Evening star., 1938-03-06

- is my best picture" says Ernst
Lubitsch modestly, pointing to
a can on which is written
"Bluebeard's Eighth Wife" And now
it Is up to you to tell the world" He
withdraws quietly from Terry de
Lapp's office. leaving the Hollywood
chief of Paramount publicity with a
nice little campaign on his hands-and
no idea with which to start it. But not
for long. One week later Robert Gill
ham, number one advertising and pub
licity director for the studio, receives
an interoffice memorandum in his New
York Office. Some telephone calls,
letters, wires-and worldwide pub
licity campaign is under way.
A life-size figure of Popeye, the sail
orman-cost. $400-will be put on
plane to New York. His baggage will
consist Of cans filled with "Bluebeard's
Eighth Wife," to be distributed in per-
son to Paramount exchanges all over
the world. Photographers will chroni-
Gle every move made by Popeye Natur-
ally, every picture will display the
name of his baggage" And when |
you see the photograph in your local |
newspaper and newsreel you will laugh |
probably, but remember, undoubtedly, |
that Paramount is releasing a picture
titled "Bluebeard's Eighth Wife"
Which is why pictures are manufac-
tured in the first place.
livery film made in Hollywood
carries its own individual public
lty-seeklng campaign. Some are
legitimate, some phony. But they are
/ all designed to let you know that such
and such picture has been made.
Semi-phony was the appeal put out by
Sam Goldwyn for a new name for
Sigrid Gurie. then unknown leading
lady with Gary Cooper in THE Ad-
ventures of Marco Polo" Fans all
over America sent suggestions-bu
Miss Gurie remained Miss Gurie,
name the public will not now easily
forget. If anything further had been
required to publicize David O. Selz-
hicks Gone With the Wind" the
mythical campaign for an unknown
turned the trick. The publicity de-
partment of Metro -Goldwyn-Maye
did neat job of exploitation with the
picture originally titled Benefits For
got" Via the studio weekly broadcast.
| a prize of $4,000 was offered for a
new title. won by Roy Harris with "Of
Human Hearts" There wilf be few
radio scompetitors who will miss the
movie Fs>
Olympic Bradna is sweet, young,
pretty and has never been kissed. But,
mor6 important, she is now playing
the lead in Stolen Heaven" where
the script calls for her to be kissed
for the first time Now. what could
be more thrilling to the public of
America than to see in the daily
papers the exquisite torture suffered
by young lass in the throes of her
first kiss? So a battery of still
photographers was stationed on the
set-co-kisser Gene Raymond given
the starting gun-but at the last
minute Gene took camera fright. mur-
INJURED that perhaps his wife ,Jeanette
MacDonaldD wouldn't like it-and
struck. But-the, publicity-seek
pictures appeared anyway-taken by
the movie camera in the course of the
shooting"
A good way to grab free newspaper
space is to employ columnists in the
form of actors and actresses-re-
member the columns of Walter VIM
chell during Wake Up and Live?
The publicity gained this way more
than equaled the salary paid. And
when the picture is as great a success
as Wake Up and Live"-every one is
happy.
NEW dances are natural for put
ting over the pictures in which
they are introduced. I'll give you
pineapples to raisins that by the time !
college Swing" is released the dance
after which it is named will have
superseded the big apple. Here are
just few of the stunts to popularlze |.
the dance-and the picture. A song |
titled college Swing"-a ree-for-all
soiree at local college, with camera
men to record the new gyratlons
known as college swing" Git is not
necessary to mention the picture)-a
college Swing" night at the Troca-
dero, with members of the cast per-
forming for the benefit of the syndi-
Gated photographers. And spot on
Benny Goodman's radio Swing School,
Animals are used frequently to pro-
mote picture interest. Director George
Archinbaud was given baby lion,
Meewah-she cost 5000 that he
could give her to the New York Zoo.
Meewah had just finished a spot of
acting in Her jungle Love" So it |
was only natural that the newspapers |
that photographed and chonicled the
presentation should mention the pic
.ture And it was also only natural
that all the kids of New York would
wish to see the lion that was a movie
star-and the picture in which she
starred. SKIS.
Dorothy Lamour has been photo
graphed with monkeys and what-have-
you since the beginning of her movie |
career. The police were once called in |
who said by the Paramount publicity |
department?-to oust the animals |
from her apartment Dorothy protest.
ed prettily-while the bulbs flashed
and another plug registered for her
latest picture. A few weeks ago live
stock associations all over the country |
were PACED for . bull, contented bull,
to spar with Martha Raye in "Tropic |
Holiday" Some replied seriously. some |
facetiously- gagster wrote "The
bull Is contented now, but II he ever
sees Martha Raye -" But Martha
wasn't sore. The picture got, some
swell publicity.
fCcpyright. 1888. by the North American
Newspaper Alliance. 1nc.)
1t Takes Time.
THE average person who never has