Boxoffice-August.16.1965

Stagecoaches^ Indians Highlight Ballyhoo
For Hallelujah Trail' in Albuquerque
fr
In connection with the opening of "The
Hallelujah Trail" in Albuquerque. Pox-
Winrock Theatre Manager Lou Gasparini
organized and staged an 18-unit parade.
Stage 'Robberies' Head
'Katie Elder' Stunts
Hal Walli.s' "The Sons of Katie Elder"
has been the inspiration for a number of
highly successful western style exploitation
stunts around the country.
One of the most fruitful has been a mock
stage coach robbery, which has been staged
in Chicago. Dallas and Houston. The spectacle
of such a robbery in busy mldtown
shopping areas has literally stopped traffic,
in addition to winning widespread
coverage for the pictui-e from local newspapers
and radio and TV stations.
Another successful "Katie Elder" stunt
has been a free chuck wagon buffet, first
staged in Philadelphia and now spreading
to other cities. A tie-in with a chain of local
restaui'ants provides free vittles for hungry
cowpokes en route to see the film.
Indians ond cowboys
on stagecoaches ore
featured in "The Hallelujah
Trail" parade
in Albuquerque in
connection with the
opening of the United
Artists picture at the
Fox-Winrock.
which attracted a crowd of about 5.000
persons.
The theatre is located in the city's largest
shopping center, and Gasparini made
arrangements with officials of the center
to send the parade there on a busy Saturday
morning.
The march lasted about an hour and
featured a wide variety of units. Included
were about 40 Gallup. N.M., women who
served as extras in the fUming of the
United Artists picture near that western
New Mexico city last year.
Another Interesting portion of the
parade featured Indians, many of whom
also served as extras in the shooting of the
picture.
Other highlights included; a mounted
sheriff's posse, stagecoaches, cowboys, a
high school band, antique automobiles, the
New Mexico State Fair Tenderfoot Express
trolley, new cars, barbershop quartets and
floats from the city's three commercial
television stations.
Gallup city officials, Navajo Indian
tribal leaders and Albuquerque city officials
were on hand to watch the parade,
then were guests for a special screening of
the film.
Gasparini also promoted about 400 merchandise
prizes from shopping center merchants,
and these were tossed out from the
parade units to persons watching.
Universal-Dell Set Tie-in
On 'Very Special Favor'
Universal Pictures and Dell publications
have developed a joint promotion on "A
Very Special Favor," which goes into national
release this month.
The promotion is built around the Dell
pocket book by Marvin H. Albert, which is
based on the screenplay by Stanley Shapiro
and Nate Monaster. The book has a color
jacket with art work from the Universal-
Landershim Technicolor production with
appropriate copy tying it to the picture.
Dell has prepared a special rack card
which features a still from the picture. A
supply of these cards is being made available
on the local level for Dell book dealers
to tie in with local exhibitors and the local
playdates.
TV-Station Cooperation
Aids Exhibitor's Playdates
Good relations with local television personalities
can help greatly in promotion of
a film, as evidenced by the work in Albuquerque
for the one-week showing of "The
Girls on the Beach" at the State.
Albuquerque Theatres advertising director
Jesse Baca arranged the tie-in with Johnny
Salisbury of "Johnny's Record Party,"
which Is carried live each Saturday on
KOAT-TV.
Kids were invited to attend the dance
party in bathing suits, with prizes given to
the oddest attire in several categories.
Prizes included summer sportswear, Lesley
Gore records and passes to the picture.
Theatre officials also arranged to have
hot dogs and potato chips given away to all
attending.
Salt Lake City Showman
Sets Up Effective Display
The manager of the Redwood Drive-In
at Salt Lake City proved that ingenuity
and just a few dollars can produce an eyestopping
display that can attract more attention
than many an expensive or more
conventional promotion.
Manager Harold Cowley produced a-
crash-through-a-wall car display for a
total of $12. He put up the optlcal-Ulusiontype
exhibit four months in advance of
"The Yellow Rolls-Royce" playdate at the
front of the drive-ln. It appeared as if a
car were crashing through the theatre
building.
^
Manager Harold Cowley
of the Redwood
Drive-'n at Salt Lake
City produced this
For the Stanton Theatre's engagement of 'The
Sons of Katie Elder" in Philadelphia, Paramount
field advertising publicity manager Chuck Herbits
tied in with "Chuckwagon" Restaurants, which sponsored
street ballyhoo and stopped traffic in the
downtown area. Here, a wagon porks in front of
the theatre.
attention - getting
display for his "Yellow
Rolls - Royce"
playdate for only $12. tll ^nA«/fx
**••.*... ROLLS
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124 — BOXOFFICE Showmandiser :: Aug. 16, 1965