Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1962)

Men-of-War Models Flash for 'Defiant' Two scale model warships of the Admiral Nelson era, one of which was valued at $5,000, were included in a naval display for “HMS Defiant” (Damn the Defiant!) in the lobby of the Odeon Hyland Theatre in .iIs'A Toronto, Ont. Manager George W. H. Spratley says the display was “without doubt” one of the most effective he has had. The Navy League of Ontario set up the display, including the $5,000 model of the HMS Victory, which was over three and a half feet in length. A model of a galleon was valued at $500. A showcase contained items of naval historic interest of the same period. The background was made up of a title banner, flanked by two excellent prints of oldtime sea battles; Navy League flags, stills and star names. Another display ran the whole width of the loge balcony rail, was floodlighted and showed to great advantage. A Sea Cadet parade, complete with band and service officers, highlighted the opening day’s activity. 'Exodus' Gives Critics In Glasgow a Good Time The subject matter of “Exodus,” directly involving British policies and military forces, is potentially more controversial in Great Britain than in the U. S., where its Zionism is about the only issue that might stii up an argument. And a good controversy is good boxoffice! A short booking didn’t give William Ingram, manager of the Gaumont Theatre in Glasgow, Scotland, time for long-range promotion, but he completed a sound coverage, first by letting the newspapers take care of the controversial angle, and secondly by centering his efforts on billposting, window displays, hanging cards, tieups with music and book stores, and getting paper at railroad, bus stations, etc. A press show weU in advance was especially productive. Some of the reviewers regarded the production as “Preminger’s Propaganda,” telling just one side of the struggle to establish the State of Israel; others didn’t like the portrayal of “dimwit British soldiers”; one called the film “a breath-taking marathon . . . immense and powerful,” while the lone Jewish newspaper in Scotland regarded “Exodus” as “Chosen people propaganda.” There are many newspapers in the Glasgow area, and the “Exodus” stories, some of them three-column-headline affairs, ran the gamut of opinion. Big 'Valiant' Opening A veteran of the harrowing night aboard the HMS Valiant in the harbor at Alexandria, an incident of World War H which is depicted in “The Valiant,” was a guest of honor at a reception for navy personnel given on opening night of the film at the — ^ Gaumont Theatre in Wimbledon near Lon' don. Manager F. C. Mm-ray also interviewed Petty Officer R. G. Cousins on the stage. A young WREN in abbreviated sea outfit was on hand to make the Wimbledon Sea Cadets feel at home. Boxing Not for Them, So Five Deejays Skip Rope for Kid Galahad' Opening At KXOL in Fort Worth, the disc jockeys even jump rope, marathon style, to help boost their advertisers. They did it in a promotion for the recent opening of “Kid Galahad,” at the Hollywood Theatre, a Trans-Texas house, which has been a consistent advertiser over KXOL for the past five years and an advertiser on the station ever since its inception. Boxing, the KXOL deejays decided, was not for them, so they turned to an activity associated with boxing for their stunt, jumping rope. Five disc jockeys left their microphones, donned boxer shorts and picked up jump ropes to stage their relay contest in front of the theatre on West Seventh street in downtown Fort Worth. The jumping jockeys were Gary Dark, Don Hodges, Ben Laurie, Jim 'Tucker and Bill Warren, who had been urging KXOL listeners to send in estimates on the total times the five could jump in a listener contest, which was another bonus of the promotion. Beautiful girls got into the act, too. Each deejay had a girl “first” with a sign on her back proclaiming, “KXOL is never second.” The girls were members of Los Manolitas, the ushering beauties of Casa Manana, Fort Worth’s pennanent theatre-in-the-round. Kenny Sai’gent, the former famed vocalist for the Glen Gray’s Casa Loma orchestra and the senior of the KXOL deejays, dressed as a refei’ee and kept time for the younger crew as they took their turns in entertaining the crowd who gathered around the simulated boxing ring. Total time for the jumpers was clocked at 43 minutes and 32 seconds with tall and lanky Bill Warren, jumping in cowboy boots, turning in 28 minutes for his performance. Elvis Presley records were distributed among the spectators while balloons with free passes were released from atop the marquee. The fellow who perhaps benefitted most by this promotion was the radio listener Here is Fort Worth radio station KXOL's jump rope promotion for the Hollywood Theatre in action. The disc jockey jumping is Bill Warren, who proved to be the champion of the five KXOL deejays, clocking 28 minutes of the total time of 43 minutes and 32 seconds which they established as a group in the relay marathon. The promotion was a tiein with the opening of Elvis Presley's "Kid Galahad." who most accurately guessed the total time the disc jockeys could jump rope. He was Lanny Stewart, who won a year’s free pass to the Hollywood with his guess which was within one second of the actual time. “One hundred feet of KXOL disc jockey endorsed jump rope,” a gag prize line included in the promotional spots, was also awarded to Stewart. "We'll Bury You!" the feature composed of newsreel and documentary footage about Communism and its leaders, tied together by commentary, requires exploitation as punchy as its title. The well-plastered front depicted above is the work of Arnold Gates of Loew's Stillman Theatre in Cleveland. Scarcely an area on the front of the marquee was overlooked. BOXOFFICE Showmcmdiser ; : Dec. 10, 1962 — 199 — 3