Boxoffice-October.01.1955

Model Plane and Ship
Building Contest Is
'McConneir Event
A model anpl.iiU' and ship building contest
which tied in hobby shops, a toy
manufacturer, department stores and local
Air Force and Navy units was developed
in St. Louis by Tony Peluso. manager of
the Fox. for The McConnell Story." Bevell.
Inc.. manufacturer of model plane kits,
co-sponsor of the event, and local Air
Force and Navy units supplied judges of
model planes made by contestants.
Posters and displays were set up in hobby
shops and department stores throughout
the St. Louis area, with details on the contest
included In store displays as well as
in newspaper advertising and radio spots.
Some of the model planes were also displayed
on a TV program carried on KETC-
TV. St. Louis' educational television channel.
Some of the models entered in the contest
were suspended from the ceiling of the
huge Fox lobby by Peluso as part of a
colorful display used to call attention to
the film showing.
Several trophy cups and prizes of portable
radios and other merchandise were
awarded to the winners. The awards were
included in a lobby display.
Lcmiont Drive-ins Appeal
To the Hard-of-Hearing
Alerted by a recent Boxoffice story to
the large number of persons with impaired
hearing and to the advantages which
drive-ins. with individually adjusted speakers,
held for their entertainment, Harry
Lamont directed his drive-in theatre managers
in the Albany, N. Y., area to spotlight
this angle in their advertising.
One manager, Clif Swick at the Vail
Mills, also featured the angle on program
folders. An illustration of a human ear
was capped by the words, "Individual In-a-
Car Speakers and Tone-Control!" An inside
page foUowup read: "Are you partially
deaf? Because of individual sound
control, the drive-in theatre will unlock the
imaginative screen world for you! Come
and hear for yourself!"
Lamont reports good response to this
approach. He said he had been aware that
patrons with impaired hearing frequently
"lost" dialog in a conventional theatre, but
he had not realized the percentage was so
large or the "plus" to an outdoor situation
so great until he read the Boxoffice
article.
"I acted promptly once the industry
magazine called it to my attention." Lamont
stated.
ROCK N' ROLL JAMBOREE ON STAGE FILLS
BOXOFFICE TILL AND EARNS REPEAT
Sports Store Sponsors Bayonne, N J ,
With the popularity of rock 'n' roll music
at a peak with the younger generation, a
heads-up showman in Bayonne, N. J., got
on the bandwagon last month and put
over a show that went over so well he plans
to run a repeat as soon as he can line up
comparable talent.
"The audience just couldn't get enough,
Manager Nyman Kessler of the DeWitt
Theatre observed in his report on his staged
Rock 'n' Roll Jamboree. "Everyone is still
talking about it in this city: the entire
show went over in a blaze of glory."
Kessler used displays in and around the
theatre, heralds, newspaper ads and screen
trailers to publicize the event.
One inside display was spotlighted so
that all patrons could see it on entering.
Another was in the outside lobby near the
street, while a third was in the inner lobby.
An overhead banner was also hung under
the marquee, around both sides.
Admission was $1, which included the
price of seeing two features as well as the
music-rhythm entertainment. Kessler lined
up a sports goods dealer to foot the bill
for the stage show, in return for which he
got his ad on the back of all heralds, mention
of his name in lobby displays and on
the screen trailer.
Two local stores selling rock 'n' roll records
placed their ads above and below the
theatre's attraction ads. making an effective
tie with the stage show.
. fcw:ifcH^
Event