The Exhibitor (Nov 1938-May 1939)

12 Highlights in Selling Features "The Hardys Ride High” Waterbury, Connecticut Manager Ed Fitzpatrick went to great lengths for "The Hardys Ride High.” For the first time in years, he succeeded in crashing the school papers with a picture and story on Mickey Rooney; tied in with merchants in getting some Rooney window displays; promoted a novel ballyhoo, consisting of an old jallopy painted with wisecracks, two collegiate youngsters supposedly Andy and his girl friend Polly; released thousands of balloons from roof tops; had special Mickey Rooney hangers strung under the marquee; huge posters at bus terminals, hotels, etc., department store toy airplanes bannered with copy; huge airplane hanging in lobby and plastered with stills from the picture; special heralds passed out by cooperating merchants; special radio announcements; abundance of art in daily newspapers; and several swell co-op ads. Providence, Rhode Island The inner box-office at Loew’s State, not in use now for several years, was turned to good promotional advantage by manager Ed McBride. He had an elaborate scale model built, the background representing the Culver City studios of Metro. A toy train travelled from the studios through the foreground, the sides of the freight cars carrying advertising on attractions coming to the State in the near future. At the throttle was a miniature Mickey Rooney, a plug for "The Hardys Ride High.” Dotting the landscape were tiny billboards ballyhooing Metro products in general. The stunt got plenty of attention, the movement of the train catching the eyes of those entering the theatre. "The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle” Syracuse, New York Syracuse Journal ran a four-day contest in which holders of sheet music of the period in which the Castles were dancing were invited to send them to the theatre. List of the acceptable copies were used in stories each of the four days and gave the theatre and picture mention. A half-hour program was promoted on WSYR, using only music from the picture. Manager Harry Unterfort, RKO-Schine-Keith’s, also located a 1909 Hupmobile, which, properly bannered, toured the city for five days. Bridgeport, Connecticut Loew-Poli staff did a better than hangup job. Among the finds for promotion was Charles Cooper, local WPA worker, an eye witness to the fatal crash which cost the life of the internationally famous dancing star at Fort Worth, Texas in 1918. Among Cooper’s souvenirs was a fragment of the death plane propellor, into which Cooper has set a photo of the famous captain of the Canadian Royal Flying Corps. Cooper was a member of the same outfit working as a mechanic and in addition to the propellor blade fragment he has a virtual biography in pictures of the most famous of hoofers. On the roof of a four-story building at Bridgeport’s busiest corner Loew-Poli publicists rivalled Broadway with illuminated 10-foot figures of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in dancing pose, which appears animated at night with the blinkers. For the first time in many moons, D. M. Read, leading department store in the city, was tied up with window and department displays. A tieup was made with local music store, news company trucks and two five and 10 store tieups with movie magazines. Also a display in a jewelry store and one in the Postal Telegraph. Reading, Pennsylvania Five hundred youngsters, newsboys, orphans from various institutions and others who seldom see a movie were the guests of C. G. Keeney, Park manager, and the Reading Times at a Saturday morning party in the Park to see “Story of Vernon and Irene Castle.” Keeney, in addition to liberal publicity for the children’s party captured a top display space in the Pomeroy department store, in the heart of Reading’s retail district. An entire window was given over to photos of the principals in the Castles’ pictures, to costume layouts used in the film and other publicity material. Prominently placed was a reproduction, plus the original telegram itself, of a message explaining why the costumes worn by the stars were not in the window. "Lost in transit from Chicago,” said the message, addressed to Keeney. "Alexander Graham Bell’ Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Feature of campaign conducted by manager Jack O’Rear, Colonial, was the distribution of telephone hangers by Bell Telephone Company in all pay stations. Other items included: study guides for schools, several co-op ads, displays in stores and story of the invention of the telephone on "The Little Brown Book” radio program over WHP. Added interest was given to the 20th Century-Fox production by reference in newspapers to controversy on the inventor of the telephone, either Bell or Daniel Drawbaugh, the latter having lived only a few miles from the Capital City. "Hound of the Baskervilles” Jersey City, New Jersey State conducted Sherlock Holmes contest in conjunction with showing of “The Hound of the Baskervilles.” Stories and scenes from film were published in Jersey City newspaper for three days and contestants had to list the discrepancies between the stories and photographs. There were 12 discrepancies in all. A total of 18 awards were given winners. Syracuse, New York Manager Erie Wright, RKO-Schine-Paramount, used cut out donkey mounted on easel card as street bally for "Hound of the Baskervilles.” Any pedestrian wishing to try to pin the tail on the donkey could do so after being blindfolded. Successful ones were awarded guest tickets. "Boy of the Streets” Hartford, Connecticut A most ambitious campaign handled by the home office’s Manny Reiner pre-sold Monogram’s "Boy of the Streets”, when the film had its world premiere at the State. Exploitation was handled with a view towards civic pride, constructive teaching. When the picture opened it did as good or better than any house in town, a notable fact when one realizes four proven first-run major pictures provided the competition. First job tackled was that of tieing up with the Hartford Friends of Boys, an organization of 6 50 bootblacks, newsboys licensed by the police department, public schools, to raise funds for the group’s summer camp. Proceeds of one special showing, for which the boys sold the ducats, went to the organization. Stunt received more local newspaper copy than any picture in the past 18 months. Placards advertising the show for a week in advance were posted on the shine boxes of 450 bootblacks. A special 15 -minute dramatization of the picture was broadcast over station WTHT by the dramatic club of the Friends of Boys. Newspapers picked up the story. Mayor of Hartford purchased the first ticket for the benefit from the club president. Papers carried copy, art on it. A special screening was held at the Connecticut School for Boys, the state institution for incorrigible children, the Hartford police commissioner attending. Story broke in both local papers. The town’s leading film critic gave over his daily column to an opening day plug for the film. It was a yarn on local bigwigs who started their careers by hawking papers. It was the first time the columnist co-operated with anyone in that fashion. Hartford Times conducted a one-day contest offering Annie Oakleys for those folk who could name the most streets in Hartford bearing the same names as New York by-ways. The same contest was run in an insurance workers’ publication reaching 3 0,000 persons. Blowups of a telegram from Jackie Cooper were placed on all Western Union windows. Counter displays were placed in both leading department stores, plugging "Margie Reynolds” jewelry. There were numerous art breaks in the daily sheets, chief of which was a four-column fashion layout featuring Margie Reynolds. Letters were sent to all scoutmasters asking them to advise their troop members that their fellow-scout, Jackie Cooper, was starring in a picture playing their town. Thirty-five 24-sheets, extra space newspaper ads, 4,000 window cards, daily radio spot, 10,000 tabloid "newspapers,” 10,000 novelty giveaways, 5,000 fan photos all aided tremendously in putting the premiere over. Final stunt was a newsboys’ parade to the theatre. "Wuthering Heights” New York City Keyed to stress the importance of the picture, the exploitation, publicity and advertising campaign worked out by United Artists for the engagement of "Wuthering Heights” at the Rivoli, was one of the most thorough drives engineered on any production in many years. First among the exploitation tie-ups was arranged with Saks Fifth Avenue, in which it gave over their best window to a display of the original wedding gown worn by Merle Oberon in the film. Inside the store four additional displays were devoted to other costumes. Store held an elaborate fashion show for the women’s page editors of the metropolitan papers and syndicates to exhibit their adaptations of Miss Oberon’s costumes. W. & J. Sloan made reproductions of the interior sets from the film for the Fifth Avenue windows. Also Best & Company carried out a promotion featuring the "Bronte Bonnets,” adapted from those worn by the women in "Wuthering Heights.” April 26, 19)9