Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1949)

18 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, December 3, 1949 Selling the Picture News and Ideas Concerning Profitable Advertising, Publicity and Exploitation 3 Fox Premieres For the Holidays Major premieres in different sections of the country will launch three 20th Century-Fox productions during the Christmas and New Year holiday season. John Ford's comedy "When Willie Comes Marching Home" will have its world premiere at three theatres in Miami on Dec. 30. The other films scheduled to open with fanfares are Darryl F. Zanuck's "Twelve O'clock 'High" in Los Angeles and "Prince of Foxes" in New York. In Miami "When Willie Comes Marching Home" will be given a rousing sendoff through the personal appearance of Colleen Townsend, co-star of the picture, who has been selected from hundreds of entries as "The Sweetheart of the Orange Bowl." Miss Townsend will participate in the gala round of events preceding and during the playing of the famed Orange Bowl football classic which takes place on January 2. The star will arrive in Miami on December 26 to attend the North-South college all-star football game sponsored by the Shriners, where she will be introduced as "Sweetheart of the Orange Bowl" to 55,000 people attending the game. On December 28 she will crown the 1950 Orange Bowl Queen at elaborate Coronation ceremonies, and on the following day will be guest of honor at the Orange Bowl kickoff luncheon. She is also slated to participate in (Continued on Page 22) Circus Press Agent to Hit Road for 'Samson' Frank W. Braden, top advance man for the Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey circus, stepped into a new role this week— as advance drumbeater for Cecil B. DeMille's "Samson and Delilah." Braden will be assigned to cover cities on the early playdate list for the DeMille opus. DRAMATIC DYNAMITE! lOST BOUNPARltS LINCOLN IRRESISTIBLE is this advance teaser ad on Film Classics' "Lost Boundaries," used by Bill Hoyle at the Lincoln Theatre, Washington, D. C. Reduced above, the ad actually measured four columns in width, eight inches deep. Hoyle has utilized white space to advantage, and the lightning flash takes the eye right down through the message. Director to Cover Eight Cities Plugging 'Arizona' Samuel Fuller, who directed " ihe Baron of Arizona" for Lippert Productions, will make an eight-city tour in behalf of the picture, giving press interviews in each city. His tour will start in San Francisco on Dec. 15 and end in New York. 'Brave' Firearms Lobby A lobby display of army firearms was obtained from the National Guard by Manager Steve Brady of the Os.wego, Oswego, N. Y., for "Home of the Brave." EXPLOITORIALS The Paramount studio will make its huge assembly stage available for the annual U.C.L.A. Junior Prom on Dec. 10, with Bob Hope and a galaxy of screen personalities as honored guests. The event has been designated "The Great Lover Ball," and an estimated 3,000 students are expected to attend the formal affair, which will be staged in motion picture premiere style. The celebration will also include a special showing for students only of Hope's new comedy, "The Great Lover," at the Bruin Theatre in Westwood the evening before the ball. Now we've been thinking it over, and it seems to us that you could put on a similar event in your own community. The high school or college students often hold fraternity or sorority dances. Why not tie-in with them on a "Great Lover Ball"? Of course you probably won't be able to have Hope or other stars in person, but you could, for example, arrange in advance for the students to hold a "Great Lover Contest" and then honor at the dance the student who gets the most votes. Or, perhaps better still, you might have the boys choose the four or five girls (or more, as you choose) who they feel would inspire them to become "great lovers" and have the winning girls reign as "The Great Lovers' Favorite Objects of Affection" (or something like that) at the ball. Large blowups of Hope and stills from the comedy could be used as decorative material. The orchestra could feature the "thousand violins" song from the picture. If student tieins for this project are not available, then how about tieingin with a lodge or club, or just making it a community affair? * * * For a stunt that makes for goodiwill and human interest copy, we turn again to, Newsviews, house organ of Fox West Coast theatres. It's good for practically any picture. Through the newspa;per conduct a search for the oldest manor oldest woman in town, or youngest — and present them with a "lifetime" pass. Dress up the presentation with a bouquet or a box of candy. * * * In connection with Warner Bros.' Milton Berle comedy, "Always Leave Them Laughing," you could get the newspaper to cooperate with you on a letter-writing contest for humorous experiences in the contestants' lives. For those which the judges feel would "always leave them laughing," promoted prizes could be awarded. You might also get the public's opinion on which way Milton Berle leaves them laughing most frequently — through the gag-style comedy of his television shows or the spontaneous situation style that occasionally crops up in his newest comedy. Reasons should be given. Of course, a stunt of this nature is best suited to those communities where the picture would have a fairly long run so that the contest could be conducted during the olaydate and thus attract patrons interested in competing. Belter Joins Waller Larry Beller, formerly publicist with 20th Century-Fox and prior to that with the Motion Picture Association of America, has joined the public relations firm of Tom Waller & Associates. 'MIGHTY JOE YOUNG' FRONT MIGHTY APPEALING. You can easily tell that by studying the photo above of the well executed facade display for the engagement of the RKO Radio film at Robb & Rowley's Center Theatre, Little Rock, Ark. Green flasher lights were used in the gorilla's eyes. A man in gorilla suit (in front of box-office) visited the zoo and cavorted on the streets and in front of the theatre, led by a pretty girl, according to Jimmie Thames.