DECEMBER

i
'..
Gal With a Line (That Is, With a Lion)
Baits Community for 'Fagan
When Jerry Lasswell. publicist for Rialto
Theatres in Casper, Wyo.. dropped in on Betts
Dalton, petite young miss who handles motion
picture copy for the Morning Star, to
promote some extra publicity for "Fearless
Fagan," he had no idea he was walking into a
promoMon as exciting as going into a lion's
den.
Miss Dalton casually remarlied that she
knew where Lasswell could get a baby lion.
In her home town of Colorado Springs, a
small zoo is maintained at the swank Broadmoor
hotel as an added attraction. In the
zoo, along with papa Leo and mama Leo,
were three cubs.
CUB FROM COLORADO SPRINGS
After getting an okay from Russell Schulte,
executive vice-president of the theatre circuit.
Miss Dalton was dispatched to Colorado
Springs with instructions to purchase and
return with one of the cubs. A photographer
on the Morning Star accompanied her on the
trip to record the humorous and serious aspects
of the purchase, while the heroine
played nursemaid to a husky 25-pound lion
cub.
The newspaper ran a series of personalized
stories with the photos, and gave a daily
account of the trip on its radio station. An
animal hospital in Casper agreed to care for
the baby lion, and the newspaper launched a
campaign to name the new citizen. Coupons
were published in the paper each day, inviting
children to suggest a name.
The next step Lasswell undertook was to
get the local Lions club to accept the cub
from Rialto Theatres as a gift and mascot.
His next break came from a pet parade
sponsored by the newspaper, the Swift Packing
Co. and two supermarkets as a promotion
for Pard pet food. The immediate result
showed up in large "Fearless Fagan" ad mats
which appeared in the papers in behalf of
the pet parade, plus saturation plugs via
radio. Both stores displayed large banners
and art setpieces tieing in the picture right
along the line.
PET PARADE ARRANGED
The Swift company bought a sweater for
the baby lion and helped with the cub's feeding
problem, all of which led to additional
newspaper coverage. The firm sent letters
to schools calling attention to the pet parade
and "Fearless Fagan." During the parade,
banners around a 20-foot platform erected
for the judges plugged "Fearless Fagan."
Schulte made a formal presentation of the
cub to representatives of the Lions club, and
at the .same time, the winner of the namethe-lion
contest was announced.
On opening day of the picture at the Rex
Theatre, Lasswell, Miss Dalton and executives
of the Lions club were interviewed on
radio station KVOC at a roundtable discussion
involving the original story of "Fearless
Fagan" and how the lion cub happened to
come to Casper.
The over-all result of the promotion was
exceptionally good business, and in submitting
his report, Lasswell gives credit to Earl Mason,
publisher of the Casper Morning Star; Pete
Laney, general manager of Rialto Theatres,
and Everett Allen, city manager.
38
Betts Dalton selects Nameless Fagan from cub
pack before unleashing him with a publicity
barrage on friendly neighbors in Casper, Wyo.
Double-Truck Co-Op
Honors Anniversary
Observing the 25th anniversary of the opening
of the Kenosha (Wis.) Theatre, F. B.
Schlax, district manager for the local Standard
Theatres, promoted a double-truck newspaper
co-op ad in the Kenosha Evening News.
Congratulatory ads including wires from
Hollywood stars and a letter from the city
manager of Kenosha called attention to the
anniversary celebration and highlighted some
of the outstanding attractions scheduled for
the latter part of November and December.
As part of the celebration, six civic minded
business firms sponsored a free kiddy show on
Thanksgiving morning for youngsters of the
community.
The Evening News used two feature articles
in conjunction with the anniversary, one announcing
the lineup of screen attractions, the
other reminiscing on outstanding aspects of
the theatre and films shown there since its
opening in 1927. A huge birthday cake was
displayed in the theatre lobby.
Cows Herded Into Town
To Help 'Venus' Buildup
A. J. P. MacKenzie, trainee manager at the
Odeon in Skipton, England, took advantage
of the fact that the theatre is located in an
agricultural area to point up the pedigree cow
angle in "Appointment With Venus." He
sent letters to local branches of the National
Farmers Union and Young Farmers clubs.
On market day, MacKenzie persuaded a
local farmer to lead his herd into town with
a heifer bannered on both sides with publicity
material for the film. When the animal
was sold at auction, the banners proclaiming
her as "'Venus" were still affixed to her flanks.
— 282 —
Newspaper Promotes
Coloring Contest
For Twin Bill
A double feature program consisting of
"One Minute to Zero" and "Lovely to Look
At" at the Capitol in Brantford, Ont., was
exploited with a coloring contest, a store
tieup and radio promotion. The contest was
sponsored by the Brantford Expositor, offering
theatre passes as prizes. Several hundred
entries were received.
Nyman's, exclusive ladies specialty shop.
used a full window display based on fashion
stills for 'Lovely to Look At." Krieger's radio'
store devoted a window to a display of records
and albums plugging hit tunes from the filmj
'
with full theatre credits.
A home furnishings store provided an expensive
mirror which Manager Bill Burke
displayed in the lobby with copy, "You'll be
'Lovely to Look At' with a Hobbs mirror."
Patrons were invited to fill in their names
on cards available on request, and on the
last night of the current exhibition dates, a
drawing was held. Tlie winner received the
mirror.
Burke promoted a mirror similar to those
used in fun houses which distort the image.
This was built into a display with a Red.
Skelton cutout and copy, "If you think this is^
funny, wait till you see, etc."
To promote "Just for You," Biurke tied up
with a clothing store to award a free suitof
clothes as a door prize during the run of!
the picture. The merchant devoted a full!
window display to promoting the playdatesi
and ran a three-column, seven-inch news-!
paper co-op ad.
A popular disk jockey sponsored a five-dayl
radio contest, resulting in innumerable plugs'
for the picture and theatre dates. :
Aged and Scout Packs
|
See 'Quiet' Screening
I
James McDonough, manager of the Tivoli'
Theatre, Hamilton, Ont., invited 35 inmates'
of the local home for the aged to a matinee
of "The Quiet Man." The Street Railway Coprovided
a free bus to transport the guests U
and from the theatre. The Hamilton Spectator
published a photo and story of the event anc
gave the picture extra publicity.
At the same showing. Cub and Brownii
packs from one of the city's poorer parishe;,
were guests of the management. This was reported
in the News with another good plu(
for the picture.
Hopalong Show for Kids
ii^f'^
Paul Turnbull. manager of the Granada ii
Hamilton, Ont., promoted a Hopalong Cassld; '.iitC
'-
show for a recent Saturday matinee. Loca
ie
1
merchants donated prizes for presentation t<
*«dern
the best dressed cowboy and cowgirl in thi^
audience.
Sitters for 'Young Wives'
Through the cooperation of the local youtl
club, L. H. Berry, manager of the Ritz Cinema *4eb^i
Keighley. England, organized a baby-sitte
service for "Young Wives' Tale." Berry sai'
the stunt improved the take at the boxofficf
as
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