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Connecticut Manager Starts<br />
With 'Rich and Pretty' Ballyhoo<br />
mil<br />
Tony Masella, manager of the Poli Palace,<br />
Meriden, Conn,, launched his campaign for<br />
"Rich, Young and Pretty" two weeks in advance.<br />
He displayed special 40x60 boards with<br />
stills in addition to transparent 40x60's, and<br />
had a jukebox in the lobby playing hit tunes<br />
from the picture score All theatre employes<br />
wore sashes.<br />
Postcards from the Hollywood Roosevelt<br />
hotel, with a California postmark, were<br />
mailed to a select list of local residents.<br />
Bumper strips were placed on all employes'<br />
cars, and 1,000 restaurant doilies with theatre<br />
imprint were distributed to restaurants.<br />
Hotel and night club orchestras and radio<br />
disk jockeys featured popular song hits from<br />
the picture, mentioning the Palace playdates.<br />
For street ballyhoo, an attractive usherette in<br />
Sidewalk Stencils<br />
Point to 'Heaven'<br />
Sidewalk stencils showing a large footprint,<br />
picture title and theatre playdates helped to<br />
stimulate interest in "One Foot in Heaven"<br />
prior to its opening at the State Theatre,<br />
Gainesville, Fla. George Krevo, manager of<br />
the State, had the stencils placed at busy<br />
intersections several days in advance of opening.<br />
The stunt aroused wide comment and<br />
fostered word-of-mouth publicity.<br />
Coincident with the report In newspapers<br />
of the untimely death of Robert Walker,<br />
Krevo was playing "Strangers on a Train,"<br />
the last picture in which Walker appeared.<br />
As a sympathetic gesture, and In formal recognition<br />
of the unfortunate death of the film<br />
star, Krevo contacted a local florist who made<br />
up a floral piece for display near the theatre<br />
boxoffice. Copy backing the flowers read.<br />
"With sadne.sK, we offer sympathy in the loss<br />
of Hollywood's wonderful personality, Robert<br />
Walker." In addition to numerous phone calls<br />
of commendation from theatre patrons, the<br />
gesture was publicly noted in Jim Camp's column<br />
In the Gainesville Sun.<br />
30<br />
Early<br />
street clothes traveled the bus lines and appeared<br />
in public places carrying a handbag<br />
placarded with advertising for "Rich, Young<br />
and Pretty."<br />
The Quality Bakers agency placed two 45-<br />
inch co-op ads plugging the picture; the<br />
Kaemmer milk company used two 16-inch<br />
ads illustrated with a cut of Jane Powell<br />
drinking milk; a charm salon sponsored two<br />
six-inch co-op ads, and a men's shop paid<br />
for two 2-column by 11-inch tiein ads featuring<br />
illustrative material on Vic Damone.<br />
Window cards were placed in 50 choice<br />
locations including depots and railroad stations.<br />
Two thousand merchant bags were<br />
imprinted with theatre copy. Both daily<br />
newspapers gave the picture extra space by<br />
way of readers and scene mats.<br />
Mad Hatter Ballyhoo Used<br />
As 'Alice' Promotion<br />
Jim Farrell, manager of the Elmwood, Penn<br />
Yan, N. Y., had one of his ushers represent<br />
the Mad Hatter for a street ballyhoo in<br />
conjunction with "Alice in Wonderland."<br />
Sporting a top hat and oversize bow tie,<br />
the boy strolled through the streets carrying<br />
a sign: "I am the Mad Hatter . . . See me at<br />
the Elmwood in, etc., etc."<br />
In advance of the "Teresa" playdates, Farrell<br />
used a 24-sheet cutout of Pier Angeli<br />
for a lobby display. The eyes of the huge<br />
star head seemed to be following people and<br />
looking at them wherever they stood, and<br />
Farrell reports that this simple inexpensive<br />
device caused more comment than any lobby<br />
board he has ever used.<br />
Francis Mule Ballyhoo<br />
Al Frosio, manager of the State Theatre,<br />
Altoona, Pa., devised a novel street ballyhoo<br />
for "Francis Goes to the Races." He hired a<br />
mule and a rider and supplied a banner<br />
which read, "$10,000 Reward If You Can<br />
Make Me Talk Like 'Francis,' etc."<br />
— 268 —<br />
British Music Shops<br />
Extend Cooperation<br />
For 'Great Caruso'<br />
G. Williams, manager of the Regent Cinem<br />
in Chatham. Kent, England, leaned heavil<br />
on music tieups to exploit "The Grea<br />
Caruso," and in a reversal of the unsua<br />
order, had the four music stores in Chathan<br />
asking him for tieups as an aid to sellin;<br />
records and sheet music, and vying witl<br />
each other for the privilege.<br />
Some excellent displays were thus arrangec<br />
beginning a week prior to playdate and re<br />
inaining through the course of the engage<br />
ment. Production and star stills wer<br />
prominently displayed along with picture ant<br />
playdate credits. A notable example was i<br />
shop wliich used a full window for a hugi<br />
cutout of Mario Lanza, surrounded by a cir<br />
cle of records. A loudspeaker outside th'<br />
store brought the picture tunes to everyoni<br />
down the entire length of the street.<br />
A special front was created for use a weel<br />
in advance. The entrance doors bore photi<br />
enlargements of Lanza, with sheet music o<br />
the picture's songs displayed on either side<br />
Loudspeakers under the marquee playe(<br />
Lanza records, an accompanying sign an<br />
nouncing, "You are listening to Mario Lanzi<br />
singing selections from 'The Great Caruso,<br />
showing all next week."<br />
Williams was successful in getting "Thi<br />
Great Caruso" records played at a travelint<br />
fair which was in town for three weeks, anc<br />
an item in the local newspaper lauding thi<br />
fair's attractions included this fact, mention<br />
ing the picture title.<br />
For current, Williams had signs posted or<br />
six newsstands in choice locations, reading<br />
"Caruso Sings Tonight . . . Regent Cinema.':<br />
Attendance Increases<br />
With Exploitation<br />
George Chatmas, manager-owner of th«.<br />
Chatmas and Queen theatres in Hearne, Tex.<br />
reports the merchandising motion picture;<br />
consistently proves Its value at the boxoffice<br />
Recently when Chatmas played 'Take<br />
Care of My Little Girl," he used extra promotion<br />
and reports a large Increase in norma<br />
attendance. The big gun of the campaigr<br />
was a beauty contest with entrants submitting<br />
photos that were displayed in the<br />
theatre lobby a week prior to opening. The<br />
local paper gave the contest a page one<br />
write-up and 1,000 special heralds were distributed.<br />
A 24-sheet was pasted on the "sidewalk Ir<br />
front of the theatre and window cards were<br />
placed in stores and public meeting places.<br />
Mailing List Promotes<br />
Drive-In lingle Verse<br />
Pearce Parkhurst, manager of the Lansing<br />
(Mich.) Drive-In, used his weekly mailing list<br />
and the columns of the State Journal to<br />
promote a Jingle contest. The public was invited<br />
to write a jingle telling "Why I like to<br />
attend a drive-in theatre." Theatre passes<br />
were awarded to winners. Copy announcing<br />
the contest and news stories were slanted to<br />
encourage people to forsake their television<br />
sets in favor of a family outing to the Lan- I<br />
sing Drive-In.<br />
BOXOFFICE Showmandiser Nov. 24, 1951<br />
'<br />
I
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