Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1939)

.1/(7 V -'/", 1939 SHOWMEN'S T 1^ A 1 ) !•: R V. V I E W Page 11 FOR BETTER SHOW SELLING Showmanalyses Have Appeared In STR on Following Pictures Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Feb. 18 Broadway Serenade April 1 Captain Fury Mav 20 Dark Victory April 22 Flying Irishman March 11 Gunga Din Jan. 28 Hardys Ride High April 22 Honolulu Feb. 4 Hound of the Baskervilles March 25 Idiot's Delight Jan. 21 Jesse Tames .'Jan. 21 King of the Turf Feb. 25 Little Princess Mar. 4 Lucky Night May 13 Made For Each Other Feb. 18 Man of Conquest April 29 Only Angels Have Wings This Issue Prison Without Bars April 8 Pygmalion March 11 Spirit of Culver March 18 Stand Up and Fight Jan. 7 Story of Alexander Graham Bell April 15 Streets of New York April 15 Tail Spin Feb. 4 Three Musketeers Feb. 11 Three Smart Girls Grow Up March 25 Topper Takes a Trip Jan. 14 Union Pacific May 6 Wife, Husband and Friend Feb. 25 Wings of the Navy Feb. 11 You Can't Cheat An Honest Man.... Feb. 18 Zenobia Mar. 18 ''Dark Victory" Accorded Smart Selling by Boucher We never asked Frank Boucher, but we're willing to bet his middle name is "Showmanship." But whether it is or not, he certainly lives up to the term. Few days go by without receiving from him the details and material for many unusual stunts he used for an attraction at the Glove Theatre, Gioversville, N. Y. Take, for instance, some of the things he did to promote the showing of "Dark Victory" in his community. Some of the attractive heralds issued by Warners were purchased by Frank and distributed widely. Their cost was evidently more than paid for by a large ad appearing on the back. To get the reaction of his patrons to films like this Bette Davis starring vehicle, Boucher gave post-card size cards to those leaving the theatre after having witnessed the picture. At the top were the words, "Here's What I Think of 'Dark Victory'." Just below were lines on which patrons wrote their comments, and at the bottom was space for the name and address, together with the line, "We Would Appreciate Your Comment." To us, this seems like a swell stunt, because lots of people like to consider themselves critics, and most of them won't take a chance of "showing themselves up" by writing an adverse reaction. We'd like for Frank to send us some of the comments. In cooperation with a beauty parlor, he distributed fan photos of Bette Davis, with the firm's ad on the back. Each photo also had a number. If the number was posted at the beauty salon, the holder received a pass to see "Dark Victory." Frank, are you sure your middle name isn't "Showmanship" ? Passes for "Paris" Stamps In advance of his showing of "Paris Honeymoon," Manager Everett R. Erickson, on the Ogden Theatre, Chicago, placed a one-sheet in the lobby with this copy: "Free! Two passes to each of the first ten persons bringing to this theatre a canceled stamp from any city in the United States named Paris, or from Paris, France." "Streets of N. Y." Sets New High In Selling A front-rank campaign that set new space-getting and ticket-selling marks was engineered on behalf of Monogram's "Streets of New York" engagement at the Strand Theatre, Atlanta, Ga., by W. T. Murray, manager, and Sidney Dell, publicity director. The southern premiere was greeted by an all-angle newspaper campaign that was warmly-received by city, radio and sports desk's as well as amusement desks. W. Ray Johnston, Monogram president, arrived to face a battery of interviewers who recorded his words for press spreads which included photographs and words of praise for the film. Two-column cuts topped column-length accounts for Mr. Johnston's opinions. A telephone interview with Jackie Cooper, star of the film, broke in the hard-to-crack Atlanta Journal. A three-column art spread accompanied a by-liner's conversation with Cooper, who spoke from Hollywood. Classified Ad Contest In a five-day classified ad contest, "Streets of New York" derived 45 inches of free space. An indication of the interest aroused by the contest is furnished by the 1,400 responses counted by the newspaper. A local youngster, Buddy Pepper, who played a role in the film, became a matter of great public interest as a result of varied and interesting interviews and photographs. A fifteen-minute radio program was aired by WATL, leading local chain outlet. The broadcast was timed to break at peak listening hours of the evening previous to the opening of "Streets of New York." Radio columns gave generous mention to the event. A tie-up with the classified section of the Atlanta Journal resulted in four days of free two-column, seven-inch ads. Another tie-up with the same newspaper's lost Young Cartoonists Draw "Blondie" Children under 16 years zvere invited to compete in Flarland Rankin's recent "Blondie" art contest in conjunction imth the shoiving of one of Columbia's series of comedies based on the cartoon character created by Chic Young at the Plaza Theatre, Tilbury, Ontario, Canada. The above sketches weren't zvinners, but they're still "Blondie." Why not heed Rankin's tip and try this contest in your town? and found column l^rought seven days of free one-column, two-inch ads. Several thousand tabloids were distributed in the schools of Atlanta, and a special screening was arranged for 250 members of the Atlanta Boys Club, sponsored by editors of two daily newspapers. The screening received extensive press mention. Included in the prominent posting throughout the city were 16 twenty-four sheets. The theatre front was attractively composed and included large-size poster cut-outs and original layouts. On the theatre pages of the dailies, the film was impressively publicized in dominating art and stories. Six Different Styles of Cut-Out Standees Highlighting a list of business-building items being put out by RKO Radio Pictures for "The story of Vernon and Irene Castle" is a series of six novel cutouts revealing Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers performing different dances. Each is 18 inches high, printed in full color and equipped with an easel-back. Although the cutouts, three of which are illustrated here, vary in shape because of the different dance steps, there is a uniform imprint space at the top of each so that the one type-set can be used to imprint complete sets.