Boxoffice-July.01/1950
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Cheyenne Stores,<br />
Paper, Radio<br />
Support 'Outlaw' Bargain Days<br />
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WANTED!!<br />
DEAD or AUVE^__^_^<br />
iTLAW DAYS<br />
Wedne«l.y & Thur«lay, May 24 and 25th<br />
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Tom Brennan, manager of the Lincoln Theaire, Cheyenne, Wyo., promoted a<br />
grand piece of puialicity in behalf of "The Outlaw" involving terrific cooperation<br />
from merchants and two daily newspapers. The merchants division of the Chamber<br />
of Commerce agreed to tie in their annual bargain festival with the title "Outlaw<br />
Days." They used a slogan, "Shooting the bottom out of profits," and collectively<br />
advertised the stunt through a barrage of newspaper and radio advertising. Posters,<br />
banners, pennants and price tags were imprinted with theatre and picture credits.<br />
Cooperating newspapers were the Wyoming State Tribune and the Morning Eagle.<br />
Added publicity was garnered on radio station KFBC. One-sheet poster is pictured,<br />
left, with news headlines and merchant ad copy.<br />
Girl Scout Field Day<br />
Is Top 'Women' Tiein<br />
In conjunction with Girl Scout field day<br />
at Olney. III.. Pete Nepote, manager of the<br />
Arcadia, booked the Technicolor short subject,<br />
"Women of Tomorrow." He then spent<br />
a nickel to phone the head of the local Girl<br />
Scout council to inform her of the booking,<br />
and some excellent unsolicited publicity<br />
was immediately forthcoming.<br />
Through the council, civic and social club<br />
leaders were circularized by letter calling<br />
attention to the playdates. and a front-page<br />
publicity story was used by the Olney Daily<br />
Mail. Further cooperation entailed the use<br />
of stills for lobby display covering Girl<br />
Scout activities, and an assignment of uniformed<br />
members of the organization to attend<br />
the display during theatre hours.<br />
According to Nepote, the short subject<br />
proved a real business booster and created<br />
goodwill with the Girl Scout organization.<br />
Gets Shriners Boost<br />
For "Movie Crazy." Ed Anthony, manager<br />
of the Bradley Theatre. Columbus, Ga., distributed<br />
2,000 doorknob hangers. An announcement<br />
was made at the meeting of the<br />
Columbus Shriners club that Harold Lloyd,<br />
imperial potentate, would soon be seen on the<br />
Bradley screen. A phonograph played a laugh<br />
record in the lobby during the run.<br />
"t.::?<br />
^<br />
'*5(<br />
Mysterious Copy on Cards<br />
Used by Houston Yale<br />
John Arnold, manager of the Yale, Houston,<br />
Tex., had a quantity of cards imprinted<br />
with bold copy, reading: "I am looking for<br />
."<br />
. . The reverse side of the card bore a<br />
two-column cut advertising "The Kid From<br />
Texas" and the theatre playdates. Employes<br />
at the theatre wore the cards with<br />
the provocative copy facing out, and many<br />
people stopped to inquire as to the meaning.<br />
For reply, they were asked to turn the card<br />
over and read the other side.<br />
The cards also<br />
were distributed to kids at schools. The stunt<br />
helped to create advance interest in the<br />
picture booking.<br />
Pretty Girl and a Lion<br />
Ballyhoo 'Reformer'<br />
To exploit "The Reformer and the Redhead."<br />
Jim Barnes, manager of the Huntington<br />
Park (Calif.) Theatre, used a street<br />
ballyhoo which aroused great interest in the<br />
picture, prior to opening and current. An<br />
usher dressed in a lion costume, with a papier<br />
mache head, was chained to an attractive<br />
usherette and the two toured the downtow-n<br />
streets. The girl handed out business card.^<br />
imprinted, "I am not lion-in. I am the Redhead.<br />
Call Lafayette 0944." The curious people<br />
who called the number were greeted by<br />
the cashier, with a plug for "The Reformer<br />
and the Redhead."<br />
81 Merchants Unite<br />
In 'Cheaper by Dozen'<br />
Day at Weiser, Ida.<br />
Eighty-one business firms cooperated with<br />
R. G. W. Frisbey to exploit "Cheaper by the<br />
Dozen" at the Star Theatre. Weiser, Ida.<br />
Frisbey sold the Weiser Merchants Ass'n on<br />
the idea of having a Hi Neighbor day in<br />
conjunction with the picture, each merchant<br />
offering special bargains to customers who<br />
bought things by the dozen.<br />
The merchants sponsored a two-page co-op<br />
ad, of which a considerable portion was devoted<br />
to a di.splay ad on the film and an<br />
atinouncement of free guest tickets for the<br />
three largest families attending the Star on<br />
Hi Neighbor day.<br />
The Weiser Signal-American ran special<br />
stories. The overall campaign attracted many<br />
people to the community from surrounding<br />
towns, a factor which earned the gratitude<br />
of the merchants.<br />
Frisbey also tied up with the C. C. Anderson<br />
Co. for a three-column. 12-inch ad<br />
advertising a Hopalong Cassidy feature,<br />
"Silent Conflict." The advertiser devoted<br />
most of the space to an illustration plugging<br />
the playdates. with cuts of cowboy<br />
merchandise available in the store. The ad<br />
included an offer of a free ticket to every<br />
person buying a Hopalong Cassidy shirt or<br />
hat, the merchant paying for the regular<br />
cost of these tickets.<br />
Savings Bonds Awarded<br />
In War Epic Promotion<br />
Ken Bohs. manager of the Michigan. Escanaba,<br />
Mich., promoted a full-page newspaper<br />
advertisement in connection with a<br />
You Never Had It So Good contest, sponsored<br />
in cooperation with five local business<br />
firms to exploit "Battleground." Each of<br />
the sponsors distributed entry blanks on<br />
which contestants were asked to write, in<br />
25 words or less, why "they never had it so<br />
good." The full-page ad was devoted to ad<br />
copy and illustrations plugging the picture<br />
playdates, with full details of the contest.<br />
The merchants also underwrote the prizes<br />
three savings bonds of $100, $50 and S25.<br />
Mayor Mails 'Key to City'<br />
To Actor Clark Gable<br />
H. P. Larson, manager of the State, Mendota.<br />
111., worked up a stunt on "Key to the<br />
City" which was publicized with a threecolumn<br />
cut in the Mendota Reporter. Larson<br />
persuaded the mayor to appoint Clark<br />
Gable, star of the film production, as an<br />
associate member of the National Ass'n of<br />
Mayors. The mayor also mailed a key to the<br />
city of Mendota to the star in Hollywood.<br />
A photograph of the mayor turning<br />
over the key for mailing at the post<br />
office appeared in the paper, with complete<br />
details of the promotion and full credits<br />
for the theatre playdates.<br />
Endorses 'Jolson<br />
A personal endorsement of "Jolson Sings<br />
Again," occupying a full page on his house<br />
program, was signed by John Clark, manager<br />
of the Coosa Theatre, Childersburg. Ala.<br />
—<br />
38 — 228 BOXOFFICE Siiowmandisor July 1, <strong>1950</strong>
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