Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1939)

SgLlinj Patriotic Groups Help "Culver" Indianapolis — Tieups with patriotic groups helped get “Spirit of Culver” off to a good start at the Circle. The American Legion, the Gold Star Mothers, the Culver Military Academy and others figured in the campaign. The Legion cooperated by selling specially printed tickets for the opening performance, at which time it put on a show of its own with two bands leading the procession. For the lobby stunt, there was a large display consisting of a letter to be sent to President Roosevelt, in which it was stated that the writers had seen the picture and pledged themselves to the defense of America. A huge open book was available for all who desired to sign their names. The campaign was given added impetus when the governor endorsed the picture and set aside the week of playing time as “Spirit of Culver Week.” In conjunction, an honor student from the academy was inducted to act as Mayor, and the Culver Alumnae Club got together a parade of 15 cars, all covered with flags and plugging the picture. Window Break — A panel of stills from Monogram’s “Mr. Wong, Detective,” was given prominent position in this window display of ties by the Capital Neckwear Co. in the May Company, one of the largest department stores in Los Angeles. Not visible here, another portion of the window had a similar layout, with scene stills devoted to Monogram’s “Gangster’s Boy.” PRACTICAL IDEAS BY PRACTICAL SHOWMEN NUGGETS ■pHE Orpheum in Kansas City tied in with the Journal in a contest for “Love Affair,” in which cash and ticket prizes were given to those forming the most four-letter words out of the letters in the name of Charles Boyer, male star of the film. • Manager Ed Muehlman played up the patriotic angle in “The Duke of West Point” by turning over the management of the Lindy in Philadelphia to a boy scout troop for two days. Handiwork and artcraft by the scouts were o?i display in the Lindy lobby for several weeks. • A campaign dealing with the educational phases of “Gunga Din” was worked out by Frank Shaffer, manager of Warner’s Dixie in Staunton, Va. The quiz was carried in the weekly publications of Mary Baldwin College and Staunton Military Academy and in the daily paper of a local high school. Guest tickets were given for the first 15 correct answers. • A clown handed out cold drinks, salted peanuts and pea7iut butter sandwiches in the lobby of the Princess, Nashville, Te7in., a week before the opening of “Peck’s Bad Boy With the Circus.” It was Assistant Manager Ben Sweeney’s idea. • “There is no Match” for “Huckleberry Finn,” read a circular featuring Mickey Rooney, which was handed out at the Lyric, Port Neches, Tex., managed by W. S. Samuel. To the circular was glued a burned match. • Tivo “Just Married” cars covered with copy for “Made for Each Other” were se?it out on a tour of Toledo by Wally Caldwell, manager of the Loew’s Valentine there, attracting much attention for the UA picture. For the Lobby New York — A magazine article that should make an attractive lobby display is the one in the March issue of the American Kennel Gazette that deals with Walt Disney’s “Society Dog Show.” The article opens the way for numerous theatre-kennel club tieups. Official dog show dates are listed along with names of members of the American Kennel Club. Heads Premium Branch Chicago — Claude Swem, for 12 years on the west coast, has been named general manager of the new Chicago branch of Royal Hollywood Industries. The company features the Hollywood Motor Byke, a theatre contest premium. Another item is a toy cowboy gun for the juvenile trade. No Bull— “When I played ‘Ferdinand the Bull’ here last week,” writes B. E. Garner of the Arcadia at Ranger, Tex., “I couldn’t get a real bull so I got the next best thing, a female bull, and promoted the drugstore for three little Ferdinands. These little bulls I placed immediately under the female Ferdinand, each one rared up working o?i a faucet. Around Mrs. Ferdinand’s neck I hung a sign reading: ‘Ferdinand Done Me Wrong.’ When I went to get the photographer to make this picture one of the local ‘Dead E?id’ kids swiped the sign. For your information, I am the one on top in the picture.” Loew's Publicity Unit Busy on Novelties New York — All in a day’s work at Loew’s. The publicity department is using 5,000 miniature diapers as part of “Made for Each Other” exploitation, 100,000 perfumed paper handkerchiefs for “Pygmalion” audiences, 25,000 leis to push “Honolulu,” 40,000 “Lone Ranger” neckties, pistols, 20 stagecoachs for “Stagecoach,” 100,000 samples of caramels advertising “Huckleberry Finn,” and 50,000 chocolate samples for “Topper.” Shaver Premium Aide Chicago — Special promotional material has been developed by the Sterling Shaver Corp. for exhibitors using the company’s electric shavers as premiums. Included are displays, handbills and attendance cards, supplied free to contracting theatre men. Matinees With Tea Chicago — And now it is tea and wafers at the Esquire Theatre. The new idea is being used daily every afternoon from 4 to 5 o’clock, with tea being served in the lobby of the theatre. 86 EOXOFFICE :: April 1, 1939