— . . 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
— .2ath-Fox Filmgroup An interpretive anolysis ot loy ond fradeprcss reviews. Running time is m porenthescs. The plus ond minus signs indicate degree of merit. Listings cover current reviews, updated regularly. This ticpartment olso serves os an ALPHABETICAL INDEX to feature rcleoses. c is for CincmoScope; (V VistoVision; s Superscopc; ip Ponavision iR RegolscDpe; tj, Techniramo. Symbol W denotes BOXOFFICE Blue Ribbon Aword; Q color photography. For listings by company in the order of rclcosc, see FEATURE CHART. i^EVIEW DIGEST AND ALPHABETICAL INDEX Very Good; Good; - Foir; - Poor; — Very Poor. In the summory + + + + ± - + ++ + ++ + ° f^ -Ei >t, E k.|Z0C|O.SIZO| i: H + ^ + ff ± ++ + ± + ++ ++ + + ++++ ++ + ++ + + + + ± ± + + + + ± + + + ± ± + ± ± + + + ± ± HK H ++ + + ++++++ + + ++ + ± =t ++ + + + + ± 7+ M 3+5- 9+ 2+3- 1- S+2- 5+2- 1+ 1+ ++ + 10+1- + ± 9+2- ±. ± + ± ± + + 10+ + ± 10+1- 4+1- 7+4- 4+1- + 7+1- 1+1- 7+6- 1- + 6+1- 4+5- + 7+1- + + 11+ +f ++ U+ + + 8+2- tt 3+2-
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