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. . Now<br />
Mass.<br />
Theatre.<br />
FRANCIS IS<br />
C0inil6 AGAIN<br />
Manager Don Walraven of the Mode Theatre.<br />
Onarga, 111., goes in for humorous art<br />
signs to sell "The Greatest Show on Earth."<br />
He did art work himself.<br />
Page Co-Op Proclaims<br />
Tor You' at Chatham<br />
Harry Wilson, manager of the Capitol Theatre,<br />
Chatham, Ont., promoted a newspaper<br />
co-op ad on "Just for You" which gave the<br />
picture a cost-free three-column display ad<br />
centered in the page and a five-inch streamer<br />
across the top. Each merchant offered "Bargain<br />
Values 'Just for You."<br />
For "Dreamboat," merchants responded<br />
with a half-page new.spaper co-op ad under<br />
the heading, "Dearie, Do You Remember?"<br />
Advertising copy was tied in to suggest that<br />
the sale values offered date back to the era<br />
depicted in the film.<br />
. . .<br />
Wilson hit in the Chatham Daily News with<br />
a three-column, eight-inch photo showing<br />
three girls wearing skirts lettered with copy,<br />
"'Skirts Ahoy!' . at the Capitol<br />
with Esther Williams." The stunt attracted so<br />
much attention on the streets, the paper dispatched<br />
a photographer to take a picture<br />
of the three girls, which it published with a<br />
story giving full credit to "Skirts Ahoy!"<br />
Ushers and Students Aid<br />
In Theatre Promotions<br />
Helen Johnson, manager of the State Theatre,<br />
Statesville, N. C, had all theatre employes<br />
wear badges two weeks in advance of<br />
"Everything I Have Is Yours," lettered with<br />
picture copy, star names, etc.<br />
"Smarty Pants" badges with a rever.se cut<br />
of the title were distributed to high school<br />
students. The title .song was played over the<br />
public address system with announcements a<br />
week before opening, and plugged on the local<br />
rad^o .'Station. One hundred window cards<br />
were distributed.<br />
For "Les Miserables," Miss Johnson circularized<br />
teachers of English, French and<br />
history at the high .school and urged their<br />
cooperation in interesting the children in the<br />
Victor Hugo classic.<br />
Saturation radio announcements on station<br />
WSIC were used in advance and currently.<br />
One- heets were posted in school libraries<br />
and the public library in State.sville and<br />
nearby communities, and special heralds were<br />
distributed four days prior to opening.<br />
Contests Add Support<br />
To 'Miracle' Showing<br />
At Syracuse Keith<br />
Sol Sorkin, manager of Keith's Theatre in<br />
Syracuse, N. Y.. sponsored a contest in all<br />
parochial schools to interest students in "The<br />
Miracle of Fatima." Students were invited to<br />
submit a 50-word essay on "Why I would like<br />
to visit the shrine at Fatima." Prizes were a<br />
raving.i bonds and copies of the book. "The<br />
Shepherds of Fatima."<br />
Station WSYR-TV sponsored a similar contest<br />
open to the general public.<br />
Records obtained from the Columbia distributor<br />
were supplied to disk jockeys who<br />
gave the theatre and playdates credits whenever<br />
the records were played.<br />
A ten-foot poster framed in the lobby attracted<br />
attention to the booking, and the<br />
Catholic Sun gave the picture front-page publicity<br />
and news stories for two weeks prior to<br />
opening.<br />
Two Catholic bishops, the superintendent of<br />
parochial schools and representatives of radio<br />
and television stations and the press attended<br />
a screening of the picture ten days in advance<br />
of opening.<br />
Parochial schools distributed student tickets<br />
in classrooms, and window cards were posted<br />
in every school in Syracuse.<br />
Eggs Offered for Sale<br />
On 'Cheaper by Dozen'<br />
Since "Cheaper by the Dozen" had already<br />
played the downtown theatre in Spearman,<br />
Tex., when it was booked for the Wagonwheel<br />
