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• AlPNAICTICAL INOIX
• AOIINCS 4 tXPLOlTiri
• loxorrici baromctiii
• tXNIIITOH HAS MIS SAY
• rtATUm RCLCASI CHART
• rcAiuKt Ktvicw oictsr
• Reviews OF rCATURCS
• SHORTS RCLIASC CHART
• SHORT suajccT Reviews
• SHOWttANOISIIC IDEAS
BOXOfflCl
THE GUIDE TO^BETTER BOOKING AND B U S I N E S S - B U I L D I N G
Long Run Campaign
For 'Age of Comedy'
'The GoldcH Aac ol Comedy." the 78-
tnlnutc feature made up from sections of
films featuring Laurel & Hardy, Will Rogers.
Carole Lomtmrd. Harry Langdon, Ben
Turpin. etc.. was given a substantial campaign
by Manager Adam G. Goelz and assistant
James Richards for more than
three weeks of excellent business at the
Little Theatre in Baltimore.
Goflz put >150. half of which was put up
by the distributor. In the promotion. He
recalls he conducted a comparable campaign
on "Woman of the River" for about
the same results.
'It looks like you get out what you put
into an attraction," he comments.
"Comedy" was advertised as a world premiere
at the Little. A truck equipped with
a loudspeaker, record player and back to
back signs was used all over the city for
three days. Cards were sent to the theatre's
mailing list, newstrucks were bannered
and displays were arranged in several
music store windows tlelng in some of
the musical hits of "The Golden Age of
Comedy."
A false front featuring the world premiere
idea. stUls and names of the oldtlme
stars gained above-average attention. A
staffer dressed In Keystone Kop attire
"stood guard ' at the theatre and patroled
the neighborhood business area. Double
passes were traded with three local radio
stations for plugs during opening week.
Newspaper ad copy, with line-drawing
type Illustrations, was along this line: "IDellghtful
. . . These Are the Laughs That
Made the Roaring 208 Roar."
Space Rocket Theme Is
Used in New Year Ads
I-'MW circuit houses, m exploiting their
annual New Year's Eve watch parties, this
seaaon took the currently hot Sputnik
theme and advertised "Out of This World
Entertainment" as 1958 "blasUi off." Many
circuit houses— all of which presented four
consecutive features—Haled them as "Stage
I." "SUge 2," and so on in "Your Rocket
Ride to the Stars." Other catchllnes. such
as "The Sky's the Limit." 'Up In the
Clouds." and similar Ideas were used, together
with thematic artwork The programs
played to parkrd hniLses all over
the circuit
A Lobby Display by 'Showman of Year'
This expensive looking display stretched
clear across the mezzanine front facing the
open lobby of the Harber Theatre In Oklahoma
City, and was moved out front during
the run. Manager Farrls Shanbour reports
this striking arrangement can be
made with cutouts from the 24-sheet at
a very small expenditure for wallboard.
Shanbour, winner of BOXOFFICE Showmandiser's
Citation of Honor several limes,
recently won Cooper Foundation's Showman
of the Year citation. Notification
came from Kenneth E. Anderson of Lincoln,
Neb., general manager of the circuit
which operates 14 theatres in Oklahoma,
Cards to
4,500 on 'Dance'
Announcement po.slcard.s were sent to
over 4.500 persons In the Buffalo area,
comprising the theatre's mailing list. In
behalf of "Invitation to the Dance." Manager
J. Hayes mailed to all dance schools
a mimeographed letter on the Gene Kelly
film, each containing a program circular
with a special discount coupwn printed on
the bottom, good for adml.sslon at 40 cents
matinees and 70 cents evenings. The dance
school proprietors were asked to inform
their students about the showliig and distribute
discount coupons.
A 'Little Hut' Gag
A lociU caff wu,s rciuimcd "The Little
Hut" and properly decorated with colorful
streamers, some reading. "Step Inside
for the biggest variety of meal.s available In
the Medway towns from a good English
dinner to a desert Uland meal." in the
campaign for "The Little Hut"' at the Regent
in Chatham, England. O. Williams
is the manager.
Colorado and Nebraska.
The Coojjer citation was given in recognition
of "outstanding performance in bis
managerial duties at the Criterion and
Harber theatres." Shanbour Is manager of
the Harber and promotion man for both
the Harber and Criterion. He managed the
latter before being transferred to the Harber
last September.
Shanbour entered the motion picture
business as usher at the Folly In Oklahoma
City in 1940, and rase to manager of the
Criterion in three years. During the war
years he managed all Cooper downtown
theatres in Oklahoma City.
Hove You Tried New Twist
In Promotions Lcrtely?
There's an old saying that there is nothing
really new. It"s Just the old Idea with
a new twist, according to an article in
Showman, National Theatres publication.
Writers of the big ones don"t really come
up with new material; they Just think up a
new twist to an old story.
Remember the old vaudeville gag line?
""Who wa,s that lady I .leen you out with
last night?"
"She was no lady . . . slie was my wife."
That same gag has been twisted Into a
half dozen shapes: the last one we've heard
goes like this:
""Who was that lady I
lajit
night,"
seen you out wlf
""She was no lady—and I didn't outwit
her.""
"Hilnk about It.
In other words, give your old Ide
new angle.
Think about It.
A new twlstt
BOXOmCE Showmandiaat Jan. 27. 1968 — 19 — 1