Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1949)

SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, October 22, 1949 15 CONVERTIBLES WORK FOR PETERS' HORROR SHOW. If you're going to put on a midnight horror show, reasoned Manager George Peters of Loew's Theatre, Richmond, Va., then go out and ballyhoo it. And he did. He obtained five new Studebaker convertibles and paraded them around the downtown section the afternoon before the show. The first was driven by a blindfolded driver, the second contained the Monster, and the others were filled with beautiful girls. Needless to say, the show was a sellout. Two of the convertibles are shown above. Snazzy, eh? Folks Turn Out for ^Pocono^ Premiere About three years ago while serving as vicepresident of Astor Pictures Corp., Joe E. Elicker received a three-week leave of absence to produce a motion picture using the scenic beauty of Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains. A 156-week leave of absence would be more like it, for it took Elicker that long to complete the 90-minute 16-mm. Kodachrome full-length motion picture, "Pocono," which had its world premiere recently at the Irem Temple Theatre in Wilkes-Barre before a reserved-seat audience. Generous Cooperation Elicker, whose home is at Dallas (apparently a suburb of Wilkes-Barre), is well known in the region where the him was made, and the generous cooperation of the citizenry during production extended right through the campaign activities in connection with the premiere. Both the Dallas Post and the Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader, Evening Post gave several columns of publicity to the event, utilizing stories and pictures. Several merchants came through, too, with cooperative advertisements. On the exploitation side, Elicker posted 100 three-sheets, 800 window cards, and distributed 20,000 heralds, of which 7,500 were enclosed in a weekly newspaper and mailed into every home in suburban Wilkes-Barre. The remainder were inserted in packages delivered into the towns by the four leading department stores. Music from the picture was featured by disc jockeys on radio stations in the area. Stores featured sheet music. Photographic enlargements were placed in prominent windows, and one-sheets were displayed on the bulletin boards of A\'yoming Valley schools. Sponsored by C of C The premiere itself, which was sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, was a gala affair. Mayors from northeastern Pennsylvania towns from as far as Reading were guests of the local mayor. An audience of over 1,000 gave Elicker and members of the film's cast a big ovation at the opening-night ceremonies. It was a big night for the producer-director and all those associated with him in the making of "Pocono." But if you're itching to get out that old 16-mm. movie camera and produce a motion picture, don't — not unless you're prepared to stick to the job for at least three years, as Elicker did. I.M.P.S. Member Report Two Tom Arrants Stunts That Denver Smiled At Leave it to I.il.P.S. Member Tom Arrants to put over an, exploitation stunt that holds a smile for the public — even with such simple stunts (which are often the best) as the two following : For "Words and ]^Iusic" he had printed on a small card what at first glance appeared to be a season pass to the State Theatre in Denver. Closer inspection show'ed in small type, under tlie SEASON PASS, the words "Dont let the," thus adding up to : "Don't let the season pass without seeing" etc. Simple, inexpensive, proven — and gets attention with a smile. For "I Walk Alone" Brother Arrants tied up with a gum manufacturer, pasting a stick of the gum on a card. Reading matter was : "You'll never 'say T Walk Alone' if you chew . . . etc.," with an admonition to see the picture. Good plugs. Brother Arrants. I.M.P.S. Member Report Film's Stars Ballyhoo Stieetei 'India' Stunt I. AI. 1'. S. Member Reg Streeter, while relief manager at Warners' Fresno Theatre, Fresno. Calif., learned that "Song of India" had been booked, and at once sought two avenues for publicizing it — with a street ballyhoo away from the theatre, and a "sensationalized" theatre front for patrons and passersby. Streeter dressed the theatre's porter in a costume similar to the one worn by Sabu in the film, and the doorman in a costume similar to that worn by Turban Bey and sent then to traipse downtown streets. Attached to the back of each was a "catch" card ; Sabu's sign read : "I am not Sabu, but I'm hunting for Warner's theatre to see . . ." etc. The doorman's card substituted the name of Turban Bey for that of Sabu. Payoff of the stunt was a small promoted puppy, with a card on each side : "I am not a wild panther, but — " etc. And the kids "fell" for that puppy. For his "sensationalized" theatre front. Brother Streeter mounted cutouts from the 24and six-sheet, and provided a bit of action to attract the eye by placing glittering lights in the tiger's eyes. Both were stunts easy to imitate or adapt in other situations, and proved real attention-getters. AT PREMIERE. Gale Storm (left), co-star and Meg Randall, featured player, are shown with Downtowm Managing Director Charles Perry at the recent world premiere of Uni^fersal-International's "Abondoned" in Detroit. ^Red Shoes^ Ends First Yearns Run First anniversary of the New York run of J. Arthur Rank's "The Red Shoes" wa to be celebrated Oct. 21 over a national network program in which Moira Shearer and Robert Helpman, Alfred Drake and Mary McCarty and two New York critics were to participate. J. Arthur Rank was to join the program on "live" pickup from London. Since its opening 12 months ago, 503,684 New Yorkers have paid up to $2.40 1o see the picture and, according to Eagle Lion Vice-President in Charge of Distribution William Heineman. the end of the film's run is not yet in sight. Maurice Maurer, operator of the Bijou, reports that tickets are printed and his staff is already filling mail order requests tip to an:1 pa.st tlie New Year's weekend. Some other "Red Shoes" long-run engagements include Chicago, 43rd week; Boston, 43 weeks at the Majestic, then moved to the Copley; Philadelphia, 40 weeks, after which the theatre was closed temporarily for repairs; Baltimore, 12 weeks; Cincinnati, 10; Cleveland, 18; Detroit, 21 ; Kansas City, 25 ; Los \ngeles, now at 42; Rochester, 10; San Francisco, now at 21; Washington, 21. Dodge Dealers Urged to Help Exploit 'Splendor' Through the tieup between RKO Radio and the Dodge Motor Co. on "Savage Splendor," a complete working kit has been assembled by Dodge for its 4,000 dealers throughout the country. This consists of .three large two-color posters, mats on two and four-column newspaper ads, a two-column scene mat, an illustrated layout for w-indow and store display, and a publicity handout. The dealer is instructed to phone or visit the manager of the local theatre and extend his cooperation when "Savage Splendor" is booked. He is also told to display posters in showroom, exhibit car or truck in theatre lobby, hold a parade with banners associating dealership with the Dodge cars and trucks seen in the picture, organize a party of orphans or school children and take them in a group in Dodge vehicles to see the picture (notify the newspapers on this), hire a "sandwich man" and have him parade with giant poster or regulation one-sheet supplied wdth the kit, and schedule the ad mats for the newspapers.