Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1948)

Ted Kirkmeyer Submits Second Book of Series Ted Kirkmeyer, manager of the Egyptian and Ogden theatres, Ogden, Utah, who submitted a fine campaign book with the subtitle "The Drive Behind the Drive," is out to complete a set of such books, for his newest entry is sub-titled "It's the Follow Through That Counts." His preface states that there is more to running a theatre than just the exhibition of motion pictures— that the successful theatre must establish itself as a community center. With that thought in mind, he lists some of the community activities of Fox-Intermountain theatres. This time, Ted has devised an ingenious scheme for the distribution of courtesy tickets to honor students in the Ogden schools. The tickets are not given away, but are sold at the full admission price, with 2>7y2 cents of each 50? admission rebated for the support of school recreational activities, while 12J^ cents goes to theatre welfare funds. This year, the Ogden school system received the theatre's check for $1,810 as its share of the proceeds from the sale of 4,799 tickets, allocated to individual schools in proportion to this total number of honor student tickets accounted for in cash. The famed Dorian Singers of local Weber college were featured in a stage presentation at the Egyptian theatre, and the local Elks Lodge used the scage for a special program honoring our flag. Local pulchritude (Ogden girls are famous ! ) local fathers, and theatre staff people have been saluted in stage programs. Even a local tax cut was promoted from the Egyptian stage. Ted's "Lucky Lady Prize Matinee" has been a sensation, with a popular Ogden resident becoming "Queen for a Day" through merchant cooperation. We await with keen interest the third volume of this showmanship series from the workshop of an enterprising manager. Jam PEGGY TAYLOR J ( DESPERATELY NEED A PLACE TO LIVE .... IF YOU HAVE AN APARTMENT FOR PEGGY. . . PLEASE CALL RIVERSIDE 9368 James O'Connell, manager of the Fox theatre, Spokane, Wash., posted this specially prepared 24-sheet to advertise "Apartment tor Peggy" with the cooperation of an attractive local girl, Peggy Taylor, who really needed an apartment. Newspapers covered the promotion; the picture had a lot of word-of-mouth advertising and, believe it or not, Peggy was offered SIX apartments. Point-Of-Sale Advertising James A. Carey, manager of the Hi way theatre, York, Pa., shows how he uses Topflight Tape to advertise "Red River" at the very spot where the patron digs down for coin to buy tickets. He also puts this advertising tape around posters on display and at other places, on the eye-line, and the pocketbook line, as you approach the box office. Jim is an old member of the Round Table, appreciated for his showmanship. Sonja Henie Promotion In National Tieups Sonja Henie is being featured in a record number of exploitation tieups in connection with her forthcoming picture, "The Countess of Monte Cristo." Production stills and cut-outs will go on 1,500,000 Kellogg cereal boxes, while Kem-Tone paints will advertise the picture in 341 newspapers from coast to coast. Royal Crown Cola will join the national advertising in Life magazine and Dari-Rich in Ladies Home Journal and Saturday Evening Post. MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FOR MANAGERS' ROUND TABLE 1270 Sixth Avenue, New York 20, N. Y Promotion in Pennsylvania A. C. "Bert" Detwiler, manager of the Manos theatre, Ellwood City, Pa., promoted an army jeep, complete with sound system, to exploit "Tap Roots" with a master sergeant to assist in selling both the picture and local recruiting service. A theatre employee doubled as "Frankenstein." Theatre Add rets City State Circuit General Manager Bill Drive In theatres, took the 140th Anniversary Union, N. J., where his the oldest drive-in theatre in the country, Here Bill is pointing to a citation awarded by the Garden Club of New Jersey. Smith of an active of the Town of company operates Eastern part in MANAGERS' ROUND TABLE, NOVEMBER 6, 1948 39