DECEMBER

Animated Circus Gets
Attention in Lobby
For 'Greatest Show'
NUGGETS
A Cincinnati jeweler cooperated with Ed
McGlone. manager of the Palace, in arranging
a shooting match between two rival police
fraternities in behalf of "Springfield Rifle."
The winning team received a trophy.
Special Exploitation
In Cumberland Area
Gets Good Results
Lewis Thompson, manager of the Holland
in Bellsfontaine. Ohio, set the stage for future
tieups with a newly located jeweler who
moved to town by promoting a window display
on "Just for You." He expects to line up
a series of holiday tieups as a result of the
contact.
Jack Ward, manager of the Seneca in Niagara
Falls, Ont.. placed a one-sheet card on
"Ivanhoe" in a showcase outside the public
library. The library officials readily accepted
Ward's proposal because of the classical significance
of the Sir Walter Scott novel.
The animated circus, illustrated herewith,
convinced Bill Fanning, manager of the Owen
Theatre, Branson, Mo., that exploitation pays
off for the small theatre at no increase in his
advertising budget. The motorized circus was
built by Fanning and a friend.
The carousel was mounted on a 78 rpm
turntable. Tlie motor and pulleys for the
ferris wheel were concealed in the tiny ticket
booth. The framework for most of the display
was made from old hat boxes.
During the playdates, the exhibit was moved
to a local department store window.
On one side of the lobby. Fanning built
an attractive display of animal cages surrounded
by bales of hay and backed up with
tarpaulins. Each cage bore a label such as
lion, tiger, leopard, etc. Since no animals
were in the cages. Fanning lettered a sign
across the display reading: "Who's kidding
who? Don't miss 'The Greatest Show on
Earth."
Periscope Peek Shows
Poster on 'Submarine'
An effective lobby stunt for "Submarine
Command" used by Fred Godwin, manager of
the Wellston, Warner Robins, Ga., involved
the use of a large periscope.
The gadget was
Copy
built from old materials in the theatre.
was placed upside down on the wall, and people
who peeked into the periscope were able
to read the plug for "Submarine Command."
To ballyhoo "When Worlds Collide," Godwin
obtained three army surplus target balloons
which were inflated with helium and
flown over the theatre with a sales message
painted on the surface.
'Memory' Contest Is Put
Over by Throwaways
Two thousand throwaways announcing a
contest on "Here's to the Memory" were distributed
by H. Kean, manager of the Savoy
Cinema, Exeter, England. Copy invited patrons
to write a letter, after seeing the film,
listing the five events which in their opinion
have most affected the course of history in
the last 50 years. Prizes of a guinea and a
months' supply of passes for two were
awarded for the most interesting entries received.
Cowboys and Cowgirls
Get Photos on Pony
Dave Weinstein, manager of the Atlantic
Drive-In Theatre. Pleasantville, N. J., promoted
a cowboy and cowgirl popularity contest
as a six-week business stimulant, to run
through Thanksgiving.
Through an arrangement with the Pleasantville
photographer, youngsters who attend
the theatre dressed in western costumes are
invited to be photographed riding Teddy, the
theatre pony, and their pictures are posted on
a display at the concession booth. Parents
and friends are then invited to vote for their
favorites. Ballots are distributed with every
purchase of an admission ticket.
The photographer, in addition to lending
his services at no charge, has provided a
quantity of toys, games and gun sets for
distribution to the contest winners.
According to Weinstein, several hundred
parents took advantage of the free theatre
offer, and the contest was instrumental in
advertising the fact that the drive-in,
equipped with in-car heaters, will remain open
through the winter months.
Stickers on 'Charley?'
Five thousand stickers advertising "Where's
Charley?" were put out by George Robinson,
manager of the Odeon Theatre, St. Thomas,
On_. Playdates were added to a lively cut of
the dancing star and the catchline, "Ray
Bolger bowls 'em over in, etc." The stickers
were left on the windows of parked cars and
shops. Robinson distributed lucky-number
heralds, folded so as to reveal only the words,
"The: e people are looking for Charley." Two
merchant ads defrayed the cost of printing
and distributing.
Saddle Club on Parade
For Onargo, 111., 'Bronco'
Donald Walraven, manager of the Mode
Theatre, Onarga, 111., persuaded the local
Boots and Saddle club to stage a parade to
exploit "Bronco Buster." A dozen club members,
astride horses and wearing western
togs, carried large banners announcing the
film, stars, and theatre dates.
As an inexpensive means of advertising "Has
Anybody Seen My Gal." Jack Pardes, manager
of the Libferty Theatre. Cumberland,
Md., imprinted several thousand grocery bags
with picture and theatre copy and had them
distributed at foiu- important stores. Numbers
appeared on each bag, and recipients who
found numbers corresponding with a list
posted in the theatre lobby received free
passes.
For "Horizons West," Pardes distributed
2,000 heralds, posted three-sheets in empty
store windows, and posted two six-sheets on
the sidewalk in front of the theatre.
On "The Jungle," miniature drums were
strung across the lobby and a miniature
jungle display was constructed in the lobby
with cutouts of animals peering from behind
foliage. The display also featured a miniature
animal trap and natural stones,
A screening aroused wide local interest in
"The Miracle of Fatima." Pardes invited
cleraymen, the mayor, officers of the Knights
of Columbus, the local newspaper editor and
cab drivers. Principals of parochial schools
were contacted personally regarding student
di count tickets, and as a result, the student
body at two of the schools attended a matinee
accompanied by their teachers. Priests
and ministers mentioned the theatre attraction
at Sunday services.
Pardes used a flash front, distributed heralds
at local schools, and posted three-sheets
on billboards. Radio spot annoimcements
further advertised the show.
Pitcher's Wife Throws
Strike on Fall Hits
Appropriately named, the Ball Theatre at
Pageland, S. C, is operated by former bigleague
pitcher Van Mongo and his wife. Mrs
Lingle Van Mongo.
Mrs. Van Mongo recently entered a float
in a local parade to highlight some of the
coming fall attractions. Along the sides of
the truck were large cutouts in the shape
of ba.seballs with titles of coming films lettered
on the sphere.
On top of the float sat theatre employes
dressed in costumes symbolizing the various
pictures. Three girls in bathing suits plugged
"Skirts Ahoy!" attractively gowned girls portrayed
"Lovely to Look At," and a fencer in
masked garb dramatically emphasized
"Scaramouche."
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30 — 276 — BOXOFFICE ShowmandJsot :
: Dec. 6, 1952 Mt.f^
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