Drive-In Fly-In, Manager J. D. Wilbanks<br />
decided to use a humorous stunt before<br />
the picture opened to induce word-of-mouth<br />
advertising.<br />
Several dozen eggs were sacked and displayed<br />
in the boxoffice with a sign. "Buy your<br />
fresh country eggs here . . . they're 'Cheaper<br />
by the Dozen.' " Even at prices lower than<br />
the food stores were charging, Wilbanks reports<br />
he was eating egg.s—scrambled, boiled,<br />
shirred, scuffled, and even mashed—for several<br />
weeks, due to the lack of interest shown<br />
by his patrons.<br />
The stunt did, however, create considerable<br />
comment and Wilbanks believes the resulting<br />
publicity showed up at the drive-in boxoffice.<br />
Sign Across Underpass<br />
Announces 'Ivanhoe'<br />
Ted Doney, manager of the Royal Theatre,<br />
Guelph, Ont., located a large banner over the<br />
main street underpass advertising "Ivanhoe"<br />
a week prior to opening. Three days in advance,<br />
Doney dispatched a walking book street<br />
ballyhoo to the downtown area, with a threecolumn<br />
picture making the Daily Mercury.<br />
The local library cooperated by distributing<br />
imprinted bookmarks, and a front was built<br />
from three-sheets and exchange accessories.<br />
Leopard Girls on Street<br />
To exploit "Untamed Women" at the RKO<br />
Boston I I Pviblicist Red King<br />
had two models dressed in leopard skin costumes<br />
in the downtown .section distributing<br />
heralds. On the back of each girl was a sign<br />
lettered with picture and theatre information.<br />
A new Mercury was promoted as street<br />
ballyhoo<br />
for "The Turning Point" at the Stillman<br />
in Cleveland. Manager Arnold Gates had<br />
the car and the sign on the streets two days<br />
before opening and through the run.<br />
Birmingham Dispatch<br />
Gives 'World' Break<br />
E. D. Hainge. manager of the Odeon Cinema<br />
in Birmingham, England, turned in a<br />
brilliant campaign for "The World in His<br />
Arms." He planted a 7,500-word story and<br />
several scene stills from the picture which<br />
appeared in the Birmingham Evening Dispatch<br />
in three daily installments prior to ;<br />
opening. The newspaper, in addition, placed<br />
pictorial posters on both sides of its fleet<br />
of 50 trucks.<br />
A screening was held for local film critics<br />
resulting in good advance notices and an jJ<br />
additional 247 inches of free space for the '<br />
picture.<br />
The Ship Model Society loaned the theatre<br />
a variety of model sailing ships for display<br />
purposes. A 16mm trailer operating with an<br />
ampro repeated was set up in a prominent<br />
store window and proved to be an excellent<br />
attention-getter.<br />
Bookstore tieups. the distribution of bookmarks<br />
and displays in travel agencies further<br />
helped to promote the playdates.<br />
Free Radio Time Sells<br />
'Something for Birds'<br />
George Snyder, manager of the Paramount<br />
in Syracuse, N. Y.. promoted gratis radio<br />
plugs over station WSYR, WNDR and WFBL<br />
to exploit "Something for the Birds" and the<br />
co-feature, "Steel Trap."<br />
Station WHEN-TV showed its audience<br />
scene stills from the film and awarded theatre<br />
pa.sses to tho.se who correctly identified<br />
the stars and answered questions pertaining<br />
to the picture.<br />
A pet shop used a full window display tied I<br />
in with "Something for the Birds," and<br />
Western Union displayed a blowup of a still<br />
showing the stars of the picture sending a<br />
telegram. Six-sheets were posted on special<br />
billing locations.<br />
The Hillsberg Safe Co. provided a large safe<br />
for display on the sidewalk in front of the<br />
theatre. The public was invited to try and<br />
crack the combination to win free passes for<br />
"Steel Ti'ap."<br />
|j<br />
HhUd<br />
32 — 278 BOXOFFICE Showmandiser<br />
:<br />
:<br />
Dec. 6, 1952 Mlila^^^
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