Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1961)

New Format for Sponsored Show Series Here's Program for Organized Labor Nights at Drive-In 'CinderFella' Contest For Most Happy Fella For “CinderFella,” Rufus Neas of the Playhouse in Statesville, N. C., promoted a radio contest to find the “Most Happy Fella” in the Statesville area. Listeners were asked to write in 50 words or less who and why they picked their “Most Happy” person. The winner was a grandmother from nearby Stoney Point who nominated her 2-year-old grandson. A special three-minute platter was cut and played several times a day before the picture opened. It featured a woman’s voice reading “what grandma had to say” which won her $10 and a pair of tickets to the showing. The radio announced “Who’s the most happy fella you know? We’d like to know who he is and why he is so happy! Enter WDBM’s “Most Happy Fella” contest simply by writing to us and telling us the most happy fella you know and why he is so happy! To our first place winner will go $10 in cash and two tickets to see “CinderFella” which starts Wednesday at the Playhouse Theatre here in Statesville. And to people writing the ten next best letters we’ll give two tickets to ‘CinderFella’ . . .” Contest details followed. Drive-In Owners Assist Senior Class on Trip Mr. and Mrs. W. Monroe Glenn of the Fulton (Mo.) Drive-In have been working with the Fulton High School senior class and the Fulton Lions Club to finance a three-day class trip to Chicago. The Lions put up $200 of the expenses, while the Glenns agreed to donate the boxoffice receipts of the Fulton Drive-In each Thursday night during April to the fund, and also make the trip arrangements. Seniors sold the tickets in advance. Mrs. Glenn figured the trip cost at $30 each student, not including meals. Each student was asked to pay $15, plus their meals and spending money. The project was approved by the Fulton board of education, and received much newspaper publicity. Heavy Awards Publicity In New Bedford Paper GALAXY OF STARS NOMINATED FOR ACADEMY AWARDS This eight-column banner line headed more than a half page of pictures and copy (36 inches, by measurement) in the Sunday Standard Times issue of March 26, in New Bedford, Mass. The story was slugged “Special to the Standard Times.” Morris Simms, manager of the Olympia Theatre, forwards tearsheets of the newspaper feature as evidence of what he terms “100 per cent cooperation among all local exhibitors and the New Bedford Times to promote the Academy Awards presentation.” Ad Accolade to MGM F. E. “Fergie” Ferguson of New Haven, Conn., general manager of the Whalley Theatres, proudly advertised that the recently concluded 367-performance run of “Ben-Hur” at the Whalley, New Haven, marked the longest engagement of any film in Connecticut history. He took sizable space for the rare accolade to MGM. BOXOFFICE Showmandiser :: May 15, 1961 The sponsored show series is an old one in the book of showmanship. Its format may be as varied as the sponsors — from retail business associations to factories, from churches to labor unions, through which a drive-in theatre can turn up a tidy extra profit for the season on those slow nights. It is a good campaign from the point of view of both the theatre and the sponsor, for the labor unions can make some profit as well as the theatre, reports Elmer DeWitt, Armstrong manager at Defiance, Ohio, who presented the promotion at a recent Toledo conference. The basic idea is to offer the members of the labor organization a means whereby they can purchase ten or 20 nights of entertainment for themselves and their families at a much reduced rate, and furnish the union a good public relations activity which at the same time enriches the union treasury. Of course, the theatre will receive a fixed rental for each night, plus the vending sales from a full house, which is certain if the campaign is put over as it should be. The entire program revolves