Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1963)

Thrill of Living Like Millionaire Contest Best for Thrill of It AH'; Radio Is Sponsor A bit of Paris came to Oak Lawn avenue in Dallas when the Esquire Theatre opened its own sidewalk cafe to serve champagne for the opening of "Irma La Douce." According to the Dallas Morning News, which reported this event via a two-column picture, the model serving a glass of the bubbly stuff to Faison Smith as seen above is Glenda Denham. Common Market . . . (Continued from preceding page) 120-odd theatre Commonwealth circuit, reports “Beach Party” grossed 200 per cent of average in the situations where the Business Builders campaign was carried out. This, he says, was well over the returns averaged elsewhere. Earl Dyson, AIP manager at Kansas City, reports “Beach Party” was well ahead in his territory of the national average due to the Boxoffice Business Builders concentrated campaign. And the first film promoted, “Dr. No,” exceeded the national record in Business Builders theatres, according to Kansas City UA manager Ralph Amacher. The UTO office is striving to perfect its “Common Market” showmanship program, polish its techniques, improve its campaigns and intensify enthusiasm and skill among showmen, all build boxoffice. Eventually it is hoped that participating theatres will reach around 1,000. UTO’s Boxoffice Business Builders can be reached at 114 West 18th St., Kansas City, Mo. Place Mats Imprinted With Theatre, Film Copy Since people are eating out more and more, they spend more time in a restaurant. So Donald L. Uskiewicz, manager of the Ready Theatre in Niles, Mich., a Butterfield Theatres operation, has come up with a restaurant place mat herald, which he supplies without charge to a list of eating places. Donald’s “place mats” are truly impressive— approximately 9 inches and printed in ink of different colors for the change of films. Two-thirds of the place mat is devoted to the film and the other third to institutional copy about motion pictures and the Ready Theatre. A “Thrill of Living Like a Millionaire” contest was the best among many promotions earned out for “The Thrill of It All” at the Paramount Theatre in Syracuse, N.Y., by Schine city manager George Brown and Max Rubin, of the Paramount. The main sponsor was Ron Curtis of WHEN, leading radio personality in the area, who announced the contest details at least once an hour every hour for a week, then hosted the winners at the presentation of the prize — dinner for two at a restaurant of their choice, guest tickets to see the picture and transportation that night in a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce. BEST LETTER WINS The winner was chosen on the basis of the best letter, in 25 words or less, written at the invitation of WHEN and newspapers on “Why I would like to live like a millionaire.” Pictures and stories showing the arrival of the winners at the theatre in a Rolls-Royce were published by both papers. In advance, a Rolls-Royce was parked in front of the theatre along with a 40x60 display explaining the contest details. There is a bit of soap in the film — a soap manufacturer sponsors the radio program in the story — so Brown went to the local branch of the big Lever Bros. Co. and obtained 1,000 bars of the new Praise soap bar. These were properly sniped with copy and distributed by a pretty model at some of the busiest intersections in town. The copy: Enjoy the Thrill of Praise . . . The New Idea in Skin Care ... A Miracle of Mildness . . . And Enjoy the Frothy . . . Fresh Comedy of THRILL OF IT ALL . . . Doris Day . . . James Garner, etc.” Showman Brown tried to make everyone in Syracuse aware of this smart comedy. NEWSPAPERS: Critics of Herald-Journal and PostStandard, who had been invited by Universal to New York to interview James Garner, came through with approximately three columns each, plus illustrations, well in advance. The Herald-Journal went for a classified ad tieup, devoting approximately 12 inches of space each day (2 cols., 6 inches) for better than a week plugging the film and want ads. Copy included: “You will get a thrill at the results your classified advertisement will get for you . . . Doris Day, James Garner, starring in ‘The Thrill of It All’ ... If your name appears in today’s classified section you will win two guest tickets . . . Call in person at the Herald Journal classified department, etc.” A scene mat and “Now plays at Schine’s Paramount Theatre” were included in each ad. Still of Doris Day modeling a Jean Louis gown was used on Post-Standard fashion page. The “O Happy Day!” pressbook layout was used in all Brown area papers. The above was in addition to regular entertainment page stills and reviews. Max Rubin, left, manager of the Paramount Theatre in Syracuse, N.Y., greets Mr. and Mrs. Henry Charlton, winners of the "Thrill of It All" contest who were chauffeured to the theatre in a Rolls-Royce, after having dinner at the Hotel Syracuse. RADIO: “D-Day Is Coming” campaign arranged on WOLF and WNDR, with deejays playing Doris Day records and using the teaser phrase, “D-Day Is Coming,” which was explained two days before opening by mentioning the picture. TELEVISION: The Jean Louis fashion featurette used on the Kay Russell WSYR-TV show, a popular woman’s program. Time obtained on WHEN-TV through a trade in which a snipe from the What’s My Line program was used on the Paramount screen. Other promotions included an exchange deal with the big Suburban amusement park, with the theatre passing out ride discount coupons and the park okaying the posting of 50 theatre cards. ‘THRILL’ SUNDAES, TOO “Thrill of It All” sundae posters, properly sniped, were put up in Whelan and Walgreen drugstores. A windfall was the discovery that John Alderman, a Syracuse native, had a part in the film, which led to illustrations and a story in the Herald-Journal. Chief Hats to Youngsters Ruth Colvin, Loew’s Poli, Hartford, Conn,, lined up a promotion with WHNBTV for “Savage Sam,” to award Indian chief headdresses to three lucky youngster participants. Del-Tones on Boston Stage Dick Dale and his Del-Tones, who appear in “Beach Party,” appeared at the Center Theatre in Boston for one performance on Saturday after opening. BOXOFFICE Showmandiser :: Oct. 7, 1963 — 159 — 3