Variety (May 1925)

*W»ir'-'ff* slttt I.-'!?-: »'■" Wednesday, May 6, 1925 VAUDEVILLE ■ li»!i!_.r »*!.•;» X 5?.''.•:.' VARIETY 9 "VARIETT ADVERTISING By ALF T. WILTON (Mr. Wilton i$ a theatrical agent, in the Palace Theatre Building, Jfew York City. He has been a contittent advertiier in Variety and Jiia remarks herewith were requested). As advertising l8 the vital powerf' of the show bualneu. I concluded aome years ago to apply it to my- •elf. I selected "Variety" for the experiment, and up to date I havi continued advertising, using "Va- riety" only. As a theatrical agent and spe- cializing on vaudeville, I decided It was time I Vwent after" business In other than the routine manner. My office had holes in it. We could bandle more business than we were doing. I didn't give up the routine manner of procuring new acts, faces and turns for vaudeville, but I add- ed to it, througti advertising. These results I have found from that advertising in "Variety," al- though my tveekly advertising in the paper is modest in size, though constant. That constancy is what 1 wanted. I wanted to make known that "Wilton" stood for vaudeville bookings for people wanting to play in vaudeville, or those In vaudeville Who might wish to advance them- selves. Theatrical agentlng in its principal work is personal exploita- tion. I must exploit my material to I convince booking men and man- agers that the acts I represent are desirable for their houses. "Wilton" Well Known Perhaps the most beneficial effect 02 my "Variety" advertising has been to make the name of "Wilton" well known in the show business. We of our office here have found It makes our approach more easily accomplished. The name of "Wil- ton" when presented to a profe"- ■ional or anyone In the show bus- iness, soundis familiar. They think they know me. But they don't. But thinking they know me they tlie more readily meet me. They only know me from that •Variety" advertising. I have found that true not only Of this country, but in foreign land*. t have received letters from Amt^. lean acts playing all over the world, telUnv me that foreign turns ask them about American vaudeville and "how about that New York agent, Wilton" That could only come Crom my advertising. ai^ Directly at home it has brought me plenty of letters from legitimate and lecture players, Innuirlng about ▼audeville and soliciting my advice. That Is of material benefit to all of "ru. Through interviews wt get right down to cases. Many timee just through this time is saved, to the player, myself and the manager, also expense, if I advise them they are asking too much salary in laj oplnitm, or that their vehicle Is t •uitable or at the time they inquire, and if vaudeville is congested In borings, that they had better post- pone an entry until a more favor- able date. Advertising, Business Expense 4Xter my first six months of ad- vertising in "Variety," I contracted for a year's advertising and have coqtinued upon that basis. I look Upon It as a part of my fixed bus- tneas expense. The longer the ad runs the better known the name of "Wilton" becomes, and I get a kick from this in many ways. "Variety" is an all-around theat- rical paper. It seems to go every- where and to all of the different en of the show business. In un- expected places end from unsus- pected people, some of whom are not In the show business, when I am introduced, they say: ''Oh. yes, you're the Mr. Wilton I have .seen advertised in Variety." to my mind tliafs publicity^ that's worth something, for in thaJ show buflnes all you can figure are r - Bu^s—if you get the results, though peiAiaps not traceable, they are th^e and must come from some- where. What we get through office Work we can trace; what comes in from the outside we can only ac- count for In one way. Meanwhile, and thankfully, my business has steadily Increased, convincing roe that advertising pays. It's like commercial business. The merchant at the end of the year ■figures up what he h.ns done, what he has made and what it has cost him. i JUDGMENTS Kialto Theatre Corp.; United Ar- tists Corp.; 11,53.