Warners

Annual Dance Revue on Salt
Lake Stage
Every year a local dance school stages a revue at the Utah Theatre in Salt Lake City.
Manager Charles Pincus made the tieup several years ago. The show has been built
into one oi the more popular attractions in the city. The most recent program included
lull stage settings, a cast of almost 200 children and a full orchestra of students. The
show was staged for four days during the recent holidays. Because of its great local
appeal, the show rates strong support from the press and radio stations. Parents and
relatives of the children who are in the show make up a good portion of the audience.
Pictured is the complete cast on the Utah stage in the finale.
Campaign on 'Jolson'
Beats Competition
strong competition for "Jolson Sings Again"
when it played the Russell Theatre. Maysville.
Ky.. inspired Manager Ben Tureman to
put on a forceful campaign which resulted in
exceptional business. Tureman planted a 16-
minute transcription of Jolson songs with the
disk jockey on the local radio station. Fifty
window cards were planted locally and in
surrounding towns. A 40x60 was placed In the
theatre lobby, cards with picture playdates
were put in restrooms. and all theatre employes
wore cardboard badges imprinted with
picture copy.
A block of tickets was sold to a supermarket
for distribution as gifts to employes. Several
disk jockey shows featured Jolson records with
picture and playdate credits.
The largest record store In town tied up
for a colorful window exhibit of Jolson records,
and in addition featured them over a
public address system with an amplifier on
the main street.
Talent Search Garners
Profits at Three Shows
A search-for-talent contest, the first of a
series to be introduced at the Rialto Theatre,
Amsterdam, N. Y., was launched recently by
Manager Fielding O'Kelly. A 40x60 lobby
board Invited entries 18 days in advance.
O'Kelly also combed students of the senior
high school and obtained talent with a large
popular following. Tryouts were held at the
theatre and entrants were lined up for a
three-week show.
Names of the students were plugged in
newspaper ads for two days and through the
regular theatre advertising facets. As a grand
prize, O'Kelly promoted a $40 wrist watch,
and merchandise certificates for runnersup.
Horsey-Type Ballyhoo
Exploits 'Seabiscuit'
To exploit "The Story of Seabiscuit," Johnny
Manuela, manager of the Strand Theatre.
Cumberland, Md., borrowed a horse costume
of the type which has to be manned by two
persons, and used it as a comic street ballyhoo.
For "The Great Lover," Manuela located a
small Mexican burro and had a theatre employe
lead the animal around town with a
sign reading, "I'm the only jackass in town
who's going to miss seeing Bob Hope in 'The
Great Lover.' "
Oriental Rug Display Aids
'Bagdad' in Hamilton, Ont.
Ken Davies, assistant at the Palace in Hamilton,
Ont., promoted an attractive window
display on "Bagdad." Davies arranged with
a carpet firm for a display of oriental rugs
in its main window. In the foreground, a
life-size cutout figure of the dancing star of
the film gave a realistic touch to the display.
The title in huge cutout letters was placed
against the front of the window, and at the
extreme right a sign on an easel read, "Come
away on a magic carpet to 'Bagdad,' etc."
Toledo Exhibitors Run
'I Am Movie Fan' Co-Op
Recently the Toledo (Ohioi Blade observed
the approach of the halfway mark of the
20th century with a special edition. Twentyfour
exhibitors subscribed for a quarter-page
newspaper co-op ad using the copy of "I Am
a Movie Fan." which has received wide propagation
since it first appeared on the cover
of BOXOFFICE several months ago. The incident
was one of the rare occasions when
theatres have pooled their resources in a
united effort for public relations in Telodo.
Civic Activity Plus
Rogers Club Keep
Business Good
A. J. Kalberer. manager of the Indiana in
^^
Washington. Ind., has launched a campaign
^J
designed to keep the theatre in the forefront ^^
of local activities by giving all organizations,
civic clubs, etc.. a helping hand. Business
has been good, according to Kalberer, and is
probably accounted for by a succession of late
promotions.
A Roy Rogers Riding club formed some time
back has weekly meetings at a Saturday
morning show. Children have manifested a
keen interest in the roundup meetings of the
sroup which has consistently grown and fills
the house each week.
HrOE CARD TO ROGERS
A mammoth post card w-as mailed to Roy
Rogers with signatures of all the members.
For over a week, the card was on display in
the theatre lobby and the greetings were
mailed to the star in Hollywood. Receipt
of the post card was acknowledged in a personal
letter to "Ranch Foreman" Kalberer.
Rogers also sent the club photos of himself
posing with the card.
The Washington Herald runs a Roy Rogers
comic strip every day. Kalberer approached
the editor of the paper and obtained permission
to publicize the weekly meetings of the
Rogers club at the Indiana in a special notice
over the top of the daily syndicate feature.
To sustain interest each week, contests and
competitions are staged at the theatre. Under
proper supervision, boxing bouts for boys and
^^
a baby-doll contest for girls proved highly fl
successful. These were publicized in advance
of the meeting and in display signs out front.
At another meeting of the club, Jeanne La-
Duke, a 12-year-old 4-H girl who has a part
in "The Green Promise," was invited to meet
members of the club from the theatre stage,
at which the young thespian was welcomed
by Mayor Ralph Burris and presented a bouquet
and various other gifts as a token from
the city.
DOG, MONEKEY SHOW, TOO
A dog and monkey show presented for members
of the club as an added attraction drew
a re :crd -breaking crowd and received wide
publicity in art and stories in the Washington
Democrat and the Washington Herald.
Kalberer recently was appointed county
campaign director of the annual fund-raising
drive for the National Foundation for Infantile
Paralysis. Under Kalberer's guidance and
experience, the entire community was set up
to collect the greatest sum ever achieved for
this purpose.
Kalberer participates in various other community
enterprises. He assisted the Fraternal
Order of Police in obtaining a band, stage
show and dance for a special fund-raising
drive. The program was presented on the
stage of the Indiana Theatre on two consecutive
days.
In conjunction with the Indiana's Christ-
^^
mas show, Kalberer obtained the voluntary Q j
services of the Glee club from Washington
Catholic High school. The group presented
"The Wondrous Story" in four tableau scenes
with music and vocal accompaniment. The
stage presentation helped to attract added
patronage to the theatre and created goodwill
\^ith the school faculty.
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BOXOFFICE Showmandiser :: Feb. 11, 1950