The Exhibitor (Nov 1938-May 1939)

28 Highlights in Selling Features "Honolulu” Hornell, New York Manager Allen B. Newhall, Majestic, and assistant manager Jack Callahan gave "Honolulu" wide coverage. Advance exploitation included teaser, regular trader picture and playdate was plugged from stage. Cashiers called local telephone numbers three days in advance. Other angles were cards in men’s, ladies’ rest rooms; six-sheet water glassed to floor of lobby; 40x60 cards placed off ends of stage; cards placed in Alfred University, public libraries; shadow boxes located on theatre balcony stairway landing. Two days in advance of playdate, speakers were placed at each side of top of marquee with mike and Hawaiian music records played, and announcements made at intervals, interspersed with news announcements and tieing in picture when possible. Special one-sheet cards were placed at local ice skating and roller skating rinks two weeks advance. Announcements were promoted along with playing of Hawaiian music records from picture for skating. Two dozen paper leis with cards attached containing title of picture, cast, playdate were worn by house employees advance, and quantity distributed at Alfred University basketball game. A new stunt was done on stage, two days advance manager announcing that the large gift box brought on the stage contained 1 S gifts to his lucky audience from Eleanor Powell, and drawing was from admission ticket stubs placed in box on entrance. Large pineapples tied with red satin bows, with two passes to "Honolulu" attached to each were awarded. A street ballyhoo used was a Santa Claus fully dressed and walked through business section two days prior to opening with card on his back reading "I have been waiting since Christmas to see Honolulu at Majestic Theatre.” Assistant Callahan promoted orchestra from nearby radio station to appear on stage, and dressed them in paper leis, orange blouses. Picture was plugged from public address system at high school dance and passes awarded for picture as prizes for five best dancing couples. "Pygmalion” Richmond, Virginia Allen Sparrow, manager, Loew’s, really went to town. He ran teaser ads three days in advance of big ads; had a tie-up with News Leader classified, Times Dispatch lost and found department. WRVA made announcements on Eddie Weaver broadcast for five days, and announcement on Times Service broadcast. There were two extra announcements on day of preview, and spot broadcasts from sidewalk in front of theatre. Man in book ballyhoo on streets handed out heralds explaining title of picture. New York Hotel Wellington post cards were addressed to people in town and mailed from New York with suitable copy. Personal letters were sent to presidents of all local organizations. "Let Freedom Ring” Syracuse, New York Manager Frank Murphy, Loew’s State, borrowed an old time printing press from Syracuse Boys’ Club which he mounted on truck, which also carried an old historical bell, rung at intervals to call attention to the exhibit and theatre copy with which the truck was bannered. Masked boys accompanied the truck passing out heralds. Two column picture of masked man holding bills (currency) in each hand, under lined "This Is the Wasp” headed the story offering five dollar awards to those stopping the man on the street, identifying him as "The Wasp.” Murphy addressed the Colony of New England Women in Syracuse at the home of one of the members. One thousand stickers were furnished stores for use on wrapped bundles. Transcriptions were used for four days before opening on WFBL. One thousand lucky number cards were used in department stores. One thousand sepia stills of Eddy were used in department store in tie-up with fan magazine counter and with stills and theatre copy in the window. "Ice Follies of 1939” Gloversville, New York A stunt that attracted plenty of attention and gave 'Tee Follies” a big start-off here was staged by Frank Boucher, new manager, Schine’s Glove. Frank obtained a Main Street window, had a local ice company provide him with two big cakes of ice. Between these he placed a large figure of Joan Crawford in a costume she wears in the movie. Then he had the ice company, with much ceremony, freeze the cakes together so that the upper portion of the Crawford figure only was visible. To the persons who guessed nearest as to when the ice would melt and disclose the full figure, Frank offered 20 pairs of passes. The first day alone brought 306 entries, with more blanks following as word of mouth advertising spread news of the contest. "The Flying Irishman” Reading, Pennsylvania Among the items on the ballyhoo agenda of manager Cormack G. Keeney for the engagement of “The Flying