Boxoffice-11.11.1950

Football Fans Enter
Guessing Contest
For The Men'
Special heralds advertising "The Men" at
[•^ the College Theatre in New Haven announced
a contest in which the public was invited to
select the winning teams in six nationally
prominent football games. Manager Sid
Kleper asked that entries be returned to the
theatre, and those predicting the winning
teams correctly received guest tickets for
'The Men."
Kleper tied in with the Travelers Aid
society to obtain an attractive display at the
railroad depot. Downtown stores cooperated
by tieing in merchandise sales of men's clothing
and accessories with the playdates.
Two weeks prior to opening, a 40x60 was
placed in the lobby with a personal message
from Kleper, emphasizing the wonderful reviews
the picture had received in national
magazines.
Three girls walked through the downtown
area carrying posters with copy ; "We're crazy
about 'The Men,' etc." Two co-op ads were
promoted from a beauty salon, tieing in the
hair-do featured by Teresa Wright in the picture.
Permission was obtained from the public
utility company to place stickers, on all
street poles.
Hosiery bags were imprinted with playdate
copy, directory announcements were arranged
at leading hotels, a thousand doilies
with theatre copy were distributed to the
better class hotels and cards were displayed
on all downtown newsstands tieing in national
magazine reviews of the picture.
Free radio announcements were promoted
on radio stations WYBC, WBIB, WELI and
WAVZ.
University Scientists Are Enlisted
In Campaign for 'Destination
In one of the most energetic promotion
campaigns on a picture in the Salt Lake City
area in some time. "Destination Moon" was
".scld" to hundreds of extra moviegoers.
Worked out jointly by Jerry Smith. ELC
representative and Warren D. Butler, manager
of the Lyric Theatre, the picture gained
several columns of extra space in the newspapers,
many minutes of tree time over local
radio stations and added attention when the
homecoming football parade theme was built
around travel in the future.
Extra newspaper breaks included a full
column of opinions of scientists who saw the
picture at a special screening. These opinions
were cari-ied in the Deseret News and the
University of Utah Chronicle. The Deseret
News also carried a column-long story on
the picture written by a University of Utah
scientist.
At least four floats in the university homecoming
football parade carried rocketships
and were built around the theme of travel
in space, and this promoted local newspapers
and radio accounts to refer to this as the
theme of the parade. Jerry also arranged for
a university scientist to be interviewed on
radio stations about possibility of space
travel and about the moon. He and Warren
also arranged for several students to walk
around Salt Lake and into various dance
halls wearing suits donned by travelers in
the picture.
I 111 Mi finiir^'"*'i^''^^*r^'
It added up to one of the biggest grosses
in the history of the Lyric.
Search for Marchers
Launches 'Solomon'
Norman Levinson, assistant manager of the
Poli Theatre in Hartford, planted a novel
story in the Hartford Times to stimulate interest
in the Thanksgiving booking of "King
Solomon's Mines." Levinson notified the local
drama columnist that a parade would be
staged opening day with local residents
dressed as African natives or big-game
hunters. The story announced that all who
showed up in costume and participated in
the parade would be admitted to the opening
show as guests of the management.
-"-
i
40&8 Car Ballyhoos
'Rock Island Trail'
Spencer Steinhurst, manager of the Weis
Theatre in Savannah, promoted a 40&8 locomotive
and boxcar from the local American
Legion Post, as an effective street ballyhoo
for "Rock Island Trail." The vehicle was
equipped with a public address system and
records were played as it toured Savannah.
During the evening hours, the car was parked
in front of the theatre.
In cooperation with the Central and
Georgia Railway, a coloring contest was conducted,
with the winner getting a free trip
to Atlanta. In the theatre lobby, an exhibit
of trains comparing models of yesteryear with
modern ones attracted great attention.
Steel Firm Distributes
'Destination' Memos
Lloyd Seiber, manager of the College Theatre,
Bethlehem, Pa., arranged a display
on the bulletin boards at Lehigh university
for "Destination Moon." A tieup was made
with the science department at Bethlehem
Steel Corp., whereby mimeographed announcements
distributed to all employes included
mention of the theatre playdates.
Seiber promoted a classified contest in the
Bethlehem Globe-Times, exchanging passes
for five consecutive days' announcements in
the classified ad columns.
Runs Out of
/His Ears!
Novembers
nor
dotes the other doy, soying "Krog needs these like he needs o
hole in his head!" But that Iowa theatre man's wrong.
"NOVEMBER FOR KROG" is
Hallmark's employees' idea of soluting
our boss. He thrills us every Friday (pay checks) ond chills
us every Christmas (bonuses)—ond how! We wont your help
in putting over o record month for him!
NO MAN IN this nation has done more "To Keep Showmonship
Alive" these post 10 years than K. B. Hallmark Agents will get
out crowds thot'll knock your doors down. And think of the pop
corn you con sell!
"MOM AND DAD
"
PEACE" pocks 'em a
"DEVIL'S WEED
"
to book "HAVE FUN"
sports lovers of your community
in
front of your box office.
y^if(S?^». HALLMARK BLDG., WILMINGTON, OHIO
BEVERLY HILLS • CHICAGO • CLEVELAND • TORONTO
MEXICO CITY "AUCKLAND •SIDNEY* SINGAPORE
HONGKONG • CALCUTTA • KARACHI • CAIRO • ATHENS
ROME • PARIS • LONDON • AMSTERDAM • STOCKHOLM
! a guaronteed woll-buster. "PRINCE OF
id pleases 'em, too. Choose between
its sister "SHE SHOULDA SAID NO." Be
^
t
HALLMARK
^^^M0^
BOXOFFICE Shovmiandiser Nov. 11, 1950 — 375- 39