Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1941)

October 11, 1941 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW Page 9 Marie McMillin, world's feminine champion parachutist, is shown in the lobby of the Beacon Theatre, New York, where she explained some of the factors of her profession. Her appearance helped to stimulate interest in the engagement of RKO Radio's "Parachute Battalion," according to Manager Monty Salmon. Salmon Uses Woman Parachutist To Help Sell 'Parachute Battalion' Manager Montague Salmon of the Beacon Theatre, Broadway at 74th Street, New York, used the services of the world's feminine champion parachutist, Marie McMillin, for his engagement of "Parachute Battalion." Salmon used an expanded chute in his lobby a week before and during the playdate and around it placed a striking display of chutist pictures and paraphernalia. A short time before each show during the run Miss McMillin appeared in the lobby in her jumping gear and explained some of the factors of her profession. Publicity stories covering her chutist career were prominently displayed. Just preceding the opening scenes of "Parachute Battalion," Miss McMillin made a personal appearance on the stage from which she tossed miniature parachute dolls over the audience. Manager Salmon tied in with the Haaren High School aviation class. Miss McMillin addressed them and gave tickets to the class leaders. Instructor M. Scherer arranged a "Parachute Battalion" display of stills and other accessories at the school. A hundred students attended the Beacon in a group. Salmon's extended mailing campaign included a postcard with catchline, "dropping in on you," the illustration being that of a jumping scene from the production. Finds Gene Tierney's Sister, Gets Page-One Break on 'Belle Starr' With "Belle Starr" scheduled among his bookings, Manager Matt Saunders of Loew's Poli Theatre, Bridgeport, Conn., hit on an idea to promote valuable publicity for the engagement. He invited 15-year-old Patricia Tierney, sister of the film's star, Gene Tierney, to appear as his guest at the opening night's performance. Then he invited a Times-Star reporter to interview the Green Farms sub-deb. Result : a two-column story, with picture, on the front page. P.S. Does a star of a current or forthcoming attraction have any relatives in or near your city? If so, follow Saunders' procedure. Showmen Put Over Big 'Andy Hardy' Campaign With local residents hardly recovered from the campaign on "Caught in the Draft" (STR, Aug. 30, p. 13), T. J. Cary and Ned Kornblite, Jr., of the Capitol Theatre, Waverly, New York, bowled them over again with high-powered exploitation on "Life Begins for Andy Hardy." Seven days in advance of the opening, they began screening the trailer. At the main entrance a 40x60 illuminated display was placed, while llxl4's and 22x28's were displayed in the lobby. Five days in advance, Cary and Kornblite contacted the daily newspaper, Sayre Evening Times, for a search for a local "Andy Hardy of the Valley." Contestants were asked to write a letter of application for a job at the Capitol Theatre, inasmuch as this tied in with the fact that in the picture Mickey Rooney gets his first job. The newspaper cooperated wholeheartedly on the promotion. Each day a story on the contest was featured, with space averaging 8 to 11 inches. The young man writing the best letter received a job at the Capitol as his prize, beginning as an usher, with future prospects for promotion dependent on him. A committee composed of the Editor and Advertising Manager of the newspaper and the managerial staff of the theatre judged the entries. For the ten next best letters, one pass each was offered. Four days in advance, the theatremen began mentioning the playdate in the regular daily ad, and also began insertion of a daily ad on the "Andy Hardy Job Contest" in the Classified Section of the Times with a reference to details on another page. Three days in advance, Cary and Kornblite began cashing in on the fact that school would open during the engagement, promoted the annual "Back to School" cooperative page in the Times. Heading for the ad was: "Life Begins for Andy Hardy and for Valley Boys and Girls Going Back to School." The playdate and title were mentioned in the headline, and a picture of one or more of the stars was planted in each merchant's ad. On this same day, the local weekly paper was issued, and in it "Life Begins for Andy Hardy" was prominently advertised. The theatremen succeeded in planting two new features in the paper. One was a "Movie Calendar of Attractions" in which the 'Andy Hardy" attraction received three announcements, while the other was "Movie News," a timely column on happenings in the motion picture industry. One-third of the marquee was devoted to advertising the picture in advance, while over the main exit doors a 30-foot banner was placed. A six-sheet, three three-sheets and five one-sheets were prominently spotted on the A-l highway and in local locations. Two days in advance, all merchants cooperating in the "Back to School" promotion devoted windows to displays tieing in with the picture. Day before the opening, Cary and Kornblite contacted the winner of the "Andy Hardy Job Contest," were surprised to find he strongly resembled Mickey Rooney, planted his picture in the daily paper. Four days after the opening the happy theatremen wore broad smiles as they studied the box office receipts of the outstanding three-days' business. It was then that life began for Cary and Kornblite. For Better Show Selling Showmanalyses Have Appeared In STR on Following Pictures Big Store June 21 Billy the Kid May 31 Blood and Sand May 24 Blossoms in the Dust July 26 Bride Came C.O.D July 19 Charley's Aunt Aug. 2 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Sept. 6 Feminine Touch Oct. 11 Here Comes Mr. Jordan Aug. 16 Hold Back the Dawn Sept. 20 Ice-Capades Aug. 23 In the Navy June 7 International Squadron Oct. 4 Lydia Aug. 30 New Wine Aug. 9 One Night in Lisbon June 14 Puddin' Head June 28 Rookies on Parade May 3 There's Magic in Music May 17 Tom, Dick and Harry July 5 Unfinished Business Sept. 13 Week-End in Havana Sept. 27 Woman's Face May 10 Teaser Ads, Political Campaign Highlight Drive for "Citizen Kane" A series of smashing teaser ads addressed to Charles Lindbergh, the mayor and the governor highlighted the "Citizen Kane" campaign engineered by Manager Nat Blank of the Indiana, Terre Haute. Leading off in a serious vein, the proclamations went into a sales talk on why local citizens should see "Citizen Kane." In the true political manner, Mr. Blank opened up a downtown headquarters in a vacant store, with teaser copy on the blanked out windows for several days. The false front was removed on Saturday preceding the playdate and all windows carried easels on which were the proclamations. In the advertising emphasis was placed on seeing "Citizen Kane" from the first and on the fact that no one would be admitted during the final ten minutes. The "regular prices" phase of the engagement also was emphasized. An open letter to the public was signed by owners of opposition theatres, Maurice Reinking of the Idaha and Swan and Abe Kaufman of the Fountain. "We consider 'Citizen Kane' the greatest film since 'Gone With the Wind'," they said. A local newspaper used a "21" contest around which was centered co-op ads, and 25 pasues were given to participants successfully solving the puzzle. A novelty in the campaign was the use of 2,000 apothecary's envelopes with an Rx reading: "Here's The Dope." United Artists Launches $75,000 Ad Campaign on Wanger's 'Sundown' A $75,000 advertising campaign in a list of eleven national magazines headed by Life and Look, has been launched by United Artists in behalf of Walter Wanger's forthcoming production, "Sundown." The campaign has been timed to break with the national release of the picture, with the ads appearing in late October. The campaign is geared to coincide with the opening of "Sundown" in hundreds of theatres throughout the country on October 31. It is estimated that nearly 50,000,000 magazine readers will have the "Sundown" advertising before them just prior to the national release of the picture. The advertising campaign in the magazines will be supplemented by high-budget advertising in local newspapers throughout the country as part of the national campaign for the picture.