Boxoffice-January.10.1953

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Spray of Water Enhances Display
For 'Mermaid' at Syracuse, N. Y.
Having an electrician and an
engineer around the theatre who
are handy at devising mechanical
ginunicks is an asset to a theatre
man. Combine that with a manager's
natural aptitude for figuring
out special effects for displays
and patronage is sure to
respond via an increase in iinterest
on the part of the public.
Sam GUman. manager of
Lowe's Theatre in Syracuse, came
up with a dandy display for "Million
Dollar Mermaid" and even
the excellent photo herewith
does not do justice to the ingenuity,
the beauty and the attractive
coloring of the setpiece.
The theatreman had his art
shop use the traditional color
scheme for a New Year attraction.
At the base of the display
a tank was built in and controlled
pressure sent sprays of water
half-way to the top of the setpiece.
Splashing back into the
tank, the water made its own sound effect
while a revolving color wheel added to the
attractiveness of the lobby corner.
Oilman's campaign to sell the picture
away from the theatre included the mailing
of postcards with an illustration of
Esther Williams and the memo, "You have
a date with 'Million Dollar Mermaid' at
Loew's, etc." A radio disk jockey ;ponsored
a limerick contest in conjunction
with the picture and interview platters
were aired by WFBL and WSYR.
On the sidewalk in front of the theatre,
photos of the star were displayed in frozen
blocks of ice. Plastic stickons were used
on mirrors and store windows. Cards were
Management and Lions
Are Xmas Parly Hosts
Arthur Hallock. manager of the Paramount
Theatre at Baltimore, and the Overlea Lions
club played Santa Claus to 1,200 neighborhood
children at the sixth annual Christmas
party December 20. Each year the theatre Is
made available for this event through the
good grace of Milton Schwaber. president of
Schwaber Theatres in Baltimore. The screen
show consisted of a Roy Rogers feature and
several color cartoons.
The Lions provided free candy and a gift
lor every child up to 13 years of age plus $200
worth of toys and gifts which were awarded
to lucky ticket holders in the audience. The
organization also put up a 20-foot decorated
tree outside the theatre and supplied the
theatre with display signs announcing the
show.
Sells Student Tickets
Lewis Thompson, manager of the Holland
Theatre, Bellefontaine, Ohio, sold a block of
300 children tickets to students of the Lyle
dancing school for a special morning show on
Sunday before Christmas. The tieup helped
to boost attendance on an lmp>ortant date.
36
placed on shop wmdow.s witii copy, "Sorry,
it's New Year's day and we've gone to
Lowe's to see, etc."
Co-op newspaper ads helped to exploit
the picture, stencils on sidewalks reached
the perambulating public and special diecut
heralds with a peep-hole gimmick were
distributed house to house.
For street ballyhoo, an usher was dispatched
to ride the public transportation
system carrying a life-size cutout of Esther
Williams appropriately lettered with picture
and theatre copy.
All advertising was headed with the
note that "Million Dollar Mermaid" was
the theatre's New Year attraction.
CITATIONS
(Continued from preceding page)
manager of the Owen Theatre, Branson, Mo.,
for lobby display showmanship. The most outstanding
newspaper co-op ad of the month
earned a Citation for Fred Teller jr., manager
of the Strand Theatre, Hastings. Neb., and an
animated window display submitted by
George Snyder, manager of the Paramount,
Syracuse, N. Y., won the tenth Citation for
exceptional promotion during the month.
The December Honor Roll was the 68th
consecutive monthly list of theatre managers,
assistants and publicity men to be cited for
outstanding showmanship by BOXOFFICE.
To qualify for the Honor Roll, theatremen
submit evidence of their promotions, advertising
and public relations achievements to
the Showmandiser section, BOXOFFICE, 9
Rockefeller Plaza, New York 20. N. Y.
Selections of the outstanding promotions
each month are made by members of the
staff of BOXOFFICE.
For "Tales of Hoffmann" at the Van Wert
(Ohio) Theatre, Manager Clarence Cropper
contacted all women's clubs and schools in the
community, and also succeeded in obtaining
several writeups in the local paper stressing
the music heard in the picture.
— 8 —
Tampa Palma Playing
Foreigi[n Pictures on
Reguli[ar Schedule
One of the newer additions to the fold of
theatres offering international product on a
regular basis is the Palma Ceia in Tampa,
Fla.. which launched an eight-week series of
such product in October.
The program is carried on Wednesday and
Thursday each week, with the same features
and shorts being shown on both nights. First
presentation was "Faust and the Devil." followed
by "Love of a Clown," "Bicycle Thief,"
"La Tiaviata," "Paris Waltz," "La Boheme"
and "Woman Trouble."
Exhibitors may note that the offerings are
varied—in Italian, French and German—and
run from opera to comedy to drama. Special
featurettes like "Swan Lake Ballet" and "Peer
Gynt Suite" are added attractions with each
feature.
Launching of this policy realizes a longtime
wish of Curtis Miller, district manager of
State Theatres. Aid is being extended by the
public library, which conducts its own program
of international product on a 500-limit.
membership basis.
Newspapers in Tampa and St. Petersburg
have been cooperating by alloting generous
coverage to the project.
Six new foreign films have been added to
the Arthur Davis roster for 1953 release. From
Fi-ance comes "The Minute of Truth." starring
Jean Gabin and Michele Morgan; "Seduction."
featuring Sophie Desmarets; "The
Bad Woman." staiTing Viviane Romance and
Valentina Cortesa. and "The Gang."
Vittorio DeSica's comedy of morals and
manners, "Behavior of the Sexes," heads the
list from Italy. The picture stars DeSica himself,
Aldo Fabrizi. and Gino Cervi. "The Voice
of Silence" is the first Italian production from
famed Director G. W. Pabst and stars Fabrizi
and Jean Marais. Both Italian films are in
final editing stages.
All six films will be released in U.S. with
English subtitles.
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