Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

SWEETHEART OF THE NAVY —GRAND NATIONAL The Cast: Eric Linden. Cecilia Parker, Ko&er Innhof, Bernadene Hayes, Jason Robards, Cully Richards, Don Barclay, Art Miles, Reed Howes. Producer: B. F. Zeidman. Director: Duncan Mansfield. Origrinal Story: Garrett Graham. Jay Strauss. Screenplay: Carroll Graham. Photogniplij : Edward Snyder. What it's about: Joan Whitney (Cecilia Parker) runs a cafe on the San Pedro waterfront. Broke, she is given ten days in which to pay her debts. Joan’s three sailor friends promote a bout between Eddie Harris (Eric Linden) and “Bumper,” champion boxer of the navy, and scrape up money to bet on Eddie. Eddie, however, a studious sailor, wants to go to Annapolis, and Commander Lodge (Roger Imhof), his friend and advisor, tells him he cannot go through with the fight. Joan tries to vamp Eddie into it, but only succeeds in falling in love with him. Eddie finds out her original plan and, furious, gets into a free-for-all with “Bumper,” whom he knocks out. The bets are paid off and Eddie, off to Annapolis, asks Joan to marry him when he returns. WHAT to do and HOW to do it: The names to feature in this picture are those of Cecilia Parker and Eric Linden, who are co-starred for the third time under the Grand National banner. By this time they should have built up a substantial following among movie fans who like their romantic stars teamed. Stress this fact in advertising and prepare lobby posters showing them in scenes from “In His Steps” and “Girl Loves Boy,” their previous efforts for GN. To top this, the film’s theme, built around navy life, makes it an easy one to exploit and sell. PORTRAIT MARQUEE DISPLAY Have the house artist make a cutout replica of a battle — to place above the marquee, and put enlarged portraits of Linden and Miss Parker on it. Hang signal flags, such as are used by the navy, around the marquee, and hire two men dressed as sailors stationed at either end of the block on which the theatre is located to wig-wag messages to each other with signal flags. Play nautical songs over the lobby public address system and on the street ballyhoo sound truck. Promote a contest among high school and college graduates in the vicinity, through a cooperative newspaper tieup, in which they submit letters telling why they would like a career in the navy. It might be possible to have a local Congressman, who has the power to appoint students to Annapolis, to act as judge of the contest, in which the possibility of an Annapolis appointment could be held out to winners. Built on the title of the picture, a local beauty or popularity contest could be promoted to find the “Sweetheart of Blank City.” BOXING MATCH ANGLE Much of the picture’s action revolves around the efforts of a group of sailors to promote a boxing match. This could be made the basis of an amateur boxing tourney in your city, getting the cooperation of a sports editor on a newspaper to put the stunt over. A "Blank Theatre-Daily News” trophy could be awarded to winners in the respective classes, with the bouts held at the local fight stadium. Commercial tieups can be made with drug and tobacco stores on displays of Chesterfield cigarettes, which use a sailor often in advertising posters, and with Players cigarettes, which have a picture of a sailor on the package. Dress ushers, usherettes and other theatre attendants in gob costumes, and promote a lobby display of naval paraphernalia from the local navy recruiting post or a naval reserve station. Print throwaways in the form of a military “draft,” requesting everyone to report immediately to the Blank Theatre recruiting station for two hours’ service. Adlines: She Vaniiied Him Into a Fighting Mood . . . and He Almost Wrecked tlie City Before He C-ould Be Stopped! She AVus the Sweetheart of ttie Navy . . . T5iit Slie <'<nihlii’t Oet Anywhere With the Sailor She Loved! The Story of a Boy and a Girl . . . Who Wanted to Go Places . . . ?'ut Not the Same Places! Here Comes the Navy ... in From a Three-Month Cruise . . . Heady f<»r Anything and Kverything! Cast Off Vour Woes . . . and Shove Off for a Swell Time . . . With the Sweetheart of tlie Navy! BOXOFFICE :: June 19, 1937