Boxoffice (Jul-Sep 1963)

» 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 &L BETTER BOOKING AND BUSINESS-BUILDING TV Youth Shows Stage 'PT 109' Crew Contest One of the highlights of the extensive promotion put over by Manager Ed Miller of the Paramount Theatre in Buffalo for “PT 109” was the tieup with television station WKBW, utilizing the facilities of two popular youth programs, Rocket Ship 7 and Jungle Jay, both of which featured scale models of the Revell PT 109. Viewers were invited to submit their names as prospective “crew commanders.” The promotion ran several days in advance of the actual contest. Then, on the TV show, Jungle Jay and Dave Thomas drew five names each day from submitted postcards. Winners were contacted and appointed “crew commanders,” entitling them to invite ten crew members as their guests for the opening day matinee performance of “PT 109” at the Paramount. The “commanders” also received a Revell PT 109 kit. Opening Day Parade Held For '109' by Navy Group Promotion for “PT 109” by Martin Burnett and Ted Moisides of the Strand Theatre in Albany, N.Y., included a parade from the State Capitol building by a group of Navy men and a color guard to the front of the theatre on opening day, where they gave an exhibition drill. The police cooperated. The Navy men then were guests. Moisides also arranged for Mayor Erastus Corning to proclaim opening day as “PT 109 Day,” which was good for photographic coverage in the newspapers. For two weeks in advance the ushers wore white summer Navy uniforms and sailor hats. The cashiers wore the sailor hats. All were purchased at a surplus store, and tabbed with the title by a sign painter. The Navy recruiting station set up a recruiting display in the lobby. 'Birdie' Ad Memo Reaches For Patronage of Parents Walt Guarino, manager of the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans, added a personal touch to his newspaper ad announcing a holdover of “Bye Bye Birdie.” Inserted in the ad was a “Memo to Mom and Dad” which read: “Did you know that 20,000 girls and boys who saw ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ last week are saying . . . MY PARENTS MUST SEE THIS ONE ... I agree with your daughters and sons 100%. And I urge you to include two hours at the Saenger in your busy schedule.” The memo was signed by Guarino. RKO Theatre Includes Beautiful Babies Contest in Salute to Hollywood Drive w wq wx o ¥ r * f W SAWKSOWD W S' r r 1 \ f : A 1 jl r Tm r iry <*' jit I® C I f i X 1 * ~-0&& f&z&M FIB :• j Over 167 baby pictures were on display in the lobby of the RKO Madison Theatre in Brooklyn. This pintsize “rogues gallery" was in response to the Madison's beautiful baby contest, a colorful special event in "RKO Theatres Salute to Hollywood" drive. Early last June the following item appeared in the New York dailies and other publications : “Ridgewood mothers — attention! Your babies are wanted! Not by the police, but by the RKO Madison Theatre, one of the many coast -to -coast RKO Theatres celebrating ‘RKO Theatres Salute to Hollywood.’ The reason — a contest to find Ridgewood’s most beautiful babies.” The rules were simple. All the mothers had to do was have a photograph of their baby taken free (no obligation) at the Masterhand studio, 57-18 Myrtle Ave. Ridgewood mothers responded in droves to the call. More than 167 baby photographs were placed on display in the lobby of the RKO Madison. Patron votes determined the winners, which were announced August 31. The contest, sponsored by the Fleur de Lis at 870 Cypress Ave., and the Cypress Manor at 1710 Cornelia St., offered a first prize of a $100 savings bond, a second prize of a $50 bond and a third of a $25 bond. This contest was one of the many spe cial activities being held at RKO neighborhood theatres during the Salute. Jazz Club Gets Behind 'Jazz on Summer's Day' Plenty of free radio plugs were obtained for the recent one-week booking of “Jazz on a Summer’s Day” at the Don Pancho’s Art Theatre in Albuquerque, as the result of a campaign conducted by house Manager Ed Lowrence. Lowrence contacted officials of the 300member Albuquerque Jazz Club, and arranged for distribution of heralds to all club members and their friends at weekly meetings. The head of the club is a disc jockey on a local radio station, and she interspersed her record spinnings with a number of free plugs for the picture. Lowrence and club officials also worked out a discount plan on ticket sales. Each club member displaying his card received a 25 per cent discount on admission to the picture. BOXOFFICE Showmandiser :: Sept. 2, 1963 — 137 — 1