Irishman” at the Park, Reading, Pennsylvania, were the following: A stunt flyer was engaged to maneuver his plane, at a rather low altitude, over the city on the night of the opening, to drop at intervals (thus cluttering up the city) 20 0 small parachutes, many with tickets attached. The flyer’s stunts were spotted hv powerful U. S. Army searchlights. The stunt was given a newspaper build-up. A luncheon was given the 22 men in Berks County who are licensed pilots, with speeches properly ballyhooing the RKO-Radio picture. (Vne-hundred-twenty-word “flashes” were used in 30 announcements over WEEU for a period of five days. A special trolley car was chartered to tour all lines for eight hours a day for two days prior to the opening. The car was bannered with two 24sheets. Special cards were handed out at the monthly meeting of the Reading Forum. Permission was secured to use two windows of vacant stores located midway between Loew’s, the Embassy, Keeney’s opposition. Windows were decorated, with a six-sheet, three-sheet, one-sheet cutout in each. National advertising was secured in both the “Times,” “Eagle” in advance, with special art, readers. Plugs, with advertisements, were also obtained in the Reading High School’s “The Red and Black,” Albright College’s “The Albrightian,” the Hamburg “Item,’’ Boyertown “News,” Pottstown “Mercury,” Kutztown “Patriot.” Twenty-three 24-sheets were posted. Two special display boards were spotted in front of the theatre. Many panels, bannerettes were utilized in the theatre lobby. Manager C. G. Keeney, Park, did some fancy headwork when he secured the use of all the display window space in a double frontage vacant store, about 40 feet width and 3 5 feet depth, for exhibiting posters. Point about the location of this window space is that it is almost exactly in the center of the half block on Penn Street in which are located the three other largest first run main street houses. Keeney used plenty of other publicity agencies in pushing "Corrigan,” but he went all ways, instead of "one way.” He did not neglect newspaper space, practically doubling h:s space "take” for this picture. The aviation fans’ groups were contacted and flocked to the Park in large numbers to see the film. Some of Keeney’s biggest newspaper ads were printed upside down, with the exception of the name of the theatre, giving ad readers a tumble to the "wrong way” idea. Mack Whiting, drum pounder for RKO Radio, who publicized "Snow White,” was beating the bass for "Flying Irishman” as part of Keeney’s publicity drive. FIarrisburg, Pennsylvania All promotion plans of manager Bob Sidman, Senate, were centered on activities for the opening day of the Doug Corrigan film. On the first morning, contest for boys on workmanship and performance of home-made model airplanes was scheduled for a school playground. Cash for grand prize was donated by the Harrisburg Telegraph, which used the advance announcement of the competition on its first page. Twelve other prizes, divided among two classes, were given by local sporting goods store and passes by the theatre. In the afternoon, brilliant aerial display, featuring a formation flight of eight planes, was planned by manager Sidman, while a "hide-and-seek” game, using anti-aircraft searchlights and stunting plane, was on the program for the evening. Battery of searchlights was to be located in front of the theatre. One of the advance ads featured a headline set backwards, to keep in tune with the now-famous Corrigan "mistake.” "Story of Dr. Alexander Graham Bell” Boston, Massachusetts Don Ameche in Boston March 10 commemorated the 63rd anniversary of the first telephone transmission. While Ameche was mobbed in New York, his reception here was comparatively decorous. He spent part of the following morning at 5 Exeter Place, where he spoke over an exact replica of the first telephone transmitter-receiver. All Hearst newspapers were hooked up on the same circuit for this reenactment of the first telephone conversation. President Daniel L. Marsh, Boston University, presented Ameche svith the replica, a museum-piece. After the exploitation transmission, Ameche was given a press luncheon at the Statler Hotel. Among those present were: Rodney Bush, exploitation representative, 20th Century-Fox; Milt Howe, 20th Century-Fox’s Hollywood representative; William C. Chambliss, 20th Century-Fox’s New York representative; and from Boston — Charles Koerner, Keith’s New England division manager; Jack Granara, Keith’s publicity; Helen Eager, the Traveler; George Holland of the American; Eliot Norton, Post; Harry Browning, publicity director, M. & P. Theatres; Martin Mullin, Samuel Pinanski, M. & P. executives. March 22, 19)9