Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1963)

Armstrong theatres at Toledo, Ohio — one indoor and three drive-ins — opening "Beach Party" centered their campaign barrage on "beach parties" arranged at each theatre. Some five tons of sand, tree stumps, an outdoor fire pit, water skis, beach balls and some charm school girls, plus a pontoon boat for entertainment added up to Fun at the Beach, as seen above. Few Tons of Sand • • V Serve for Beach (Continued from preceding page) beach party participants, and ten cents (each hotdog) to the patrons.” Instead of beer as in the film, Seven-Up dispensed free drinks at a bar set up at each party. This was important publicitywise for the company featured the beach party on all its radio spots for an entire week at no cost to the theatres. The big kicker came when WTOL-TV filmed each party and used the film on its news programs on the day after opening. The total cost of the four-theatre television spots scheduled was $2,018. Lawrence, Trenton, NJ. Don Stott of the Lawrence Drive-In at Trenton, N.J., had a local disc jockey host a “Beach Party” at the airer at which hotdogs, drinks and popcorn were served. A Miss Beach Party also was selected with radio cooperation. This got under way three weeks in advance. Newspaper ads ($1,200 total) and several hundred dollars of radio spots hammered the invitation to come in bathing suits (first 50 couples so attired admitted free) . or bring surfboards (all so doing admitted free). He used a gross of the “Beach Party” hats, and had models in swim suits walking streets with signs. Fox, San Francisco The Fox Warfield showmen in San Francisco wanted no problems, so they made their beach party, staged at the poolside of the Holiday Lodge, a Pepsi-Cola affair, with even the “Beach Party” hat copy changed to read “In case of emergency please buy me a Pepsi” instead of . . buy me a beer.” Since even it’s cool in the summer at the Bay City, not only was the pool heated but so was the patio by special outdoor radiant heaters loct ted on surrounding poles. Six radio stations and ads in the three local dailies kept pounding out that the first 200 patrons (not children) at the opening would be enrolled as members of the Fox Warfield’s Beach Party Club and 2 invited to attend a private beach party at the Holiday Lodge, where Pepsi, hotdogs, candy and popcorn were served, all donated. Transportation was in chartered buses immediately after the first show which ended at 3 p.m. The entertainment consisted of two contests— one for local combos, in which the prize was a “promo” recording and audition for a recording company, and the other to select a Miss Beach Party, the big prize of which is a trip to Hollywood and a chance for a part in AIP’s next film, “Muscle Beach Party. Dick Dale, who appears with his combo in “Beach Party” and was in the Bay City for a PA, helped judge the contests. The winner of the Miss Beach Party contest was blonde Donna Driskell, 21. Democrats Buy Out 'Cleo' Start at Albuquerque “Cleopatra” opening night was Democratic night in Albuquerque. The party’s state committee bought the entire 1,000 seats of the Sunshine Theatre for $2.50 each, then party members paid $12.50 each, with a box supper added, to see the Thursday night premiere. The previous night Frontier Theatres was host to an invitational preview for media folk, city officials and theatremen. Lou Avoilo, Sunshine manager; Doug Speakerman, assistant, and Chick Evens, 20th-Fox, were hosts. A half-dozen of the costumes used in the production of the picture were flown to Albuquerque for display in Montgomery Ward’s big store in the new Winrock Shopping Center. Models wore three of the costumes at the invitational preview. 600 Students at ‘Teacher' Students at California State College were guests of Richard Crosby jr., manager of the Hollywood Theatre, California, Pa., for a special showing of “Carry On, Teacher.” About 600 of approximately 2,000 students took advantage of the invitation. — 170 — Sweet Irma Messes Up Schedules for 'Gidget' When Cindy “Gidget Goes to Rome” Carol was in Fort Worth, Tex., for a day on her national tour, she originally was scheduled for an appearance at the Hollywood Theatre, but “Irma La Douce” got in the way (held for a fourth week) and Cindy was content to confine her itinerary to the press, TV and radio rounds, plus an autograph party at the Fort Worth Savings & Loan Co. You see a sweet young thing like Cindy, that is Gidget, could not afford to be seen with a Parisian streetwalker! The popularity of Sweet Irma upset another event on Manager Harry Gaines program, a Tuesday morning preview of “Gidget” sponsored by the Savings & Loan Co., which was canceled and the autograph party held in its place. Gaines arranged tieups with five camera shops to take advantage of the national “Gidget Goes to Rome” Camera Sweepstakes sponsored by Columbia Pictures. 'Chute in Front of Theatre A parachute, suspended half open from a rigging on the theatre roof, caught the attention of all eyes in front of the Castamba Theatre in Shelby, Ohio. The ’chute was put up by the Air National Guard, at the request of Manager Art Shreffler. The guardsmen also brought in machine guns, bombs, a jet engine, etc., in promotion of “A Gathering of Eagles.” A fully dressed dummy was suspended from the ’chute. Use for Old Uniforms Have you ever wondered what an old World War II Army officer does with all his old uniforms now that the Army has completely changed the styles? Well, Paul Vogel of the Midway Drive-In between Kent and Ravenna near Cleveland dug them out of his attic and dressed up four ushers with them and sent the boys around the area to promote “The Great Escape.” A wreath-laying ceremony at the marble bust of Enrico Caruso which stands outside the Municipal Auditorium in Atlanta climaxed a radio, music store and restaurant tieup promotion for the rerun combo of "The Great Caruso" and "Showboat" at Loew's Grand Theatre in the Georgia state capital. Right, Bill Shealey, Grand manager, welcomes Robert Maddox, prominent Atlantan and friend of Caruso, to the ceremony. BOXOFFICE Showmandiser : : Oct. 28, 1963 pl as $7.5C (r