Boxoffice-March.19.1962

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ALL FREE HEARTS
ARE WITH YOU
COLONEL GLENN
CITATION WINNERS FOR FEBRUARY 1962
D. J. Goodman, manager, Gaumont Theatre, Wood Green, Middlesex, England. His
successful Amateur Film Festival conducted in cooperation with three camera
clubs brought major goodwill and publicity to his theatre.
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Robert Corbit, advertising-publicity manager for Paramount Gulf Theatres, New
Orleans. For skillful adaptation of attraction ads, specifically on "September
Storm."
Louis Wiethe, Valley Theatre operator, Cincinnati.
"El Cid."
For his excellent campaign for
A. R. Stark, manager, Englewood Theatre, Independence, Mo.
imagination in promoting "Blue Hawaii."
For industry and
Bill Parker, city manager for Kent Theatres at Fort
Pierce, Fla., drew the attention of thousands of persons
to the Sunrise Theatre's marquee on the historic
morning of Col. John Glenn's great flight into
space from nearby Cope Canaveral when he climbed
a ladder and put up the above-pictured salute to
Colonel Glenn which echoed throughout the free
world. Both the Miami hierald and the Fort Pierce
News Tribune corried pictures of the Sunrise's morquce
and ran feature stories about it.
Tom Williams, manager, Vernon Theatre, Mount Vernon, Ohio. Proficiency in
general promotion.
Jim Connor, Lamar Theatre, Lamar, Colo. For his Shopping Spree and Bachelor
Auction promotions in behalf of "Bachelor in Paradise."
Carl Ferrazza, operations manager for Shor Theatres, Cincinnati. Proficiency in
general promotion.
Robin Wichtman, city manager, Rowley United Theatres, Little Rock, Ark.
relations ad.
Public
Museums Over Nation
To Plug 'West Was Won'
Promotional tieups are being arranged
in behalf of the forthcoming "How the
West Was Won" by MGM-Cinerama with
historical museums throughout the country.
Special kit material containing ideas
for use of western historical displays in
museums are being sent to all Cinerama
theatres.
For another MGM-Cinerama presentation,
George Pal's "Wonderful World of
the Brothers Grimm," the 24-k;arat gold
cloth Princess gown worn by Yvette
Mimieux in the film, will be sent on a
worldwide tour along with release of the
pictuie. The dress, which wUl be made in
triplicate, will be displayed on manikins
especially made to resemble the actress in
her role as "The Dancing Princess." Also
duplicated will be the crown and the upswept
hair style worn by the star.
Security Card Gimmick
The Manos Theatre, Tarentum, Pa., offers
free matinee tickets in a plan based
on the last digit of a person's social security
card. In the initial week of the plan,
two-for-one admissions were registered 1
to 6 p.m., when social security cards were
shown to the cashier with the numbers
ending with zero; for the second week, the
lucky numbers ended in 1, then in succession
from 1 to 10 (0) , and again to start
with the number 1, etc.
Drops His Trailers
Lester Stepner of the Evanston Theatre
is reportedly dropping all coming attraction
trailers. Another imiovation he has
adopted is to serve coffee to patrons in
their seats.
Sam Gilman, Loew's State manager, Syracuse, N.Y.
Theatre displays.
George W. H. Spratley, manager, Odeon Hyland Theatre, Toronto Ont., Canada.
Alert showmanship. He capitalized on the twist dance craze by turning his
concession stand into a Peppermint Candy Lounge.
Despite Wind^ Snow and Big Cage Game^
Jalopy Giveaway Pulls in Fine House
The cold wind howled and the snow
whitened out much of the visibility; on top
of that, the local high school team was
playing its regional championship game.
For sure it would have been a cold night at
the boxoffice of the State Theatre in Postoria,
Ohio, except for one thing!
And that thing, making all the difference
in the world at the boxoffice, was a jalopy
giveaway which C. V. Mitchell, manager,
had been promoting for six weeks. The
night's gross was respectable for any time
of the year despite the snowstorm and the
big basketball game.
It was Mitchell's second annual jalopy
giveaway. Coupons were given to ticket
buyers for six weeks previous to the Friday
night drawing. All people had to do
was sign their names and deposit the coupons
in the lobby. The jalopy was parked
in front of the theatre on Friday nights
dming the promotion, and the balance of
the time at the dealer's who donated it.
Mitchell distributed heralds through
Kresge's, Montgomery Ward's and Murphy's
stores, being placed in customers'
bags at the checkouts. Of course, the heralds
mentioned the car dealer.
— 48 —
The latter also passed out heralds and
coupons through his parts department.
The giveaway was plugged in the Friday
evening Teen Page sections of the local
newspaper.
In short, news of the giveaway was well
disseminated around town.
The dealer who gave htm a car last year
had gone out of business so Mitchell had
to find a new one. He sold a prominent
car dealer by showing him how advertising
would appear away from his business, on
the screen, on the heralds and on the coupons.
He was vei-y happy with the results
and told Mitchell:
"See me the next time you want another
jalopy, Mitch."
Entire Review in Ad
As proof of the high quahty of "Whistle
Down the Wind," the Strand Theatre used
the entu-e review of the picture by Bradford
F. Swan, Providence *R.I.) Journal-
Bulletin critic, in the form of a newspaper
ad. Swan had written that it was a "wonderful
film * * * as strange and marvelous
as ever a movie can be. Photographically,
simply immense."
BOXOFFICE Showmandiser : : Mar.
19, 1962
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