. If was hiing sb that there Was a play of about an eighth of an inch, barely perceptible, yet sufflcient to make contact for a light circuit, one of the wires running along the. bot- tom of the sash. The instruction read Tiace your finger trips lightly against the glass and see the title of the beat picture we have seen in weeks.' Pressure caused, the sagh tP give slightly but not one of' the Investigators figured that thl3 mpvement was the real cause of the seemingly scientific marvel. Sim .=^-ple-;=tP-mak&=:yct-^it.:=had=deAaim^ talking. Nice Letters Recent B'way house board hiade a fine showing lately at a small cpst with letters cut out of cpmpo board. Sides were painted a bright red and the top was gold paper which gives a smoother effect than gliding. Set against, a light blue ground, the letter.s stood out nicely and yet the cost Is very small. Silver paper with a deep blue tor the sides will make another good Foiintains if there is. a place in the Ipbby- for a fountain or . waterfall effect it nrbbably : will bring' back its cost; and a profit, during the warm weather. Years agofhere probably were 600 houses with waterfalls at the screen end of the auditorium .to convey the >sv:jLgestloh of cPolnees, ahd it is prbbablef that the effect did have some result bli the ^ther- mometter. thouigh the reaction was m'Pre mental than physical. Nowadays there seem to be npne of these left. The larger houses have, air coolers and the smaller o^es do not-bother, but a cool, lobby Wlth: runnlrig water is inviting and suggtesjtive of comfbrt and It will draw in plenty of business merely because it gives the . impression that the house must be cool."A pump can h>e used where it is hot desired, to cut up the floor fbr sewer con- hectioh, but get that, biUslcal splash whefe the prospective patrons can hear, It. It's better than a loud- speaker.. Odd part f*jt^aa that^the drops ^^^^ by VWestland Theatres; has the radlb ; Putput with the prize r'*^v.«i«ifi J^Ii randv^nd the Joined with the Falrf^^^ to the cPrttestaht whp can technically vas candy una gus Metzger, whP is president of raise the' largest crop bf gpose- youngsters ^ere strong for it. the Independent Theatre Owners of pimples. ■■. ■ ■■ ' Sbuthern California, In the give- . This should be tun of the paper. Novel'Trade Ad I away pf two sedans to holders of but there can be a Valuable hppk< Pflrambunt'a French office get put I lucky nunibers. One ckr will be Up to the radlp department, If the Paranipunt s *rencn omceBoiuuvi^j^^^ jointly by the twp hpuses paper has one. If it does not go a clever Insert, for Sign Of , tne U^igj^t ^f ^ay 17, and the second a strong lor radio because Gross' in the shape of a, six page •^reek rlat'er."'Winning nunjiber may vertlslhg angle, , it shPuld be e-veni advertisement In red and black., be drawn by .a ipattpn Pf . either | easier , to. land the stuff. First pajgje has a window cut so that hbuse. In additiPn tP the Cars; .both the last page, folded.in supplies the- houses are^,^*'ing away 10 three- i HrpaBPfl llaiiiipr d^igii of the cross. When the dls- month'passee: , ' . , "*? pl2y Is opened up thbre is a three h- —~ M^falr. N. Y.,^ pn its 'Ai^^^^ pige panbrama bf the arena, scene. Qj^a^ Conev 1 Madness' banner had three figures. Bun in tlie Paris 'Cinematpgraphe* I ^^^y »«' ^V"'?* it' got plenty pf attention. pne/a girl in. pyjamas. Sign was lioew's Coney island thieatte gaive made mbre • effective by 'dressing* With*'*the' hlghCTrpriiiting costs-1 candy bars to matinee patrons May the/glrl in pink pyjamas which were over here, these sprashea are;^a bit jg. also carries a picture of iXze^"T^ cbmmor tr& ta too costly, but home office^ publicity; .