Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1942)

Page 16 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW March 7, 1942 Special Program Reaches Towns Religious Groups/ Other Activities of Members Every once in a while a picture comes along that should be seen by that section of the public which seldom attends movies. Manager Thomas di Lorenzo of the New Paltz Theatre, New Paltz, N. Y., realized this as he was preparing a special program to advertise "One Foot in Heaven." He couldn't depend wholly on his customary program ; he had to have "something special" with copy which would appeal to those who ordinarily frown on movies. So he learned as much about "One Foot m Heaven" as possible, studied the material in the metropolitan dailies, trade papers, church papers, press book, etc. "We resolved," he writes, "that the best way to attract attention to the picture from the group which seldom comes out to our pictures was to get up something in printed form which they could read and digest. And this special folder is the result." After the folder was printed, di Lorenzo sent a copy to the minister of the largest Protestant Church — the Dutch Reformed Church — in New Paltz. Shortly thereafter the minister reached the tkeatremen by telephone, requested him to send a supply of the folders to be distributed at the church door on Sunday. The minister added that he would print a notice on the picture and its playdate in his weekly bulletin which he hands out on Sunday to his congregation. To a special mailing list, entirely apart from the "regulars," di Lorenzo sent 1,000 folders. As for the promotional piece itself, it had the same appearance as the theatre's usual program. But the religious angle of "One Foot in Heaven," plus its clean, wholesome entertainment value, was featured in the copy. The cast of characters was listed as "some folks you'll enjoy meeting." Offhand, we'd say that if zve were rare moviegoers, the New Paltz management's special offer would surely arouse our interest in the picture. But then we may be prejudiced. In any case, we hope di Lorenzo had full houses for the three-day engagement. As proof of the fact that he has promoted a series of ads along the Go-to-the-Movies angle, Manager Cy Condon of the Hunter and Elvada theatres, Elko, Nev., sends us a tear-sheet from the Elko Independent. Thereon is a three-column, seven and one half-inch ad bearing "Enjoy a Movie and Relax" copy and informing the reader that "you'll find the current shows listed weekly in the Independent." In addition to his regular program, the back of which was devoted to an appeal for the public to buy Defense Bonds and Savings Stamps, Manager Sidney Poppay of Warners' Majestic Theatre, Gettysburg, Pa., has also forwarded us a sample of the cooperative newspaper page he promoted at no cost in connection with the showing of "Babes on Broadway." Poppay tied up with merchants to offer the parents of the first baby born in Adams County during the engagement of the picture a $25 U. S. Defense Bond. Twelve merchants "went along" with the Majestic theatreman in making the offer a huge success. Announcement of the winning parents was made in a story which appeared in The Gettysburg Times. Utilizing the colorful red, white and blue tabloid herald on "Sergeant York," Manager Member Added This Week Bruno Moll, Roxy Theatre, Baltimore, Md. Ben Cohn of Warners' Frolic Theatre, Chicago, sold ads to seven merchants on the back page who were designated as sponsors of the page. Part of the space was devoted to an appeal to "keep 'em flying" by buying U. S. Defense Bonds and Stamps. At another Warner house — the Capitol — a souvenir Kiddies Color Book on "Dumbo" was distributed. Merchant ads helped defray the cost of the booklet. _ Just by way of passing, we'd like to mention that Emma Jean Landrum of Paragould, Ark., will have enough milk to supply her needs for at least the next ninety days. As the result of a contest sponsored by the Midwest Dairy Products Co. and advertised in Cinemag, publication of the Capitol and Majestic theatres, Emma Jean won first prize for her essay on "Why I Should Use Pasteurized Milk." Her award : 90 quarts of Grade A pasteurized milk. The fact that the contest was conducted through the columns of the theatre publication speaks well for the initiative of Editor Orris F. Collins. You other managers who promote merchant ads in your programs, — take it from here. This timely message appeared on the cover of this week's issue of the program for the Orpheum Theatre, Danvers, Mass., managed by Al Swett: "Now that America is at war, people will be conservative, but they will also need relaxation and