Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1961)

ADLINES & EXPLOITIPS ^ ALPHABETICAL INDEX P EXHIBITOR HAS HIS SAY g FEATURE RELEASE CHART 1 FEATURE REVIEW DIGEST 1 SHORTS RELEASE CHARI 1 SHORT SUBJECT REVIEWS ^ REVIEWS OF FEATURES ^ SHOWMANDISING IDEAS I THE GUIDE TO § BETTER BOOK I NG AND BUSINESS-BUILDING Radio Station Jams Preview... It Gets More Publicity Than a Sneak Feel Like the Devil at 4 Is Dr Pepper Tiein Line An unusual tiein has been effected by Columbia in behalf of “The Devil at 4 O’clock” with Dr Pepper. The Dr Pepper selling slogan is “Drink at 10-2 and 4 o’clock,” but Columbia has arranged for an adaptation of this regular advertisement to: “Feel Like the Devil at 4 O’clock? Perk Up With Dr Pepper at 10-2 and 4 O’clock. Beat That Devil at 4 O’clock Feeling!” The Dr Pepper campaign tiein was with excellent success in two major playdate situations, San Francisco and Houston. In San Francisco, more than 10,000 bottle-neck hangers carrying the slogan plus credits for the film at the St. Francis Theatre were distributed. Ad Lines for Revivals Of '8' and The Boys Are' Ad lines for E. M. Loew’s playdate of “Butterfield 8” and “Where the Boys Are,” read: “You’ll Never See a Bigger Show . . . and You Certainly Can’t See a Better Show! “Two Top Hits That Every Living Adult Should See! “If You Have Already Seen Them You Know They’re Worth Seeing Again!” George E. Landers is the manager. Discount Tickets at Stores Kroger Food Stores of Dayton started testing a five-week discount theatre ticket promotion in a deal with RKO Theatres. A similar deal was arranged by Kroger with theatres of the Chakeres circuit in eight towns surrounding Dayton. The promotion provides for the presentation of tickets, good for admission at a special low price, with the purchase of specified amount or more at every Kroger store. 'Scopes for 'Watch Your Stem' To publicize “Watch Your Stern” prior to its opening at the Suburban World Theatre, Minneapolis, Manager Jim Payne had a girl cruising a main downtown street handing out miniature telescopes. Staff Pledged to Secrecy E. M. Loew’s Plymouth newspaper advertising in Worcester, Mass., on “Scream of Fear!” carried the teaser line, “Management and staff have been pledged to secrecy about the startling climax!” Each of the Little League teams is admitted free sometime during the summer at the Curtis Theatre in Liberty, N.C. There’s no quicker way to fill the house than to turn all the seats over to a radio station. A thousand tickets can be placed in the hands of patrons in short order when the announcers get broadcasting a special offer around the clock. Usually such deals are 100 per cent promotional, but occasionally some revenue is realized. The radio station may give away coupons good for deep discounts on the regular price, or it has been known that a station will buy out the house for a day in execution of some special promotion of its own. On this particular occasion, Farris Shanbour, manager-partner of the Plaza Theatre in Oklahoma City turned the house over to radio station WKY instead of setting up a sneak preview. WKY was happy to host a big Back to School theatre party, the biggest in the history of Oklahoma City, in fact. The film was “Come September.” The idea can be worked any time. Starting at midmonth (August 15) , WKY advertised the party, and invited the kids to write in for free tickets. Besides the film, free popcorn was to be available for WKY guests, and the station’s dee jays were to be there to take up the tickets, act as ushers and give away free records! Within four days, WKY had exhausted its supply of tickets. The special cardboards were mailed to 900 in response to written-in requests, 900 being the capacity of the Plaza. From then on the station announced: “Sorry . . . they’re gone! Every single ticket is gone. You lucky WKY listeners who have tickets for the WKY Back to School Party ... Be at the Plaza Tuesday evening, 8 p.m. You’ll see the WKY deejays as they give away free records . . . and you’ll see the movie ‘Come September’ . . . starring Rock Hudson, Gina Lollobrigida, Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee. Attend Oklahoma’s Biggest Back to School Party . . . Enjoy free popcorn. See the WKY dee jays. Have a swingin’ good time before the school bell rings. If you’re one of the lucky WKY listeners with Back to School tickets. Bring a friend. Come for fun and frolic. Free popcorn, free movie and a swinging good time at the WKY Back to School Party.” By 7 p.m. on the night of the party, the lineup in front of the Plaza was two and a half blocks long. The deejays worked the line, tore tickets and were on the stage 30 minutes before the film began. The regular run of the film opened the next day. Shanbour reports the theatre and film received mention in over 200 radio spots. Cutout 24-sheets were mounted on both sides of the marquee and flooded with 1,000-watt lights. A striking lobby display was up five weeks in advance, with trailer started four weeks prior. BOXOFFICE Showmondiser : : Dec. 18, 1961 — 201 — 1