Boxoffice-December.02.1950

'
Smart Outside Flash Costs Little
And Grabs Passersby Attention
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Jack Pardue, manager of the Lyric Theatre,
Elkin, N. C, reports that he is constantly
seeking new ways to exploit his shows
economically. Recently, he has been tacking
window cards on each side of street poles in
front of the theatre. This gets his advertising
message before the public effectively and
at practically no cost.
Another inexpensive method he uses to
promote interest in special attractions is to
post a 24-sheet on canvas and suspend it
from the marquee canopy in front of the
theatre. This provides an excellent flash.
Special theatre fronts created from lithos
and permanent display boards have been
found useful by Pardue in ballying his shows.
Apples Fail to Keep
Patrons From 'Eve'
In conjunction with his campaign for "All
About Eve," John Manuel, manager of the
Strand, Cumberland, Md., promoted 2,000
Delicious apples from a local orchard. He
had small flyers imprinted with copy; "An
apple a day keeps the doctor away, a laugh
a day keeps the blues away. Your laugh for
today is 'AH About Eve' etc., etc." These
were fastened to the apples with colored
toothpicks.
Manuel has his two candy girls, dressed in
white uniforms, carry trays of apples into
the downtown business section at lunchtime.
The apples were distributed on main street
and in business offices, banks, beauty shops.
The stunt was repeated throughout the
current engagement of "All About Eve,"
Stages Costume Contest
Joe Giobbia, manager of the Crown, Hartford,
staged a costume contest on the stage
Halloween eve. Prizes promoted from neighborhood
merchants were awarded those
coming in the most unusual and original
getups.
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Still boards covered with action highlights
from coming and current films attract attention
effectively.
Pardue enlists the aid of local music stores
in promoting attractions with a musical background.
For "Dancing in the Dark," a neighborhood
shop placed a full six-sheet in the
main street window as a background drop.
Theatre playdates were prominent, and many
persons stopped to look.
When he played "12 O'clock High," Pardue
obtained propellors and engine parts
from the local recruiting office of the air
force and exhibited them in front of the theatre,
backed up by oilcloth banners tieing
the feature in with the recruiting drive.
'Next Voice' Screened
For Clergy and PTA
Milt Baline, manager of the Mohawk, Amsterdam,
N. Y., invited clergymen of all
.
faiths, and heads of PTA units to a special
advance screening of "The Next Voice You
Hear . ." The picture received mention
by clergymen at Sunday services a week
prior to opening.
The March of Time subject. "Gathering
Storm," was booked with the picture. Baline
contacted heads of schools and veteran organizations,
advising them of the playdates
and stressing the fact that the short is a
good basis for discussions and debates.
Coloring Contest Plugs
N. Y. Thanksgiving Show
Al Hatoff, manager of the Park, Brooklyn,
N. Y., used a coloring contest to exploit
"Treasure Island," his Thanksgiving holiday
show. Special circulars were prepared containing
a color illustration mat, and the
kids were invited to fill it in. Winners were
awarded free passes to the film. To further
stimulate kid patronage, free comic books
were given away to all children who attended
the
Thanksgiving day matinee.
— 400 —
Rubber Stamp on Bags
Is Favorite Standby
And Inexpensive
A 12-point program helped to promote
"Simset Boulevard" for Tiff Cook, manager
of the Capitol in Toronto. Two weeks before
opening, Cook employed an old standby.
He bought a rubber stamp and for four days
used it to imprint thousands of grocery bags,
record envelopes and paper napkins. Passes
to the storekeepers squared the tieup.
A transparent strip was tacked to the
front of the stage three weeks before opening,
with copy: "'Sunset Boulevard' coming,
etc." Before the show and during intermissions,
the sign was readable to the audience.
Three thousand mailing pieces were sent
to home owners in the district. These were
made up from pressbook clippings and the
reproduction of a scene still from the picture.
Fifty window cards were placed in
stores and directional arrows were tacked to
lampposts at strategic intersections in the
neighborhood. Special art pieces for both the
lobby and outside frame were prepared.
In addition to regular newspaper ads in
the dailies, two-column mats were run in
both north Toronto weekly publications. On
opening day and for several days of the picture's
run, radio spot plugs and promoted
time heralded the playdates over stations
CHUM and CKEY.
Cook obtained a supply of book matches
with picture sales copy from Paramount.
These were given to every patron who purchased
a loge ticket three days before opening.
The extra promotion on this picture gave it
a successful four-week booking at the Capitol.
High Schools Cooperate
In 'Henry V Publicity
Herman Berlin, manager of the Laurelton
(N.Y.) Theatre, tied up with two neighborhood
high schools for cooperation in publicizing
"Henry V."
Teachers from both schools were invitedi
to be guests of the management on opening
day. In return, Berlin received permission
to post signs on bulletin boards, and announcements
were made in all English and
history classes.
A special offset program was prepared for
distribution in homes, merchant ads on the
back page paying for printing and distribution
costs. In addition, the merchants displayed
posters and stills in their windows,
with theatre copy.
Newspaper Promotes
Teenage Contest
Sam Torgen, manager of Keith's, Lowell,
Mass., has an interesting tiein with the Lowell
Sunday Telegram, aimed at getting more patronage
from teenagers. The newspaper takes
pictures of small groups of high school .students.
The pictures are published with circles
drawn around several of the heads. One
lucky winner gets cash; others who are able
to identify themselves receive guest tickets
to the theatre.
BOXOFFICE Showrmandiser Dec. 2, 1950 ^B
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