NOVEMBER

'
1
1
Y—Stands
!
Henry
. . the
The
•
For
Ban on Kids Attracts
Big Adult Patronage
Foreign Films
Fred Li'iivcii.s, inaimKer of the Elmdale
jrhealre. Oltuwa, Ont„ booked "Bitter Rice"
ind "Million" as ii double feature proRram
ind keyed his campaign to the catchllne.
No one under 16 admitted " The ban on
hlldren helped to sell ticket.s. according to
Leavens, and the original three-day engagenent
was extended to a full week holdover.
Fifty window cards with lUustratlor. and
opy advertised the show. Five of the cards
ervcd as neat door panels two weeks in
itdvance.
Over the entrance doors, visible to persons
IS they left the theatre, Leavens displayed
I 15-foot streamer. Silhouetted against a
•.eon trough which circles the outer lobby
.vere the titles of both films. A figure of
silvana Mangano was placed in the lobby and
poillghted.
"The Promoter" and "The Marrying Kind,"
;ooked as a follow-up show, were sold as a
,augh-packed double feature — comedian
lersus comedienne.
Disk Jockey Shov/ in Lobby Tops
Music Promotions for Because
nvtii
Diletti
oe o:
liis::
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Show Business
ABCs
(Continued from preceding page)
ant around your theatre. Make sure that
lOMi fronts are right, your marquee copy
;uited to your product, and your staff on the
Ob.
W—This one is simple . . . work. A person
fho goes into the theatre business to stay
iway from work has a big surprise in store
or him. Yes, work is a big part of our
jusiness—but to people who love the business,
he work Is really not work at all. It's fun.
X—Of course, is that unknown quantity.
The letter "X" has always stood for the
inknown factor, and there are some intangible
actors in making a success of a theatre
operation. Unknown factors like—the personality
of the manager . charm of
ihe theatre . . . the background of the owners
. . the knowledge of what is going on.
Manager Lou Cohen and his assistant.
Norm Levinson, took advantage of the music
angles and the recruiting tielns to exploit
"Because You're Mine" at the Poll. Hartford,
Conn.
A screening for disk jockeys, music dealers
and RCA record distributors put those people
in a receptive mood for tieups. The recordturners
gave the music from the picture continuous
plugs along w-ith mention of the thea-
the street.
tre dates. Stores featured full window displays
and amplified the records to
Joe Girand. popular disk jockey for radio
station WTHT, presented his broadcast from
a studio in the theatre lobby and distributed
photos of Mai-io Lanza to members of his
home audience w'ho came to the theatre. This
half-hour show emanated from the theatre
on five days prior to the opening of the picture.
The music was plugged during theatre
breaks and Intermission, and In the lobby
a jukebox entertained the public with record-s
from the film production. The Hartford Skating
rink played records and Injected plugs
for the film over the public address system.
The Hartford Times sponsored a letterwriting
contest; record shops paid for 5.000
fan photos which were distributed with theatre
imprint: the dealers ran a co-op full-page
ad in the Italian-language paper, and army
A-boards around town were posted with onesheets
advertising "Because You're Mine."
For ballyhoo, the theatremen used a truck
mounting two three-sheets and gave a score
of girls high school T-shirts lettered with
theatre copy.
)
for youth, and we're not talking
'n terms of years or age. We all know people
vho are young at 70 or 80, and old men of 25.
3ut I think youth is a vital factor in the
uccess of a person in our business. If a
oerson feels young inside he can't help but
Generate happiness and joy throughout his
'heatre and his community.
Z—Stands for zeal. Call it zing or zoom
r pep or enthusiasm. The fact remains that
4 person must have a certain zeal for the
heatre business^r he can't possibly be a
I uccess at it.
uxhibit of Rifles Helps
Spiegel, publicity manager for the
flew York Paramount, displayed an historic
ollection of rifles in the theatre lobby as
dvance promotion for "Springfield Rifle."
jTie exhibit included Springfield rifles used
•y famous army heroes in American history.
Spiegel obtained the exhibit from the execuive
administration offices of the Seventh
ieglment Armory.
Ballyhoo in Parade
Promotes 'Quo Vadis'
Frank Richardson, owner-manager of the
Fort Early Theatre, Lynchburg, Va., reached
35.000 people with a direct plug for "Quo
Vadis."
During the recent merchants fall festival
parade. Richardson had a chariot drawn by
two white horses cover the line of march. The
vehicle was driven by a costumed gladiator
and flanked by two other gladiators holding
large shields on which were lettered the film
title, stars and theatre dates.
Gives 'Trinidad' Roses
Paul Pine, manager of the Ravenna (Ohio)
Theatre, tied in with a neighborhood florist
to give away Trinidad roses to women attending
the opening day matinee of "Affair in
Trinidad. ' merchant used a newspaper
co-op ad to supplement the theatre advertising
announcing the giveaway.
Tie-In on Recruiting
Boosts 'Goes There'
E. C. Bigny. manager of the Playhouse
Cinema. Cambridge. E^ngland, obtained an
interesting exhibit from the territorial army
recruiting office to stimulate interest In "Who
Goes There?" The display consisted of cutout
models of soldiers of British regiments
dating from the 16th century up to modem
times. An art display used with the exhibit
tied In the catchUne. "Sentries through the
centuries have used the command. 'Halt' . .
Who Goes There?' "
Bigny employed two members of the theatre
staff for a perambulating ballyhoo. Dressed
In guardsmen uniforms and displaying signs
on their backs, the two mingled with crowds
and attended football games to get the advertising
message before the public.
The theatre poster frames were given a
sentry box effect during the current engagement.
mH
Nov.
jOXOFFICE Shovvmandiser : :
15, 1952 — 263 — 33