Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1962)

Authentic Posters From Spain Give Colorful Splash to Holiday' Debut This view of the lobby of the Eglinton Theatre, a de luxe Famous Players Canadian house situated in an area of fashionable shops and apartment houses in Toronto, Ont., shows the colorful decorations arranged for "Holiday in Spain." The scenic posters, etc., were obtained with the help of the Spanish Tourist Office, Spanish vice-consul, and the Canadian Pacific Airlines which flies direct to Madrid from Toronto. Note the guitarist and Spanish dancer. The quality of motion picture selling has improved as the industry grows more aware of its competitive position. The progress is particularly evident in promotion of extended runs, where the showman usually has more time and a more ample budget to do a more-effective job. In some cases these long-showing campaigns approach a perfection. A fine compaign comes from the Eglinton Theatre, a Famous Players Canadian house situated in the uptown shopping and apartment area at Younge and Bloor street in Toronto. Ont. The Eglinton was winding up a 52-week reserved-seat showing of “Windjammer," described as second only to the 93-week run in Stockholm, Sweden. This film was being pulled for a holiday premiere of “Holiday in Spain.” Exploitation for the Mike Todd jr. film was under the sup>ervision of Tiff Cook of the FPC staff. PETER LORRE AT DEBUT The Todd company came through with substantial assistance, another beneficial development of the changing times with producers and distributors assuming more responsibility for the merchandising of their product. Through Todd's cooperation there was the personal appearance of Peter Lorre at the premiere, and a strong lineup of accessories, such as an interesting folder in color sketching technical developments from the penny arcade to Cinemiracle, the process featured in “Holiday in Spain.” Cook went straight to Madrid for much of his material. This included an authentic bullfight pKJSter. with art work by Savedra, such as is employed by La Plaza de Toros de Madrid. For this he enlisted the help of Canadian Pacific Airlines, which fly direct from Toronto to Madrid; the Spanish Tourist Office and the Spanish vice-consul. Cook had the printer in Madrid put in the date of the premiere at the Eglinton, and leave off at the bottom the name of the third matador. This last was a smart gimmick that tied the poster right down as a conversation piece — the empty space could be used for printing of the names of persons who received the poster, thus making a standout piece for the recreation room or office! SPECIAL POSTERS USED Cook does not mention just how many he ordered, but it must have been a couple of hundred or more. One each, with their names at the bottom, went to some 150 critics, x’eporters, disc jockeys and VIPs who had or could help in the promotion. The posters were handed out at an advance cocktail party and dinner. Attached to each poster was this letter, signed by Mike Todd jr.: SENORAS Y CABALLEROS: AS MY PICTURE "HOLIDAY IN SPAIN" WAS FILMED IN ITS ENTIRETY IN SPAIN, we thought tbot you would like to hove a genuine bullfight poster os a little memento of your visit to the Eglinton Theatre for the premiere. . This poster is the type that is used in Modrid for all the major bullfights and was flown direct from Modrid through the courtesy of Canodian Pacific Airlines. Normally there are three motodors listed on these posters but we have dropped the nome of the third motodor so you con letter in your own name . . . Yes, you too con be a motodor ond you never hove to foce the bull. I sincerely hope thot you enjoy "HOLIDAY IN SPAIN" and if you do pleose tell your friends. Spanish scenes, travel posters, etc., were supplied by the Spanish Tourist Office for an outstandingly colorful lobby decoration. On opening night, a guitar player and dancer, in Spanish costumes, performed in the lobby. The front doonnan was attired in a Spanish cape, etc. Radio station CKEY had disc jockey Norm Perry to interview celebrities on opening night. His tape was played back on the air an hour later. The Norshery restaurant nearby, which does huge business, went in heavy for cooperative publicity. Cook states the restaurant supplied 100,000 playbills to distribute to patrons, and arranged to use “Holiday in Spain” placemats. Norshery also picked up the tab for reserved-ticket envelopes. For television. Cook arranged a television contest with a trip to Spain via Canadian Pacific Airlines as the grand prize. As a promotion for the tag end of “Windjammer’ a Tea Clippei’ Contest was set up with the Tea Council of Canada, which offered an expensepaid trip to India and Ceylon, plus a $1,000 university scholarship, as major prizes in a model tea clipper building competition. Local Doris Day Subject Of Radio-Store Tieup Bill Lavery, one of the Schine circuit managers, had an excellent tieup for “Lover Come Back,” a recent issue of Flash, the circuit news booklet for managers, re13.L0S Lavery reported a deal he made with the Oswego, N. Y., radio station WSGO got a radio saturation campaign on “Lover Come Back” for a few theatre passes. He learned there was a girl in town by the name of Doris Day who works for the GLF store. This bit of information soon brought on a scheme for both the radio station and the store. The radio people liked it, while the GFL people thought well enough of it to foot the bill. The store put up some worthwhile prizes, electrical appliances and the like, and the theatre supplied passes. Radio spots and plugs throughout each day of the stunt invited listeners to visit the store and meet Doris Day, also register for the prizes and passes being given away via daily drawinp. The radio spots, naturally, plugged the picture and playdates. ^ , The store set up a display, and the local Doris Day talked up the picture to people who registered for the prizes. Using an open-end interview record, a tape was made . . • “Oswego’s Doris Day Interviews Hollywood’s Doris Day ^ ■ which was broadcast as part of “Lover Come Back,” with added talk of course about the GFL tiein. The local Doris Day and her family were guests at the theatre on opening night and were introduced from the stage. ieup on a Balloon For “Mysterious Island,” John Sparling the Ashland (Ohio) Theatre borrowed iirigible-shaped balloon from a local dry aning shop and attached a 15-foot banr to it reading, “Starts Thursday, hine’s Ashland Theatre,” and the name the dry cleaning store. At the store Sparig placed a 30x40 announcing a free pass see “Mysterious Island” to anyone havT a suit cleaned during the run of the Tickets With $5 Purchases Woolworth’s at Massena, N. Y., gave a free child’s ticket to “Pinocchio” at the Massena Theatre with each $5 purchase. In promoting this, the store ran a 3-col., 10-inch ad. Bill Copley manages the Massena. 5. c d s 4 — 64 — BOXOFFICE Showmandiser ; : April 16, 1962