Boxoffice-October.27.1951

'
Merchant Co-Op Page
For 'Annie' Unusual
In British Cinema
A teaser campaign conducted through
slides flashed on the screen four weeks prior
to "Annie Get Your Gun" aroused strong
publicity for Len Crate, manager of the
Union Cinema, Dunstable, England.
A slide with the initials AGYG was used. The
following week, copy was changed to read,
"What is AGYG?" The third week, the title
was spelled out, with the catchline, "The
greatest musical under the sun." Music from
the picture was played simultaneously over
the house public address system.
A week in advance, Crate succeeded in
promoting a full-page cooperative ad in the
daily paper in which each merchant featured
one of the song titles in his display space. As
an example, a laundry advertised "Anything
you can do we can do better." A dairy used,
"There's no business like show business, and
there's no service to equal, etc., etc." The
theatre received a banner headline across the
page and a three-column display ad at no
cost.
Records from the picture were played continuously
in the theatre lobby on a small
record player, backed by a colorful art display.
For street ballyhoo, a member of the
theatre staff dressed as an oldtime barker
carried a large drum on which was lettered
picture and theatre copy. He distributed 1,000
throwaways to pedestrians. The theatre cashier
volunteered to ballyhoo the picture by
wearing a cowgirl costume and riding a horse
about town, with appropriate signs.
One thousand Indian headbands with theatre
imprint were distributed at the Saturday
kiddy show, and the youngsters helped
to publicize the picture by wearing the headbands
during their play hours. Crate promoted
numerous window displa's, tieing in
records and sheet music.
Students Earn Passes
For School Attendance
John Patton, manager of the Whitley City
(Ky.) Theatre, recently Introuced a plan
through the county school system whereby its
relations with the youngsters of the community
will be improved and cooperation of the
faculty enlisted.
Patton's plan calls for the presentation of
a free admission ticket to every child in the
county who has a perfect record of attendance
and punctuality each month. The superintendent
of county schools was happy to go
along on anything which provides an incentive
for the youngsters to cut down on absenteeism
and tardiness. Patton reports that
about 500 children qualify for the free tickets
each calendar month.
Since introducing the plan, two competitor
theatres have made similar tieups with
the school authorities.
Sells Co-Op Herald
Toby Ross, manager of the Fox Theatre,
Corning, N. Y., divided the back page of the
exchange herald on "Little Egypt" into six
small sections and sold individual ads to merchants
for $5 each. The $30 collected underwrote
the full cost of the herald including
imprinting and distribution.
Guests in
the House
If we are wron^, maybe someone could
tell us then how come so many projectionists
have to make up film schedules? And
how come the printer, instead of the manager,
decides whether the title of the picture
deserves bigger billing than the stars,
or vice versa? In a majority of cases the
printer merely receives from the theatre a
weekly list of bookings to guide him in
making up the ad matter.
Without getting too far from the original
subject, the lack of incentive, the lack
of a proper training program for ALL theatre
employes is something this industry
will have to reckon with one day.
It is 23 years, almost to the day, since we
waJked into the New York Paramount
lobby, engaged as an usher, and promptly
was placed through an intensive three-day
course of training before we were even
measured for a uniform.
During the next 16 years, while we were
actively engaged in theatre management,
we were never able to forget for even one
minute the essence of what we learned
during those three eventful days.
Patrons Get Discount
At Hamburger Stand
Hugh Borland, manager of the Louis Theatre
in Chicago, recently inaugurated a
special discount service which has created
goodwill for the theatre among regular patrons.
Borland took his cue from the prevailing
high cost of living and the fact that many of
his patrons are regular customers of a hamburger
stand located near the theatre. He
tied up with the owner of the stand so that
theatre patrons, each of whom receives a discount
card when they purchase a ticket, is
entitled to a 10 cent discount on any 50 cent
purchase.
The stand also works as a business stimulant
for the theatre, and with the merchant
paying the cost of the discount cards, Borland
has a good stunt at no expense to the theatre.
Display at Exposition
Aids 'Bright Victory'
The Chicago premiere of "Bright Victory"
at the Woods Theatre was exploited at the
Defenders Home Service exposition which
was staged at the Park City Bowl. A booth
was taken at the exposition, and a tieup was
consummated with Martin Jewelers to award
a $500 diamond ring to the winner on a wheel
of chance. Copy over the booth read, "Spin
the 'Bright Victory' wheel of luck, free. If
you hit a star, etc., etc." The back of the
booth was covered with color blowups of scene
stills, with a theatre announcement topping
the display.
Runs Cartoon Festival
Pearl Bryant, manager of the Federal Theatre
in Federalsburg, Md., promoted a special
Saturday matinee cartoon festival which coincided
with the teachers convention. The
show was sponsored by several Federalsburg
merchants who underwrote the cost of the
theatre rental and distributed free tickets to
their customers.
(Continued from preceding page)
It is that the patron is a guest. As a
guest, he is entitled to aU the hospitality
and courtesy he would receive if he were
visiting in our own home. As a paying
guest, he deserves even more consideration
since it is hoped he will visit us regularly
and often.
As a parting afterthought, we would like
to remind the reader that when people visit
in New York, they invariably make it their
business to attend the Radio City Music
Hall. When they return home, they have
had the thrill of seeing the world's finest
theatre, the symphony orchestra, the
Rockettes, the choral group, and all the
wonderful entertainment features the
theatre is noted for.
They have also enjoyed the experience of
being treated with real courtesy as befits
the world's greatest showplace. And that,
too, is what keeps those long lines of people
waiting to buy tickets on 50th street
week after week, year after year. The public
seems to know instinctively where it is
welcome.
— Chester Friedman
Timely Idea Clicks
But Cost Is Small
Manager Dana Bradford of the Rosett
in Miami, Fla., put on a promotion display^
for "Hurricane Island" which never fail
to get a rise in that coastal city. The pic-l
ture, scheduled during Miami's (sometimes) (
hurricane season, suggested the idea. Bradford,
assisted by Douglas Jernigan and|
Helene Grippe, assistant manager and cashier,
respectively, cut and painted strips ofl
paper which they attached to the lobby doorsi
to simulate boarding—a sight which is allJ
too familiar to localities at this time of year.J
The ends of the paper strips were made!
to resemble sawed ends of boards, and nail J
heads were painted on. Part of the glassed-inJ
cashier's cage was also "boarded." Tackedil
to the strips were signs reading variously: (
"We are boarding up for 'Hurricane Island,"
and "Warnings are up for (play dates)."
The response, Bradford said, was very goodil
and out of all proportion to the small amount!
of money that was expended. The picture?
played to satisfactory boxoffice and drew
all sorts of comment. People even called in
to say they had seen the theatre boarded and
'
was it because of a real hurricane?
Bradford found this promotion an example
of what can be accomplished witli almost
no money, but plenty of enthusiasm from an
alert staff, and everybody's willingness to
help.
Staffers in WAC Uniforms
Before the Paramount Theatre in Portland,
Ore., played William Holden's "Force of
Arms," Manager O.scar Nyberg got the aid
of the Portland WAC recruiting office. The
entire staff of usherettes, including cashiers,
were outfitted with authentic uniforms, the
cashiers in the whites. On a Friday night
during the run a contingent of Portland
women were sworn into the women's corps
on the Paramount stage.
34 — 240 — BOXOFFICE Showmandiser : : October 27, 1961