Yale Fellowship Club Sees Advance Preview Of Ideal Husband' By the time Sid Kleper, manager of the College Theatre in New Haven, completed his campaign on "An Ideal Husband," every- OKe in town knew about the picture and its playdates. Kleper connected with the audio-visual department of the local public school system which resulted in pictui'e and playdate announcements in those classrooms where Oscar Wilde literature is required subject. He also arranged to have the Yale Westminster Fellowship, a group of 300 members studying motion picture arts and sciences, attend the theatre in a body. In addition, women's clubs, PTA groups, men's fraternal and civic societies were contacted for announcements and the use of their mailing lists. An eight-day radio contest was set on WELI to find the mystery man designated as New Haven's Ideal Husband. A few clues were given each day and over $100 in prizes was promoted for the winners. Other radio tieups included a "What makes an ideal husband?" contest, plugs on the Man on the Street broadcast, a contest on the Yale radio station around the theme, "Do college men make ideal husbands?" Through a hookup with the marriage license bureau, guest tickets were awarded to all persons taking out marriage licenses a week in advance and during the picture's run. This was good for a story in the New Haven Evening Register, with a photograph of a couple being presented with a pass. Three smartly dressed girls strolled around town bearing signs, "It's Leap Year and we're looking for ideal husbands. Be sure to see, etc., etc." Teaser cards, "For Men Only" and "For Women Only," were also distributed on the street. A search for the Ideal Husband was conducted at a dance in the Taft hotel, with guest tickets awarded as prizes. Counter and window displays were landed with three book stores, apparel shops, florists, jewelers and perfume departments. Window Display and Card Exploit 'Sitting Pretty' The engagement of "Sitting Pretty" was well publicized by H. T. King, manager of the State, Harrisonburg, Va., in teaser ads beginning five days prior to opening. King set up an attractive window display with a local baby shop, using large drawings, star and action stills. A dozen cards were imprinted with copy, "Meet Mr. Belvedere, the Gentleman Baby Sitter Who Hates Babies." A cut of Clifton Webb and the playdates were included. These were placed in prominent window locations in the shopping section. King posted a 24-sheet on the sidewall of the theatre and used a lobby display made from a six-sheet supplemented with stills from the picture. Hen Sets in Lobby To exploit "The Egg and I," Denis Murphy, manager of the Imperial and Vogue theatres in St. John, N. B., placed a setting hen in a glass cage in the lobby. The stunt attracted unusual attention and was instrumental in drawing large crowds to the theatre during the showing. Student Contest Holds Program Interest A Student Personality Contest is an economical method of keeping his month's attractions before school kids, according to L. E. Downing, managerowner of the Haven Theatre, Brookhaven, Miss. Downing uses a mineographed monthly program, listing each feature and playdate, and provides write-in space for students to insert the names of their school chums who fit the title according to personality, talent, habit or hobby. Feature titles like, "Alias a Gentleman," "Brute Force," "Beast With Five Fingers," "Man I Love," etc., gives the kid;s a chance to excercise their ingenuity and have some fun at the expense of their friends. By offering a free theatre pass to the contributor of the most original entry. Downing makes sure that the students hold on to their programs right up to the last day each month. NUGGETS Newspaper co-op ads were promoted by Al Hutchins, manager of the State in Fostoria. Ohio, to exploit "Sitting Pretty" and "April Showers." On the fomxer attraction, Hutchins connected with a photographer for a three-colimin, 12-inch ad. On the latter show, an appliance store which handles records took a two-column, 11-inch co-op with the playdates getting top billing. Two attractive exhibits helped to exploit "T-Men" at the Malco in Owensboro, Ky. Adolph Baker, city manager, borrowed various types of weapons used by the police department and set up a lobby display which started patrons talking about the picture. A currency exhibit was set up at the Owensboro National bank showing many unusual kinds of money. According to Baker, the displays helped to pull business out of the doldrums. Under a policy started by Manager Frank Burhans, manager of the Paramount, Oakland, Calif., county manufacturers are being invited to exhibit their products in special lobby and foyer displays. The Oakland Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the stunt and standing all installation expense. Theatre benefits as a result of advertising by the chamber and merchant, with some added patronage resulting. Glenn