Boxoffice-Febuary.18.1956

'
S^howmcindisina
DS WE VE mentioned before, most of the
circuits' house organs and employe publications
come across our desk, and we
always like to scan them all to see what's
cookin' around the country. We were pulled
up short the other morning, however, while
glancing through the February issue of
Contact, the Wometco Theatres publication.
the little
This is by all odds the breeziest of all
papers to come our way, but this
issue was practically gusty.
If you'd like a
sly chuckle, get a copy and note, especially,
the treatment of news on marriages and
births. One of the milder examples is this
commentary as the lead-in on the Wometco
Stork Club column: "Thus far in '56, production
has taken a sharp decline over last
year. If employes, especially married ones,
will make an extra effort in their leisure
time, we feel that the year may yet have a
better-than-average chance for salvation."
Well, if that's the way to keep up company
morale, who's to say nay?
*
Another of our house organ friends.
National Theatres' Shovnnan, carried
an announcement in its last issue that
we read ivith some regret. The paper
has signed off as a weekly, and will become
a once-a-month publication with
the March edition. True, it will be
back again "king-sise, bigger, better,
bolder," as the announcement read, but
this was one publication filled with
smart ideas week after week, and it
seems that 12 issues a year can't do as
effective a job in putting these ideas
before managers as 52 issues used to
do. We'll miss those extra editions.
*
A promotion piece from the Orlando
Evening Star came to rest on our desk from
we-know-not-where, but we hadn't seen it
before and it's certainly worthy of attention.
A footnote reads, "This is what the
Orlando Evening Star does for the industry:
full page free." Above it is a great
institutional full-page plug for moviegoing.
A line cut drawing shows a parlor-bound
couple in the throes of "Home-I-Tis," a
chronic condition of discontent and boredom
caused by habitually staying at home,
as the ad explains. There follows some
copy on a guaranteed cure—getting out to
a movie, naturally. "Central Florida's
many movie theatres offer: *Big screen pictures,
"Uninterrupted entertainment.
•Newest movies—no ancient replays . . .
Give your family a real treat . . . GO
TO A
MOVIE TONIGHT," the ad concludes.
Great stuff! Particularly in view of the
completely opposite tack taken by many
newspapers in regard to motion picture advertising!
*
Twentieth-Fox has turned out some
extremely provocative teaser ads for
"The Man Who Never Was," the film
based on one of the strangest espionage
viewpoints
By LARRY GOODMANstories
to come out of the last world
war. Well off the beaten track, even
for teasers, these ads are particularly
effective in that they are so unlike
other a7nusemcnt page ads they're
bound to catch the eye first and hold
it. The two showji here are Mats 213
and 214 obtainable from 20th-Fox.
These and many others, including a
SPY SIOBV
..> or NMAifsnoNW
very disarming one showing just a pair
of feet pointed to the sky will undoubtedly
appear in the pressbook for
Was."
"The Man Who Never
Credit Fred Goldberg of IFE and his
staff with a new type of publicity-exploitation
kit which you'll be receiving soon
if you've booked "Lease of Life," the first
film to get this specialized advance campaign
treatment. After concluding a careful
survey of exhibitors' needs in handling
specialized product, the IFE exploiteers
worked out material which they believe to
be suitable for the news and feature sections
of daily papers as well as the amusement
pages. Besides breaking down the
feedable material into short "takes" so
that it can be used for column mention,
fillers, featurettes, etc., the kit has a special
information sheet telling, in specific terms,
where, when and how to place the stories.
Also included are advertising artwork on
glossy stills if the theatreman wants to
make up his own ads, ad proofs if he prefers
to order mats from IFE, and stills from the
picture itself which are suitable for press
layouts. The regular pressbook promotion
suggestions, of course, are not ignored: in
this instance, tieups with bookstores on the
"Nearer to Heaven" novel stemming from
the screen story, and support of the National
Council of Churches in Christ, which
has written individual letters to pastors
in the areas where the film will play. These
kits, housed in special folders with compartments
for publicity stories, advertising
and for stills, also have been completed on
"Riviera," "Maddalena" and "The Return
of Don Camillo."
*
Elsewhere in this issue you'll find
some photos of the Jamestown, N. Y.,
opening of "Forever Darling." There
was quite a hullabaloo up there, thanks
to MGM's exploitation staff, the Dipson
circuit's fine cooperation and oh,
yes, the fact that Lucille Ball is a
£
"native daughter" of the town. Well,
the population went wild over their
Lucy and took Desi to their heart as
well. What gave us the biggest charge,
though, was a chat with a sweet li'l old
lady at one of the many receptions we
attended. This dear heart marveled.
"Tell me, has there ever been another
premiere as big as this one?" It struck
us that many another soul of the
40,000 in Jamestown must have had
the same sincere feeling that here was
the biggest, the best, the mostest ever,
for certainly they all reacted in just
that manner. So, our hat's off to Lucy
and Desi, to Emery Austhi and his
gang at MGM and to Dick Kemper and
his staff at Dipson's for creating this
impression and maintaining it for two
action-packed days in the life of this
good town.
Miss Dove' Inspires
Awards for Teachers
A campaign which captured plenty of
space in the local press, including editorial ^m,
comment, was that engineered by Wilfred C^
Gillenwater of the Paramount in Bristol,
Tenn., for "Good Morning, Miss Dove."
Gillenwater printed up certificates of merit
which read, "Distinguished Teaching Service
Award ... in grateful appreciation for
distinguished service to Bristol's youth the
Paramount Theatre wishes to bestow this
award to in recognition of —
years of teaching in our beloved schools
and for the inspiration you have given so
many through the golden years."
The manager ran a special award assembly
at the theatre, called "Golden Years of
Service," at which he distributed these certificates
to teachers of the public school
system with 30 or more years of service to
their credit. He also screened "Good Morning,
Miss Dove" at the same time.
The Bristol Herald Courier gave the event
and the playdate heavy publicity for days
in advance of the award assembly, and
then had followup stories in addition to
the editorial.
Action Shot of Shark Used
To Liven Sea Film Display
A front of house display depicting a fine
action shot of a shark attracted much attention
at the Savoy Theatre in Sale. /^
Manchester, England, for Manager J. W. vj
Turner and the playdates of "Under the
Caribbean."
Fish cutouts were pasted on the windows
and doors of the theatre. A card, 8x3 inches
and suitably worded, was placed on the
slab of 14 local fishmongers.
42 — 48 BOXOFFICE Showmandiser :
: Feb. 18. 1956