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—
. . Roller
Downtown First Run Finds Kiddy Show
Is Well Worth While Occasionally
The downtown theatre will find a kiddy
show worth while occasionally, but the
kids must be ready. S. L. Sorkin, manager
of RKO Keith's at Syracuse, N. Y., explains
that by "ready," he means that the
kids haven't had any kiddy show for two
or three months. The shows can be held on
holidays, Saturday mornings or almost
anytime there is no school.
The opportunity of getting something
for nothing is as important with the juveniles
as with the adults. Sorkin managed
to get $500 in prizes from Shoppers Pair,
which has stores in two shopping centers.
The Shoppers Fair was sold on the idea
when Sorkin offered a screen trailer, a
special lobby display (and it was done up
in impressive style) and a sidewalk sign
which announced that Shoppers Fair stores
have a complete discomit toy department.
The screen trailer copy:
This impressive lobby
display, at RKO
Keith's in Syracuse,
N,Y., not only
advertised a
morning 22-cartoon
Kiddy show at the
downtown first run
but a'so helped
sell the store on
donating $500
worth of prizes. The
something-fornothing
comeon is
as important for the
youngsters as it
is for the adults.
The store,
Shoppers
Fair,
operates in two
shopping centers and
features a
discount
POSITIVELY
THE BIGGEST EVER
We Mean . . .
Our Annual
VETERAN'S DAY
KIDDY CARTOON
AND FUN SHOW
On SATURDAY (dote)
One Show Only at 9 a.m.
(Doors open ot 8:30 a.m.)
It's the BIGGEST
toy
department.
Because there will be
CARTOONS 22
With all your favorite chorocters
and
You'll
. . .
have a chance to win
$500 in Prizes
including BICYCLES and other wortderful gifts
Plus . . .
FREE DOOR PRIZES
To Every Boy ond Girl
—all through the courtesy
SHOPPER'S FAIR
3310 Erie Blvd. and 2318 W. Genesee St.
DEW ITT
Westvale Shopping Center
Children only 35c
Adults
50c
BUY YOUR TICKETS TODAY
AND DON'T DISAPPOINT THE KIDDIES!
Small Theatre Big in Oscar Sweepstakes
The Capri Theatre, a small (230-seat)
house in a "quiet" neighborhood of Denver,
conducted a big Oscar promotion in April
1961 soon after it was opened by Ben S.
Jordan, owner, and Paul R. Anderson,
manager.
The Capri's main vehicle was the Capri
Cinema News 'Vol. 1, No. 1, a 17x11 -inch
one sheet affair. The front was given over
to the "Academy Awards Prevue," featuring
an article about the Academy's past
Oscar presentations, and a large cartoon
figure by Kroll. The other side was given
over to two pictures about Capri kiddy
shows, four sponsoring merchant ads and a
current attraction ad by the Capri.
The Capri joined the Denver Academy
Award Sweepstakes, sponsored by station
KBT'V and theatres in the Denver area.
Prizes were 1,000 theatre tickets and an
RCA color television set. The tiebreaker for
the grand prize was an essay in 25 words
or less supporting the selection of the best
picture of the year.
Cafe and Theatres Offer
Million Dollar Night Out
"Million Dollar Night" was advertised by
the Lung Jew restaurant in San Antonio,
Tex., offering an "evening for two ... $5
complete."
"Here's what you each get," the ad read,
"Champagne cocktail . . . Choice of a Cantonese
dinner, Mexican dinner, steak dinner
. . . and a fii-st-nrn show at either the
Aztec Theatre or Majestic Theatre . . . and
Free Parking at the River garage."
It's practical and profitable for an art
theatre whose stock in trade is strictly
adult film fare to cater also to a family
audience!
Newsboy Show Puts
Cinerama' on Page 1
Pictures of youngsters screaming during
the roller coaster ride depicted in "This Is
Cinerama" ireturn showing appeared
i
across the top of the front page of the
Times Herald at Dallas following a special
preview of the Cinerama picture at the
Capri Theatre. The caption was, "Rock
'n' Roll . Coaster Style." Gene
Welch, the Capri manager, reports more
than 1,000 newsboys attended the screening,
who were asked to tell their customers
about the film. The newspaper ran a 70-
inch ad without charge.
The ads emphasized "this is the first
time at new low prices."
A Name the Mystei-y Voice (of Lowell
Thomas) was arranged gratis with radio
station KBOX, which ran for five straight
nights, getting a total of 120 outright plugs
for "This Is Cinerama." Prizes consisted of
75 double invitations to attend the special
screening.
A&P, which operates more than 35 stores
in greater Dallas, came in on one of the biggest
theatre -supermarket promotions ever
carried out there. A&P used "This Is Cinerama"
illustrations in ads for many weeks,
and promoted the tieup also via radio and
cards. More than a million discount coupons
were distributed to A&P customers.
Grant's and Beauty Salon
Host Babysitter Show
The W. T. Grant store and Mr. Albert's
beauty salon paid for a 10 a.m. to 6
p.m., Saturday, December 23, "babysitting
free show for last minute shoppers," held
at the Bar Harbour Theatre In the big
shopping center at Massapequa Pai-k on
Long Island, N.Y. The store and beauty
salon distributed hundreds of circulars, put
up displays all over the shopping center
and at the theatre, and had Santa Claus
arrive by heUcopter to start distributing
the tickets.
Bar Harbour Manager Charles Stokes
also had a Santa Claus on hand at the
theatre. He gave each child a candy cane
supplied by local merchants. Stokes passes
out program calendars with the theatre's
Christmas and New Year's billings.
Price-Change Hour Moved
Up to Boost Matinees
In an effort to boost matinee trade during
long-run engagement of "Flower Drum
Song" at the remodeled New Haven Whalley,
Franklin E. Ferguson, general manager
for Bailey Theatres, advanced the
conventional price-change hour from 5 to
4 p.m.
Under the plan, patrons pay $1 admission
from 1:45 to 4 p.m.. and $1.25 after 4.
Children's prices remain at 50 cents at all
times.
Ferguson, simultaneously, is stressing the
ad-line, "All New—Just for You!" in newspaper
space.
Adds Material on "Ben-Hur'
Joe Giobbi, manager of the Crown, Hartford,
Conn., in addition to using a budget
far above normal for his advertising
schedule on "Ben-Hur." bought material for
street and window displays.
24 BOXOFFICE Showmandiser Feb. 5, 1962