Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

P R A C T I C A I. IDE A S BY P E A C T 1 CAl. SHOWMEN Quite appropriate is the above stunt rigged up by T. A. MacDougald, manager of the Grand Theatre at Lake City, Fla., for the engagement of 20th Century-Fox’s “Wake Up and Live.” The youngster reclining in the bed beneath the admonition to “Wake Up and Live” attracted plenty of attention and considerable extra business. SATEVEPOST TIEUP ON GOLDWYN FILM New York— -“Woman Chases Man,” Samuel Goldwyn production, is receiving nationwide aid through the cooperation of territorial managers of the Curtis Publishing Co., publishers of the Saturday Evening Post, in conjunction with the magazine’s series of articles on Goldwyn by Alva Johnston. The campaign is being timed to benefit first runs showing the film. Decision to extend the campaign throughout the country followed such promotion in the Philadelphia territory by the local representative of the publishing company, who suggested to exhibitors that the strong advance buildup created by the Post articles be capitalized to the fullest extent. “Woman Chases Man” Search In Columbus, O., Prank Hensen of Loew’s Broad had the women agog with his “Woman Chases Man” search. It was announced that an unidentified man resembling Joel McCrea would walk through the main business section at a certain time day. The first woman to recognize him was given a cash prize of $25. Each day he went unrecognized the prize was increased. The man was not put on the street until the fourth day when the award reached $100. The stunt received plenty of free publicity. A flash front at low cost was in order for the Granada Theatre in Plainview, Tex., to tell the folks about Paramount’s “The Plainsman.” Manager C. E. McSwain and his assistant, Bruce Royal, went into a huddle with Clarence Wisdom, house artist, with the attention-compelling results pictured at the right emerging. MORE PUBLICITY FOR HISTORICAL PICTURES Cleveland — With the current vogue for historical pictures riding high and all major producers releasing or planning to release features based on the life or loves of historical characters, enterprising theatre managers can often gather extra newspaper space for their current attractions by digging up relatives or friends of characters in the picture, as Milt Harris, of Loew’s Granada, here did during the run of “The Plainsman.” Harris discovered an “oldster” living near Cleveland who was a personal friend of Buffalo Bill Cody. He invited the man to see the film and had him interviewed by a radio station and also by the newspaper critics. The local dailies used pictures and considerable column space. Similarly, Matt Saunders, of Poll’s Theatre, Bridgeport, Conn., has discovered that Fred A. Parnell, a local resident, is a direct descendant of Parnell, the Irish statesmen, and he is looking forward to interesting copy and publicity breaks when his theatre plays M-G-M’s “Parnell.” BALTIMORE'S CZECHS ARE DOUBLE CHECKED Baltimore — Maxwell Weinberg, manager and publicity director of the Little Theatre here, recently demonstrated what can be done in promoting the cooperation of foreign populations in native language pictures. The picture was “Janosik,” first Czechoslovakian talking picture to play Baltimore. Weinberg contacted the United Czechoslovakian Societies and had them underwrite the sale of blocks of tickets. The theatre supplied the societies with posters, window cards, circulars and other advertising in Czech and English which were distributed where they would catch the eye of the nationals. There were ads in the local Czech papers and “spot” announcements on a radio Czech hour. Local Baby Contests to Promote Tieups Boston — In the New England section the M. & P. Theatre circuit has long profitably pulled off baby contests in conjunction with local newspapers, merchants and photographers. Shortly, RKO will release its latest baby feature, “Going on Three,” starring the Dionne quintuplets, for which such contest would be a natural at the boxoffice. Newspaper Comes First In such contests, one must arrange first for space with a newspaper. By tieing in the paper as co-sponsor of the contest, the space can usually be obtained gratis. Registration blanks must next be printed in the paper to be filled out by parents. For a picture credit line, a photographer ordinarily will make picture prints, one of which will go to the parent and the other for the theatre lobby display. Too, the photographer can be sold on the idea that he will profit from extra prints which parents will order. Photos are mounted for lobby display, and a ballot box is provided. The newspaper runs a ballot each day good for 10 votes, and the theatre issues a ballot good for as many votes as there are pennies in the admission price. Merchants Cooperative Ads Co-op ads are arranged with merchants, with each ad carrying a number of votes in proportion to the amount of space taken. After the balloting, finalists are adopted by merchants, who carry cuts of their entry in their ads. The contest is a cinch because: Newspapers profit from increased advertising and circulation: the photographer gets more print jobs and plenty of free publicity; the parents are all proud of their babies; the merchants get more business and free publicity; and the theatre is usually well taken care of at the boxoffice. BOXOFFICE :: May 29, 1937. 69