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Film Trailers: How the Screen Gives Advance Publicity to Coming AttractionsIn a recent court action the film title, “Revolt of the Zombies,” the rarely publicized motion-picture trailer was introduced as evidence because of its advertising value. Not to be confused with the increasingly popular automobile trailer, the cinema type is that short film cropping up to proclaim the thrills, chills, fast action, love interest and stars of coming attractions.During the infant days of the “flickers” announcements were flashed on the screen during the “One Minute to Change Reels.” In this period highly colored slides were shown among advertisements for Granny’s Corn Fritters, Uncle Joe’s Liver Pills, bicycles at half price and sundry merchandise with emphatic remarks such as: “Just a minute while the operator has a fit,” or “Please remove your hat, the lady in back might want to see, too.” These slides were the direct forerunners of the modern film trailer.As the cinema matured, advertisements of coming attractions were introduced. These were on slides at first but eventually were made on film. At this point they became known as trailers; “trailer” because they were attached to a reel on a feature or longer piece of film and trailed. In 1920, actual scenes were introduced and from that time the “trailer” business has increased in importance until it is now one of the important branches of the motion picture industry.Stars and Stars—The average trailer announcing the GLAMOUROUS star of stars, Mary Jones in that THRILLING—NERVE TINGLING—HEART-TEARING—SOUL±REVEALING—THUNDERBOLT-LIKE—SAGA OF TRUE LOVE—“Cousin Elizabeth”—runs about a minute and a half and is 200 feet long. More than 10,000 theaters are supplied from one to three times a week with these short reels by the National Screen Service. The only production companies not using this service are Warner Brothers and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, both of which prefer to make their own.Three to eight scenes are cut into the trailer from the picture it announces. The companies supply this scene material and as compensation in addition to the advertising values, they are paid royalties based on the amount of film footage actually used and the number of prints. National Screen Service has scouts who watch the shooting of pictures to select most expressive scenes of the entire story.Occasionally stars are changed, stories altered, theme songs dropped, or whole scenes deleted. This causes confusion for the trailer makers, especially when title changing runs rampant on the Hollywood lots. Mae West’s last picture started as “Klondike Lou,” was changed to “Hallelujah, I’m a Saint,” and finally released as “Klondike Annie.”National Screen Service has produced up to 2,700 different sorts of these short reels in one year with more than 30,000 prints being issued. The usual feature picture may open in fifty cities simultaneously, but the company has to be prepared for emergencies such as in the case of Shirley Temple's “Curly Top,” which opened in four hundred theaters the same week.Depending on length, wordage and production, the cost of trailers range from from $300 to $1,500 apiece. Some theaters, such as the Radio City Music Hall in New York, allot an annual budget of $5,000 for exclusive trailers. Most theaters, however, are supplied on yearly contracts at from ten to twenty dollars a week.Careful Distribution—Peculiarly enough in the problem of trailer distribution, there is a question of censorship. National Screen Service has its own censor, but occasionally eliminations are necessary in some prints and these are marked “For Mass. only,” or “O.K. for Pennsylvania,” depending on local requirements.Western films, with action stressed, have to be watched carefully. Censors allow a chair or some weapon to be raised in a fight scene, but the actual striking may not be shown. A man may jump over a cliff but he may not ride a horse in so doing. That constitutes cruelty to animals and is tabu.Only an instant of machine-guns may be seen. There can be sounds of firing, but the machine-gun must not be shown in action. Two people may clinch and kiss, but they must always be vertical, never horizontal. And kisses are measured actually by footage; thus, three feet of a kiss would represent about two and a half seconds of time, as film is projected ninety feet a second, or approximately twelve minutes for a full reel.There are three common types of trailers: “talkers” with film scenes, “text” with titles, stills of actors and animation effects and short fifty-foot reels, all titles and with or without music.Upon the suggestion of the production company, these films are assembled by an editorial and cutting staff. Letterers and artists produce background cards, build small sets for trick photography, do animation and letter advertising matter which is then photographed by the camera crew with an eye toward all kinds of trick work.The editors work with every available dictionary and word collection in their quest for adjectival fireworks. In the sound library are some 5,000 pieces of music. Sound effects are likewise held available, such as a lion’s roar being accomplished by drawing a rosin-covered string through the covered end of an open-end drum; a whale’s blowing by forcing air through a short section of hose; a bit more hose achieving an alligator effect. Nails dropping into a keg gave the impression that a rock slide has hit the roof of a house and for a big cave-in, match-boxes held in the hand and crushed before the “mike” produced the desired result.Recently, with the use of a powerful baby microphone, sound engineers are being sent all over the world. One crew recorded the sounds in the fiords of Norway.
National Enquirer600 S.E. Coast Ave., Lantana, FL. 33464Last Date Listing Updated Verified 01/79National EnquirerPhone: 305-586-1111PBD: WeeklyCirculation: 5,719,918 (ABC)PG: 58 x 78 1/2 picas; COL: 11.3 picas; PHOTO: Yes; MAT; No, CUT: Yes; SCREEN: 65; CHARGE: Yes; PAY: Yes; RATE: Depends on material.Generoso Pope, Jr. ..... PublisherIain Calder ..... EditorPaul Levy ..... Managing EditorRalph Gallagher ..... Advertising ManagerMalcolm Balfour, Mel Blum ..... Associate EditorsRon Caylor, Raymond Villwock ..... Associate Editors
Blum—Mel. Loving father of Marilyn, Terry, Gene, Vicki, and Avi. Sibling to Barry and Rita.
Surprised on Birthday.Jerome Siemon was pleasantly surprised at his home, 613 Ninth street, Thursday evening, by the members of the Jazz orchestra, of which he is the leader, the occasion being his birthday anniversary. The evening was spent with Jazz music and later refreshments were served. They presented Mr. Siemon with a purse of money, wishing him many happy returns of the day.
Mr. and Mrs. Romie Siemons [sic] of Moline left for Chicago this morning where they will make their home. Mr. Siemons has accepted a position in that city. The young couple were married Tuesday, July 24, in Clinton the nuptials coming as a surprise to their many friends. Mr. Siemons is a son of Mrs. Emma Siemons and his bride, who was Miss Beatrice Vogel, a daughter of Thomas Vogel of Rapids City.
Rome Siemon, the fairly widely known cartoonist who got his start in his working life pounding a piano in a nickel movie in Rock Island (he was just a kid and his family was poor) apparently has been doing some Christmas shopping and thinking of poor orphan youngsters. For several years Mr. Siemon, who lives in Hollywood, Calif., has been, taking time out from a busy working career to draw cartoons to help the Moline Good Fellow Christmas fund sponsored by the Dispatch. Rome knows what it is to be up against it at one stage in his career that was in Moline he found the piano playing picking so poor that he thought he was lucky to get a part-time job as a LeClaire hotel elevator operator. If Siemon’s cartoon plea appeals to you, send a contribution to this Christmas program to bring some cheer to needy children and widows to Good Fellow Fund, Moline Dispatch, or drop in with buck or two (or more) and some one at the Dispatch office will be glad to take it.
…Mike [Royer] learned to letter from Mike Arens. Mike Arens learned lettering largely from a man named Rome Siemon, who was the house letterer at Western Publishing, on the West Coast books for years….