JUNE

I
Paper Sets Precedent
And Uses Display Ad
On Its Sport Page
-i^ The Tell City ilnd.) News broke a prece-
J dent when the Ohio Theatre played "The
Pride of St. Louis" recently by running a
motion picture di.'play ad on the sports page.
David McParling, manager of the Ohio, contacted
Robert Cummings, sports editor of the
paper, wlio agreed to give the picture a fine
writeup in his sports column.
Noting that the hometown baseball team
was playing its most bitter rival on Sunday
before opening, McFarland publicly offered to
reward every local player who made a hit
1 during the game with a complimentary theatre
ticket. The manager of the home team,
pleased with the thought of thus furnishing
an incentive for the players, made announcements
over the public address system, with
full mention of the picture and playdates.
The editor of the Tell City News came up
with a surprise by running a story of the
)
ido'l
offer on page one.
McFarland cooperated with the Veterans of
Foreign Wars by helping to enioU youngsters
in the recent poppy drive. He agreed to give
a theatre pass to every child who aided in
the sale of poppies in the downtown areas.
This stunt, too, rated a front-page break in
the newspaper.
Thoughtful Exhibitor
Remembers Teachers
S. F. Wester, manager of the Paramount in
Charlottesville, Va., borrowed an idea that
had been used successfully by W. Grist jr. of
the Paramount in Lynchburg to promote
goodwill with teachers of public schools
throughout the area.
Letters w^ere mailed to the teachers, calling
attention to the fact that with just a
few days until vacation, the management
wished to express appreciation for their guidance
of the children and to wish them a
happy vacation.
Wester enclosed a guest ticket in each letter,
inviting the teachers to attend the Paramount
some time during the summer vacation
period.
A trio ol neighborhood exhibitors in Detroit
teamed up to book and exploit "Rasho-Mon"
on a day-and-dale booking. Entire window
in the offices of the Northwest Airlines was
one ol the effective tieups they made. The
theatremen were E. L. Shulman. Studio Theatre;
Max Gealer ol the Center and William
Flemion. Coronet.
l9Jll BOXOFFICE Showmandiser : : June 28. 1952
Who Needs a Jungle Ballyhoo?
The Woods Are Full of Em
Ifs quite a transition from African Junglr
native to primitive woodsman and hunter
in Oregon, and quite a stretch of the Imagination
to guess what one hius to do with thr
other. Nevertheless, Jack Matlack, publicity
dlrec;or for the J. J. Parker Tlieatres in Portland,
proved that the connection Is strictly
publicity—motion picture ballyhoo. In thi
instance, for a film titled "Ivory Hunter."
Matlack wa.s seeking an angle to explor
"Ivory Hunter" at the Broadway Theatre. H'
approached the editor of the Portland On
goniun and po.sed the question. "Can a mod
ern man get along In the woods with no mor.
equipment than an African tribesman us(
in the jungle? To be specific, could a man
live through four days in the woods, clothed
in a bearskin loin cloth, with only flint and
steel and a bow and arrow to sustain him?
The theatreman offered an appropriate
prize to anyone who could prove that modern
man is a resourceful shnook in spite of the
advantages of 20th century inventions. One
applicant would be selected to try the experiment
in the wilds of nearby Mount Hood.
The Oregonian went along with the stunt,
publishing stories of the theatre's search for
a suitable guinea pig, and dispatched a
photographer to rendezvous in the woods
with "Harold the Huntsman," actually Harold
Register, a 49-year-old contractor, who no
doubt needed escape from the rigors of civilization
and his brood of six young 'uns.
"Hapless" Harold returned from the woods
Larry Craig of Syracuse
Works Tieups on Dual
Larry Craig, manager of the Eckel Theatre,
Syracuse, N. Y., made the most of his
tieup opportunities when he played "Rose of
Cimarron" and "Hoodlum Empire."
A display of gambling equipment was set
up in the lobby and window tieup with a
sporting goods store put the spotlight on
•Hoodlum Empire." He also promoted window
displays from bookshops and photographic
supply stores, and tied in with Cimarron
Rose comic books to get newsstand
displays.
Ties worn by Jack Beutel in "Rose of Cimarron"
were featured in a haberdashery
shop along with photos from the film, and a
florist delivered "Cimarron" roses to the first
100 women who attended the theatre opening
day.
Lithos and Stills Make
Low-Cost Flash Fronts
Jim Barnes, manager of the Huntington
Park (Calif. I Theatre, has been drawing attention
to current films by building flash
fronts. These are Inexpensive since they are
made from lithos and stills.
Successive displays built for "The Big
Trees," "Bend of the River" and "A Streetcar
Named Desire" were attractively designed
and included an overhead banner covering the
full width of the theatre.
For "Bend of the River," a theatre employe
dres.sed in Levis, wlndbreaker and a tengallon
hat patroled the downtown area carrying
a rifle and sign.
— 151 —
after four days, with an exciting news story
of how he had lived In a hole In a log, survived
on plant roots and greens he found
In the wood.s—and a tasty crow who got in
the way of an arrow discharged from his
bow. Pausing only to fill the Inner man with
a few bowls of soup at a nearby restaurant,
Harold hastened to the stage of the Broadway
where he was presented to those who had
succumbed to the tale of adventure reported
each day in the Oregonian and had purchased
tickets to see the daring Harold and the theatre's
screen attraction.
As for Harold, after the Introduction, he
was presented with an award for his services
—an all-expense vacation in the woods!
Star Interviews Aid
Premiere of 'Clash'
Mark Ailing, manager of the RKO Golden
Gate Theatre in San Francisco had Barbara
Stanwyck and Producer Jerry Wald in town
to help exploit "Clash by Night." When the
film star arrived, she was greeted at the station
by 200 civic dignitaries and a mobile
unit from radio station KYA. She made eight
radio appearances for interviews, had luncheon
with the city council, greeted servicemen
aboard a returning troop ship from Korea
and attended a screening of "Clash by Night"
for members of the press and exhibitors.
Wald made 12 radio and television appearances
and attended a press luncheon. Coverage
in the metropolitan newspapers was
picked up and syndicated by the wire services.
On opening day. Miss Stanwyck was on
hand In the theatre lobby, giving orchid corsages
and autographed photos to the first
200 women patrons.
Miniature 24-Sheets
Are 'Drum' Blotters
Miniature 24-sheet boards advertising
"Distant Drums" were distributed by Adrian
Cassldy, manager of the Coosa In Chlldersburg,
Ala. The Chamber of Commerce at
Sliver Springs. Fla., where part of the picture
was filmed, supplied blotters which Cassldy
had overimprinted with the playdates.
To ballyhoo "The Magic Face." Cassldy
u.sed a soundtruck and two cars bannered
with appropriate posters.
39