The Art of Selling Movies
Let’s say you bought yourself a fancy movie theater back in the 1930s. You probably knew how to make popcorn and tear tickets, but you might not have been prepared to design newspaper ads, often on a daily basis, to get butts into the seats. One day Greta Garbo is on your big screen, followed by the Marx Brothers, with Charlie Chaplin headlining your weekend ahead—get busy, Don Draper; write some compelling ad copy.
Indeed, you and thousands of other theater owners did just that during Hollywood’s Golden Age (silent era through the mid 1960s). The Art of Selling Movies represents the King-Kong-sized collection of hundreds of images and clippings gathered by John McElwee and reproduced through the use of innovative restoration technology. The three-hundred-plus pages of old newspaper ads, along with witty captions, effectively opens a velvety curtain into movie Americana.
Reviewed by
Matt Sutherland
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
