Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1962)

Big Mike, on Loan to Theatre, Sounds Out With Music Man' Tunes for Eight Days Showman Cliff Knoll made a fine deal with radio station KELO during the Sioux Empire fair at Sioux Falls, S.D. KELO gave him the use of its mobile "Big Mike" broadcasting unit. Knoll played "The Music Man" soundtrack over its PA system, and at every half hour was on the air briefly. Radio Showman Hosts Preview of 'Chapman' A special invitational preview of “The Chapman Report” held in Detroit was attended by hundreds of people who had written in for tickets in response to a radio invitation by station WXYZ movie commentator Dick Osgood. Osgood, who has a twice-daily radio show, invited his regular listeners to watch the screen adaptation of the best seller, “The Chapman Report,” with him at the Grand Circus Theatre prior to its regular opening. The response was answered in volume, primarily by women, and the outspoken story of a sex survey among suburban housewives was shown at a 10 screening. Osgood chatted with his audience before and after the showing and went down into the audience to meet his guests. Major Book Promotion For 'Who's Got Action?' A major book promotion for “Who’s Got the Action?” has been set up by Paramount Pictures with the Fawcett World Librai-y. Fawcett’s paperback edition of Alexander Rose’s novel features a provocative front cover illustration of the stars in full color. Paramount and Fawcett field representatives are working closely with thousands of retail outlets in setting up window displays and promotions utilizing rack cards, posters and other materials created especially for the tieup. The film is booked for special selected holiday engagements at Christmas. 'Pigeon' in McCall's “The Pigeon That Took Rome” received an upbeat review in the October issue of McCall’s. This Paramount comedy is set at the time shortly before the Allied liberation of Rome! An attractive brunette in an authentic Chinese mandarin costume passes out fortune cookies in downtown St. Paul, Minn., with all the wish slips inside telling about "Marco Polo" at the Paramount Theatre. The street promotion was part of the campaign arranged by Charles Zinn. Cliff Knoll, manager of the State 'Theatre in Sioux Falls, S.D., promoted the use of a mobile “Big Mike” radio broadcasting unit for approximately 12 hours daily for eight days. The unit also is equipped with a public address system. The broadcasting unit, owned by station KELO, was put to good use, advertising “The Music Man,” whose opening playdates coincided with the Sioux Empire fair. This is tough competition, for “Music Man” Knoll decided to make his main pitch to the crowds attending the big fair. He took over Big Mike on the opening day of a new downtown parking ramp, and stationed it there. The theatre’s own Music Man, an aide, played soundtrack music from the film with the 60-second spots over the public address system to the parking ramp patrons from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Every half hour, until 5 p.m.. Big Mike would go on broadcast with a KELO personality inteiwiewing someone at the ramp. These interviewees were given either a guest ticket for two to “The Music Man,” or a record album. This gave the State and the film 16 gi'atis plugs daily for two days before the opening of “The Music Man” and through opening day. On the second day of “The Music Man,” Big Mike was moved to the fairgrounds and parked right in front of the grandstand boxoffice and main entrance where everybody attending the fair just had to see and hear it. Here also, from 9 till 9, the State’s Music Man had film music on the PA, and the KELO announcer took over every half hour to broadcast reports and interviews from the fairgrounds, awarding guest tickets and record albums to those interviewed. Thus, the film received 120 gratis radio spots from the fairgrounds, and 60 hours of exposm’e to the fair crowds. In addition to banners. Big Mike was decorated with production stills. To get more attention of the crowds, a transistor radio was promoted from a dimgstore and put up as a giveaway on a registration gimmick. With the restaurants jammed all over town, they were provided with special table tents which featm’ed a “Welcome to Sioux Falls” and “The Music Man” copy. “The tiein with KELO produced great results for us,” Knoll reports, “and put ‘The Music Man’ right whei'e the crowds were.” A television exposure started ten days in advance. Ray Loftesness, who conducts the Party Line program from 4 to 5 p.m. daily except Saturday and Sunday on KSOO-TV, started a search for all trombone players in the area. He wanted to find 76, but there weren’t that many. All he found were interviewed on Party Line on opening day and given tickets if they could play a portion of “76 Trombones.” Knoll also got lots of mention when he arranged a free matinee for invalids and others at a local convalescent home, inviting cab, bus and ambulance operatoi’s to provide the transportation. Bike Lineup Makes Good Kid Show Publicity Shot The Daily News at Effingham, 111., published an intriguing two-color photo, showing a row of bikes nearly a block long. Little else, except some parked cars, was in the pictm’e. Cutlines related that: “Row upon row of bicycles line avenues serving the Heart Theatre, while their owners inside watch the weekly Tuesday afternoon movies sponsored by the local PTA organizations . . . The showings are a series of ten summer vacation movies, which have been screened and approved by the National Council of Women.” This excellent boost for his kiddy series was obtained by Dale Thornhill, the Heart manager. It just goes to show just what things good publicity can be made of! BOXOFTICE Showmandiser : : Nov. 19, 1962 — 187 — 3