Boxoffice-December.17.1955

. . . commentary
DRIVE-IN SHOWMEN OFFER
AWARD-WINNING IDEAS
AA
Bob Walter Irwin Mumford
Drive-in theatre managers hauled down
a fair share of the Citation Awards for
November, garnering prizes in three of the
ten general categories. For the first time
in many months, Canadian exhibitors failed
to win out for a single award, although several
entries did come close in the judging.
Following are the final choices for the
month.
Bill Corbell, manager of the Cowtown
Drive-In at Fort Worth, Tex., was the finalist
in the ballyhoo category. His gimmick
was a promoted 21-foot cabin cruiser displayed
beside the highway and also pulled
around town, with "pirates" in charge on
deck, for "Long John Silver," page 340.
Another drive-in manager who won was
Bob Walter, who runs Commonwealth's
Tristate Drive-In at Joplin, Mo. For a detailed
account of his "Polar Bear's Club"
idea, see page 361. It enabled him to take
the original idea classification award.
The other winner representing the driveins
was W. A. "Tony" Lanagan, who manages
the River Road Drive-In of Longview.
Tex. For his public relations program of
awarding passes to business concerns, making
personal tours around town, and running
a Movie Thrift Plan that keeps the
people coming back to his theatre, he
copped the public relations award. See
page 356.
Best program of the month came in
from Irwin Mumford, manager of the
Avon in Lenoir, N. C. Mumford illustrates
his programs with whimsical sketches, and
scribbles in clever copy to match, page 348.
Jan Slager of the Ogden, in Ogden, Utah,
was the winner for the best theatre front
of last month's entries. He cut branches
from a willow tree, draped them over the
C. C. Murray Tony Lonogan
front when he played "Tarzan's Hidden
Jungle." For a photo of the result, which
cost him a mere $2 for hauling charges,
see page 348.
For a very compelling set of original display
ads for "Count Three and Pray," C. C.
Murray, manager of Fox Midwest Theatres
in Wichita, Kas., was awarded the Citation
in that classification. Four samples of the
folksy, humorous ads he turned out appear
on page 338.
Jack Belasco, manager of the Essaness
Woods in Chicago, came up with the lobby
display award for a fine wall piece on "The
Left Hand of God," framed in bamboo and
decorated with Oriental-looking shrubs.
See page 337.
Best window display for November was
arranged by James B. Myers Jr. of the
Bluebird in Petersburg, Va. He tied in
with a local furniture company and a gas
company for a fan photo contest in connection
with "The McConnell Story," and
used their windows to help promote it,
page 358.
Bob Pfau and Neal Siebenbruner of the
Town in Mankato, Minn., shared the honors
on cooperative ads for a full-page on "It's
Always Fair Weather." The copy, in behalf
of a supermarket, ran to the theme of "It's
Always Fair Weather When You Shop for
These Super Specials." See page 349.
The lone veteran in this group of winners
is Sol Sorkin, manager of the RKO
Keith's in Syracuse, who conducted a fullscale
campaign on "We're No Angels" at
absolutely no cost to his theatre. For his
impressive campaign, he was awarded the
Citation in the general tieup comp)etition,
page 338. Sorkin last won a Citation award
just a year ago, in December of 1954.
What's Exploitable
In the Magazines
RKO reports that nine breaks in the
February issue of Movie World center on
six RKO releases. Layouts, feature stories
or photo spreads are devoted to Mona Freeman
in "The Way Out," Terry Moore in
"Postmark for Danger," Margaret O'Brien
in "Glory," Ronald Reagan in "Tennessee's
Partner," Ai-lene Dahl in "Slightly Scarlet"
and Michel Ray in "The Brave One."
In addition, a feature on the versatile dress
created by Michael Woulfe for RKO's
wardrobe department is given prominent
play in the issue.
In an unusual departure from style,
Saturday Review for December 10
gives its front cover over to a scene
from "The Rose Tattoo." Star Anna
Magnani and Burt Lancaster are shown
in the scene. Inside, the magazine
gives the Paramount release a rave
review.
Two critical film magazines have come
out with highly complimentary reviews for
RKO's "Naked Sea" this month. F^lms in
Review, magazine of the National Board
of Review, hails the film as "well elucidated
is quite good. The ideas
in it are masculine, as they should be, and
an excellent balance is struck between the
human and the technical." Films and
Filming, a British publication with a wide
circulation
and a discriminatory following
here, also heaps praise upon the film.
Margaret O'Brien, star of RKO's
"Glory," will be the subject of This
Week's color cover for January 15. Inside
the magazine, a feature story by
movie editor Louis Berg will give prominent
play to the David Butler film.
Seventeen's Picture of the Month award
for December goes to Paramount's "Artists
and Models." Three stills accompany the
laudatory writeup of the film. MGM's "The
Tender Trap" and "I'll Cry Tomorrow," as
well as 20th-Pox' "The Tall Men," also are
reviewed in the issue, while MGM's "Invitation
to the Dance" is specially spotlighted
in a bylined article written for the magazine
by Gene Kelly.
An interesting background story to
Warner Bros.' "The Court-Martial of
Billy Mitchell" appears in the November
26 issue of Cue.
A layout of stills from RKO's "Glory"
appears in Parents' for December. "We
could not resist showing you these charming
stills, the magazine comments editorially
in explaining its prerelease publicity
for the film.
Jock Belosco Jomes Myers Jr. Sol Sorkin Bob Pfau
— 380 —
'Indian Fighter' on Air
A two and a half minute film chp from
"The Indian Fighter" as well as a personal
appearance by star Kirk Douglas on the
Colgate Variety Hour November 27 marked
the kickoff of a concentrated radio-TV
campaign for the film.
BOXOFFICE Showmandiser Dec. 17. 1955
: :