Plugging Cartoons

The best newspaper ads for cartoons in theatres way-back-when are the ones featuring drawings of the characters in them. Some of the artwork was supplied by the studios, in familiar poses in some cases. Others seem to have been traced (sometimes very poorly) by an artist working for the paper.

To the right you see an ad for a kids show with a number of cartoons; I’ve seen some ads promising 20 of them (Capitol Theatre, Hazelton, Pa., Dec. 1952). The “Lion and Mouse” cartoon was a 1943 Terrytoon. And the ad copy butchers the Woody Woodpecker short The Barber of Seville. (Note: It didn't dawn on me this was the 1944 Terry cartoon called The Butcher of Seville because I don't remember seeing it before. Thanks, S.P. for the info).

Here are a few more random ads. One theatre seems to be warning children it will be showing Good Night Elmer.



Here’s a neat piece of artwork from the December 6, 1941 edition of the “Showmen’s Trade Review.” It tried to help theatres along with suggested promotional gimmicks, things like displays, ad slogans and, in this case, newspaper ad layouts. They’re pretty attractive but I don’t believe I’ve seen these used in any newspapers. Andy Panda looks more like his dad in the drawing below. “Old Doc Layout,” writer of the article, is a pseudonym for Hank Harold.

Play Up the Fun-makers Who Star in Cartoons
These Layouts Prove It’s Practical and Profitable to Headline Short Subjects
For that "kid" appeal which should be an important consideration of every showman's show building as well as exploitation, there's no surer way to inject the necessary element in the newspaper ads than to give a "play" to cartoon characters you may be presenting in a short. Consequently, Old Doc is back with some more suggestions for layouts you will find practical from a standpoint of utilizing all your available space without handicapping the "punch" selling of your ad — which, of course, must always be your top feature's title, stars and catchlines.
You will note that the layouts below concentrate on the cartoon characters. You will also recall that every survey of reader-interest shows that cartoons have the ace pulling power of all elements editors can put into their newspaper pages. The comic strips top all in reader interest. If they can do that — you are hitching your wagon to a real star when you inject the likeness of some cartoon character in your ads. So try some of these suggestions.



Someone at MGM finally realised there was money to be made in Saturday matinee showings of cartoons, so it cobbled together a bunch of used shorts, connected them together and sent The Tom and Jerry Cartoon Festival to exchanges to be booked as one complete show.

There’s something different about seeing a cartoon on a theatre screen than on a computer or TV at home. The first time I saw Tex Avery’s Magical Maestro was in a theatre. The perspective of the magician’s rabbits jumping from the sides of the frame into the middle isn’t the same as watching it on home video; in the theatre, it caught me completely by surprise. And I think people laugh at cartoons more when they’re in a theatre with a group of people.

The days of a theatre programme with a feature, cartoon and newsreel are long gone. But there are still animation festivals here and there, screening cartoons old and new. So long as there’s an audience, and people interested in putting together a programme, cartoons will appear on the big screen.