Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1961)

Stamp Bonanza At the Wisconsin Theatre, Milwaukee, Manager Harry Boesel conducted a Roaring 20's costume contest in behalf of the opening of "King of the Rooring 20's — The Story of Arnold Rothstein." Pictured above in the lobby are eight of the contestants with a sign announcing the event. Eliminations were conducted at the Roaring 20's, a Milwaukee night spot which sponsored the event. The finals were conducted on the Wisconsin stage, with the girls going through some of the dance steps of that era. Dinny the Drummer Again Is Helping Make Fun at Schine Kiddy Shows Schine theatres, which introduced Dinny the Drummer at juvenile shows last year, again are featuring the popular cartoontype figure in advertising and promotion. John Sparling of the Ashland Theatre in Ashland, Ohio, reports he has worked out a Treasure Ship stage contest for his Dinny shows, and the kids are going wild over it. First, the stage is blocked off similar to a giant game of monopoly. There are three streets with 20 squares on each. Every square represents a place in a city, such as a bank, jail, pastiy shop, toy store, etc., with alternating squares of consequences where the player may lose a turn or a prize to his opponent. GAME OX STAGE Now, the number of squares a player may advance is determined by a hopper in which is a pair of giant dice. Each contestant (usually two at a time play the game) has a friend turn the hopper for him or her. Whoever reaches the end of the “streets” first is the winner, but of course, each player may keep any prize he has won. The contestants can be chosen from the audience by calling numbers from tickets sold that afternoon. It would be a good idea to contact local stores and try to promote some prizes in return for their name on the store in the game. The pastry shop could donate some doughnuts or cookies, the local 5&10 might go for a toy or two, even $1 from the “bank” means a lot to a chDd. Other prizes could include phonograph records, comic books, or candy. DINNY LEADS PARADE Ray Sparling, manager of the Milford <Del.) Theatre, reports he had a nice-looking boy with a Dinny costume and drum lead a big parade of costumed youngsters to the theatre for the show. 'This parade attracted a lot of attention and all the kids joined in. Then Ray had a best-costume contest on stage and everyone in the audience received lollipops as a treat. The first prize in the contest was a sharp flash camera that Ray promoted from a Grant’s store. The last year was designated Star Showmanship Year in the Circuit Management Ass’n theatres in England. Carroll Baker, star of "Bridge to the Sun," opened the Police Athletic League's fund-raising bridge in the middle of Times Square, New York, assisted by Robert Mochrie, MGM general sales manager, and Burtus Bishop, assistant general sales manager. The month-long promotion was worked by MGM, PAL, and the Army recruiting service, which controls the valuable Times Square space. It was all part of the exploitation campaign for the film. (Continued from preceding page) participating merchants, dated within the week of the drawing. In most cases, the winners present register tapes, showing that the promotion also stimulates sales in outlets handling these stamps.” A contract was signed between Advertising Enterprises and WBZ for 16 weeks of this promotion, with radio time running well into five figures. The Rifkin Drive-in Theatres trading stamp promotion has spread around the territory, and several other drive-in theatres have purchased stamps to meet the demand from patrons. Screen trailers, newspaper ads, in-store displays, truck posters, hundreds of thousands of printed supermarket bags, all promoting the free trading stamps, were prepared by Advertising Enterprises for Rifkin Drive-in Theatres under the direction of Rifkin and the staffs at his theatres and Star Gold and Gold Medal stamp officials. The Rifkin theatres giving stamps are Meadow Glen, Medford; Quintree, Braintree; Sky View, Brockton; Wareham, Wareham; Cod, Falmouth; Seekonk Family, Seekonk; Ponta, Fall River, all in Massachusetts, and Pike at Johnston, and Shipyard at Providence, both in Rhode Island. At one of the theatres, a winner was approached by Rifkin to present his winning 50,000 stamps, and the theatre circuit head inquired: “Don’t you think this is stamp -tastic?” The winner, who had a hard time wending his way through the gathered crowd, brushed off his coat and said to Rifkin, “I’d say it was a ‘stampede’.” One housewife told the theatre head : “My husband gets a new pair of shoes with every four books I fill up with stamps. There’s gold ‘stamps’ that is, in Rifkin drive-ins.” Art Theatres Promote 17-Day European Tour A 17-day “Entertainment Tour of Europe,” featuring tours of film studios in Paris or London, and Rome, and a surprise cocktail party, is being promoted by Ait Guild Theatres through its 17 houses in 12 cities. A free bonus to pui'chasers of the March 10-27 guided trip is a pass good for one year at an Art Guild theatre. The company operates in Cleveland, Columbus, Louisville, Memphis, Yellow Springs, Dayton, Akron, Champaign, 111., Kansas City, Toledo, San Francisco and Denver. The European tour is being handled by Bill Ramsey, who manages the Vogue in Denver for the Art Theatre Guild. Folders being distributed at the 17 art theatres describe the attractions of a guided (with maximum free time) trip to night clubs and spots of interest in London, Paris, Rome and Vienna. Franklin Ferguson of Bailey Theatres reports the opening night of “Flower Drum , Song” at the Whalley in New Haven De ( cember 20 was a sellout by the First. The last year was designated Star Showmanship Year in the Circuit Management Ass’n theatres in England. 2 — 206 BOXOFFICE Showmandiser :: Dec. 25, 1961