Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1962)

Title Takeoff Often Good Bet: Honey And Crackers for A Taste of Honey' Sometimes a takeoff on the title makes a potent stunt. This was tnie for “A Taste of Honey” at the Plaza Theatre at Patchogue on Long Island, N.Y. Charles Stokes, manager, went to Shand’s grocery store and promoted a five-poimd pail of honey with some crackers, and had this sign painted: “Have a Free TASTE OF HONEY From Vermont . . . Sold Only by Shand’s Groceries, 71 West Main St., Patchogue . . . See, etc.” To give his stunt eye-appeal he painted a large-size honey bee on cardboard, which was cut out. Then he set up a stand in the lobby and had his matron give out tastes of honey to patrons. The advance lobby stand proved very popular, and Stokes decided to extend the idea. So in the afternoons he had the matron set up her stand at different locations, including a spot in front of the Bee Hive department store one afternoon while a fashion show was going on inside. The Bee Hive people thought so much of the “Taste of Honey” stand that they incoiTorated a photo of it in one of their ads. Even the local newspaper heard about it and used a two-column photo of it in the news section. Thus a simple advance ballyhoo became a major come-on through the campaign. The honey theme also was good for a restaurant tiein. One thousand cards were made up which read, “Honey bee, honey bee, take your honey to dine at the Honey Bee restaurant (address) . . . Then take her to see ‘A Taste of Honey’ at the Plaza Theatre.” These cards were given out at the theatre a week in advance, and at the restaurant during the playdates. Another 1,000 cards reading, “For a honey of a buy, visit the Bee Hive, Thealre matron handed out tastes of honey on crackers at different locations around town for "A Taste of Honey." Patchogue’s largest department store . . . Don’t miss seeing ‘A Taste of Honey’ at the Plaza Theatre.” These were handed out to people on Main street. Theatre folders, to the number of 10,000, also plugged the film. Full Page to Bergman A whole page was devoted to “The Film Art of Ingmar Bergman” by the Providence Sunday Journal just prior to opening of a Bergman film festival at the Art Theatre there. The full page headed the Amusement and Arts section. It included seven illustrations. El Paso 'Grimm' Buildup Featured by 2 Contests Promotion for the November 14 opening of “The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm” at the Capri Theatre in El Paso, Tex., got under way with the placing of 24 -sheets and window displays throughout the city. Here working on the “southwest premiere” of the Cinerama special were Phil Brochstein, MGM publicist; Vic Rosen, Cinerama, Inc.; Norm Levinson, Trans-Texas Theatres, and Manager Bill Bohling of the Capri. The campaign included : Table tents at all restaurants. Bookmarks in public libraries. Features with art in Herald-Post and El Paso Times. Contest for free trip to Bavaria, where the picture was filmed. Contest in dancing schools for the city’s Dancing Princess. Tieup with Popular department store involving Coro-Teen jewelry, Betsy McCall dolls and Joseph Love dresses. The latter provided 6,000 heralds. The 13th was an invitational preview. The Latter Day Saints bought out the entire house on the 15th. 'Miracle Worker' Shown Free to Deaf and Blind The Country Club Theatre in Ogden, Utah, was receiving mention and thanks, for the free show given for more than 200 children at the State School for the Deaf and Blind, nearly two months later. The film was “The Miracle Worker.” Robert M. Ellis, projectionist at the 500seat theatre in the Washington Terrace neighborhood of Ogden, reports the theatre was donated completely for the free show, which started at 2 p.m. “We were well repaid for our courtesy and goodwill,” Ellis relates. “Letters from the students — whole classes — were received during ten days afterward that would pull the heart strings of even the most callous person — ‘Thank you,’ scrawled by hands that were led by eyes that cannot see . . . ‘We love you for what you have done for us,’ told by voices that cannot speak.” And thankful parents were writing to the theatre weeks afterward. Business on “The Miracle Worker,” Wednesday through Saturday, was fair but not what it should have been, Ellis reports. 'Jobs With Thrill' Short Gets Extra Promotion A short titled “Jobs With a Thrill” received strong promotion and brought in many extra tickets at the Odeon Theatre in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England. The short features “Tornado Smith” and his team of daredevil motorcycle riders in a Wall of Death arena, who were appearing during playdates at the Southend Kursaal, an amusement park. Alfred Crisp, Odeon manager, first lined up a local photographer to take a number of pictures (about two dozen) of the Wall of Death riders in action, etc., from which he made standout displays at the theatre. The local paper declined to go along with a picture. The Smith riders were invited to a screening of a Look at Life featurette, as guests. Approvtd ly TIm Humone Soei^y of Okla. City HELLO. I Am The Pigeon Thai Took Rome, Now Showing At The Center. I Am Al$o Known as The Lucky Pigeon And YOU WILL BE TOO, IF You Can Find And Capture Me Alive and Unhurt — For The Center Theatre and KOMA Radio Are Going to Release Me Alive at 12:00 NOON On SATURDAY OCT. 13rii From The Marquee of The CENTER As The Downtown Siren Sounds. I Will Have Attached to My Leg a Check in The Amount of S2S0.00 Payable to You (If You Get Me) And Redeemable At The CENTER THEATRE Anytime Until 8 P.M. Tuesday October 23. 1962. NOTHING TO BUY — JUST CATCH ME! COCACKI Yea will hove o let ef fun tee tl yee will eeme end tee me It dZuU Cherhen Hettee wltk Etia Mortlnem (Wew) In '7HI PIGEON THAT TOOK KOME" new tiiewleg at tlie Center. S250 00 Approved ly TTi# Hamene Society ef Oklo. City Copy in the above ad (4 cols. 4 inches) tells the story of a promotion ananged by John Harvey, publicist for the Center and State theatres in Oklahoma City, for “The Pigeon That Took Rome.” Note that this stunt with potent possibilities was sponsored by radio station KOMA, making sure the release of a pigeon worth $250 to anyone who caught it was widely publicized. Harvey and KOMA officials duly released the bird in front of the theatre, but we haven’t been informed who was the lucky finder of the lucky pigeon ! “The Pigeon That Took Rome” got a good sendoff in Bridgeport, Conn. Jim Landino, Hi-Way Theatre manager, joined forces with Anthony Catalano of the pigeon fanciers in town, to send invitations to the mayor, by a capsule carried by a pigeon. itre 'n 2 — 186 — BOXOFFICE Showmandiser : : Nov. 19. 1962