Boxoffice-Febuary.18.1956

Changes Location But Not
Brand of Showmanship
Paul Turnbull
The Frels Theatres circuit down Texas
way transferred Manager Bill Starr from
the Uptown in Victoria to the Rio in Wharton,
but the change didn't affect his brand
of showmandiser thinking. As head man
at the Uptown. Bill had picked up a Citation
award as recently as July of this past
year. Now, he starts the new year right
with the first BOXOFFICE Citation of
1956.
Bill's winning effort was a bang-up campaign
for a Saturday midnight show in the
face of admonitions that previous attempts
at owl shows had failed dismally in his new
location. For a behind-the-scenes report
on how this manager licked this prejudice
and set up a lively midnight program, see
page 25.
Winning the general tieup award for
January was John G. Corbett, manager of
Schine's Glove in Gloversville, N. Y.
A special merchants tieup that merited
a Citation last month was that carried out
by Stanley A. B. Cooper, president-manager
of the Citizens Theatre in Brazil, Ind.
Cooper staged a three-week six-party promotion
for which cooperating merchants
contributed numerous prizes, page 12.
Ray Monroe, manager of the Dunes in
Zion, 111., came up with the best ballyhoo
of the month. For a picture of what he did
with some abandoned Christmas trees,
brush from nearby fields and several lowcost
stuffed animals to create an impressive
"jungle" bally, see page 15.
The award for the best original idea in
January Showmandiser accounts went to
R. K. Peterson, manager of the Story in
Story City. Iowa. Peterson drew up a pub-
R. K. Peterson David Silger
lie message, printed on 8x11 sulphite stock,
pinpointing the improvements in motion
picture quality and the technical advances
made in recent months.
The first page of the Showmandiser-
Promotion section for 1956 contains a photo
of the award-winning theatre front set up
by Manager Chuck Barnes of the Granada
in Kansas City, Kas. The next page presents
a detailed account of the windows set
up by Paul Turnbull, manager of the
Downtown in Hamilton, Ont., for his tie-ins
on "The Girl Rush."
Mel Jolley, another Canadian entry last
month, took cooperative ads honors for his
promotion of a Valentine's Day page used
last year but submitted in time to showother
exhibitors the way this month.
Jolley manages the Century in Hamilton.
A reproduction of the ad page appears on
page 20.
The lobby display classification award
went to Mark Ailing, manager of the
Golden Gate in San Francisco, who turned
out an eye-arresting display on "Tarantula"
with a big assist from Joe DeVictoria.
David Silger's own byliner on rebuilding
lagging attendance for his Darb Theatre
in Manteno, 111., won him the public relations
top lienor for January. His thorough
"how to do it" piece appears on page 3.
This Week for January 29 carries a color
cover of Gina Lollobrigida and a two-page
spread on United Artists' "Trapeze." The
feature shows the Italian actress in her
role as a circus performer and includes
stills of the Paris location filming of the
Hecht-Lancaster production.
Mel Jolley Mark Ailing Bill Starr John Corbett
'Goodman 7
Campaign
In Peak at Cleveland
Promotion for "The Benny Goodman
Story" at the Hippodrome in Cleveland was
one of the most extensive ever staged there
for a motion picture, exceeding even the
campaign put on for the world premiere of
"Magnificent Obsession," at which Jane
Wyman appeared.
For the first time in many years the exclusive
Halle Bros, department store participated
in a film promotion. In three
different issues of the local newspapers,
Halle used a ten-inch ad to announce the
all-paid trip to Rome, plus a $50 gift certificate
from the store. Entry blanks in
the contest were available in the store's
record shop where Benny Goodman records
were featured and where advance orders
were taken on the de luxe album for early
release.
Another feature was a tieup with the
Sheldon Music Co. in which a $150 Selmer
Bundy clarinet was the prize in a contes
to name the factory serial number of the
clarinet.
The person submitting the closest
numbers together with a 25-word letter on
"Why I Want a Clarinet" was declared the
winner.
The May Co., Ohio's largest department
store, gave the picture one of its choice
Euclid avenue display windows, tieing it up
to Eagle brand men's clothes.
Glamor entered the campaign with the
personal appearance of Hillevi Rombin
'Miss Universe) at a press luncheon. She
also appeared on TV and made tape-recordings
for radio rebroadcasting.
The campaign was arranged by Jack
Silverthorne, manager of the Hippodrome:
Jerry Evans, U-I promotion director, and
Duke Hickey, publicist.
Infrared Photos Taken
Of 'Diabolique' Patrons
Tom Dowd, manager of the Ziegfeld Theatre
in Chicago, recently pulled a trick on
three of his patrons while they were viewing
"Diabolique." He arranged to have a
photographer take some candid infrared
photos during the showing of a "horror
scene" and came up with a study in concentration.
The Chicago American thought
enough of the photo to run it with a story,
which included a note that the three young
women could obtain passes at the Ziegfeld
by identifying themselves at the theatre.
"Diabolique" has been setting new records
at the Ziegfeld. Lines have formed
nightly as a result of the unprecedented
policy of refusing admittance once the feature
begins. The lining up of patrons outside
the theatre didn't even suffer when
temperatures hovered near the freezing
point.
On Film Wicketeers
The January 30 issue of Sports Illustrated
contains a lengthy, illustrated article
entitled, "The Wicket Men of Hollywood,"
dealing with film capital notables who also
are croquet fans.
46 — 52 BOXOFFICE Showmandiser Feb. 18, 1956