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ART DISPLAYS COST A LITTLE, ATTRACT A LOT
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Leo Charlton, manager ol the Oxiord Theatre, Halifax, N. S., is
one of the many regular contributors to this section who believe
that art displays more than repay their cost in added interest they
attract lor the theatre.
Litho posters provide the main source of inspiration for Charlton's
ideas although he frequently calls on his art shop for cartoon
cutouts to convey some special sales message. The photo above,
center, caught the fancy of adults as well as kids. The kangaroo
cutouts were used in the lobby in advance, then moved out on the
lawn adjacent to the theatre during the current engagement.
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Fire-Eating Act Gets
Crowds to Boxoifice
Paul Turnbull, manager of the Granada in
Hamilton, Ont., had a local "character"
garbed in we.stern attire do a barker routine
in front of the boxoffice for "The Half Breed."
The man did a complete fire-eating act during
peak hours. The performance proved
especially effective after dark. He alternated
the stunt with rope tricks, and continuous
crowds collected in front of the theatre.
For another street ballyhoo, Turnbull had
an usher in Indian costume and headdre.ss
bicycle up and down the main Hamilton
thoroughfares, plugging the Granada attraction.
On "Car.son City," Turnbull promoted a
pickup truck which he bannered and dispatched
about the city. A professional cowboy
stood on the truck and did rope tricks.
In cooperation with the program manager
at radio station CKOC, Turnbull has a fiveday-a-week
musical quiz on the air, directed
at high school students. Theatre passes are
awarded for the correct answers to questions
concerning current .screen shows at the
Granada.
No barrier to odmission to onyonc in tlic entertainment
industry wlio needs TB core, WILL ROGERS
MEMORIAL HOSPITAL.
BEFORE YOU BUY see DIT-MCO
SENIOR « JUNIOR
IN-A-CAR SPEAKERS * JUNCTION lOX
N«w Dcfign—Permanent Meld Cattingi
DRIVE.IN THEATRE MFG. C0."!?.*7.'S,V'Sr'
Public Relations Break
Rates Page-One Story
Ted Doney. manager of the Royal Theatre.
Guelph. Ont.. promoted an excellent public
relations deal with the Guelph Mercury. The
paper ran a two-column boxed story on page
one. headlined, "Saturday Night is Movietime
and Father Takes the Family Out." Closing
paragraph read, "The show you want to see
is listed on our amusements page."
At the Palace Theatre in Guelph. Manager
Herb Chappel promoted more than $250 worth
of gifts to be presented to the lucky person
who is the five millionth patron at the theatre
since its opening. This was worked in conjunction
with the anniversary of the theatre.
All gifts were displayed in the theatre lobby
and the public was alerted on the tieup. The
local press published several stories on the
anniversary celebration.
Chewing Gum Samples
Exploit Horror Film
Gus Lindberg, manager of the Greenbriar
Theatre, Charleston, W. Va., promoted 5,000
sticks of Beech-Nut chewing gum as a sample
giveaway, attached to special heralds advertising
"Brooklyn Gorilla" and "Texas
Rangers." Lindberg personally supervised the
distribution of the heralds at local schools
prior to the opening of the picture. A false
front also attracted attention to the playdates.
Sign Across Street Grabs
Big 'Prowler' Publicity
M. A. Maige. manager ot the Melody
Drive-In. Thomson, Ga., painted a large street
banner on "The Prowler" and strung it between
two buildings across the main street
in the downtown shopping section. The sign
was a tremendous attention-getter.
Paper Runs Contest
To Assist 'Country'
G. Williams, manager of the Regent Cinema
in Chatham, Kent, England, had the Chatham
Observer run a "test your memory" contest
in behalf of "Cry, the Beloved Country."
The newspaper published a list of questions
pertaining to the film which contestants were
invited to answer, with theatre passes as the
reward. In order to qualify as a contestant,
it was necessary to see the picture.
All local papers were cooperative with editorial
and feature stories on the theme of
the film. Williams invited the mayor of
Chatham, local clergymen. Red Cross representatives
and the press to attend a screening.
A sandwich man covered all Medway towns
with signs. Attractive window displays were
set with two shoe stores, a barber shop, men's
and women's clothing stores and Campbell's
Town Hall.
Projectionist as Hobby
Builds Theatre Signs
Just as a hobby, Albert Magnuson. projectionist
at the Plaza Theatre, Trenton, Mo.,
has developed into a master sign artist.
For "The Greatest Show on Earth," he
obtained a four-foot clown head and pinned
it to the stage curtain. At each side of the
curtain he placed cutouts of a tiger and a
giraffe, with the picture title spelled out in
cutout letters across the stage apron. During
the screening of the trailer, the letters were
illuminated by masking off part of the slide
machine.
Magnuson regularly makes displays which
he places on his car with signs calling attention
to the theatre playdates.
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— 296 — BOXOFFICE ShowmandJser : : Dec. 27. 1952 loxorncE