The Exhibitor (Nov 1938-May 1939)

20 Highlights in Selling Features "The Great Man Votes” Syracuse, New York Manager Pat McGee, RKO-Schine-Eckel, arranged with Miss Peggy Train, Queen of the senior prom, and Miss Betty Davison both students in the dramatic school, Syracuse University, to put on a prologue to the showing of the trailer. Young ladies were seated below and at opposite ends of the stage of the theatre and just before the trailer was shown, the house was darkened and they carried on phone conversation which was really into mikes, connected with P.A. system in the house. Their conversation dealt with the coming attraction and made a hit with the audience. "Let Us Live” Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Safety was keynote of exploitation program adopted by State, Johnny Rogers, manager. Two hundred half-sheet cards reading "Drive Carefully— Walk Carefully — 'Let Us Live’ ” were placed on street light posts and 5000 numbered heralds, with special advice to have "your fingerprints recorded with the FBI in Washington. You can do this at the City Hall in Harrisburg,” were distributed. Many small cards with the following inscription were placed in parked automobiles: "Mental Traffic Rule: Don’t Argue, Reason!” "Fast and Loose” Wilmington, Delaware J. Edgar Doob, manager, Loew’s, put on a radio contest to bally "Fast and Loose.” Three days in advance of the Thursday on which the terms of the contest were to be announced, he got spottings on WDEL. On the designated Thursday, a 10-word line was read at 12.15 P. M. The first 10 women who reported a correct repetition of the line received free tickets to the show. Besides this he had all Liberty magazine carriers put 14x22 cards on their backs. ". . . one-third of a nation . . .” Reading, Pennsylvania Manager Paul E. Glase took advantage of the spirited controversy raging in Reading over acceptance or rejection of a $2,000,000 federal grant for a housing project, that ended in acceptance, by inviting public officials to a view of " . . . onethird of a nation ...” One of those who accepted the invitation was Mayor J. Henry Stump. Another was James E. Mast, president, Reading Housing Authority. Other councilmen and authority board members accompanied the party. Mast was so impressed with the picture that he organized a second party of public officials and came back to see it a second time. Glase received much good publicity on the visits by the officials. Secretary of the Authority gave Glase a letter of endorsement, used by him in display advertising. Mayor Stump sent a similar endorsement to manager Glase for the picture. "Everyone interested in the solution of our social problem should see ' . . .one-third of a nation . . . ’ now at the Embassy,” the mayor wrote. The letter was all the more welcome to the Embassy management, as it came as a voluntary offering from the mayor. "Idiot’s Delight” Batavia, New York Ralph Booth, Family, after noting business in the smaller towns on "Idiot’s Delight,” played down the title, up the star names, used copy in newspaper ads giving more spice, snap as "No stranger love drama ever seen . . . from the honkey-tonks of Main Street to the hot spots of Europe, as the world goes smash they sing and dance and love . . . that’s 'Idiot’s Delight’,” and "Living dangerously, loving madly, while the world trembles. See Gable sing and dance and manage six beautiful blondes . . . See Shearer as a shady lady in the daring escapades of a bold adventuress. As nations clash, they love and laugh, that 'Idiot’s Delight’.” "Huckleberry Finn” Syracuse, New York Manager Frank Murphy, Loew’s State, planted artist in show window of a store Saturday afternoon and evening during the showing. Artist drew heads of stars of the production and also of onlookers. A 40x60 set piece was used in the window trim, carrying stills and picture credits. Announcements of the picture and play dates were made in all public and high schools through courtesy of the school authorities. "Gunga Din” Rochester, New York Manager Arthur Krolich, Regent, ballied "Gunga Din” over all three radio stations, two with gift of passes as contest prizes and one by providing outstanding reader of poem. In 15minute program over WHEC, listeners linked movie stars with films and over WSAY the air audience gave authors’ names in connection with rhymes and answered riddles. In addition, Manager Krolich provided study guides to school teachers, distributed souvenir cards carrying the poem and placed advertising signs at all car stops. Allentown, Pennsylvania Boys formed the spearhead of the exploitation campaign for "Gunga Din,” by Leo Trainor, manager, Wilmer and Vincent’s Rialto. At least the two most unique stunts were done by youth. First, a noisy, colorful procession of 2 5 boys on bicycles from the various schools of the city traversed the streets of the city carrying "Gunga Din” placques and causing no little amount of excitement. Second, 2 5 helmets with appropriate copy were given out in the various schools to be worn by the students. Third, 5 0 youngsters were given chalk or orders to write "Gunga Din” copy on sidewalks all over town — which they certainly did. Fourth, boys were also employed to paste 3,000 teaser "Gunga Din” stickers on auto windshields and vacant store windows, leaving the town well plastered from stem to stern. Other work included: Colorful silk bannerette and display in downtown vacant store window; two-column layout in newspaper; posted six 24sheets, ten 6-sheets and ten 3-sheets; banners on three news agency trucks; 30 by 40’s in hotel lobbies; tie-up with two 15-minute radio broadcasts of the Kay Jewelry store and plugs on three regular 5 -minute Rialto theatre Hollywood news broadcasts over one-week period; store fronts decorated, heralds given out and "Gunga Din” sundaes at three five-and-ten-cent stores; tie-up with newspapers on annual Community Day, giving passes for space; plugs over P.A. system at local park’s big barn dance. Highlights in Selling Shorts "Ferdinand the Bull” Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania Advance campaigns for short subjects are, as a general rule, considered good if they start a week in advance, fine if they start two weeks prior to opening, and stupendous if conducted for three weeks in advance of opening. But when a short subject, even a Walt Disney Silly Symphony, is concertedly ballyhoo'd for a full four weeks, then should we presume, the cinema’s favorite adjective indicating gigantism — "super-colossal” — be resurrected from the limbo to which of late it would seem to have been consigned. But four weeks in advance of the playdate did manager Bill Yurasko, Waverly, start his campaign. Since "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” established record-breaking grosses for the theatre, special emphasis was placed on this angle, with the words "Greatest Cartoon Since 'Snow White’ ” being appended to the title, "Ferdinand the Bull,” wherever possible. Following are some of the items in the Yurasko month-long campaign: Mailed 2,500 programs two weeks in advance, with special copy. 2,500 more programs a week in advance. Special all-Ferdinand copy, mats were used in the Upper Darby “Telegram,” Springfield “Press,” the “69t,h Street News.” The Delaware County “Times” conducted a word-making contest, as also did the Upper Darby “Review.” A special trailer was used. In the daily newspapers, prominent mention was made in all copy of the cartoon. In the Springfield “Press,” a coloring contest was run. Cooperation was effected with the principals of six nearby schools. Two copies of “The Story of Ferdinand,” with a Disney-autographed still, were given to holders of lucky numbers, as added attraction on a “Bank Night.” The campaign, said Yurasko, represented quite a bit of time and thought — but at a small financial outlay — and was so successful that the cartoon, originally booked for three days, was held for three additional days. "Flying G-Men” Baltimore, Maryland To sustain interest in the latest of Columbia’s serials, "Flying G-Men,” manager Walter Cohen, Leader, inaugurated his own "movie quiz” for the picture, publishing one question a week for 15 weeks in the Leader program. For the best set of answers, Cohen is offering a motor-driven model airplane. The 10 runners-up will be the theatre’s guests for one show. Manager Cohen, who ties in with the Broadway for a joint program-printing job, also sells the back page of the program to near-by merchants. To foster the keeping of programs at least over the week-end, Cohen weekly conducts (in addition to the above) a "Whosis” contest on the identification of four movie-player heads. March S, 193 9