^p^g gcreen star, and. the',theatre .J^g^®'. "^^^^ men could do worse than to borrow bitek-s a ticket for a complete'set of ^"^f^f i„ the . .French journals from the „,JtuU Wsumably the re-^J^h pn^^^ Effectively dpne. Banners .are.. cPnilng intp such . , the pictures; -Presumably the re foreign department for a once.pver, I malhlng bars are %o be' purchased* They i<jarry plenty pf;ideas in spite ti^^ concern giving the theatre a , _„ of the general belief that American ^^ppiy to get the idea started, Not^ Vh!; if «J^?f «iw t«^^»5 nrtvArfiain^ idead lead the world. I stated hoW many there are in the !Bener^l use that it pays nbw to glye set. Gets- 'Em Down This is being worked in a small" town, but it may possibly work on a larger sciale in cities up to. 50,000. It's a wow, , for the tinie being, in a 15,000, town. House has a deal with a dry goods, store wh'ereby 10 of Its num- bered sales checks are good for ad- mission the everilng bf the same day. After the store closes at 6:30, and the high and low numbers are available the store noniinates 10 of those numbers. Sometimes the numbers are mostly among the high, and sometimes the reverse, other occasions the numbers are evenly spaced. As they are npt selected by chance, the store can follow its own ideas in this matter. Niimbers; are posted at . seven o'clock and so many persons who come down to look buy when they do not find their numbers that .the. house is glad to give the 10 tickets. In return the ktove mentions the stimt in its dally 'ads. It has been working most of the spring and is still going strong. More Free Beer t>Ittsburgh.' Thrpugh a tie-up with the local Fort iPltt Brewing Company, Warr ners' Daviig and Sheridan Square, playing 'Song of the Eagle' this weelc as part of a double feature with 'Woman I Stole,' is handing- cat free samples of Fort,Pitts 3,2 brew tb every customer. .. There's a mlnla,ture bar In the lobby^of both houses, and free suds are 'diapehse'd the customers come out. Hot Ads in Mj^ls. Minneapolis. . I/oeal theatres are resorting to, the hottest and most daring kind of sex copy in their newspaper ads -ln--their--flght--to-stem-.to.bPggajail)fi:; grosses. Newspaper, ads for /Today We Live' at the State last week had boldface headlines: 'Can any wpnri- an be faithful.. .giving her arms to one man;. .ind her soul to another? A passionate romance of unashamed love rapturously told by the screen s most exciting stars.' ^ . For 'Ex-Lady.' at the Century tlie ads read: 'She wanted a wed-, dinij ring—but only on certain nights. He wanted a faithful wife, but no restrictions for himself.' Hartford Gags Hartford Every theatre in town seems- to be doing something In the way of exploitation^ Jim ■ McCarthy se- cures one store—^ut rate meat and Waterfront Yams / United Artists is setting up a na- tipnal cpntest for the best 1,000 word stbrles froni ship news and wateriCront men to boost 'I Cover grocery estabSshmeht —.to bring I the Waterfront.' Tops aire $250 and 9i2,000 miniature program cards for $150 with eight of $25 each. Stories Warher*s neighs, Lbw Schaefer I must be the McCby and attested as tackles brewery, cpimpany fpr hews- such* . GPntest clpses May 30. Oklahoma City. The Liberty theatre, pwned • by Pracna & Smith; at Alva, Okla., was completely destroyed by flre last week. The Savoy theatre at Ynkon, Okla., clcsed indefinitely. Griffith Brothers rCmPdeling the Victory theatre, at Shawnee, Okla. .John ■Terry - appointed manager of the Del Rio theatre at Clinton, Okla. Miss Irene StephensPn hag lejaised the Whlfeway theatre at. Marlow, Okla. Springfield. O. Dougla^ George here', frpm .Palace, Phlla;, to handle the ChakerCs- Warner houses here, under di^ec- tibn of Phil Chakercjs. .yfeW l^ork City. San JPse theatre,;ha's rebpeneff as the Teatro Varledades, again with a Spanish-language picture policy, Teddy Forem^ formerly In charge of the house, again managing. Theatre IB^ located in the heart of the Har^ lem Spanish cbmmunity. Ben Roniaii, formerly ofnciaT"pf the Picture iGulld and Brcnx circuit, both^ Brohx theatre chains, has taken over, the Renaissance, Harr lem..