^)89. Ben Hur Restaurant Co., Inc.; Austin. Nl.-hols &. Co.. $1.16.74. Jos. C. Kneer Amus. Corp.; United Artists Corp.; $503.28. Erwin 8. Klecblatt; .M. Iser; $r>$7.64. Louis I. Isqulth; L. A Snltkin; $5iG.03. Lafayette Operating Co., Inc.; Renown pictures. Inc.; $400. Liliis Crawford; Anita Stewart; coots, $7<».4«. MOREISON'S NEW POUCY Morrisoii'a Rockaway Beach, N. Y., will this season replace its for- mer vaudeville with traveling legit shows, mostly break-ins, playing vaudeville bills Sundays only. The house will reopen the latter part of this month. Musical Comedy Turning 'Em Back Vaudville acts appearing In musi- cal comedies and legit productions are returning to the two a day for summer bookings. The De Marcos from 'Scandals" are now on tT»e K-A Circuit and Fradkln and Rhode, of "Adrlenne," also have been roi.ted for the sum- mer. MJX'S TOUR (Continued from page 1) tour of this country, during which Mix will mix with no one not cele- brated for something. On the other side Mix traveled wide and fast, a sensation in his attractive western regalia and took the trip back for a rest. His next rest win be the day before June 2, when he starts picture making again in Hollywood on "The Lucky Horseshoe." In between and after, Fox's allows Mr. Mix to rest Saturday, on Sun- day he will go to Boston to meet on Monday Mayor Curley and a governor or so. Each Sunday Mr. Mix will be al- lowed to rest but meantime he will make the following cities as per schedule. May 12, Montreal; 13, Toronto; 11. Mi.w:nil;ee (convention); 15. Chicago; 16. Detroit; 18, Clevei.nnd; 19, Buffalo; 20, Pittsburgh; 21, Washington; 22, Baltimore; 23, Philadelphia; 24 (Sunday) (antici- pating a nice day the Fox's have arranged for Tom to ride "Tony" on the beach at Atlantic City, but only In the morning); 25, Cincin- nati: 2$, Indianapolis; 27, St. Louis; 28, Kansas City; 29, Omaha, with the difference allowed the star to make Hollywood on a direct ride. Special Cars At Buffalo Mix will be given a special car, and "Tony," arriving on a later boat, will also have a special baggage car attached to the same trains. Four Fox men will go ahead, with Joe Loo, tiic bubbling publicity im- presario who returns with his pet ..^ubjeci on tiie "Mauretanla" travel- ing with Mix. Max Roth, Joe Shea, Jerry Rudolph and Roy Crandall will be the men ahead, seven, four, tM-o and one day respectively. As the route runs off the advance men will Join the Mix party. No personal appearance in a thea- tre will be made by Tom Mix on this domestic tour but a Mix pic- ture will be playing in each city as he visits it. The Mix Amercan trip will resemble his European one In this respect, making Tom ^ix a top-heavy dignitarlal greeter. It will probably mark the most intensive and extensive exploitation stunt ever attempted for a the- atrical celebrity. SUES "WORLD" (Continued from page 1) atre, New York, Is suing through his corporation on the allegation that the "World." "well knowing" that his dramatic opus was "de- serving of esteem" and financial success, maliciously ridiculed It in a theatrical review. Only $200,000 will appease Dr. Goldknopf for 'he alleged fact the review hurt his play with theatrical managers and resulted In cancelled bookings. The "World" reviewer was a "second string" man and his opin- ion as to the hopelessness of "In- the Near Future" coincided with the other dailies. It Is reported similar proceedings will be started against the other papers although It is generally be- lieved that Dr. Goldknopf stands little chance for success, based on previously tested litigations which ruled dramatic criticism is priv- ileged. The Theatre Guild has moved Its offices from the Oarrlck to the new Guild theatre In 52nd street. '^:^-^ •■■»-■, a p res eri u i ff Based up Off ft ptay btf Dorothy Donnelly 99 / Release Date - October u th ^UNITED ARTISTS CORPORATION Marij Pickford Charles Chaplin Douglas Jairbanks D W. Griffith .Hiram Abrams. President Joseph M Schenek.Cha/rmarr. Board of Director^ i 1