Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1962)

Vari-Vue Card Popular As Twister Promotion Reaching Boxoffice Showmandiser from Guernsey, Channel Islands, a bit of English territory just off the coast of France, is a novelty which has fascinated kids, and grownups, too, for we don’t know how long. The novelty, a laminated picture card whose figures appear to move as the card aiTs\ is twisted, was used as a promotion by G. A. Watson for “Play It Cool,” a pop musical starring Billy Fury, Helen Shapiro and other teenage platter favorites, at the Gaumont Theatre in Guernsey. Inch -square cards picturing a dancing couple with the words “Let’s twist,” were inserted in 4x4 envelopes imprinted, “Open this for your first lesson in THE TWIST Free! And then see ‘Play It Cool’ at the Gaumont Guernsey, etc.” A thousand of these envelopes with their animated cards were distributed in dancing spots around town. On the back was: “See Billy Fury in ‘Play It Cool.’ Special guest stars Helen Shapiro, Bobby Vee.” “Demand far exceeded the supply,” Watson reports. Watson also promoted a twist contest in the dancing hall of the Channel Islands Hotel. Silver cups went to the winners. We haven’t seen this vari-vue card promotion used in a theatre promotion for years. By the way, they are made at Mount Vernon, N.Y., according to small print on the back. Well Backed-Up Contest Effective on 'Defiant!' For “Damn the Defiant!” Asa Booksh found a ship -coloring contest was very effective, when supported by a radio station and a chain of 25 drug stores. Booksh manages the RKO Orpheum in New Orleans. Sheets containing outline prints of the warship Defiant were passed out to the youngsters at the theatre, at all the Katz & Besthoff stores and to youngsters at the radio station WWL studio during children’s programs. More than 345 entries were received. Prizes were soundtrack albums from the film, model ships and tickets to see the film. The first-run showman also offered free admission to all ship captains in New Orleans. High School Pep Rally Is Staged at Theatre The Tyler, Tex., High School was dismissed at noon and the students did a snake dance to the Tyler Theatre for the school’s annual giant theatre pep party. The date was Friday, November 2. Supervising the rally were Weldon Wood and Bill Hardy of the Texas Consolidated theatres in Tyler. Approximately 1,500 students filled the theatre and had a grand time repeating the pep yells with their cheer leaders. Then they saw “If a Man Answers.” Sponsored Turkey Day Show John Paxton of the Plaza Theatre, El (IRh Paso, Tex., sold his Thanksgiving sponsored kid show on Saturday, November 24, to television station KROD for $200. John has 2,300 seats in his big Plaza Theatre and with a full house, the concession sales are terrific. «»T<; KsavtOltemrar luy A LOh/GES Jj J ^ Trooping of the colors and the music from two bands created an exciting atmosphere for the crowds at the opening of "The Longest Day" at the RKO Grand in Cincinnati. The bands were from the American Legion Post 39 and a suburb. They blocked traffic. Outline for Campaign for Gay Purr-ee'; Start It With a Couple of Screenings Weekly Digest, Interstate -Texas Consolidated’s promotion booklet for managers, outlines a campaign for “Gay Purr-ee” as follows: ADVANCE SCREENING — for press, radio, deejays, television personalities, beauticians, high school and college art and music teachers, high school editors, heads of art groups, fine arts editors, local artists, senior art students, etc. Also a special morning screening for all local newsboys ! MERCHANT TIEINS: 1. A special “GAY PURR-EE BONANZA SALE . . . IT’S THE CAT’S MEOW!” 2. Record dealers for windows, streamers, etc. on the Warner Bros, soundtrack album ! 3. Ask your Webcor dealer to loan you a tape recorder. Tape the entire soundtrack album, at 7*/2 speed. Between each song, cut in a plug for Webcor, for the album and for the picture, complete with your playdate. Borrow additional recorder-players and spot them in music stores or other suitable locations. Dub as many extra tapes as necessary. Your tape will run approximately 30 minutes before it must be rewound. 4. Check immediately with all local dealers who handle Carnation Friskies items. Arrange for tiein copy in all media so as to get maximum value from this tremendous Warner Bros.Carnation Co. promotion! 5. Arrange window and in-store displays with chain drugstores and other outlets for the children’s books published by Western Printing & Lithographing Company ! 6. Tie in with merchants caiTying the stuffed toys manufactured by Ideal Toy Co.! 7. Numerous GAY PURR-EE toys, games. coloring and comic books, etc. are now or soon will be on the market. Check your local retailers for window and instore tieins! CONTESTS, ETC. — Many cities have catlovers societies. How about a cat show? Kids love contests! How about prizes for the youngsters who are best at purr-ing like a contented cat ... or caterwauling like a jealous tom? Kids love to parade . . . How about a kid parade, with the kids themselves made up as cats? Some promotion pieces can be made to justify their cost by using them for a number of promotions, such as this kiosk, 12 feet high, originally constructed of plywood for "The Music Man." Here, it stands in o shopping plaza, serving for "The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm," at the Carleton, Toronto. BOXOFFICE Showmandiser :: Dec. 3, 1962 195 — 3