Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1963)

I Distribution of fortune cookies was an important part of the "red carpet" promotion given "A New Kind of Love" at the Majestic in Dallas and other Interstate-Consolidated houses opening the AB-PT Project picture. Some 40,000 of the small Chinese pastries, containing Confucius-like sayings about the film, were ordered from a baker. Here Jan Hammond is passing out the "A New Kind of Love" message to Larry Bryson in front of a simulated Parisian lobby display. The lobby display, with Maurice Chevalier in cutout singing his hits and a bubble machine dispensing scented bubbles, also was a big campaign gimmick. It's Cookies When New Kind of Love' Gets Red Carpet Buildup in Texas Any Anniversary Okay To Celebrate, Even No. 1 A 12-page booklet (six llx8^-inch sheets folded and stapled), nine pages of which were filled with merchant ads, was put out to celebrate the first anniversary of the Plaza Theatre at Patchogue, Long Island (New York) community. The title page read : “Happy Anniversary . . . Your Plaza Theatre.” Title page copy also designated the booklet as a Shoppers Guide. Charles Stokes, manager, had institutional copy on one page, a list of the 12 attractions shown during the year on another, while a third page was devoted to “Freud,” the anniversary attraction. Five thousand of the booklets were printed. Flowers were presented to the women at the anniversary show, and coffee was served. A first anniversary isn’t much as far as years go, Stokes admits, but he explains he’s always on the lookout for a tiein both within and outside the theatre, and decided to put on a birthday party for his patrons. A month ahead, he advertised on his theatre program folder, “Watch for Our Anniversary Program and Party” and later, “Come Help Us Celebrate Our First Anniversary Wednesday (date).” A 24-foot banner in front read, “Hi Folks! Come Help Us Celebrate Our First Anniversary . . . Happy Birthday to Us . . . Free Coffee . . . Door Prizes.” Getting a list of psychiatrists in private practice, in schools and hospitals, Stokes mimeographed a letter and sent copies to the doctors of mental ills, also superintendents of the state hospitals in the area, telling them about “Freud,” and inviting them to see the film as guests of the theatre. “Medical Associates Special Discount Tickets” were enclosed for presentation to friends, patients or help. These were good for a 25-cent discount in admission. Stokes says “Freud” is not a movie to exploit with a lot of high pressure ballyhoo, and he tried to give it a subtle touch. For example, his lobby display, which consisted of borrowed furniture placed in a corner cordoned off to look like a psychiatrist’s office, an antique bronze plaque showing a doctor sitting by a sickbed, and a small card on the couch simply reading, “See Freud,” plus playdate. Winner Is a Linguist Fort Worth radio station KXOL helped Dick Empey of the Hollywood Theatre there conduct a Miss Student Nurse of Fort Worth contest in promotion of “Tammy and the Doctor.” Forty gratis spots were devoted to the contest and playdate. The winner, Edna Aguila (she speaks five languages), was taken on a three-day weekend of “Tammy and the Doctor” premiere activities in nearby Dallas, where the film opened prior to its Fort Worth showing. Miss Student Nurses from three states were entertained at the Dallas affair. Try This Sometime Faces cut out from accessory paper and superimposed on posters unrelated to motion pictures made laugh-provoking cards in the Odeon Theatre at Falkirk, England. “Red carpet” promotion of “A New Kind of Love” in 21 Texas cities by InterstateConsolidated Theatres included 40,000 fortune cookies, those little bits of pastries that contain Confucius-like sayings inside. This film was one of the “Project” pictures especially selected for a little something extra in the way of promotion by AB-PT’s southern circuits — Interstate, which operates 80 odd theatres in the Texas area; Wilby-Kincey, Georgia, Alabama, the Carolinas; Tennarken, Tennessee, Arkansas and Kentucky; Paramount Gulf, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, and Florida State Theatres. FROM TOP DOWN The “red carpet” program is the culmination of planning that started several months ago in the New York AB-PT offices and continued on down to the theatre level. After the New York conferences, executives of the southern group of ABPT affiliates met in Atlanta in August for an exchange of promotion and exploitation ideas. Raymond Willie, W. E. Mitchell, John Q. Adams, Francis Barr, Joe Jackson and other executives of Interstate brought back the ideas to Dallas, where they were adapted for use in their theatres. A complete campaign manual was supplied to all managers and publicists in the circuit opening the “Project” picture. In Dallas the “A New Kind of Love” campaign was handled by James O. Cherry, Dallas city manager; Bob White, Majestic manager, and Hal Cheatham, Dallas publicist. Dallas’ share of the 40,000 fortune cookie order was distributed through res taurants and other means. The cookies carry such special messages as “You are about to experience ‘A New Kind of Love’ . . . There’s ‘A New Kind of Love’ in your future ... A funny experience awaits you when you see ‘A New Kind of Love.’ ” The Majestic built a special lobby display which used a lifesize cutout of Maurice Chevalier, guest star of the Joanne Woodward-Paul Newman starring picture, along with other items to create the impression of a Paris sidewalk cafe. There was a record player for Chevalier recordings and a machine dispensing perfumed bubbles. The Majestic participated with other Interstate-Texas Consolidated theatres in 21 Texas cities in a Free Trip to Paris contest, in which some couple was to win an expense-paid week in Paris. There were numerous other ideas developed— teaser trailers in other circuit theatres before and during the run of the film, truck sides by bookshops advertising the book of the film, record shops featuring Frank Sinatra singing the theme song, and posters and window cards in neighborhood shopping centers. SPECIAL PROMOTIONS Also, there were special newspaper advertising campaigns as well as television and radio programs carried out in behalf of “A New Kind of Love.” The project idea was created several years ago by AB-PT and each year since has been used to promote two or three motion pictures during the year. The same treatment was set up for “Rampage,” which opened early in October. BOXOFFICE Showmandiser : : Nov. 25, 1963 I — 187 — 3