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: April
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Authentic Posters From Spain Give
Colorful Splash to Holiday' Debut
does huge business, went in heavy for cooperative
publicity. Cook states the restaurant
supplied 100.000 playbills to distribute
to patrons, and arranged to use "Holiday
in Spain" placemats. Norshery also
picked up the tab for reserved-ticket envelopes.
For television, Cook arranged a television
contest with a trip to Spain via Canadian
Pacific Airlines as the grand prize.
As a promotion for the tag end of Windjammer"
a Tea Clipper Contest was set up
with the Tea Council of Canada, which offered
an expense-paid trip to India and
Ceylon, plus a $1,000 university scholarship,
as major prizes in a model tea clipper
building competition.
This .
. h L;;in- II Ml air, a Jl Ium F:imous Players Canadian house situated in an
area of fashionable shops and apartment houses in Toronto, Ont., shows the colorful decorations
arranged for "Holiday in Spoin." The scenic posters, etc., were obtained with the help of the Spanish
Tourist Office, Spanish vice-consul, and the Canadian Pocific Airlines which flies direct to Madrid from
Toronto. Note the guitarist and Spanish dancer.
Tlie quality of motion picture selling has
improved as the industry grows more aware
of its competitive position. The progress is
particularly evident in promotion of extended
runs, where the showman usually
has more time and a more ample budget to
do a more-effective job. In some cases these
long-showing campaigns approach a perfection.
A fine compaign comes from the Eglinton
Theatre, a Famous Players Canadian
house situated in the uptown shopping
and apartment area at Younge and Bloor
street in Toronto. Ont. The Eglinton was
winding up a 52-week reserved-seat showing
of Windjammer." described as second
only to the 93-week run in Stockholm,
Sweden. This film was being pulled for a
holiday premiere of "Holiday in Spain."
E.xploitation for the Mike Todd jr. film
was under the supervision of Tiff Cook of
the FPC staff.
PETER LORRE AT DEBUT
The Todd comiiany came through with
substantial assistance, another beneficial
development of the changing times with
producers and distributors assuming more
responsibihty for the merchandising of
their product. Through Todd's cooperation
there was the personal appearance of
Peter Lorre at the premiere, and a strong
lineup of acces.sories. such as an interesting
folder in color sketching technical developments
from the penny arcade to Cinemiracle,
the process featured in "Holiday
in Spain."
Cook went straight to Madrid for much
of his material. This included an authentic
bullfight poster, with art work by Savedra.
such as is employed by La Plaza do Toros
de Madrid. For this he enlisted the help of
Canadian Pacific Airlines, which fly direct
from Toronto to Madrid; the Spanish
Tourist Office and the Spanish vice-consul.
Cook had the printer in Madrid put
in the date of the premiere at the Eglinton,
and leave off at the bottom the name of the
third matador.
This last was a smart gimmick that tied
the poster right down as a conversation
piece—the empty space could be used for
printing of the names of persons who received
the poster, thus making a standout
piece for the recreation room or office!
SPECIAL POSTERS USED
Cook does not mention just how many he
ordered, but it must have been a couple of
hundred or more. One each, with their
names at the bottom, went to some 150
critics, reporters, disc jockeys and VIPs
who had or could help in the promotion.
Tlie posters were handed out at an advance
cocktail party and dinner. Attached to each
E>oster was this letter, signed by Mike Todd
jr.:
SENORAS Y CABALLEROS:
AS MY PICTURE "HOLIDAY IN SPAIN" WAS
FILMED IN ITS ENTIRETY IN SPAIN, we thought
thot you would like to hove a genuine bullfight
poiter OS o little memonto of your visit to the
Eglinton Theatre for the premiere.
This poster is the type that is used in Madrid
for oil the major bullfights ond was flown direct
from Modrid through the courtesy of Conodian
Pacific Airlines.
Normally there are three matadors listed on
these posters but we hove dropped the nome of
the third motodor so you can letter in your own
name
. you too con be a motodor and
you never have to foce the bull.
hope thot you enjoy "HOLIDAY IN
SPAIN" ond if you do pleose tell your friends.
Spanish scenes, travel posters, etc., were
supplied by the Spanish Tourist Office for
an outstandingly colorful lobby decoration.
On opening night, a guitar player and
dancer, in Spanish costumes, performed In
the lobby.
The front doomian was attired in a
Spanish cai>e. etc.
Radio station CKEY had disc jockey
Norm Perry to interview celebrities on
opening night. His tape was played back
on the air an hour later.
The Norshery restaurant nearby, which
Local Doris Day Subject
Of Radio-Store Tieup
Bill Lavery, one of the Schine circuit
managers, had an excellent tieup for
Lover Come Back." a recent issue of Flash,
the circuit news booklet for managers, relates.
Lavery reported a deal he made with the
Oswego. N. Y., radio station WSGO got a
radio .saturation campaign on 'Lover Come
Back"^ for a few theatre passes.
He learned there was a girl in town by
the name of Doris Day who works for the
GLP store. This bit of information soon
brought on a scheme for both the radio
station and the store. The radio people
liked it, while the GFL people thought
well enough of it to foot the bill.
The store put up some worthwhile prizes,
electrical appliances and the like, and the
theatre supplied passes. Radio spots and
plugs throughout each day of the stunt invited
listeners to visit the store and meet
Doris Day. also register for the prizes and
passes being given away via daily drawings.
The radio .spots, naturally, plugged the pictui-e
and playdates.
The store set up a display, and the local
Doris Day talked up the picture to people
who registered for the prizes.
Using an open-end interview record, a
tape was made Doris Day
.
Interviews Hollywood's Doris Day" .
.
which was broadcast as part of "Lover
"
Come Back. added talk of course
about the GPL tiein.
The local Doris Day and her family were
guests at the theatre on opening night and
were introduced from the stage.
Tieup on a Balloon
For "Mysterious Island." John Sparling
of the Ashland lOhio' Theatre borrowed
a dirigible-shaped balloon from a local dry
cleaning shop and attached a 15-foot banner
to it reading. "Starts Thursday.
Schinc^s Ashland Theatre." and the name
of the dry cleaning store. At the store Sparling
placed a 30x40 announcing a free pass
to see "Mysterious Island" to anyone having
a suit cleaned during the run of the
picture.
Tickets With $5 Purchases
Woohvorlh's at Massena, N. Y.. gave a
free child's ticket to "Pinocchio" at the
Massena Theatre with each $5 purchase.
In promoting this, the store ran a 3-col..
10-inch ad. Bill Copley manages the Massena.
*
— 64 — BOXOFnCE Showmandiser :
16. 1962