Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

PRACTICAL IDEAS BY PRACTICAL SHOWMEN Selling Seats NUGGETS ^WO full-dressed “drunks” were hired by Lester Pollock of Loew’s, Rochester, to walk through busy streets carrying lamp posts spotted with plugs for Metro’s “Good Old Soak.” • Through a tieup with the New York American for FN’s “Prince and the Pauper,” 50 sets of coronation stamps and 50 pairs of tickets were awarded to winning entrants in a lOO-powid essay contest for the film. The idea was worked out by Publicist Irv Windisch for Dinty Moore’s campaign at the New York Strand. • A hut made of artificial palm trees and surrounded by bamboo and palm trees carrying names of cast members was set up by Hal Howard in the lobby of the Kentucky, Henderson, Ky., in attracting attention to and selling Paramount’s “Waikiki Wedding.” • A flowing good time was had by Washington celebrities and the press m the capital’s swank Mayfair Hotel, which resulted in plenty of free publicity for UA’s “A Star Is Born.” The party was tossed with the compliments of Carter Barron and he was given a hand by crack lady press agent, Ethel Friedner, Linton Wells and Broderick Crawford. For the same film in Providence, R. I., Manager Howard Burkhardt was busy arranging newspaper ad tieups with automobile companies and other merchants, which netted him dividends at the boxoffice. • Louis Charninsky, ace Dallas showman, drew notice from the public and ire from the police by somehow getting hold of a discarded street signal light and hooking it onto his theatre marquee to advertise FN’s “Green Light.” When the signal bell rang, as do the street signals, street cars and automobiles stopped and pedestrians didn’t know whether they were coming or going. A police investigation brought a little fuss, but Charninsky’s work had been done. • On the widely -traveled Commons section in Worcester, Mass., was posted a sign reading, “Keep Off the Grass — This is the Good Earth.” Through Worcester busy streets a Chinese coolie leisurely drove a pair of oxen tieing up traffic and attracting attention. In Erie Wright’s theatre lobby a pretty Chinese girl handed out roses to lady patrons. Clever tieups. • When 20th-Pox’s “Banjo on My Knee” played a first run in Greenville it did average business. Returning for a second run to the Ritz, the picture held over for five days, drew a record 18,000 attendance. Reason was that Manager Fred Curdts heavily exploited the mammy-belt angle through an intensive newspaper and poster campaign. Clarify Misconception on "Old Soak" New York — Reports have come to circuit home offices here from the field that patrons seem to think that “Good Old Soak” is an old picture, reissued. It is possible that some fans confuse “Old Soak” with “Old Hutch,” the previous Beery picture. It is suggested, therefore, that publicity and advertising on the picture be phrased to clear up the misunderstanding and to get over the “new picture” idea. Suggested ad catchlines are-. “Wallace Beery’s New Hit;” “Beery’s Successor to ‘Old Hutch’;” “Funnier, More Entertaining Than •Old Hutch.’ ” SAFETY CLUB PULLS KIDDIE PATRONAGE New York — Ed Siegal of the Jerome, Bronx, has a triple-threat method of luring youngsters to the boxoffice of his motion picture house. First, he has organized a Safety Club, giving each kid a numbered badge and booklet. In the booklet there are 10 notches, and each is punched after paying regular admission. The kid is entitled to a free show on his eleventh visit. Second, baseball pennants are passed out to kids who attend the theatre during the first matinee hour on Saturdays. Third, he gives them serials as bait to catch them again and again on the rebound. CELEBRITY HOSTESS AT PRIVATE SHOWING Detroit — Mrs. Ossip Gabrilowitch, daughter of Mark Twain, expressed herself as pleased with the excellent casting for FN’s “The Prince and the Pauper” at a special screening arranged for her by Earl Hudson, publicity head of United Detroit Theatres. Mrs. Gabrilowitch, widow of the late Detroit Symphony director, was hostess to a group of Detroit socialites at this special showing. HORIZON" CAMPAIGN PROVES ADAPTABLE New York — “Lost Horizon” exploitation campaigns on the two-a-day engagements throughout the country are borrowing ideas from the roadshow campaign at the Globe Theatre here, with many of the stunts being adaptable, in a modified form, for later engagements in the same situations. Highlights of the New York campaign was the bookstore coverage throughout the metropolitan district, cigar and drug stores using special displays of the 75-cent edition. In addition, Brentano’s, a de luxe shop, featured a window display of the $2.50 edition of “Lost Horizon” with a reproduction of the Shangri La set in the background. This store also had the exclusive sale of limited editions of a book, “The Making of a Great Picture,” for sale to collectors, this tieing in with the making of the Hilton novel. Each of the cities playing “Lost Horizon” featured Shangri La fashions and modes, such as perfumery, robes, etc. One shop here featured the special coiffure inspired by Jane Wyatt’s hairdress, another devoted one entire window to Shangri La pajamas, hats and jewelry. "FLIPCRACK" CONTEST BOOSTS "WAKE UP" Milwaukee, Wis. — A “Flipcrack” contest, conducted for five days before the opening of “Wake Up and Live” at Fox’s Wisconsin Theatre here in a tieup with the Wisconsin News, created considerable publicity for the film. Each day a photo of Walter Winchell and Ben Bernie appeared in the News with a wisecrack and an empty balloon for the return flipcrack. Daily a $10 prize in addition to ten pairs of tickets to see the film were awarded winners. Ad in Column Portland, Me. — Instead of using the customary form of advertising to plug “Wake Up and Live,” the Walter Winchell-Ben Bernie vehicle, the Strand Theatre management inserted a small classified ad in the center of the Walter Winchell syndicated column which appears daily in the Portland Evening Expres. RENTING THEATRES FOR GRADUATIONS New York — In some small communities theatres pick up extra dollars by renting their auditoriums for school graduation exercises. It’s a swell idea for big city exhibitors, too, for not only is there extra revenue but it brings to the theatre students, teachers, parents and others whose good will is an asset. This is entirely feasible when the commencement is held in the afternoon if the theatre does not have a matinee, but in many instances it would be worth while to suspend the show for an afternoon or a night for the graduation. If you are in a neighborhood or town where the school or church auditoriums in your vicinity are not adequate, approach the school authorities with a proposal. A big city example of this kind is Loew’s Paradise in the Bronx, N. Y., where two high schools are to hold their graduation exercises. Besides a rental, the schools are paying all expenses, cost of lights, employes, etc. BOXOFnCE :: May 22, 1937. 25