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• ADLINES & EXPLOITIPS
• ALPHABETICAL INDEX
• EXHIBITOR HAS HIS SAY
• FEATURE RELEASE CHART
• FEATURE REVIEW DIGEST
• SHORTS RELEASE CHART
• SHORT SUBJECT REVIEWS
• REVIEWS OF FEATURES
• SHOWMANDISING IDEAS
THE GUIDE TO
Lots of Fright and Fun Stunts Add Up to Success for Twin Horror Bill
A well-organized campaign of many parts built up the horror twin bill of “Werewolf in a Girls Dormitory” (“Ghoul in School”) and “Corridors of Blood” to a real screamy opening at the Fox Theatre in Oakland, Calif.!
The main promotions put over by Jack MacDougall, manager of the Fox Oakland, and Camile Barnes, publicist, were:
• A Safety Slogan contest.
• A Monster contest on stage.
• Standby ambulance in front of the theatre during opening weekend with sign proclaiming “shock” treatment available.
• Cashier dressed as nurse gave away “Werewolf Cocktails” for immunity.
HOW TO BE A WEREWOLF!
• Numbered handbills giving “Instructions on How to Become a Werewolf” handed out to patrons in advance with notice that “lucky” numbers would be posted in boxoffice opening day and winners could claim free “monster” hobby kits.
• Display set up at a local record shop with tiein on record, “The. Ghoul in School,” and film.
• Doorman dressed in gorilla outfit.
• Artist was on hand Saturday sketching monsters for the children and doing portraits of passersby for added interest.
The theme of the slogan contest directed to teenagers was “Keep horror off the streets and on the screen.” Contestants were invited to enter safety slogans of 25 words or less using the title or subtitle of one of the films. Nelson Bros., local Honda dealers, were contacted and donated a new Honda for the winner in exchange for a display at the theatre and a trailer on the screen.
TV COVERS STREET STUNT
Posters, ad mentions, newspaper writeups, the trailer and entry blanks were also used to stir up interest. Besides this a special street stunt was staged, which was covered by the local TV news station. The winning entry was submitted by Margaret Verner of San Francisco, who sent in the following slogan:
Don’t be a ‘Ghoul in School’ —
Don’t be a Fool.
Drive Safely And Finish School!
Judges were members of the local press and police department. The local radio stations cooperated by giving free spots as
a civic service because of the safety tiein.
The monster contest was publicized in much the same way. The theatre announced through writeups in local papers, ads and posters that anyone dressed as a “monster” would be admitted “free” on opening night and could appear in a contest on stage.
Approximately 20 monsters entered the contest. Mara David and Tom Sinclair, who came as Vampira and Son, were declared winners by local deejays and a panel of teenage girls. The prizes awarded by Manager MacDougall, included $15 in cash, dinners, Elvis Presley record albums, “The Ghoul in School” record and “Do-ItYourself Werewolf Kits” and passes.
As a special publicity for the monster contest, a local impersonator made phone calls to a popular deejay on a live telephone interview show and in a Karloff voice discussed the contest, inviting all his “little monsters” to attend.
TEENERS ON TV HELP
Eight teenagers appeared on the local A1 Collins TV program to plug the contest and the film. The four girls and four boys were introduced at the beginning of the show, and they presented a “Do-It-Yourself Werewolf Kit” to Al, which he displayed and discussed in connection with the film.
Pretty Frances Parker, cashier, in a bikini outfit, and Jack Farmer, doorman, in a gorilla getup, did a horror bit for a twin chiller bill at the Fox in Oakland, Calif. Here police officer Jim Keegan rescues the bikini damsel from the gorilla.
Then the girls took the boys off screen and brought them back made up as “monsters” who would be in the contest. The contrast was amazing.
Finalists in a "monster contest" line up for the awarding of prizes by Manager Jack MacDougall on the stage of the Fox Theatre in Oakland, Calif. A couple made up as Vampira and Son, second from left, won first prize.
BOXOFFICE Showmandiser :: Aug. 12, 1963
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