Boxoffice-11.11.1950
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RKO Managers Put Spurs<br />
To Better Business Drive<br />
From coast to coast, RKO Theatres' managers<br />
are engaged in a sustained drive to<br />
boost business through exploitation and showmanship.<br />
The circuit is offering large cash<br />
prizes to those managers who make the<br />
best showing while the drive is in effect.<br />
Showmanship techniques developed over a<br />
period of many years are being utilized weekly<br />
in the allout effort to attract more patronage<br />
to the boxoffice, as evidenced by the<br />
campaigns received at the New York office<br />
each week. Accent is on both the promotion<br />
of current stage and screen shows, and special<br />
tieups aimed at stimulating business on<br />
specific nights.<br />
At the Orpheum in Denver, Manager Bill<br />
Hastings had the cooperation of the Rocky<br />
Mountain News in promoting a contrest for<br />
models when he played "A Life of Her Own."<br />
The newspaper and the theatre set out to<br />
find Denver's most beautiful fashion model.<br />
Tlie contest, staged at the Orpheum, gave the<br />
house an excellent night's business. A prominent<br />
photographer, artist, and the fashion<br />
society editor of the Rocky Mountain News<br />
served as judges. Prizes were promoted for<br />
winners, with the contest getting tremendous<br />
publicity in the new columns.<br />
THEATRE HOSTS NEWSBOYS<br />
To create goodwill with the Denver Post,<br />
Hastings invited all news carriers to be guests<br />
of the management on National Newspaper<br />
Boys day. The paper came through with good<br />
publicity breaks for the current screen show.<br />
In 'Waterloo, Iowa, Roxie Soles, assistant<br />
manager of the Orpheum, introduced a<br />
Mystery 'Voice contest in conjunction with<br />
Screeno, a money giveaway. Each week, patrons<br />
are asked to identify the voice of wellknown<br />
personality. Soles arranged a permanent<br />
display with Mid-Continent Airlines plugging<br />
the theatre's coming and current screen<br />
shows, and he promoted a disk jockey contest<br />
for a song most symbolic of the slogan,<br />
"Hit After Hit, 'Week After Week."<br />
At Lowell, Mass.. Sam Torgan, manager of<br />
Keith's Theatre, promoted roses which were<br />
given away to women attending the opening<br />
matinee of "Louisa." He tied up with the<br />
Downtown San Francisco window exploits reissue<br />
program ol Zane Grey ieatures at the<br />
Golden Gale Theatre.<br />
manufacturer of Airliner Handbags to obtain<br />
window and counter displays, tieing in the<br />
product with the picture playdates.<br />
Norman Wrobel, manager of the Orpheum,<br />
St. Paul, Minn., tied up with a restaurant for<br />
the duration of the business drive, whereby<br />
2.000 cards are distributed there every week.<br />
The first ten which are presented at the theatre<br />
boxoffice with a paid admission entitles<br />
the holder to a guest dinner check at the<br />
cooperating restaurant. No cost is involved<br />
for the theatre, and the cards carry complete<br />
information on the theatre's current attraction.<br />
TV SET OFFERED<br />
In conjunction with "The Sleeping City."<br />
Wrobel made a tieup with the Muntz television<br />
dealer to run a contest with television<br />
sets as prizes. The gimmick was a drawing,<br />
with contestants clipping coupons from newspaper<br />
ads which were paid for by Muntz<br />
all four-column size carrying announcements<br />
on the drawing and the complete theatre<br />
program. The drawing was held on the theatre<br />
stage, with the mayor of St. Paul drawing<br />
the lucky ticket. The stunt was responsible<br />
for considerable added patronage.<br />
The return of vaudeville to the Orpheum in<br />
Des Moines inspired Manager Jerry Bloedow<br />
to arrange a terrific tieup through the<br />
Chamber of Commerce. That organization<br />
got several hundred members to pay for a<br />
1,750-line ad in the Des Moines Sunday<br />
Register, saluting the return to vaudeville<br />
in that city. The newspaper used several<br />
stories, and art on each act in the opening<br />
