MODERN

Decca Record Dealers
Provide 50 Windows
For 'Jolson Sings'
Full use of all music tieups, radio promotion,
windows and ballyhoo helped "Jolson
Sings Again" for Sid Kleper, manager of the
College Theatre, New Haven.
Kleper ran a screening for Decca record
dealers, disk jockeys, department store executives
and newspaper writers well in advance.
This yielded .special tieups, extra newspaper
space, including a coloring contest sponsored
by the Italian newspaper, and extensive radio
plugs, gratis, over WELL WNBC, WYBC.
WABZ and WBIB. Several of the disk
jockeys used time identification contests, offering
free theatre passes as prizes to winners.
The Decca tieup resulted in 50 window displays
built around music promotion and complete
poster and photo displays from the picture.
Window displays tieing in with women's
fashions, pipes, luggage and Zenith radios
also carried news of the theatre booking
to the public. The Zenith combination
console, placed in the theatre lobby ten days
in advance, played song recordings of hits
sung by Jolson.
Silhouettes of Jolson were placed on all
mirrors and doors throughout the theatre,
and a 50-foot canvas banner was attached
to both sides of the upright sign and illimiinated
at night. Ushers and doormen wore
giant bowties with Jolson copy.
Five thousand shoe and hosiery bags were
imprinted with theatre copy for distribution
through stores in the downtown area. Newspaper
co-op ads were obtained through the
Decca tieup, the Zenith tieup, and with a
women's fashion shop, a luggage store, a
beauty salon and a furrier.
All bands in the New Haven area were supplied
with orchestrations of hit tunes sung
by Jolson in the picture. Jukeboxes carried
stickers plugging the Decca recordings of
Jolson tunes and playdates. Luncheonettes
and soda foimtains featured a Jolson soda
specialty.
As street ballyhoo, an usher made up in
blackface set up a portable phonograph at
busy street corners and played Jolson hit
tunes, with a sign nearby calling attention to
the College Theatre booking. Seven-foot cutouts
of Larry Parks in typical Jolson pose
were placed at strategic locations in the city,
including hotels.
Playdate announcements were posted on
school bulletin boards, and 22x28 silhouette
cutouts were placed on all downtown newsstands.
For several days prior to opening,
a man was engaged to sleep in front of the
boxoffice, a nearby sign explaining, "I am
going to be the first to see 'Jolson Sings
Again.' "
Coloring Contest Sells
Opening of 'Seabiscuit'
A coloring contest sponsored by the Gray
drug stores in Cleveland helped exploit the
local premiere of "Story of Seabiscuit" at the
Hippodrome Theatre. The tieup was made
by J. Knox Strachan, ad-publicity director
for Warner Theatres in Ohio. Contestants
were required to color two sketches of scenes
from the film. The Gray company put up
57 prizes, including a savings bond, compacts,
etc. Consolation prizes of theatre passes to
the Hippodrome were awarded to rimnersup.
Election Tieup Via
'Fight for Schools'
Thor Ilauschild, manager of the Piqua
(Ohio) Theatre, turned the recent elections
into a profitable theatre enterprise
and wound up with the goodwill of every
member of the local school sy.stem.
Piqua citizens were voting on a school
tax levy, a popular issue in the community
Hauschild booked in the March
of Time subject. "Fight for Better
Schools." He then contacted the superintendent
of schools who expressed great
interest and released an immediate statement
for the press. The school head also
had special announcements made in class
rooms, sent letters home to parents with
the students and tacked up bulletins—all
urging parents and children alike to see
the Piqua screen attraction.
The stunt is a natural for theatremen
who confront a similar situation around
election time.
Mailing Pieces Are Used
For 'Not Wanted' Date
Two attractive mailing pieces were used by
J. J. Driscoll, manager of the Zenith Theatre
in Milwaukee, to promote "Not Wanted." One
of these was in the form of an invitation to
a screening and was addressed to people associated
with social, juvenile aid ad educational
groups. Tlie second was in the form of a
herald and contained groups. The second
was in the fonn of a herald and contained
a large ad cut with a personal message from
Driscoll urging parents and teen-agers to
4-H Square Dancers
Compete on Stage
To Full House
Jake Weber, manager of the Liberty, Herkimer,
N. Y., put over a two-way tieup through
the local County Farm bureau which recently
held a one-day session for men. Weber contacted
the officials and suggested that special
entertainment be provided for the women
and children of members. He then proposed
that the finals of the 4-H square dance be
held on the Liberty stage. The bureau accepted
the offer, which guaranteed a capacity
audience for the one night and created goodwill
for the theatre throughout the county.
To offset the cost of engaging a band and
prize money for the winning dancers, Weber
persuaded the local Ford agency to sponsor
the show in return for a theatre armouncement.
The square dance finals received wide publicity
due to the fact that the winning couple
at the Liberty will represent Herkimer county
at the state finals which will be staged in
Syracuse.
Builds 'Bomba' Front
To ballyhoo "Bomba, the Jungle Boy," E. H.
Morrow, manager of the Rialto, Columbus.
Ga., decorated the front with reeds, moss and
palms and displayed litho posters during the
current showing. Advance lobby displays
helped to build Interest in the playdates. Two
thousand heralds were distributed in homes
and 50 window cards were placed in choice
store locations.
BOXOFFICE Showmandiser :: Nov. 19, 1949 — 389 —
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