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Toledo Gives Local Girl a Welcome
As Ballyhoo for 'Yellow Cab Man'
The mayor oi Toledo gives Bridget Carr the key to the city as Abe Ludacer. right, manager
of the Valentine Theatre, and the president oi the Chamber oi Commerce beam.
Bridget Carr, MGM screen starlet who is
making a cross-country tour in a taxicab to
promote "The Yellow Cab Man," received a
rousing reception when she reached her home
town of Toledo, Ohio. Her arrival coincided
with the opening of "The Yellow Cab Man"
at the Valentine Theatre. Abe Ludacer, the
manager, arranged a series of promotions
which received extensive publicity in local
news columns and on the air.
Upon her arrival at the city outskirts,
Ludacer arranged to have Miss Carr met and
escorted to the mayor's office by a fleet of
50 Yellow cabs. The mayor greeted the
actress and presented her the key to the city.
He issued a proclamation in behalf of her
title as Safety Queen, which brought the picture
to the attention of thousands in the city.
Miss Carr attended a press luncheon and
visited Woodward High school, her alma
mater, where she addressed the student body
on safety. During her visit to the school, she
was given her graduation diploma which had
been left behind when Hollywood beckoned.
Toledo news photographers had a field day
Lily Watt Is Transferred
To Home Town in England
Lily Watt, who has been manager of the
Florida Cinema at King Park in Glasgow,
Scotland, the last nine years, has been transferred
by Odeon of England to manager of
the Odeon Theatre in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire,
her home town. Descriptions of a number
of Miss Watt's showmanship efforts have
been published in Showmandiser. She is the
only woman manager in the J. Arthur Rank
circuit of 1,500 theatres in Britain.
Borrows Midget Racer
Bonnie Percy, assistant manager of the
Roxy Theatre, Tacoma, Wash., obtained the
loan of a midget auto racer for display
in the lobby for "The Big Wheel." The attraction
sign was animated with large cutouts
of the star of the picture and a racing
car. For "Ambush," Percy had the doorman
and usherettes don western type levi hats
and blouses, and arm bands plugging the
playdates.
38
following Miss Carr around the city to her
old haunts.
Radio station WTOL sponsored a contest
on what the amount of fare would be on a
taxi meter from Hollywood to Toledo. Miss
Carr, on the Record club program, announced
the actual amount and the winner of the
contest. Passes were prizes.
Miss Carr was interviewed on several women's
radio programs. Lamson's department
store featured a window display of stills
of Miss Carr and production scenes from
"The Yellow Cab Man." The Safety queen
cut the tape to open the store's new beauty
salon, and distributed 1,000 yellow roses to
store customers, tagged with greetings from
"The Yellow Cab Man" and an Imprint plugging
the theatre dates.
Lamson's and the local De Soto dealer used
co-op ads announcing Miss Carr's appearance
in the city in conjunction with the picture
opening at the Valentine. Additional
newspaper breaks were obtained when the
visitor was made an honorary recruiting
sergeant for the State guard.
Parking Lot Reserved
For Double of Francis
Charlie Konick, manager of the Manos
Theatre, Ellwood City, Pa., used a novel
teaser ballyhoo on "Francis." Konick roped
off a section of the parking lot adjacent to
the theatre and placed some bales of hay
in it for atmosphere. A large sign in the
enclosure read, "Reserved for Francis." A
few days later, a burro, trained to make weird
noises, was placed in the enclosure with a
new sign reading, "I'm no jackass. I'm going
to see Francis, the talking mule." During
busy shopping periods, the burro was
paraded through town and taken to nearby
communities where he attracted considerable
attention.
Teases 'Without Honor
Doug Smith, advertising manager for
Odeon Theatres in Halifax, N. S., used a
series of teaser ads on "Without Honor" at
the Garrick Theatre.
Copy contained a personal
message to provoke curiosity.
— 176 —
It's the Little Ideas,
Consistent Effort
That Aid Business
Gordon Spradley, manager of the Capitol
Theatre, Miami, had displays in three downtown
music stores, tying in with the recording
of the title tune of "Mule Train." Radio
station WGBS, local outlet for the Gene
Autry show, gave the picture 12 plugs in return
for a trailer calling attention to the
air show.
Borden's dairy distributed 10,000 milk bottle
hangers. These carried a two-column ad
cut, theatre imprint, and copy in which
Autry endorsed milk as "a real guy's drink.''
To sell a combination program of "Congorilla"
and "Borneo, Land of the Devil
Beast," a cutout of a gorilla was placed in
the lobby two weeks in advance. Spradley
had a ferocious head of a gorilla painted on
all mirrors in the theatre, and distributed
2,000 small envelopes containing Life Savers,
with proper copy. For current ballyhoo, a
flash front was constructed using cutout animals
against a background of palmetto leaves.
In the lobby, Spradley had two 40x60s made
up for one-sheets and stills to promote
"Rocket Ship" and the associate feature,
"Mars Attacks the World." To focus attention
on an ad he ran in the Miami Herald,
Spradley took a one-column box ad on the
front page, with copy: "Mars Attacks the
World . . . see page 19." Blowups were made
of headlines taken from the files of the
Miami Daily News on the flying saucer incidents,
and placed in strategic locations
around the theatre.
Spradley set up a booth in the lobby with
a sign over it reading, "Make reservations
here for the first scheduled Rocket Ship
flight to Mars." During the first two days,
Bill Baggs, columnist for the Daily News, sat
in the booth and interviewed people who
wanted to sign up. Baggs devoted his Sunday
column to these interviews, including a
timely plug for the program at the Capitol.
Child Star of 'Affair-
Center of Ad Campaign
Interboro circuit managers of the Long
Island, N. Y., theatres, under the direction of
Lew Preston, zone manager, attended a
screening of "Holiday Affair," following which
angles were selected on which to sell the
picture. In all the campaigns, the advertising
stressed the fact that Gordon Gebeit.
new child star playing an important role
in the film, has been recommended to the
Academy award committee for a 1950 Oscar.
This point was put over in circulars, lobby
displays, special trailers and house programs.
Sunrise Services Held
At Two Reade Drive-Ins
As a public service, Easter sunrise services
were conducted at two Walter Reade
drive-ins under the sponsorship of the Council
of Churches. Four Trenton churches endorsed
services at the Lawrence Drive-In.
The church council of Kingston, N. Y., approved
similar services at the 9-W Drive-In in
that city. Platforms were erected at the foot
of the screen for the clergy and choir. The
in-car sound system was used.
BOXOFFICE Showmandiser :: May 13. 1950