show. The advertisement broke at an opportune<br />
moment, while 10,000 state teachers<br />
were holding a convention.<br />
John Dostal, manager of the Orpheum, in<br />
New Orleans, promoted extensive tieups on<br />
"Joan of Arc." He arranged theatre parties<br />
with Catholic schools and obtained announcements<br />
on bulletin boards in churches throughout<br />
the city. An airplane towing a huge banner<br />
flew over the Sugar Bowl game for an<br />
hour, advertising the film dates.<br />
CONSUL SENDS LETTERS<br />
The French consul mailed letters to all<br />
French societies which, in turn, informed<br />
their respective membership of the Orpheum<br />
playdates. Good newspaper breaks, under-<br />
Unes in all display ads, teaser trailers, and<br />
advertising in Catholic publications served<br />
to promote the booking.<br />
In Kansas City. Lawrence Lehman, manuser<br />
of the Missouri Theatre, set up two contfsts<br />
with local sponsorship. He tied in with<br />
the national to find the Donut Dunking<br />
cliampion. Eliminations and finals were held<br />
on the theatre stage, the contest and current<br />
screen show getting excellent ballyhoo on<br />
delivery trucks serving the local area. The<br />
second contest will seek to discover the most<br />
beautiful baby in the city. This contest will<br />
be launched December 1. under the complete<br />
sponsorship of local merchants and photographers.<br />
A lobby radio show has proved an excellent<br />
Herman Stoefile, assistant manager ol<br />
the RKO Palace, Columbus, Ohio, plays<br />
a mechanical horror man to ballyhoo<br />
special midnight spook show.<br />
attention-getter and useful in publicizing<br />
current screen shows. No cost is involved for<br />
the theatre. A popular disk jockey program<br />
emanates from the theatre lobby, with patrons<br />
interviewed periodically. Any of those<br />
who mentioned the "magic" word during the<br />
interview received a prize. The same program<br />
conducts a mystery tune contest sponsored<br />
by a local music store. Prizes include jewelry,<br />
candy, etc.<br />
To exploit "Helltown" and "Buffalo<br />
Stampede" at the Golden Gate Theatre in<br />
San Francisco. Manager Mark Ailing and<br />
Publicist Al Jenkins used a covered wagon<br />
on the streets. A covered wagon ox yoke<br />
was on display in the theatre lobby a week<br />
prior to opening. Three full window displays<br />
were promoted from neighborhood merchants,<br />
and the public library advertised the<br />
picture in conjunction with outdoor fiction..<br />
One hundred and fifty orphans were invited<br />
to see the show, with the newspapers<br />
running feature art on this and mention of<br />
the double feature program. Free radio plugs;<br />
were promoted in exchange for theatre passes..'<br />
New York theatre managers have likewise'<br />
been busy with promotional tieups and exploitation.<br />
Fred Smith, manager of the Ken-,<br />
more Theatre, Brooklyn, used a 24-sheet effectively<br />
as a lobby display prior to the opening<br />
of "Broken Arrow." The 24-sheet was<br />
mounted and shellacked and hung on the<br />
main stairway wall. It gave the impression<br />
of being an immense oil painting.<br />
A store handling Indian articles and relics<br />
was tied up for a full window display including<br />
stills and posters. To instill enthusiasm<br />
among the small fry. Smith conducted<br />
an Indian costume contest, awarding<br />
prizes for those coming to the theatre on an<br />
appointed day in the most original and picturesque<br />
outfits.<br />
George Baldwin, manager of the 23rd<br />
Street Theatre, developed an atmospheric<br />
touch which induced comment among patrons<br />
by using a rose perfume scent in thei<br />
lobby, in the interest of "The Black Rose."'<br />
The perfume was sprayed through a fresh<br />
air fan and permeated the entire entrance.<br />
Near the entrance doors. Baldwin placed<br />
a doll in a baby carriage, and had a record<br />
player repeating the sound of a crying baby<br />
Card copy announced. "I won't stop crying<br />
40 376 — BOXOFFICE Showmandiser Nov. U, 195(
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