Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1940)

October 12, 1940 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW Page 19 For Better Show Selling Showmanalyses Have Appeared In STR on Following Pictures Anne of Windy Poplars June 22 Bill of Divorcement June l Boys From Syracuse -July Brigham Young =ePt ^ Ghost Breakers J.une ° Great McGinty Aug. 17 He Stayed For Breakfast Aug. 24 Hired Wife =ept. / Kit Carson Aug. 31 Mortal Storm June lj> New Moon June 2\ Pride and Prejudice Aug. i Return of Frank James Aug. 1/ South of Pago Pago July 20 Spring Parade oi Strike Up the Band V^6Pt Third Finger, Left Hand This Issue Three Faces West.... J"lv « Tom Brown's School Days July 6 Turnabout June \5. Walt Disney Festival Aug. 10 Westerner sept. z» When the Daltons Rode Aug. 10 Women in War June 1 Business Group to Aid "Police" Premiere Chicago's multi-million dollar business organization, the State Street Council, this week threw its forces into the effort to make the American premiere of Cecil B. DeMille's "North West Mounted Police" in Chicago on October 24, the greatest movie premiere ever held anywhere. David Mayer, Jr., president of the organization, officially announced that the group had become sponsors for the premiere. This marks the first time an organization of such financial and civic importance has become official sponsor for a Hollywood film premiere. The Council will decorate State Street, the most brightly lighted thoroughfare in the world, Mayer announced, for a distance of two miles — from Congress to Lake Street — with Canadian and American flags, banners, photographs of the stars coming to attend the premiere, and decorations on each light standard. Every store on State Street, including Marshall Field & Co., Chas. A. Stevens & Co., Carson Pirie Scott Co., Netcher's Boston Store, The Fair, Maurice L. Rothschild, Sears Roebuck & Co., Henry C. Lytton & Sons, Mandel Bros. — will devote its entire window display to "North West Mounted Police," the photographs of the stars of the film fitted in with tieup displays. "Mountie Red" will be the keynote of every window display. Beginning October 14, each business represented in the State Street Council, will begin advertising the premiere in its advertising in the Chicago papers, Mayer disclosed. _ In 1939, the Council's collective advertising bill in the Chicago papers exceeded $10,000,000. Coming to Chicago for the premiere will be Cecil B. DeMille, Gary Cooper, Madeleine Carroll, Paulette Goddard, Preston Foster, Robert Preston and Lynne Overman. These stars will arrive in Chicago October 23. The premiere program includes a three-day gala civic celebration beginning October 22 and concluding October 24 with the showing at the Chicago Theatre. "If You Knew Susan — " When "Susan and God" played the Hamilton Theatre, Chicago, Manager Jerry McWhorter placed teaser cards in the ladies' lounge with this copy : "If you knew Susan like we know Susan, you wouldn't miss 'Susan and God'." Smart Selling Angles Urged for "Argentine Enthusiastic Meeting of Loew Poli Managers Brings Out Worthy Ideas For Exploiting Technicolor Musical BECAUSE of the spot booking of "Down Argentine Way" in the Loew Poli Theatres, all managers were summoned recently to the New Haven office where a special meeting was held, presided over by Oscar A. Doob, director of advertising and publicity for Loew Theatres, and Rodney Bush of 20th CenturyFox pictures. The purpose of the special session was to work out the most effective selling angles on the Technicolor musical production. Prior to the announcement of the spot booking, Lou Brown, of the circuit's advertising department, had sent out a list of suggestions to all managers in which he urged them "to go out and sell it . . . exploit it . . . and ballyhoo it." At the same time, he relayed several suggestions from Harry Shaw, division manager: that ushers be dressed in colorful gaucho costumes; that a "rhumba-conga and tango" contest be held on the stage before the opening of the picture; that tieups be made whereby dancing teachers would give conga-rhumba instructions in the lobby; that all members of the house staff wear badges ; that dancing girl figures in the 6 or 24-sheets be the center of an elaborate lobby display, in which drums, gourds and other musical instruments used by conga-rhumba bands would be featured, with a phonograph in the background to play appropriate music. Costume Jewelry Tieups It was also suggested that costume jewelry tieups be made, as well as a number of others, utilizing numerous stills ; that the 8 song hits be plugged via the radio, hotels and night clubs; that an usher in gaucho costume, "carrying a portable phonograph and records of the songs, walk the streets; that the local radio station put on a South American or^rhumbaconga program; that the peep-hole "for men only" gag be utilized in a prominent vacant window. Even with these excellent suggestions, however, and in view of the spot booking, it was deemed advisable to hold the special meeting in order to work out every possible selling angle. From all reports, the managers left the sessions highly enthusiastic, thoroughly keyed to put over rousing selling campaigns in their individual situations. And well might they be enthusiastic, for, in addition to the suggestions that had previously been made, new ones were brought up and discussed. Bush pointed out the availability of the title pages of the four song hits ; of the tieups that might be made with music stores on the Victor, Bluebird and Decca recordings, for which material is available. Use of a special type teaser card for advance lobby display was urged by Doob. It was also suggested that cards be made to be displayed in coin-in-the-slot phonographs; that cards on a special "Down Argentine Way" drink be used in restaurants and bars; that theatres through an outsider, send "request" wires to radio stations playing request numbers, asking BE ON YOUR GUARD! According to reports from New England, a number of managers in that territory have been swindled by a man representing himself as a manager of a Miami theatre on vacation. H is also learned, from another source, that in some towns a man has taken money from merchants with a promise to run a patriotic flag-waving trailer, using the merchants' names. The man has no connection with the company he claims to represent, it is pointed out, and exhibitors are urged to be on their guard. them to play songs from the picture; that a girl singer be hired to vocalize the numbers at various music counters; that tieups be made with dealers selling Dobbs Hats. The managers were informed ^ that Doob was preparing a picture strip on "who is the outstanding sweater girl of Hollywood," m which Betty Grable, Lana Turner, Judy Garland and perhaps one other would be featured ; that Ernest Emmerling, of Loew's home office, had prepared life-size cutouts of Miss Grable for use in "want to have your picture taken with Betty Grable" lobby stunts. The college-boy-sleeping-in-the-lobby-so-hewill-be-first-to-see-the-picture gag was suggested, as was also a stunt by which a large film can would be frozen in ice and displayed on the sidewalk, with a notation to the effect that "we're cooling off 'Down Argentine Way' —that's how hot the picture is" appearing on a card beside the display. Attending the meeting in addition to Doob, Bush and Shaw were Matt Saunders and Otto Esposito of the Poli, Bridgeport; Bob Russell, Nat Rubin and Jack Brasil of the Poli, New Haven; Ed Fitzpatrick of the Poll, Waterbury; Jack Simons of the Poli and Lou Cohen of the Palace, Hartford; George Freeman of the Poli Springfield ; Joe Samartano of the Palace, Meriden; Ben Simon, 20th Century-Fox New Haven branch manager, and Lou Brown. Study Picture Titles; They May Present Tie-up Possibilities One can't emphasize the importance of selling titles too often. Look over the attractions you have booked. Surely from among them you'll find more than one title that lends itself to a tieup. As an example, Manager Walter Fuller of the Nile Theatre, Bakersfield, Calif., having booked "The Man I Married," arranged a tieup with the San Joaquin Light & Power Company on ranges, in which this line was used : " 'The Man I Married' Likes His Meals Cooked on a Wedgewood Range." Newspaper Layout on "Escape" A six-photo layout on "Escape," covering almost an entire page in the Sunday drama section of the local Courier-Journal, was one of the highlights of the advance campaign for the film put over by Manager George Hunt, Loew's, Louisville.