Boxoffice-January.10.1953

STUDENTS STAGE SQUARE DANCE, DOGPATCH STYLE
In a continuing effort to maintain good relations with students at Kansas State college,
Dave Dallas, manager lor Midcentral Theatres in Manhattan, recently arranged a Sadie
Hawkins night at the Campus Theatre.
The students started the celebration at the college, following which Dallas played host
to participants at the Campus. He awarded prizes for the best costumes, including demijohns
filled with "Kickapoo joy juice." Theatre audience got a big Idck out of square dance
competition which followed.
Photo above shows the dancing exhibition at its height
Disk Jockey Assists
On 'Because oi You'
Nick Yost, manager of the Strand Theatre.
Cumberland. Md., tied up with Doc Webster,
a local di.sk jockey, and worked out a threeday
radio contest for "Because of You."
Webster used the Tony Bennett and Loretta
Young recordings and talked about the picture
on his midafternoon program. He then
invited the listening audience to send him
A WINNER!
letters on the subject, "Because of You."
Prizes were awarded for the best received
each day, with Webster doing the judging.
The prizes consisted of passes to the
Strand and recordings of the title song promoted
from a music shop. The radio station
promoted the contest via spot plugs, with
mention of the playdates, at no cost to the
Strand.
Eight-Page Co-Op Section
Hcrils Theatre Reopening
When the Capitol Theatre, completely renovated
and refurbished, reopened its doors at
Benton. 111., recently, an eight-page special
section in the Benton Evening News commemorated
the event.
The newspaper broadside was the exclusive
promotion of Dale Thornhill, manager
of the Fox Theatres in Benton. Tliornhill put
in several weeks lining up merchants and
business firms to sponsor the newspaper section.
He wrote almost all of the ads himself
and wrote all stories and laid out the art
work which appeared in the section.
DITMCO EASY CHANGE Mgrquee Letters
Made Irom 3/16" Tempered Presdwood
Available with Rigid or Snap Clips
All Have Cove Edgei-Black or Colors
DRIVEIN THEATRE MFG. CC^k^^^.' gl.V^Sir
Many Groups Unite
In Helping Exploit
'Invasion, U.S.A.'
The Army recruiting service helped to exploit
"Invasion, U. S. A." at the College Theatre
in New Haven. Conn. Sid Kleper. manager,
promoted a soundtruck for ballyhoo and
all A-boards in the city for theatre posters.
Special literature was distributed to members
of the regular, auxiliary and junior police
organizations by the chief of police. The
lire chief authorized posting of placards on
bulletin boards of all fire stations. The Civilian
Defen.se council circulated its full membership
with information on the feature and
theatre dates. A tie-in with the Red Cross
Blood bank resulted in extra newspaper
stories.
Kleper also went after the schools through
the audio-visual department and succeeded
in having bulletins mailed to teachers and
principals of the entire school system.
All downtown intersections were .stenciled
with picture and theatre. News trucks were
bannered with posters and cards were supplied
to some 300-odd news dealers with complete
theatre credits.
Paper saucers imprinted with theatre copy
were thrown from high buildings into crowds
of pedestrains, 2,000 place settings given to
restuarants had theatre imprint, bumper
strips were placed on Black & White cabs
and counter cards were supplied to restaurants
and hotels.
The distributor of the picture used a
co-op saturation radio campagn to publicize
the playdates; 5,000 tabloid circulars were distributed
house to house and Kleper set up a
number of window displays w^ith downtown
storekeepers to exploit the picture. In addition
a flash front was used for current ballyhoo
by adapting lobby displays which were
used two weeks prior to opening of the picture.
December Shows Head Off
Expected Business Slump
In anticipation of a slump in business during
December, Bennett HoUis, manager of the
Aberdeen (Wash.) Theatre promoted the following
tieups:
A free kid show sponsored by the Eagles
organization.
An all-day free show sponsored by homeowned
bakers.
A free kid show sponsored by a local
dairy.
A matinee sponsored by 20 Aberdeen
merchants.
A season greeting trailer paid for by
ten merchants.
Hollis recently succeeded Norman Lofthus
as city manager of the Aberdeen Theatres.
Lofthus resigned to take a post with radio
station KBKW in the city.
Displays Bowie Kniie
A replica of the Bowie knife, owned by a
local collector, was borrowed by Lewis
Tliompson, manager of the Holland Theatre.
Bellefontaine. Ohio, and exhibited in the
lobby in advance of "The Iron Mistress."
Thompson also planted a story on the exhibit
with his local paper.
40 — 12 — BOXOFFICE Showroandiser Jan. 10. 1953