NOVEMBER

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Newspaper Promotion
Sells 'Sudden Fear'
In Omaha Run
Fiadlo .sUilloii KOIL In Omaha. Ncb., spon-
:.(1 u letter- writliiB contest on three dally
iinanis. as a tie-In with the BrandoLs Their,
ii week prior to the opening of "Sudden
ir.ii Larry Caplane, manager, promoted
the deal, with a Benru.s wrist watch as first
prlw.
The Sound.scrlber distributor mailed out
250 recording disks to Omaha residents, each
valid for an admission to the Brandels. The
(ompany reimbursed the theatre for the adat
regular bo.\office scale, and dean
entire window to posters advertising
:ihe film and theatre playdates.
i A trailer announcing programs dealing with
nnystery stories on station KBON gave "Sud-
'den Fear" a total of 36 20-second spot plugs
dally for three days in advance and three
days of the engagement.
Caplane promoted three downtown fashion
windows and two displays in music shops.
The short subject. "Your Doctor." billed on
the same program, received heavy support at
the boxoffice from members of the medical
profession as a result of a mailing piece sent
to members of the County Medical society,
prhe organization displayed six one-sheets ad-
Ivertlsing the short subject in the Medical
lArts building.
Huge Banner on Marquee
For 'Show' in Ontario
Naa Robinson, manager of the Roxy Theaitre.
Port Stanley. Ont.. Canada, covered the
^Imarquee attraction sign with a huge banner
spelling out the title of the coming film. "The
Greatest Show on Earth." The theatre staff
Ihelped to create advance word-of-mouth adkertising
for the picture by donning circus
costumes a week prior to opening.
A local merchant donated boxes of candy
and fruit for distribution to children attending
the opening day matinee.
Malone. manager of the Voge Theatre,
hA.
ist Chicago. Ind.. provoked excitement and
advance word-of-moulh publicity for "The
loreatest Show on Earth" with a street ballyhoo
of a man dressed as a tramp. The fellow
fllsplayed a sign. "I'm no bum . hangng
around for 'The Greatest Show' on Earth'
jto open, etc." Malone arranged to have the
itramp "arrested," with attendant publicity in
|the local press.
)p II iHeralds With Luck
,
Hudson, manager of the Capitol
ilQCc rrheatre. St. Catherine. Ont.. used a lucky
pumber circular to exploit "Invitation." One
•thousand invitations were numbered in sequence,
and recipients had to visit the theatre
|to match their number against a list posted
lin the lobby. Matching numbers entitled the
\holder to free admission.
^Itt
niisicli*'
Monkeyshines in Ohio
When the new chimpanzee star of U-I
visited Mansfield. Ohio, for "Bonzo Goes to
College." Al Dennis, manager of the Madison
rheatre. advertised his personal appearances
through lobby displays and newspaper ads.
, lit jBOXOFFICE Showmiandiser : : Nov. 15, 1952
NUGGETS
Ben Turcman. manaKcr of the Rujuiell.
Maysvillc. Ky.. launched a Country Store
night as a weekly Friday promotion to attract
extr.i business. Ten duffle bngs of
groceries and a 20-pound ham arc NuppUrd
by a neighborhood merchant a.s u Klvrawuv
to members of the audience. A folk bond
Is presented on the stage with the Kiveaway.
William Rush, manager of the Lyric. Cincinnati,
hung Japanese lanterns un'.; tinkle
bells around the lobby to put acravi the background
theme of "Back at the Front." Parasols
were also u.«ed as part of the decorative
scheme.
For "Singln" In the Rain." Jack Knight,
manager of the Capitol Theatre. Welland.
Ont.. got the local disk Jockey to keep plugging
songs from the picture, with numerous mentions
for the playdates.
Arnold Kir.sch. manager of the De Luxe
In the Bronx. N. Y.. has completed arrangements
to run a merchants Yuletlde greeting
trailer for ten days prior to Christmas. The
stunt is a straight advertising promotion
aimed at giving the theatre income a boost
during what is normally a slack period.
Hallmark President
Campaigns for 'Mom'
Kroger Babb. president of Hallmark Productions,
went to Honolulu recently to personally
supervise the campaign for "Mom
and Dad" at the King Theatre there.
Babb created a citywide stir with a series of
classified ads. and introduced the first mailing
to rural boxholders in local history. He
had the scattered population of the Island
phoning the theatre to learn what was
going on.
Babb suggested to Jerry Cline. manager of
the King, that half the window cards advertising
the picture be posted upside down.
Radio announcements advised people to stay
home unless they wanted to be trampled on
in the crush to get into the theatre.
The picture broke 19-year-old opening week
records of the Royal Amu.sement Co. at
Honolulu. Lineups at the 8 a. m. and 2 p. m.
matinees at the King caused sidewalk traffic
jams and the police insisted that extra performances
be given. The film moved to the
Honolulu International Theatre for a third
week.
— 261--
Duluih Manager Keeps
Theatre Exploitation
At Head oi Schedule
Ever .since Richard Emp«'y a*»umecan
Legion, the past gave the use of lu loiivcntlon
locomotive for a street ballyhoo
large banners announcing the theatre playdales.
Two Arthur Murray dance Instructors Interpreted
Hawaiian dance.s agalast a background
of palms In the theatre lobby to stimulate
advance Interest In "Big Jim McLaln."
The dance studio distributed complimentary
le.sson coupons to 3.000 adults attending the
Granada during the run of this picture.
Empey tied up with six photographers (or
special window displays.
When he played "Jumping Jacks." Empey
mailed courtesy passes to the parents of local
.servicemen In airborne divisions of the armed
services. A parachute rigger gave demonslratioas
in the lobby of how to pack a parachute,
and an exhibit of combat equipment
was displayed In the lobby through the cooperation
of recruiting officers.
During the playdates. the army provided one
of the new type Snorkel Jeeps for street
ballyhoo. Several other army vehicles were
posted with theatre signs, and the recruiting
department arranged for radio .spwts plugging
the theatre dates.
Empey suspended nine-foot standees of
Martin and Lewis from the roof of the building,
attached to a parachute.
Contest in Newspaper
Stimulates 'Aifair'
T Wilkiiis. manager of the Gaumont Cinema,
Manchester. England, concentrated on
newspaper tieups to draw attention to "Affair
in Trinidad." In a competition arranged
by the South Manchester Weekly, readers
were invited to submit as many titles of previous
Rita Hayworth films as possible, connecting
them in a manner that would make
up a short story.
The North Cheshire Echo ran a contest
asking for letters on the value of black-andwhite
films as compared to Technicolor, with
emphasis on "Affair in Trinidad" which is
in black-and-white, and the District Courier's
contest awarded prizes for those guessing
nearest the star's exact measurements.
Discount Rate Is Given
To Readers of Program
Oil the back page of the weekly program
distributed at the Hillcrest Drive-In. Statesville.
N. C. Manager Jack Pardue offers a
reward to patrons who read fine print. In
six-point type is this message: "Do you read
small print? If you do. and read this, you
can save 25 cents toward your next admission
to the Hillcrest by turning this program In
at the boxoffice during the next seven days."
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