Boxoffice-May.03.1952

Factory Tieup Proves a Natural
For Promotion of
According to
Dwight Kirk, manager of the
Paramount. Middletown, Ohio, 6,000 of the
community's total population of 36,000 are employed
at the ARMCO Steel Corp. When he
received his booking of "'Steel Town,"
ARMCO seemed the logical point to use
as a springboard for his campaign.
Accordingly. Kirk arranged an advance
screening of the film for department heads
and top executives of ARMCO, to which he
also invited the city manager, police and fire
chiefs, the local Kaiser-Frazer dealer and
radio and newspaper representatives. Following
the screening, coffee and rolls were
served to the guests who responded by making
personal endorsements of the picture for use
in theatre adverti.'^ng.
A week prior to opening, the Listen, Ladies
radio program devoted a 15-minute broadcast
to "Steel Town," interviewing ARMCO executives,
with plugs for the picture and playdates.
ARMCO distributed letters to all its employes,
endorsing the picture and urging them
to see it at the Paramount. It extended an
Circus Front Flash
Is 'Show' Ballyhoo
A special flash front attracted the attention
of passersby to "The Greatest Show on
Earth" during its current booking at the
Paramount Theatre in Toledo. The front was
prepared under the direction of Manager
Giles Robb.
The regular poster frames were covered
with beaverboard banners 16 feet long and
stretching to the marquee soffit. In front
of each display was a colorful cutout poster,
handpainted balloons and still montages. At
either end of the marquee attraction sign, an
8x8-foot board was placed flat against the
building with a picture of a clown.
Circus pennants were strung beneath the
edge of the marquee, and additional pennants
were run from the flagpole to the marquee.
The boxoffice was converted into a
circus ticket wagon.
Robb took advantage of national tieups to
obtain numerous window displays.
Steel Town'
invitation to the public, inviting them to inspect
the plant in tribute to "Steel Town."
It further cooperated by purchasing theatre
tickets, at regular admission price, for groups
of employes with exceptional safety records
and for all retired personnel of the company.
The Kaiser-Frazer tieup proved fruitful,
with a new car going on exhibit in front of
the theatre, bannered with tie-in copy. The
dealer used a 40x60 display in his show window
and purchased a cooperative ad.
One hundred window cards were posted
within a 100-mile radius, a cross trailer and
lobby display were used In the affiliated
Strand Theatre and six-sheets were pasted
to the lobby floor. A working scale model of a
ten-ton crane was loaned by ARMCO for
lobby display, with an attendant to keep it in
operation and answer questions of patrons.
During the playdates, a 24-sheet cutout of
Ann Sheridan, star of the picture, enhanced
the theatre marquee. Kirk had excellent cooperation
from the local press in promoting
the engagement.
Star of 'Bend of River'
Sells Tickets One Night
Julia Adams, featured player in "Bend of
the River," gave patrons of the Paramount
Theatre in New York a tlirUl when she appeared
in the boxoffice on the opening night
to sell tickets. Her appearance was publicized
by newspaper stories planted by Henry Siegel,
publicist for Paramount.
Oregon pears, a gift from the citizens of
Oregon, were distributed to passersby in front
of the theatre on opening day.
Newspaper photographers capitalized when
Miss Adams presented fruit trees from Oregon
to the mayor of New York.
Sets Recruiting Deal
For "The Wild Blue Yonder," Helen
Colocousis, manager of the St. James Theatre
in Asbury Park, N. J., had the army and air
force recruiting services install recruiting
booths in the theatre lobby and supply exhibits
of army equipment for the lobby and
window displays.
Sid Kleper Makes Bid
For 'Invitation
Cash
With Strong Buildup
Sid Kleper. manager of the College Theatre
in New Haven, left no stone unturned to
exploit "Invitation." MGM's $1,000 exploitation
contest for this attraction was an added incentive.
An usher dressed as a clown distributed
helium-inflated balloons, imprinted with picture
and theatre copy, to kids in the downtown
shopping section. A photo of the print
of "Invitation" being delivered by Eastern
Airlines was planted in the local paper.
Bus terminals provided space for displays,
and windows were promoted with music stores,
cosmetic shops, furriers, photographers, beauty
salons, men's clothing stores and sporting
goods firms. One hundred window cards were
distributed to suburban locations. Tent cards
were supplied to leading restaurants, and 1,000
imprinted paper doilies placed with restaurants
and soda fountains.
A telephone campaign was launched in cooperation
with the West Hills Parent-Teacher
Ass'n. The first 100 women who attended on
opening day received an American Beauty
rose. Curbs and sidewalks were stenciled, and
directory advertising was set up in leading
downtown hotels.
A girl dressed as a bride distributed invitational
form of heralds in the downtown section,
and bumper strips were displayed on
Yellow cabs. A tie-in was made with the
police department to exhibit placards on signal
poles with copy, "Here is your 'invitation' to
live . . . Wait for the light, etc."
Newsstand cards and a special theatre
front drew attention to the picture, and publicity
was obtained in the local papers when
Kleper offered free guest tickets to all
couples who applied for marriage licenses a
week in advance and during the "Invitation"
playdates.
Museum
Empty Store Is
For 'The African Queen'
Karl Pasick, publicity manager for Loew's
Theatres in Boston, promoted an empty store
and converted it into a small museum as part
of his ballyhoo for "The African Queen." The
picture played a day-and-date engagement at
the State and Orpheum theatres.
The store windows and walls were plastered
with posters, 24-sheets and six-sheets. The
exhibit included showcases filled with African
curios, live and stuffed animals and birds,
foliage, flora and fauna.
Admission to the public was free and Bostonians
flocked to the location.
Stage Singing Contest
Supports 'Snow White'
A talent contest tied in with the engagement
of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"
at the Michigan Theatre in Detroit gave the
picture strong advance publicity. Gil Green,
manager, advertised for talented girl singers
under 18 to comjxete in the contest, doing
numbers exclusively from the original music
score of the picture. Green auditioned all
entrants, and those who passed were presented
on the theatre stage. Selection of the
winner was made by audience applause and
the theatre presented her a $100 savings bond.
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— 104 — BOXOFFICE Showmandiser May 3, 1952