Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1962)

Tested, Low-Cost Promotion 4 For Academy Awards Show A bug-free, low-cost Academy Awards promotion has been developed by Karl F. Hemleben, manager of the Capitol Theatre in Aberdeen, S.D., in cooperation with Mike Buttmann, owner of the opposition Orpheum Theatre. It can be put over without substantial adaptation in most any situation by several or one theatre. Its flexibility and ease of duplication induced us to file away Manager Hemleben’s detailed report on his 1961 Academy Awards contest, received last April, for publication when exhibitors are planning their 1962 Academy Awards activity. FIVE MERCHANTS HELP Here's an Oscarcast display that proved to be a real ticket-seller, since most of the pictures were still to play the neighborhood theotre where it appeared several weeks in advance of the Hollywood event. It was designed and constructed by Marie Olcese, manager of the Vogue in Detroit. Note how it highlights the Academy Awards, the stars and the pictures involved. First, Hemleben reports, he contacted five local merchants — Farmers & Merchants Bank, Penney’s, Pred’s women’s store, the Nelson GE and Maytag appliance store and the Red Owl Friendly Food Stores — to help out with the prizes for the winners and other expenses. Each merchant contributed $15 in ti-ade and $8 in cash, the latter for the cost of printing the contest blanks, making a total of $23 each. In return, the five cooperating businesses received ads on the contest blanks and mention in the Academy Awards contest publicity. Five thousand contest blanks, printed by offset (which Hemleben says is much cheaper) , totaled $46. The $40 donated by the merchants thus left a deficit of $6, but this was more than covered by getting radio station KXAB-TV to pay $10 for a boxed notice, “Watch KXAB-TV Channel 9 . . . Academy Award Show . . . Monday Evening, April 17,” on the front of the contest blanks. The contest blanks, on syaxll-inch stock, contained the six lists — Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Director, plus the contest rules and a blank for name, address, age and phone number of the contestant. THE OSCAR RULES The iiiles follow: • Mail or bring your entry to either the Capitol or Orpheum Theatre. e Only one entry per family will be accepted. • All contestants must be 16 years old or over. • Please print, nome, address and age. • All entries must be postmarked by Sunday, April .... (day prior to Awards telecast). • Earliest postmark will be used to break ties or decide winners. • All judging will be final, no entries will be returned. Be sure to fill in your name, age, address and telephone number. All winners will be notified by mail. • Check only one name or picture in each box listed below. The blanks emphasized in bold type $200 in prizes. The contest was started about three weeks before the Hollywood event, on March 24, when Hemleben arranged for a 13 -minute appearance on the KXAB-TV Open House program. Sitting behind a table covered with material from the Academy Award kit, he and the announcer discussed the contest, upcoming product and the awards presentations on KXAB. That same day Hemleben and Guttman cut two tapes discussing the contest and detailing the rules, giving the participating merchants mention, listing the prizes, the deadline, etc., and plugging the Academy Award Night on TV, and also discussing upcoming attractions at the Capitol and Orpheum theatres. One tape ran 13 minutes, which was used March 29 and April 6 on one radio station, and the other ran 17 minutes, used March 30 and April 7 on another station. Both tape broadcasts were gratis. AN EARLY RESPONSE That night more than 75 ballots had been filled in and returned. On Monday, April 10, Hemleben made his final push over the air for the contest, appearing over the Open House program again for a ten-minute interview, gratis, of course. Large displays in the lobbies of the two theatres proclaimed the contest, rules, etc., and included a box where contestants could deposit their ballots. Mayor Clifton Hurlburt proclaimed Academy Award Day, which was carried gratis on both radio and the one television station on noon and night news programs. The newspaper was brought into the affair by a friendly bet between Guttmann and Hamleben, in which each made their selections for the Academy Awards, with the loser buying the winner a new hat. Their predictions, with a story on thenbet, and their photos were published in the March 26 Sunday paper. More than 900 entries were received. The winner was presented on the Friday, April 21, Open House program on KXAB-TV. The first prize was a six-month pass for two to the Capitol and Orpheum theatres. Other prizes: second, three-month pass to the Capitol and Orpheum; third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh, consisted of the gift certificates from the merchants and bank, and one-month passes to the others. Hemleben was the winner of the hat. The Capitol had a spot before and behind the Academy Award program on both the TV and radio stations. Slugs from the Academy Award kit were used on newspaper ads starting seven days in advance, and the Academy Award trailer was used on the screen three weeks in advance, plugging the contest, $200 in prizes, etc. The Motion Picture Theatr Is Always Your Best Entertainment bee the Oscar-Cast Tomorrow Night 9:30 pn W. V.U.E. Channel 13 BOB HOPE v. ister of Ceremonie. WATCH FOR THESE OUTSTANDING ATTRACTIONS Coming Soon to Your Favorite Theatres Get More Fun Out of Life! Take the Family to thgMov LOEW S STATE • SAENGER RKO ORPHEUM • JOY • CIVIC ee the Greatest Array of Talent Ever l ssembled on Television FOX GALLO GL08E JEFF •V LYCEUM PEACOCK ST BERNARD r: TUDOR UNITED This page illustrates the promotion given the Oscar presentations on television by theatres in New Orleans. BOXOFFICE Showmcmdiser : : Jan. 8, 1962 7 3