Boxoffice-January.07.1950

School cheer leaders help to enthuse
audience in "Father Was a Fullback"
at the Weslin Theatre, Mossillon, Ohio.
Lower photo is a vievr of the parade
which preceded the stage rally-
Ballyhoos 'Jesse James'
John Harvard, manager of the Strand,
Winder, Ga., used a fom--wheel trailer
equipped with a public address system to
ballyhoo "I Shot Jesse James." Harvard had
the vehicle well bannered with signs.
School Tieups Promote
'Fullback' Playdates
Jack Mitchell, manager of the Weslin Theatre,
Massillon, Ohio, took advantage of the
popularity of the local high school football
team to arouse enthusiasm in behalf of
"Father Was a Fullback." A pep rally on the
theatre stage was preceded by a parade of
the school band and students can-ying signs,
"We're all out for 'Father Was a Fullback.'
etc." Cheerleaders and majorettes swelled the
procession to more than 700 participants.
Mitchell promoted announcements in the
schools, at high school football games, and
ran special ads in the programs distributed
at games. Twenty-five free spots were promoted
over radio station WAND through a
contest in which listeners were invited to
identify schools by the recordings of football
songs. This received a three-day advance
buildup and was squared with a few theatre
tickets for the winners.
The local newspaper sponsored a classified
ad tieup, with free theatre tickets offered to
readers who found their names located among
the advertisements.
Five thousand heralds were distributed on
wallpaper promoted from a local business
firm. The only cost involved on this was for
imprinting. Copy was headed, "We're so excited
about this show, we're tearing the wallpaper
off the walls." A regular ad cut and
theatre playdates were also carried on the
circular.
A tieup was made with the Kirby shoe
store, offering a free ticket for "Father Was
a Fullback" to every customer who purchased
a pair of shoes on opening day. The
store ran a large co-op ad advertising the
offer and purchased 100 theatre tickets at
full admission price.
Window cards were placed around town in
choice locations. A lobby display of a goal
post and football equipment was on view a
week in advance, and ushers wore football
uniforms with streamers announcing the playdates.
The local newspapers were very cooperative
in running stories and photos of the
parade, a pep rally, and scene illustrations
from the film production.
Additional publicity was obtained in a tieup
with the schools by booking the March of
Time release, "The Fight for Better Schools."
School officials authorized letters to all parents
through the PTA, and included full mention
of the feature attraction on the program.
Mitchell reports that the campaign was
successful, with the picture running up an
excellent gross.
COLUMBIA PICTURES ANNOUNCES THAT PRINTS OF THE FOLLOWING
PICTURES ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN
OUR EXCHANGES FOR SCREENING
ROBERT ROSSEN'S PRODUCTION OF
All
the
King's
Men
Based upon the Pulitzer Prize Novel "All
The King's Men" by Robert Penn Warren
with Broderick CRAWFORD • Joanne DRU
John IRELAND • John DEREK
Mercedes McCAMBRIDGE
JOAN DAVIS.
THE TRAVELING
SALESWOMAN
with
ANDY DEVINE
Adele Jergens • Joe Sawyer
• Dean Riesner
Story and Screen Play by Howard Dimsdale
A JOAN DAVIS PRODUCTION
Directed by
CHARLES F. RIESNER
MARY RYAN,
John Litel
Produced by
• TONY OWEN
DETECTIVE
starring
MARSHA HUNT
with
• June Vincent * Harry Shannon
Screen Play by George Bricker
Directed bv Produced by
ABBY BERLIN . RUDOLPH C. FLOTHOW
GENE AUTRY
and
CHAMPION in
SONS OF
NEW MEXICO
with Gail Davis • Robert Armstrong
Dick Jones • Frankie Darro
Written by Paul Gangelln
Directed by
Produced by
JOHN ENGLISH
• ARMAND SCHAEFER
A GENE AUTRY PRODUCTION
CHINATOWN
AT MIDNIGHT
with
HURD HATFIELD
Jean Willes • Tom Powers • Ray Walker
and Maylia
Written for the Screen by
Robert Libott and Frank Burt
Directed by Produced by
SEYMOUR FRIEDMAN . SAM KATZMAN
January 7, 1950 27
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