Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Dec 22, 1956)

DECEMBER 22, 1956 CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST PAGE THIRTEEN Report of the Public Relations Committee, Charles S$. Chaplin, Chairman, To The Motion Picture Industry Council of Canada Annual Meeting At the last Annual Meeting in November 1955 through a resolution proposed by Morris Stein, I was appointed Chairman of your Public Relations Committee and charged with the job of finding and proposing ways and means of revitalizing motion picture attendance throughout Canada. In addition, I was requested to re-examine a_pubiic relations plan previously proposed and to recommend a revised plan of a revised budget on the basis of an allocation to each Provincial Association of their share of the total. Being primarily concerned as we all are with devising ways and means of stimulating theatre attendance, I endeavoured to formulate plans accordingly, and the second phase of the council’s request to me would then, of course, be in the operation of whatever plans were conceived. In January 1956, after having read sketchy details of an OSCAR CONTEST previously conducted in Texas and Winnipeg, a meeting of top exhibition representatives was held in the Distributors’ Associattion offices on January 19th, 1956. I presented my suggestion of having a Canadian wide contest based on the Academy Awards, and after considerable discussion with some opposition being registered, the plan was accepted and then the fun started. The Academy nominations were announced on February 18th and the Academy Award results announced on March 21st. We, therefore, had scarcely four weeks to put the plan into operation. General Motors were persuaded to co-operate, and this participation actually resulted in the plan getting off the ground, Oldsmobile 88 Holiday Coupes were donated free of charge by General Motors in Toronto and Montreal and at a nominal cost for Vancouver and Winnipeg. General Motors undertook the production costs and other expenses involved for an Oldsmobile color trailer. They split various display items and I wish to advise that the expense incurred by Oldsmobile was comparative to the advertising value which they received. However, as a result of General Motors’ participation, the plan snowballed. The Winnipeg Tribune having participated in the past, agreed to go along, then the Toronto Telegram, then other papers across the country followed suit. The degree of newspaper cooperation fiinally secured was far beyond our fondest expectations and to a degree never before secured by our industry. CHARLES S. CHAPLIN Tribute must be paid to the hard work of all localities across the country. They showed what they can do to promote a plan that they could sink their teeth into. I would like very much, but I cannot name all the individuals who contributed magnificently to the success of the NAME THE OSCAR WINNERS CONTEST. A truly remarkable job was done by all concerned. The analysis given to each attending delegate in a measure shows the results obtained and again we of the industry should be proud of all those fellows who did so much and whose time and effort was given in achieving the results you see in the analysis. It is difficult to assess the actual box office benefit of the contest. However, the cost per theatre was very low, but the most important factor in my opinion that resulted was newspapers across Canada were not only far more co-operative to our industry during the contest but have continued to be since the conclusion of the contest. The merchants who participated, I am told, were exceedingly gratified at the results and the fact that the newspapers who did_ participate have requested participation again and other newspapers have asked for participation makes it very gratifying. Similarly, merchants want to repeat their participation and additional merchants want to join the promotion. My report at this time is not going to deal with plans and methods of putting over the contest on the local level. This will be incorporated in a brochure or pressbook for the guidance of all theatre managers. I now propose a 1957 NAME THE OSCAR WINNERS CON TEST. In the U.S.A. the Motion Picture Industry requested and were given an outline of the results of our Canadian contest. Furthermore, I was invited and attended a meeting of the Committee representing distribution in the U.S.A. and who have now decided and secured the support of the industry for a contest in the U.S.A. patterned after our example in Canada. We in Canada have been asked to participate in the U.S.A. contest. The Executive of the Motion Picture Industry Council of Canada, however, decided that we wil] conduct our contest independently of the U.S.A. insofar as prizes are concerned but in conjunction with the U.S.A. insofar as advertising, publicity, etc., are concerned. It is proposed that we have a first prize for each province. I have had meetings with General Motors and they will definitely participate. They desire to do so on a far greater scale in that all Oldsmobile dealers in Canada would advertise in co-operation with theatres. I have requested Oldsmobile 98’s as _ Provincial prizes and wherever possible Olds 88’s and Chevrolets for first prizes in larger cities. I will arrange a meeting with Council representatives to map out our requests from General Motors and what we will give them in return. We are attempting to arrange for at least a first prize in cities and towns across Canada to be donated by national advertisers. Wherever this can be arranged for it will make the job easier for the local committee in that they will then only have to secure local exhibitor participation to augment the prize list. We had planned on attempting to have a first prize for Canada. We have, however, decided to forego doing so at least for the time being and for 1957 raise the participation in the contest to a provincial level and see how that works out. The administration and operation of the 1956 NAME THE OSCAR WINNERS CONTEST was done in a manner which involved a great deal of personal time and attention which I will not be able to give to the 1957 Contest. I propose that this Council, therefore, give their approval to the engaging of the best obtainable administration coordinator whose services would be required for approximately four months and whose duties would consist of co-ordinating the supplying of stories and materia] to news papers, arranging for the supplying of trailers, promoting of prizes on national and local levels, the preparing and sending out of special material from time to time, handling the innumerable requests for information from local committees and newspapers, the setting up of a uniform ballot which would be used across the country and the securing and forwarding to all committees with the least possible delay the list of nominees when they are announced so that the contest can get underway at that time. I can only at this time make an estimate as to the expense that would be involved for this coordinator and a stenographer and possible office space. Subject to discussion, I propose a minimum budget of $5,000 and the amount to be given by each member group of this council to be determined by a committee appointed by your chairman. I, together with other distributor representatives as well as exhibition representatives will voluntarily give all possible assistance to the coordinator. If the recommendations contained herein regarding the engaging of a national co-ordinator are accepted, then I would suggest that after he has operated for a period of at least two months the executive of the council together with the Public Relations Committee should determine the feasibility of retaining the party on a_ year around basis for the purpose of handling all matters pertaining to our industry insofar as box office promotion and public relations are concerned. I wish at this time to publicly express our appreciation for the cooperation extended by Canadian Kodak in donating 12,000 feet of raw film which was used in the making up of trailers for the last contest. I also wish to express our deep appreciation for the support of the trade papers. They keep the industry advised of developments and unquestionably contributed tremendously to the success of the original OSCAR CONTEST by their wholehearted co-operation in conveying necessary information and advice throughout the country. (ED. NOTE: The recommendations of Mr. Chaplin were adopted by the Motion Picture Industry Council, with H. C. D. Main, well known Ontario exhibitor, appointed Special Coordinator for the 1957 Name The Oscar Winners Contest.)