Boxoffice-April.07.1958

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'Rodan!' Campaign
Is 95% in Displays
Arnold Kirsch, manager of the De Luxe
Theatre at 650 East Ti-emont Ave. in the
populous Bronz section of New York, put
all his eggs—or nearly so—in one basket
for "Rodan!" the science-fiction thriller
from Japan. He had lurid cutouts, banners,
transparencies and flashers fashioned into
inside and outside displays well in advance
and during the run. The displays included:
Starting two weeks ahead: Three-sheet
with a cutout of the flying monster and
title, etc.; transparency, with flasher and
back, in the lobby; 40x60 poster in outside
frame next to boxoffice. Special stencil
on six doors facing the street. Screen
trailer with special trailerette attached.
A 40x80 was made up with large Rodan
cutout and transparency on title-playdate.
Flasher bulbs behind the eyes of Rodan and
transparency, with two projector spots hitting
entire display.
Three-foot red cutout letters on title
were set up on both sides marquee on
opening day.
During the run : Seventeen-foot overhead
board with larger monster cutout and title
and copy in si>ecial letters, lighted by seven
spots at night, out front. Two 40x80 boards
on sidewalk at ends of the 17-foot board.
Kirsch confined his other promotion
to special newspaper ads, a soundtrack with
two 24-sheets on street, and "Rodan!" tape
on theatre's automatic telephone answering
service.
Lucky Money Tree Set
Up for 'Counterfeit'
A Lucky Money Tree, with phony money
bills scotch-taped to the limbs, directed patron
attention to "The Counterfeit Plan"
in advance of opening at the Alhambra
Theatre in HopkinsviUe, Ky. The tree also
won Manager James Stewart a prize In
the monthly showmanship prizes awarded
by the Crescent Amusement Co.
The phony bills were purchased from a
ten-cent store and rubber-stamped with
title, theatre name and playdate.
Some of the bills on the tree and some
of the others distributed to patrons bore
duplicate numbers, and if a patron matched
the duplicate number on the tree, he received
a cash award. Stewart used a few
dollar bills as prizes. A 28x60 standee beside
the money tree told about the lucky
bills and the cash awards. The tree, about
eight feet high, was silvered.
A Shopping Night Service
Samuel I. Safenovitz, owner of the Yale
Theatre, Norwich, Conn., tied up with 11
downtown merchants for a Thursday night
baby-sitting project. That night is a shopping
night in Norwich, with stores remaining
open to 9 p.m. Under the plan, shoppers
may leave their children at the Yale.
Matron supervision is provided in a special
section, with admission via children's ticket
distributed at the 11 merchants.
Striking
This striking
Acodemy Award
display is the
creation of
Marie Olcesc, manager
of the Vogue
Theatre in Detroit.
Miss Olcese lent
her feminine touch
to this appealing
and thoroughly
complete account
of the
Award nominees.
After the printers
finished
the
letters the entire
artistic
design
was planned and put
into effect by
Miss
Olcese.
Story or
Lobby Display on Oscar Race
Vuf,nfw'{(it'ffir
Theme Gives Window Displays
Added Punch on Satchmo' at Toronto
Victor Nowe, a whiz at setting window
displays in every possible spot in behalf of
attractions at the Odeon-Carlton Theatre,
outdid himself again in literally plastering
Toronto, Ont., with mentions of "Satchmo
the Great" and its star Louis Armstrong.
Unusual was Nowe's adaptation of
song
titles from the picture to centralize interest
in his window displays. For instance,
"When It's Sleepy Time Down South" was
the theme of a colorful window on beachwear,
which Nowe said, "is always enticing
in cold weather."
"That's My Desire" was tied up with department
stores for special i>erfume window
displays. All Fi-ench stores provided
ample space for the "C'Est Si Bon" song
idea. The crowning achievement in this
field came when for "Bucket's Crot a Hole
in It" Nowe secured window displays in
leading hardware stores.
"Royal Garden Blues" and "Black and
Blue" were the themes for window displays
in women's and men's apparel shops, and
in music stores themes were based on "On
the Sunny Side of the Street," "Basin Street
Blues" and "St. Louis Blues." "All for You,
Louis," was tied up with calypso material
in shirts and hats and various musical instruments.
One big downtown store, handling musical
instruments, devoted an entire window
to the history of the trmnpet and Nowe
decked the window with a mounted threesheet,
two blowups of Satchmo and a collection
of stills.
Nowe launched his campaign four weeks
BOXOFFICE Showmondiser April 7, 1958 — 83 —
in advance with a Sunday evening screening
for local disc jockeys, columnists, radio
live talent directors, dance band leaders
and Jazz and music club directors. Decca
Records provided a special program herald
which gave a biography of Armstrong, a
list
of his records and the opening date.
Decca also supplied long-play Armstrong
records, which Nowe delivered personally
to local disc jockeys; provided records to
be played in the theatre lobby from noon
to midnight; donated records for a 40x60
theatre lobby display, and supplied 400
window cards and streamers to music dealers,
department stores, record bars and variety
shops.
The Sinnott News Co. placed the pocketbook
edition of Armstrong's "Satchmo" on
sale in the theatre candy stand for a month
in advance, and provided window cards
and streamers in all of its book outlets. In.
the main downtown stores, the theatre had
special displays of stills and art work. Sinnott
used 35 truck banners and devoted two
entire radio station progi-ams to a review of
the book and the picture. On this program,
listeners were told that each patron arriving
at the theatre between 11:30 and
noon opening day would receive a free copy
of the book.
To more successfully reach the teenagers.
Nowe aiTanged for the Canadian
High News, a Toronto newspaper published
weekly for students and teeners, to run a
special editorial on the teenager and the
music of Satchmo. An ad was run in two
of the advance weekly editions and the editorial
created excellent teenage interest.