- Montgomery, Ala. ■==Llby-d^.owjies^i»jaafm' ed . Leon Copeland, Strand manager, to as- sistant manager Rlverla, Knpxville. LPS Angeles. Robert M. Harris, temporary manager: at the Boulevard (F-WC) here, while Bruce FpWler Was In Santa Barbara, has been shifted to the Granada, Ontario,. Replacing Charles Wueri, resigned. Shift of F-WC managers In San Diego has B. F. Naus, from the Egyptian CnabOrhood) becoming manager of the California, and replaced at his old assignment by Jpseph . Wyatt; Charles McManus, former manager of the Qrpheum; San. Diego, gees tP the Balbpa there, replacing. J. L. Kendrlck, resigned.. William Hiighart has takbn oyer the Central, Lpwell. Ariz,, pne of the dark houses* recently dumped by the P-WC trustees. He will reopen the house at .bnce. Ed Penn, formerly, with Skouras Bros, hoilse. pperatiPri in New Tprk, has' been appointed assistant to Dick Dickson,, div,: hjigr.. of F-WC inland division here, Pehn recently has been ■ doing field wotk for F- WC. more attehtipn tP making these im- portant-since the original value: of novelty'has worn off. By the same token It is about time that a new idea; in valances turned up. Getting too standard. Might be a bit -expensive,, but a black, cloth valance with, cutout letters In gPld pr. silver clbth wbuld be swagger on a bigger than usual picture. ., Seattle. ' Homer GUI to Pprtland.to man- age Liberty; Jim Runte from Spb- Icane-tor-Liberty,-Portland. Ray Howes assistant to Wm. Houck, manager bf Roxy. Pittsburgh. - -eharlie- Eagels-now manager-nbf State, Washington^ Pa., Max Friedman, formerly booker for Paramount's entire midwest cir- cuit, named chief booker for WB here, su'cceeding Bill Barron; who has been shifted to. the managerial staff at his own request. Barron to the Belmar, sniall. nabe house.. Honey for Bikes HoUywopd. B'i& bike para<ld'. and race, alpng.. Hbllywpod blvd., including, every• thing that ran on twp wheels waa the stunt put bn by Warners explof« - tatlon dept to focus interest en the secpnd peek's vaude-plc bill at the. Holly wpod; Wheeled cavalcade. Which brought out a lot pf antique vehicles and a Ipt of pioneer riders for the hilar* lous amusement of street crp-jivdSa- was staged during the nobn hour. Free-for^all race finished In front of theatre where Cant. Willie Mauss;- whPse bicycle number featured the bill, handed cut tickets and prizes' tp the winners. Pittsburgh. Charles Murray, assistant man- ager at the Warner for some time, now manager of small-seat Palace, downtown, succeeding J. A. McDbn^ aid, shifted to the Davl$: Pat Not- torb rciJlacbis Murray at the Warner. New PP»t for Witte Decatur, 111. Paul W^itte, ■ former city manager for Publijt three houses here, has <Continued on page .44) One Ont . of 39 Newa.rk, - Warners and the Newark 'Ledger* are running a. Contest to choose a 'Sunshine Girl' firom Northern New Jersey. 39 houi^es will run the cbn-~ test for fivfe Weeks, beginning this week, Twb girls, win be chosen ^winners each week in each theatre, which will give them . prizes.. Of •these girls one will be selected In a preliminary contest to represent t^® house in the county finals. Th» winners :%ill also appear in the grand finals at the Branford where many grand prizes are .offered. These include an Oldsmoblle and a Pontiac sedan and 10 trips to Ber- muda. The basis of the contests win be beauty, talent, or personality which sounds. Inclusive enpughi ■ ^,___fphree-^ay-Pull-=-^^ Brussels. What has to be done to fill a. con- cert hall in these days! Jdck Payne, late of the B.I3.C., and his band arfr to ph'e a ishb-vv at the Palais des Beaux Art.s here on May 23. . The b.o.-waij. opened yesterday and every person buying a couple pf seats was presented gratis with (a) a new double-sided grantiophone disc; (b) a packet of cigarettes, a bottle of perfume or a tablet of soap; and (r) a lottery ticket.