around the use of a bumper strip or window sticker with copy plugging the importance of the labor movement, such as: MEMBER OF ORGANIZED LABOR! BUSY BUILDING A BETTER AMERICA. The labor group offers these strips for sale to their members at $3 each. The member purchasing a strip places it on his car and is admitted to the drive-in on predesignated Organized Labor nights. Thus the union membership benefits from the entertainment bargain they receive— for a ten-week deal, it costs them 30 cents per night per family — the local labor organization can realize very nice profit from the event, and the organized labor movement as a whole benefits from the public relations of the bumper strips. The theatre furnished the following: 1. One night a week designated as Organized Labor Night, with a suitable family screen program. 2. Free admission to all members of the union displaying the bumper strip. 3. A screen announcement ad, such as JOIN ORGANIZED LABOR MOVEMENT IN THE FIGHT FOR A BETTER LIFE FOR ALL, plus detailed copy. 4. Mention of the Organized Labor nights in regular theatre ads. 5. An organized labor display in the concessions building. 6. Mention of Organized Labor Night on the theatre attraction board. The labor organization agreees to pay to the theatre a fixed sum per night, and sells the strips to its members. If the bumper strip sales total 1,CQ0 here is the breakdown: Revenue to union at $3 a strip . ..$3,000 Paid to theatre at $150 per night for ten weeks 1,500 Profit to union $1,500 It is suggested, if necessary, that the theatre offer to pay one half the cost of the bumper strips if the sales reach only $1,500. In this manner the possibility of a loss on the part of the union is lessened. However, to assure the union officials that they will not lose on the program it is suggested that they conduct an unofficial poll of the members to determine the number of strips that they can sell. WE MANSFIELD ENTERPRISE MANSFIELD LOUISIANA THURSDAY. DECEMBER 29. 1960 A MEW EXCITEMENT IM SCREEN ENTERTAINMENT MANSFIELD THEATRE One Smash Hit After Another For The Coming Weeks Of The New Year — Just Take A Look At What You Can Expect — SDN. MATINEE MON. TUE. JANUARY 1-2-3 THE MOOT exciting ADVENTURE® A 80Y EVER A' HAD! SUN. MATINEE JANUARY IPENSEFUL MOV. B 9 10 SUN. MATINEE MON. TUE. JANUARY 15 Ifi 17 SUN. MATINEE MON. — TUE. JANUARY 22 23 24 TONY RANDALL ARCHIE / EDDIE MOORE / HODGES FRIDAY NIGHT SAT. MATINEE •nd SAT. NIGHT JAN. 6-7 Double Feduf* Sign Of Zoro PLUS Go Johny Go Man This It The Mott. FRIDAY NICHT SAT. MATINEE FRIDAY NIGHT SAI. MAIINEE and SAT. NIGHT JAN. 13 14 and SAT. NIGHT JAN. 20 21 Double Feature Double Feature Five Branded Women Audie Murphy In Technicolor No One Would Have Anything To Do PLUS With The Five Branded Women For the Love of Mike Freckles In Technicolor In Technicolor A Great Adventure Yam About A A Thooiand Freckle* On Hi* Face— Bov Who Had Faith and Friend*. A Thousand Adventure* In Hi* Heart. FRIDAY NIGHT SAT. MATINEE and SAT. NICHT JAN. 27 28 Double Feature Chortroose Caboose In Technicolor Molly Bee and Ben Cooper PIUS Al Capone Sutpenf To Set Your Nerves Afire SUN. MATINEE MON. TUE. JANUARY 29 30 31 'ALL THE WoNOERRJLAJH OF THE FABULOUS HUA&OuS * MUSML COHEIT SMASH H/F/S OH THE SCAE EH « ATl/SFt bells IIU fijTI , ID tat: l !£■ Q(b ringing 9 FRIDAY NIGHT SAT. Matinee and Night FEBRUARY 3-4 Brides Of DracuUr Technicolor PLUS f«sl mi Say Technicolor Dale Robertson Gina Lollobrlnida Frank Patterson, who owns the Mansfield Theatre and DeSoto Drive-In at Mansfield, La., does not use the local paper every week, instead uses program circulars, etc. However, he receives a reduced rate for large space ads (with good position) and about once a month he goes in for ads like the above, an 8-col., half-page layout. Note the clever adaptation of the one-column mats, fine also for his heralds, in 2-col. layouts for each film by running copy along the side. The half page cost $40. — 79