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Motion Picture Herald, the leading trade magazine sent to movie theater owners in the 1930s to the 1960s (we don't know exactly when it started publication, but we think it was in 1931, and we know it continued until at least 1967). Each magazine measures approximately 9" x 12", and each contained around 70-100 pages. Each weekly issue would be filled with illustrated articles about upcoming movies, statistics about box office grosses of current releases, and sometimes articles about coming developments in motion picture technology, and sometimes sections illustrating how theaters advertised current movies. Of greatest interest to collectors are the advertisements (some full-page) from all of the major studios! A few of these ads were full-color. Note that these exhibitor magazines were ONLY sent to theater owners, and the general public never had a chance to buy them. But most theater owners treated them like old newspapers, throwing them away after the movies had played. Consequently, they are extremely rare, especially those from the 1920s and 1930s! Note that we do not have the time to list the contents of each magazine we are selling (this magazine does not have a "table of contents", and of course, the most interesting part of the magazine is the great illustrated ads), but we have pictured the cover, and one or more interior 2-page spreads. We tried to pick out some of the more interesting interior pages, but we did not spend much time doing so! Each of these magazines, which were NOT printed on newsprint, and were printed on quality paper, is packed with very interesting visual and written material, almost all of which has not been seen since the date the magazine was published. We doubt anyone who buys these magazines will be disappointed by the content! Note that this magazine continued to be published into the 1970s, but it slowly lost page count and quality over the years. The issues in the 1950s-1970s were generally around 30-50 pages, and at some point during those years, the magazine became first bi-weekly, and finally, monthly.

Important Added Info: Note that we have never before sold this magazine. However, we once auctioned the 20-page Paramount campaign book that is included within this. At that time, we said that it COULD be a standalone campaign book, but we thought it was much more likely it was an insert from an exhibitor magazine, and now that we have been consigned an example of the magazine, we know for certain that it was! That year, Paramount made a 106-page 11 1/2" x 17" campaign book that they sent to theater owners, and that had all two-color images. But they also created this wonderful 20-page supplement for Motion Picture Herald (and of course, it is still possible that it was also printed as a standalone book, but we have never seen that, if it was).

Please do not bid on this item unless you have read the above very carefully, and realize you are getting a magazine containing a campaign book, and not a standalone campaign book (which, as we say above, may not exist!). In the case of this magazine, it contains the the 20-page ad section Paramount created for this magazine so that theater owners would be encouraged to show Paramount movies. THIS 20-PAGE AD SECTION HAS MANY OF THE FINEST EXAMPLES OF 1930S AD ART WE HAVE EVER SEEN! Some of the movies and stars advertised include a wonderful one for Marlene Dietrich in Blonde Venus, where she is made to resemble the Venus de Milo statue, plus there are ads for Horse Feathers (spelled "Horsefeathers" in the ad), Love Me Tonight, Movie Crazy, and more (see our images)!

In addition to the 20-page Paramount insert, there are 70 other pages, which contain cool ads and stories about other movies!

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Bruce Hershenson,
306 Washington Avenue, West Plains, MO 65775