Sohrader, publicity manager for the Columbia, Paducah, Ky., used a large blowup of Santa Claus in the lobby to build interest in "Bill and Coo." Copy read, "I've waited around three months to see. etc." Irving Neuwirth, manager of the Olympic, Watertown, N. Y., tied up with the army recruiting drive to gain some valuable publicity for the engagement of "To the Ends of the Earth." Local "A" boards were turned over to the theatre for one-sheets tying in the drive and the picture with playdates. Western Union also displayed cards announcing that telegrams could be sent "To the Ends of the Earth." Flash Front, Money Contest Promote T-Men' Date A flash display in the form of a "T," about nine feet high, was built by Dick Peffley, manager of the Paramount in Fremont, Ohio, to draw attention to "T-Men." Decorated on all four sides with stills and cutout onesheets, the display was on view in the center of the lobby ten days in advance, and moved out to the sidewalk in front for the nm. In cooperation with the local newspaper, a phony money contest was staged. Stories planted with the press stressed the fact that the picture had received a special award from Parents magazine. A lighted 24-sheet was used in the downtown section two weeks prior to opening. One thousand novelty heralds were distributed on "Albuquerque," which were promoted from the Christy Blade Co. at no cost. A razor blade was pasted to each card, and tiein copy was linked to a picture of Gabby Hayes and his thick beard. Aware of the fact that the local high schools generally plan theatre parties for their graduating classes, Peffley sent a letter to the students soliciting their patronage for the occasion, and lined up several parties immediately, ranging from 40 to 100 in a group. A special section is reserved for the groups, but no reduction in price is made. Peffley made a deal recently with the local FM radio station, netting him three free spots a day announcing the current attraction and the following two program changes. The theatre, in turn, presents the station two guest tickets a day. Louisville 'Bill and Coo' Music Tieups Scored The "Bill and Coo" record album was responsible for many tieups effected by A. B. McCoy, manager of the Strand in Louisville. The music score netted many fine window locations prior to the opening. A screening for 50 Boy Scout officials resulted in valuable publicity among the younger element. McCoy arranged for free mention of his playdates in connection with a bird quiz over WAVE, a tiein with the Name the Tune contest for theatre tickets on WAVE, and record plugs over WGRC and WINN. A blowup of the Parent's magazine medal given to the picture was displayed in the Strand lobby along with complimentary quotes for "Bill and Coo" by Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. Stills and Cutouts Provide Flash for 'Black Bart' Arnold Gates, manager of the Stillman in Cleveland, gave the theatre front plenty of flash during the run of "Black Bart" by surrounding the boxoffide with a montage of action photos from the film. On the sidewalk curb, a four-sided was erected using action cutouts from six-sheets set against a colorful background. To exploit "The Big Clock," Gates obtained permission to placard a large sidewalk clock owned by a jewelry store, with tiein copy and playdates. 1 40 —522— BOXOFFICE Showmandiser :: May 29, 1948
THE CRITICS AGREE! * " 'The Crusades' is a bombshell from today's headlines . . * "Story of struggle for Holy Land, a battle that is taking place today." * * * " Everything the name DeMille stands for . . . drama of heroic scope . . ." ." ^1THE CECIL B. DeMILLE'S CRUSADES ii Henry Wilcoxon C. Aubrey Smith starring LORETTA YOUNG (This year's Academy Winner) with • Ian Keith • Katherine DeMille • Joseph Schildkraut * Alan Hale George Barbier * Montagu Love * Pedro De Cordoba and a cast oi thousands * Edwin Schallert, Los Angeles Times " 'The Crusades' is sure-fire. It has Academy Winner Loretta Young and a bombshell from today's headlines. Its story is being re-enacted in Palestine today . . . the age-old fight for the Holy Land." * * Louella O. Parsons, Motion Picture Editor, International News Service " The Crusades' is in the great DeMille tradition ... a magnificent show . . . timely as today's headlines . . . the story of the struggle for possession of the Holy Land, a battle that is taking place today in the towns and hills of Palestine." * * * Harrison Carroll, Los Angeles Herald Express: "DeMille hits the front pages with The Crusades' . . . first and greatest of the battles for the Holy Land—the scene today of another chapter in the same story of flaming fanaticism. for . . . drama of heroic scope and execution." A production with everything the name DeMille stands To Be Re-Released By Paramount June 11 CECIL B. DeMILLE PRODUCTIONS, INC BOXOFTICE Showmandiser :: May 29, 1948 —523— 41
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