Boxoffice (Jul-Sep 1962)

In the Keith lobby, Cincinnati, on opening night for "That Touch of Mink," patrons were gay as they put their names in the box for a possible trip for two to Bermuda, or for the $1,200 mink stole worn by the model on the left. Stole Contest How-toDress Booklets, Miss Mink Parade Sell Touch of Mink' Summer doldrums? No money for a trip? Is there a woman anywhere who wouldn’t love to own a $1,200 mink stole? The above desires and wishes were solved for some patron who just dropped his or her name into a box in the lobby of the Keith Theatre at Cincinnati during the run of “That Touch of Mink.” The first prize was a two-week vacation for two in Bermuda by way of a PanAmerican jet; the second prize was a $1,200 mink stole, furnished through the courtesy of the local furriers, Becker & Burns, Furriers. And on opening night there were 500 women who received “that touch” in minklined orchid corsages. Exciting? It was. The theatre was packed. The promotions that helped to boost the interest in the film were very simple. All Display in the lobby of the Omaha Theatre in Omaha, Neb., showing the mink stole awarded in a guess-its-price contest sponsored by a furrier. that was required was for a patron to put his name and address in the ballot box located in the lobby of the Keith, and at the end of the film’s run, some one had a vacation, and another patron a mink stole. Simple? It was. Carl Ferazza, Cincinnati Theatres’ publicity head, said the idea behind the promotion was for simplicity and exciting gifts. Besides the constant drum-beating by newspaper ads, radio and TV plugs, the Keith lobby helped to create the mood for the gay film with the imaginative posters by the company’s own artist, Charles Fey. Hints on How to Dress Used at New Orleans Thousands of 12 -page booklets, featuring a reprint of Gary Grant’s interesting article in a recent issue of This Week, the Sunday newspaper supplement magazine, on “How to Dress With Confidence,” and an equally interesting article by Doris Day on “A Girl’s Basic Wardrobe . . . How to Improvise,” were distributed in New Orleans in behalf of “That Touch of Mink” at the Joy Theatre. The neat, stapled printing piece measured 31/2x5%. The two articles were liberally illustrated with pictures of the two stars of the film. The booklet’s title on the cover page was “HINTS to Give You ‘That Touch of Mink.’ ” The center spread was given over to an ad, as was part of the back page. Apparently the booklet is a “That Touch of Mink” national piece, for the back page contains space for printing local theatre name, playdates, etc. The main thing is that the articles by Grant and Miss Day are very well done. The distribution was via the Time Saver stores, which gave out the booklets at the cash registers with purchases. The Holmes department store and Stand ard Fur Co. joined in a mink-trimmed bathing suit and style parade conducted around a studio swimming pool and featured on the WDSU Bob and Jan television show. Girls from a local modeling studio wore gold bathing suits and fur wraps from the two stores. The tieups, arranged by L. C. Montgomery, chief of the Joy, resulted in substantial radio, newspaper ad and news column publicity for the film. Montgomery inserted a request for a hry “full-fashioned, genuine one-piece mink try bathing suit, size 14” in the States-Item. Maud O’Bryan picked the want ad up for use in her Want Ad Reporter column, stressing the “Touch of Mink” opening at the Joy. Business for the first three days of the film broke alltime records at the Joy Theatre. 25 Models Vie For 'Mink' Title Twenty-five selected models congregated at the Golden Gate Theatre in San Francisco to vie for the title of “Miss Mink” in a contest arranged by Manager Bill Miller. Judging was in two classifications — first in swimsuits and bikinis, and second in mink coats and stoles. The girls selected in the first “go-round” put on mink capes, coats and stoles for the final judging. The winner, Carol-Jean Thompson, was retained by the theatre as hostess during the opening of “That Touch of Mink.” The mink pieces were loaned by LaneBryant of San Francisco. Window cards were placed in department stores in the downtown area. Correct Guess on Price 0t Wins a Mink Stole be Crandell Furs, which features a “Connoisseur Collection” of furry merchandise, put over a guessing contest in behalf of “That Touch of Mink” at the Omaha Theatre in Omaha, Neb. Crandell offered an “autumn haze mink stole” as the grand prize for the person who submitted nearest the retail price of the stole. Carl Hoffman, manager, reports the fur company had leaflets, approximately 5y2x 10 inches, with this copy (one side) : FREE! YOU CAN WIN . . . A Lovely Natural EMBA AUTUMN HAZE MINK STOLE Crandell Furs You Can Have “THAT TOUCH OF MINK It’s Easy . . . Here’s All You Do! . . . Guess the Price of the Stole (plus taxes) on Display in the Omaha Theatre Lobby Now! The contest rules, plus spaces for name and address and the stole price followed. Entries were limited to one a person, while the age restriction was 16 or over. Entries had to be mailed to the Omaha Theatre. The contest got under way about a month before playdate and extended about 20 days. The leaflets were distributed at the store and theatre. Manager Hoffman noted there was a dealer in Omaha for Cardinal clothing for °J men, worn by Gary Grant in the film, so he had a fine display set up there announcing that fact. The store is Parsow’s Fashions for Men. 4 — 128 — BOXOFFICE Showmandiser :: Aug. 6, 1962