Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1939)

June 17. /'^^y s H o w M r: N ' s 'i' \< a i ) !■: \i k v i e w Page 23 Int'l Radio Broadcast Will Exploit ''Second Fiddle'' Arrangements have been coinpleted by 20th Century-Fox for an international broadcast for Irving Berlin's "Second Fiddle" to be carried over the NBC Blue network in the United States and affiliated foreign stations on Monday, June 26 from 8:30 to 9:30 P.M., EDST. The broadcast, which wil inaugurate the new Monday night series of "The Magic Key of RCA," will be picked up from Oslo, Norway, London, Buenos Aires, New York and Hollywood, and will feature Sonja Henie and Tyrone Power, the stars of the picture; Rudy Vallee and Mary Healy, who have important roles; Irving Berlin, Darryl Zanuck and Sidney Lanfield, the director of the production. "Name" Orchestras on Program Louis Silver's Twentieth Century-Fox Studio orchestra and Frank Black's orchestra and chorus, which is a regular part of the "Magic Key" hour, will be heard on the broadcast in addition to four other name orchestras to be announced later. The entire program will feature music and scenes from "Second Fiddle." Sonja Henie, who is in Oslo, Norway on vacation, will play a love scene from the picture with Tyrone Power, who will be heard from Hollywood. This is the longest distance love scene ever attempted by radio, the players being separated by more than 7,000 miles of land and sea. Rudy Vallee will sing one of the hit numbers from the picture, "I Poured My Heart Into A Song," from New York and Mary Healy will sing on the Hollywood part of the program which will also introduce Darryl Zanuck, the producer of the picture, and Sidney Lanfield. Additional details of the program will be announced later. This will be the first broadcast of its kind ever arranged for the exploitation of a motion picture. In planning the program Charles E. McCarthy, director of advertising and publicity, and Irving Berlin, who wrote the music for "Second Fiddle," arranged to blend all the elements of a musi FOR BETTER SHOW SELLING Showmanalyses Have Appeared In STR on Following Pictures Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Feb. 18 Bridal Suite June 3 Broadway Serenade April 1 Captain Fury May 20 Dark Victory April 22 Flying Irishman March 11 Hardys Ride High April 22 Honolulu Feb. 4 Hound of the Baskervilles March 25 Juarez June 10 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 May 27 Prison Without Bars April 8 Pygmalion March 11 Spirit of Culver March 18 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 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 Young Mr. Lincoln June 10 Zenobia Alar 18 ^^^^^^ r 0K» "Honolulu" Contest Winner Gus Bartram, manager of the Vogue Theatre, Manistee, Mich., thinks "It's a Wonderful World" as he reads the figures on his prize money check from Frank Doivney, MGM Detroit exchange manager, for his effort to increase box office results on MGM's "Honolulu." Gus is half of the famous vaudeville team, Bartram & Saxton, who trod the hoards for some 25 years. cal picture with the magic of radio to bring a show from scattered cities on three continents to a world-wide listening audience. This "Second Fiddle" broadcast, follows closely the highly successful Kentucky Derby broadcast over CBS and the recent "Young Mr. Lincoln" radio show from Springfield, 111. on the MBS nation-wide network. It will be the second big radio show 20th-Fox has staged for the exploitation of an Irving Berlin picture. The first one, the highly successful "Alexander's Ragtime Band" broadcast, was given just a year ago. Kny Makes Beery An Honorary Sergeant of Racine Police Dept. Harvey Kny, manager of the Rialto Theatre, Racine, Wis., really went to town with his campaign on "Sergeant Madden." He had Wallace Beery made an honorary sergeant of the Racine police force, and issued a commission to Beery. Local newspapers used several stories on the stunt He_ also sent a wire to Grover Whalen, who is in charge of the New York World's Fair, the object being to promote a free trip to the Fair for the Most Popular Policeman contest in Racine. ^ For two weeks in advance Kny ran special copy in his trailers, secured cooperation of the police department, and in all ways gave "Sergeant Madden" a complete and seat-selling campaign. Ties Up with Laundry As a tieup for "Prison Without Bars," Manager Marlowe Conner of Warners' Rhodes Theatre, Chicago, sold a laundry on the idea of getting out a plugger using this lead-ofJ: "Is Your Home a 'Prison Without Bars'?" The rest of the copy was devoted to the laundry and to the picture. We'll bet your local washery would go for the same stunt. Why not try it? Veteran Showmen Win In ''Honolulu'' Contest During the past few months all managers of the W. S. Butterfield circuit operating throughout Michigan have been pulling a lot of old tricks out of the bag and creating several new ones in their competition for the best showing of increased attendance at the box office in order to take a crack at the two prizes authorized to be awarded the houses in the major Butterfield towns and the minor situations. Accordingly, with E. C. Beatty's sanction, Frank J. Downey, Detroit branch manager for Metro-GoldwynMayer, offered $100 to the majors and $50 to the minors for the best campaigns on "Honolulu" designed to keep the ticket machine working at top speed. In the major house division, it took' an old-timer like Wirt S. McLaren, manager of the Michigan Theatre, Jackson, to show the others the way of copping first prize. McLaren has had a wealth of experience in show business, having handled vaudeville, presentations and legitimate theatres in Jackson for the past 31 years. In the minor towns, there was hot and heavy competition. But coming out on top was Gus Bartram, of the Vogue Theatre, Manistee. The winner in each instance received warm letters of congratulations from E. C. Beatty, E. M. Saunders, western sales manager for MGM; J. E. Flynn, western division manager, and Branch Manager Frank J. Downey. The local papers were loud in their praise of the achievements of the two showmen. Passes Under Theatre Seats How's this for something different and unusual? Lloyd Seiber, manager of the College Theatre, Bethlehem, Pa., placed 25 single passes in envelopes which were pasted on the bottom of theatre seats. When the first evening show ended, patrons were instructed to look there for something which would give them a "Lucky Night." If you're playing "Lucky Night," don't pass up this stunt. Congratulations, Lloyd. Bundt's Telephonic Display The above display on 20th Century-Fox's "Alexander Graham Bell' zvas promoted from the New York Telephone Company by Milton Bundt, manager of the Garden Theatre, Richmond Hill, L. L It's a model of Bell's first telephone enlarged five times its regular size. Placed in the foyer, it drezv laudatory comments from Gard'eii patrons: