Pianist in Music Store Window Plays Radio and Libraries Songs from 'Three Little Words' ^^ Washinglon Pull A Hollywood studio preview, with several novel innovations, helped to stir up unusual interest in "Three Little Words" three weeks before opening at the Colonial in Reading, Pa. The preview and the followup campaign were handled by Larry Levy, manager, with an assist from Ed Gollner, MGM exploiteer. One hundred invitations were delivered to a select group of businessmen and shopkeepers by special messengers. This created considerable t^lk and helped to establish a cross-section representative audience with an SCREEN GAMES of MERIT 2 For INDOOR ind DRIVE-IN THEATRES BIG BOXOFFICE BUSINESS BUILDERS You P>y (or On. .nd tho.2nd It FREE WRITE TODAY • WHITE NOWl - SAM GERTZ, Licensor 414 Wellington Av». Chicago 14. Illinoii DRIVE-IN EXHIBITORS with CENTRAL SOUND or POST SPEAKERS! CONVERT to IN-CAR SPEAKERS Now at economical prices before the seasonal rush. Order immediately to assure prompt delivery* DRIVE-IN THEATRE MANUFACTURING CO. 729 Ballimore (Phone HA. 8007) Kansas City. Mo. BIG FREE LIST 3Smm S.O.F. WESTERNS • SEX • GANGSTERS COMEDYS • ACTION PICTURES ATLANTIC PICTURES Box 224 Ciaion, N. I. troinnvicf use. • lunAio. n. r influence on molding public opinion. At the conclusion of the show, king-size comment cards were distributed and these were used on a large display setpiece in the lobby. The theatre staff wore large buttons lettered with the picture title. The Buick dealer staged a parade of new cars bannered with signs, "The perfect description in 'Three Little Words," Better Buy Buick." Theatre credits were included. Radio transcriptions were planted on three local stations. WHUM .sponsored a contest. One of the top record shows featured songs from the picture. The announcer then informed the public that anyone found whistling the tunes at a designated place and time would receive free theatre tickets. A 24-seet truck, illuminated and equipped with an amplifier for broadcasting the song hits, toured the city and outlying towns for four days. A jeweler tied in with window displays and newspaper co-op ads. The Zeswitz music store used a flash window stunt which attracted hundreds of spectators. An attractive girl seated at a piano in the window entertainmed passersby with song hits from the picture. An amplifier brought the music score to the attention of shoppers for blocks around. The store also sponsored a contest on the theme. "So you want to be a songwriter." The public was invited to submit lyrics to the title song of the picture, with a $25 cash prize and theatre passes getting a tremendous response. The contest was publicized in ads and via heralds, paid for by the sponsor. The Woolworth store cooperated by displaying a board made up of .scene stills from Fred Astaire's former pictures with appropriate tiein copy for the theatre. As people entered the store, they received slips of paper with a li.st of rules governing a conte.st. Those who identified each picture in the window were given theatre passes. General exploitation included 34 counter cards displayed in dow-ntown shops, 25 photographic displays in windows, and special stories and art in the Reading Times and Eagle and the Shopping Bulletin. Levy proved again, if you play every angle you get the extra business. For 'Ocean Drive' Frank LaFalce. advertising-publicity director for Warner Theatres in Washington, engineered an imaginative campaign for "711 Ocean Drive" at the Ambassador Theatre. He tied up with radio station WTOP, getting 21 free spots in exchange for a one-frame trailer on the .screen calling attention to the Yours Truly. Johnny Dollar radio show which stars Edmond O'Brien. LaFalce contacted all local stations, getting free plugs on the Mark Evans show, WTOP; sports quiz program, WEAM: Mystery Quiz, WGAY: and many other top air shows. The Washington library and its branches posted displays of stills on all bulletin boards and distributed 3,000 bookmarks imprinted with full theatre copy. Five thousand stagemoney heralds announcing picture and playdates were distributed by salesgirls in the G. C. Murphy store. A clever lobby stunt created word-of-mouth advertising. Every night at 7:11. an alarm clock rang off, and the person standing at the boxoffice at that moment was given free admission. The only props used for this were easel and an alarm clock. Twelve newsboys at key downtown locations wore huge buttons lettered. "Are you going to '711 Ocean Drive'?" The Washington Daily News used a Story in Pictures feature, and other dailies ran impressive art and publicity stories. Six Warner theatres in Washington used special teaser trailers announcing the Ambassador opening, and an advance screening for members of the police department, the Ju.stlce department and radio and press luminaries resulted in additional publicity breaks. Mule and Wagon Turn Attention to 'Francis' No extra expense was involved and considerable attention was attached to the "Francis" playdate at the Ritz in Scottsboro, Ala., through the use of a street ballyhoo. Horace Wilkerson, manager, obtained the use of a mule-drawn wagon, placed signs on the vehicle, and had a dozen teenage boys drive it through the downtown shopping section. A week in advance, the wagon w'as .set up in the theatre lobby and loaded with bales of hay and stalks of corn. Pesters and signs announced that the management was preparing for the arrival of "F^-ancis." The stunt provoked favorable word-of-mouth publicity. Kiwanis Club Provides Free Show for Kiddies Bill Straub manager of the Colonia Theatre. Norwich. N. Y., came up w'ith a timely bit of showmanship, which gave the local kids a free show as guests of the Kiwanis club. Straub learned that the organization was backing National Kids day on September 23. He sold the local group on the idea of running a free morning show for the youngsters. The club paid the full cost of the theatre rental and provided gifts for a series of stage games and door prizes. 34 — 322 — BOXOFFICE Showmandiser : : Sept. 23, 1950
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