The Lost World: Promoting The Lost World

PROMOTING
THE LOST WORLD

Inspired by the Movie

Perhaps the most ironic piece of merchandise to come out of The Lost World is the song "inspired by the movie", written by composer Rudolf Friml and lyricist Harry B. Smith (with ukulele arrangement by Jeannè Gravelle). It was available both as sheet music and gramophone record, but either way the quality if debatable:

In a land of fancies,
Once we lived romances.
Now they seem in memory,
Just like a lost world to me. R

Oh! The world was lost I knew,
On the day that I lost you.
But dreams are not in vain,
We may find that world again.
Then for love alone we’ll live,
All the past forget, forgive.
And the stars will guide us, beaming above;
Till we find our lost world of love.

Though a while we sever,
It is not forever,
Led by dreams of your dear eyes,
I’ll find my Lost Paradise. R

The song proved to be popular at showings of the film. Where modern audiences are forced to sit through a half hour of commercials, silent film audiences were privileged to an overture by the live music orchestra. Occasionally, these overtures and the intermissions featured performances by radio celebrities.

One of these performances was by “The Radio Girl” Violet Gridley at the Tremont Temple theatre of Boston on March 2, 1925. Gridley would go on to have the distinction of participating in Canada’s first televised performance on July 20, 1931, for Montreal’s CKAK radio. Below is the programme for that Boston performance.

Lobby Card Gallery

A Trade Ad

Souvenier Postcard

Manufactured by the Exhibit Supply Co. of Chicago, Ill.

Theatrical posters.

The original theatrical trailer.

The photoplay edition of the novel, including 4 plates of
photos from the film. This edition was seen in the theatrical trailer.

A November issue of Boy's Cinema Weekly,
featuring a photoplay serialization of the novel.

Programme cover for the Astor Theatre, New York City.

An absolutely wonderful print ad.

An ad promoting films deemed family-friendly
by Will Hays, with the implicaction that
The Lost World is not one of them.

From a 1925 issue of Photoplay News, a film industry trade magazine.

An issue of Picture Show magazine.

The silent era was not immune from cross-promotional advertizing and
product placement, as indicated by this ad for Corona typewriters.

Promotional still photos as seen in a technical magazine.

In the silent era, theatres would project a colourful glass slide
onto the screen to advertize forthcoming films.
This is the slide for The Lost World.

Paper puzzle merchandise tie-in. This puzzle by Bob Sherms
was advertized in a theatrical trailer featuring Milton Sills,
Lambert Hillyer and Bessie Love.

Compiled by Cory Gross.