Exhibitors' Promotional Handbook

  All images on this page are from the Margarita
Fischer Papers, Wichita State University Libraries,
Department of Special Collections
  This 12-page paperbound book is undated, but Universal obviously prepared it some weeks after their film opened at New York's Central Theatre in November, 1927, and before it went into national release in the Spring, 1928. It provides local theater owners and managers with ideas and materials for promoting — "ballyhoo-ing" — the movie. Calling it a handbook, though, seems way too understated: it measures over 2' x 3', and its prose is inflated to match.

  Many of the "tie-ups" (as tie-ins are called) described in the book will be familiar to 21st century inhabitants of the popular culture Hollywood has played such a large role in creating, but the bluntness with which the old plantation is celebrated and racial stereotypes are exploited will often be startling.

  Many of the items mentioned or pictured below — including the book tie-up, the souvenir postcard and the newspaper supplement — are available elsewhere in this section of the archive.

CLICK ON PAGES BELOW TO ENLARGE SECTIONS

    Pages 2-3:
LOBBY-WIDE OIL PAINTING CENTRAL THEATRE SIGN 1 CENTRAL THEATRE SIGN 2 LOBBY OF CENTRAL THEATRE CENTRAL THEATRE SIGN 3 CENTRAL THEATRE SIGN 4 ILLUSTRATION BY A. M. FROEHLICH CARL LAEMMLE'S BLURB MESSAGE FROM THEATER TO CUSTOMERS MESSAGE FROM UNIVERSAL TO EXHIBITORS
    Pages 4-5:
BLURBS FROM REVIEWS 1 BLURBS FROM REVIEWS 2 BLURBS FROM REVIEWS 3 BLURBS FROM REVIEWS 4 LAEMMLE PUBLICITY PIECES 1 LAEMMLE PUBLICITY PIECES 1 LAEMMLE PUBLICITY PIECES 2 LAEMMLE PUBLICITY PIECES 2 LAEMMLE PUBLICITY PIECES 3 LAEMMLE PUBLICITY PIECES 3 LAEMMLE'S FAMOUS COLUMN LOBBY DISPLAY: BIG MOMENTS LOBBY DISPLAY: EARLY PLAYERS
    Pages 6-7:
SHOWMANSHIP BEGINS IN THE THEATRE 1 SHOWMANSHIP BEGINS IN THE THEATRE 2 PLANTATION ATMOSPHERE PRESENTATIONS BACKSTAGE EFFECTS TOPSY AND EVA BALLYHOO SIXTEEN LOBBY CARDS TWO INSERT CARDS ADVERTISING PUNCHES STORE TIE-UP STUNTS FOR EVERY THEATRE BLOODHOUND, MARKS AND LEGREE BALLYHOOS LETTER STUNT QUESTION AND ANSWER AND BOOK TIE UPS FOUR PREVIEW SLIDES FOUR POSTERS
    Pages 8-9:
SCHOOL TIE-UP PREVIEW TRAILER THREE BALLYHOOS ILLUSTRATED NEWSPAPER SERIAL AD AND NAMING CONTEST SODA FOUNTAIN TIE-UP AND ANSWERS (SOME WRONG) NEWSPAPER INSERT 1 NEWSPAPER INSERT 2 SOUVENIR POSTCARD 1 SOUVENIR POSTCARD 2 VIRGINIA GREY DRESS TIE UP LUGGAGE TIE-UP DISPLAY FRAME TOPSY AND EVA DOLL SOUVENIR POST CARD ACCESSORY LIST PICKANINNY TOPSY DOLLS
    Pages 10-11:
BOX OFFICE SPECIALS BIG MOMENTS POSTER LOBBY DISPLAY: OIL PAINTING 1 LOBBY DISPLAY: OIL PAINTING 2 THEATER DISPLAY: BANNER OLD-TIME PLAY BILLS POSTER POSTER 1 POSTER 2 POSTER 3 POSTER 4 POSTER INFO POSTER 5 POSTER 6 POSTERS 7 AND 8 POSTERS 9 AND 10 POSTER 11 POSTER 12 POSTER 13 POSTER 14 POSTER INFO POSTER 15
    Page 12:
24-SHEET POSTER 1 24-SHEET POSTER 2 24-SHEET POSTER 3
 

Margarita Fischer Papers, Wichita State University Libraries
Department of Special Collections

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