entertainment. "You are conservative in your entertainment by attending the Orpheum. And remember that you are helping the Defense Program because of the Defense Tax that is paid on every admission. "Remember, too, that Motion Pictures Are Your Best Entertainment and your most economical form of relaxation." Well, that winds up everything on hand for this week. See you next week. Meanwhile, buy U. S. Defense Bonds and Stamps, and keep urging your patrons to buy them. too. (Continued from Page 12) Bullet Scars Warner Bros. Drama 59 mins. (Prod. No. 123— Nat'l Release, March 7) AUDIENCE SLANT: (Adult) A bit too grim for the family trade and will be found only moderately exciting by the fightin'-andshootin' addicts. BOX OFFICE SLANT: A run o' the mill number as far as drawing power is concerned. Cast: Regis Toomey, Adele Longmire, Howard da Silva, Ben Welden, John Ridgely, Frank Wilcox. Michael Ames, Hobart Bosworth, Roland Drew, Walter Brooke, Creighton Hale, Hank Mann, others. Credits: Directed by D. Ross Lederman. Original screenplay by Robert E. Kent ; based upon an idea by Charles Belden and Sy Bartlett. Photography, Ted McCord. Stanley Fleischer, art director. Plot: Toomey is the doctor whom da Silva brings to his gangsters' hideout to treat a wounded henchman. The gangster's sister, Adele Longmire, is a nurse and she is called to the hideout also. Threatened with death if the wounded gangster dies, Toomey and the nurse keep the truth from da Silva when the man dies. They summon help, finally, by sending what purports to be a prescription to a drug store. Police take over and justice triumphs. Comment: There are some moments the melodrama-lovers may find moderately exciting in this routine gangster story about a doctor forced to minister to a wounded thug by the leader of a murderous band. The romance angle is not neglected even though this feature doesn't come through especially well in the mutual professional preoccupations of the doctor and the nurse who is a sister of the dying gangster. Sell it as melodramatics of appeal to the action lovers, with sensational newspaper headline throw^wavs or displays in lobby playing up the 'Killers kidnap young doctor" line ot billing. Catchline: "Death stalks the grim hideout of ruthless killers." Black Dragons 63 mins. Monogram Mystery (Nat'l Release, Mar. 6) AUDIENCE SLANT: (Adult) A minor effort and result insofar as dramatic results are concerned. BOX OFFICE SLANT: Supporting fare for the subsequent runs, with Lugosi name 'about all there is to act as draw. Cast: Bela Lugosi, Joan Barclay, George Pembroke, Clayton Moore, Bob Frazer, Max Hoffman, Jr., Irving Mitchell, Ed Peil, Sr., Bob Fiske~, Frank Melton, Joe Eggenton, Kenneth Harlan, I. Stanford Jolley. Credits: Directed by William Nigh. Original story and screenplay by Harvey Gates. Photography by Art Reed. Produced by Sam Katzman and Jack Dietz. Plot: A plastic surgeon is forced to transform six Japanese into likenesses of six prominent American industrialists who have been murdered. Then he is thrown into prison so that this secret will die with him. However he manages to escape, follows the Japs to America and arranges that each one die before he can cause trouble in U. S. defense plants. Comment: Classification as "mystery" is a convenience, because the story and its handling fail to develop a clear-cut dramatic result. It therefore might be as accurately described as spy-melodrama as "mystery." A capable cast headed by Bela Lugosi is far above the quality of the trite story material, and the script unfortunately never gets a lift from the direction. The offering sums up as a minor effort that could get by in the subsequent and grind runs and rates as supporting fare that will be acceptable where there is decided preference for the extreme plot melodramatics which have been attempted but which do not play out in suspense or action. Sell it on the Jap spy and mystery angle, using whatever props have proved successful in past efforts along this line. Newspaper headlines concerning spy activities and sabotage could be used for lobby display purposes. Catchline: "A dead man's secret lives to take revenge on enemy spies." 'Crack-a-Jap' Cocktail l"ryooror»A Introduced to New Yorkers this week was a new kind of drink which went on sale at Loew's Criterion where Universal's "Ride 'Em Cowboy" is playing. Known as the "Crack-a-Jap" cocktail, and selling for ten cents, the drink consists of a plain glass of water and a ten-cent Defense Stamp. Joseph D. McGoldrick, representing Mayor LaGuardia, is shown here buying the first "Crack-a-Jap." Unprecedented popularity is anticipated for the novel wartime concoction.