Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1962)

PROMOTION ART THEATRE STYLE: V rono fTAUOO eOXOTFiCE orns SAT. xm. HOUDAYX T45MI. miMiiaM The theatre front displays arranged by Manager Al Bogatch at the Lido Theatre, new art house on West Pico boulevard in Los Angeles, for the comedy, "Divorce — Italian Style," included the above standee, the sign-painter's conception of an Italian chef with the handlebar moustache. Other theatre front decorations included oval hangers on which appeared "Salute Italia," plus a collection of several score of coat of arms emblems, flags and national colors on small cards, which lined tops of the window panels at the boxoffice. Showman Is Judge in Divorce' Stunt; Doggie Handouts Go to Men Only The west coast’s “newest and soon to be the most important theatre west of New York City,” in the enthusiastic words of its manager, is the Lido at 8507 West Pico Blvd. in Los Angeles. It’s a National Theatres & Television operation. Al Bogatch, the manager, became the “presiding judge” for “Divorce — Italian Style,” a foreign comedy which he reports came through with “fantastic business.” His pi’omotion included a regular-size court summons — “Fall Session 1962 . . . Summons to Appear for a Divorce . . . Lido Court, West Pico District . . . Judge Bogatch, Presiding.” Inside the summons folder were newspaper rave quotes, title, etc. He had a “Doggie” handout, which could be used effectively on any picture. It’s a “For Men Only” cardboard folder 3 1/2x4 inches. 'Through a rectangular first page “window” there appears to be the trunk portion of a naked woman. Besides the “For Men Only” copy, this first page has this: “Angela was a lady and man’s best friend.” Open up the folder and you see Angela, a sad-faced, long-eared doggie. Copy on the adjacent page: “You got a big laugh out of this. You will get a bigger one out of ‘Divorce — Italian Style’ . . . Now Showing Lido Theatre, etc.” Bogatch had male staffers dressed in the impressive uniforms of French generals (or is it Corsican?), tri-cornered hat and all, during the run of this comedy. Out front was the large cutout of the caricature of an Italian, as reproduced herewith. Hanging from the marquee were oval panels with “Salute Italia.” Around the boxoffice were many cards, approximately 4x6, each one reproducing a different coat of arms from Italy, national colors, etc., thus creating an Italian atmosphere right at the start. For “La Belle Americane,” Bogatch dressed his staffers in French costumes, the boys in military uniforms and the girls in housemaid black with white aprons, white caps, brief skirts and opera length hose. These very-French girls were at the door and showed patrons to their seats. Gay Purr-ee' and 'World of Comedy' Win Patrons as Whole Family Laugh Show “Gay Purr-ee,” teamed with “Harold Lloyd’s World of Comedy” to attract adults, and advertised as the perfect double laugh show for the whole family, got results at the Capri ’Theatre in Des Moines. One economical, yet effective, part of Capri owner Bob Fridley’s campaign on the double bill was the distribution of eyecatching heralds at eight elementary schools in the Capri area. Because Fridley thought the pressbook ads were too sophisticated for his potential clientele, a special “Gay Purr-ee” ad with a definite juvenile appeal was put together for the heralds. Responsible high school students then manned the doors at the eight selected schools and handed a herald to each student en route home at the end of the school day. 'The double bill opened on Thanksgiving Eve and the Capri offered special matinees on the vacation days. Dates and times were prominently displayed on the heralds. Fridley made double use of the sheets, with the second side advertising a kiddy matinee for “Tarzan Goes to India” plus ten cartoons at his Varsity Theatre. In addition to the heralds which were well done and well placed, local record shops went along with a tiein displaying Warners’ LP “Gay Purr-ee” album and theatre placards. 'The records, plus passes to the film, were awarded as prizes on the Bill Riley children’s TV program seen on KRNT-TV in Des Moines. The local campaign was aided by the national promotion with Frisky cat food tiein (one child admitted free with a Frisky label when accompanied by one paying adult) . The film received an excellent review in the Des Moines Tribune, a fitting climax to the advance campaign. Parachute Regiment Aids 'Moon Pilot' Promotion “Moon Pilot” and a recruiting drive by a parachute regiment gave each other a big push. E. P. Wyeth of the Odeon Theatre in Reading, England, dressed up an usherette in an astronaut costume and had her make the first leap from a 40-foot training tower the regiment had set up in a downtown car parking lot. Local newspapers printed page-one photos of the female “moon pilot” preparing to make the jump with stories on the film and the recruiting drive. 'The public was invited to make the jump from the parachute training tower, and more than 800 persons did so. A coloring contest was planted in the Reading Chronicle’s children’s page; a gross of imprinted toy balloons was distributed: 1,000 bookmarks were given to bookshops and the public library: 500 star photos were given away to children, and 20 display cards were placed in schools. 'Taras Bulba' Dress Tieup A tieup has been completed by producer Harold Hecht with California dressmaker Victor Most for “Taras Bulba,” in which a line of 12 dress ensembles created by Most from Cossack styles from the film have been placed on sale in more than 1,000 retail outlets over the country. Each of the outlets has been supplied with window and in-store promotional material, consisting of color photographs from the United Artists release. This street ballyhoo creates an image, from the cutout 7, which fixes the title in mind to the "big hand" signifying newspaper acclaim for "The Magnificent Seven." Roy Alexander, manager of the Odeon Theatre in Bilston, England, arranged the stunt. 2 202 BOXOFFICE Showmandiser :: Dec. 17, 1962