Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1963)

Always a Queen for Civic Fetes; Best Spot for Crowning Is Theatre Stage Very little missed on this one . . . Excellent and varied coverage. Rating, 90. As the above comments by a regional supervisor reveals, A. G. Crisp, manager of the Odeon Theatre in Southend-on-Sea, resort city on the north shore of the Thames estuary not far from London, rates high as one of the Rank Theatres Showmen of the Year. The comments appear on a voluminous campaign book prepared by Crisp on his promotion for "State Fair.” Crisp’s effort was exceptional, first because Southend’s 28th annual carnival took place a few weeks prior to the film playdate and Crisp was a member of the Carnival Queen Crowning committee, and second because the Odeon manager and his assistant, G. C. Gibson, inspired by their success with the carnival tiein, went on to put over a truly intensive merchandising drive for the film itself. The chief carnival link was the production of a “Carnival Queen Crowning Premiere” featuring “State Fair” at the Odeon Theatre. And this affair truly was built into a “gala,” with Stanley Baker, star of “The Guns of Navarone,” “Sodom and Gomorrah,” etc., on hand to place the jeweled tiara on the head of Barbara Cowley, elected queen of the carnival, assisted by stars Anne Shelton and Peter Noble, on the stage of the Odeon. The event was NEWS (spelled in caps) in the four or five Southend newspapers, on the front pages, on inside pages and in A new twist to an old tieup is illustrated here. Local hairdressers were persuaded to give beard-trimming demonstrations in the lobby (right photo ) as an added gimmick for “Lover Come Back,” the film in which Rock Hudson appears with a beard. G. Lockyer, manager of the Gaumont Theatre in Coventry, England, even went a step farther when he tied up with the Schick shaver dealer to clip off the beards of several volunteers entirely, this time on the stage. The dealer gave the three men 4 illustrations, all with mention of “State Fair,” which was screened before the actual crowning ceremony on the stage. As Crisp remarks, this event was the most valuable of the year for the theatre public relations-wise. An impressive tiein was a display of the carnival queen gown, ermine-trimmed robe, crown and other jewels arranged in the Odeon lobby. A manikin “modeled” the regal attire. “Carnival Queen Crowning” panels were attached to the film sign and display cards put up all over the city, particularly in all places handling records. Stanley Baker’s appearance was stressed. An honor guard greeted prominent guests in full dress at the premiere. But the Odeon showman didn’t stop with the premiere. Every year a Model of the Year is chosen by the Crescent Model Agency. Since this award was somewhat on the theme of “State Fair,” Crisp asked the nonprofit agency to hold the Model of the Year ceremony at the theatre, and it was agreed, Saturday before playdate. Exploitation proclaimed: “The Crescent Model Agency Model of the Year Award . . . ‘State Fair,’ the Film of the State Awards.” A Telephone Contest Helena Rubenstein is sponsoring a national telephone contest, inspired by “Bye Bye Birdie,” in Seventeen magazine. The contest, which will offer 50 Princess telephones, plus basic local service for one year, to the winners, is based on naming a new Helena Rubenstein fragrance. answering a want ad for the beard-shaving demonstration new Schick electric razors. After the three shown above were “shaved,” Lockyer had a staffer with a long coat and a very artificial beard come on to the stage as if to get his big mop removed. The manager steered him to an exit, to the amusement of the audience. There were “Lover Come Back” displays in all the hairdresser (barber) shops, and the Schick dealer ran several ads in the Schick demonstration. — 56 — Star Stanley Baker (top photo) crowns the queen of the carnival at Southend-on-Sea, the important resort city down the Thames river from London, with entertainers Anne Shelton and Peter Noble looking on. The crowning followed the carnival premiere at the Odeon Theatre there of "State Fair." The film promotion later included the Model of the Year presentation in the lobby of the Odeon (lower photo). Horsemen, Exciting Art In Daily Spur Taras' Two riders from a New Orleans riding academy volunteered to assist Manager Frank Henson of Loew’s State Theatre in an opening-day promotion for “Taras Bulba.” Henson helped them dress up, one to represent a Cossack and the other like a Pole, the two peoples depicted in the film, and ride around the business district and through the French Quarter, carrying pennons about the picture. “Taras Bulba” received a striking, eightcolumn art layout on the States-Item front amusement page. One part of the layout extended nearly the full depth of the page. The break was outstanding even in New Orleans, where the States-Item and the Times Picayune provide an exciting coverage of motion picture news. Promotion of the attraction was launched several months before opening with a visit by actor Jim Denton and other distributor assists, directed by Addie Addison of United Artists. Story on 'Days' Child “Days of Wine and Roses” at the Hiland Theatre in Albuquerque, N.M., got an extra plug when an afternoon Tribune reporter discovered that one of the players in the film was born in Albuquerque. She is Debbie Megowan, 9 years old, who plays the daughter of Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick in the picture. The Tribune gave a nice story about Debbie’s birth in Albuquerque on St. Patrick’s Day 1953. Four days later she and her mother moved to Hollywood, and her mother remarried there. BOXOFTICE Showmandiser :: April 8, 1963 Fun in Theatre Lobby and on Stage With Beards n-a»" ♦ jeen king