The Exhibitor (Nov 1939-May 1940)

BM-26 BETTER MANAGEMENT How Other Theatres BETTER THEIR THEATRE GROSSES "Rebecca” New York City — A thorough-going drive to bring a film story before almost every potential ticket buyer in all walks of life is being conducted by United Artists for David O. Selznick’s production of “Rebecca,” adapted from the best-selling novel by Daphne du Maurier. Splitting the campaign into two parts, the force of the publicity is being centered on magazines on the one hand, and on daily newspapers. For magazines fulllength treatments of the book “Rebecca’ are being used, while newspapers are using the novel in serial form. Starting the campaign was “Ladies’ Home Journal,” which recently printed the book in its entirety in a special supplement. In the newspaper field, evidence of the great reader interest in “Rebecca” is shown in its syndication by McClure Syndicate to its clients from coast to coast. "Village Barn Dance” Hollywood— Earl Kurtze, head of Republic’s radio contact department, announced last fortnight completed deals with the Signal Oil Company and Pinex, cough syrup manufacturers, for exploitation of various headliners in “Village Barn Dance.” Signal Oil will devote most of its magazine, Signal News, to the plugging of Vera Vague and will, in addition, distribute over 2,000 Signal Oil cards, publicizing the actress and the picture. Pinex. sponsors of the Lulu Belle & Scotty, radio program over WLW, Cincinnati, will hand out 50,000 window strippers to various drug stores. "Pinocchio” New York City — Eight states have officially announced text books for this year built around Walt Disney’s subjects as part of their regular department of education requirements. The newest book for school children, which is expected to be included on the list, is “Pinocchio,” an adaptation by Dorothy Baruch from the feature-length Technicolor production, soon to be released by RKO-Radio. The school books, now in use in class rooms, include stories of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, the Three Little Pigs, Goofy, and other Disney characters. "Charlie McCarthy, Detective” Syracuse, New York — Manager Bill Burke, RKO-Schine Eckel, placed a Charlie McCarthy on a bannered and painted box in front of a downtown store during busy hours. Invisible wires connecting young man hidden inside store to intercommunicating phone in box enabled him to talk with pedestrians and bally the show. Five thousand numbered heralds were passed out around schools. "Hunchback of Notre Dame” New York City — Very often stills from major productions may be placed for display purposes with leading business establishments and book stores in the city where the film is to be shown. A good example of this was current here, where RKO-Radio and the Radio City Music Hall publicity departments furnished to Liggett’s, Whelan’s, and the Pennsylvania drug stores, and Brentano’s, New York’s most prominent book store, with an exhibit of stills from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” the tie-in being made currently with the run of the picture at the Radio City Music Hall. The stills, used for window display purposes, served as a background for various editions of the Victor Hugo novel and were featured in the companies’ stores in Radio City. Wilmington, Delaware — Manager Lewis S. Black, Warner, exploiting “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” arranged a trip to Washington for Mrs. Helen Barrett. Journal-Every Evening motion picture editor, on the train with Charles Laughton for an interview which was carried in the News-Journal publications. Black also got out 5,000 heralds. 5,000 paper napkins for restaurants and soda fountains, 2,000 trick cards, 22 24-sheets, extra newspaper advertising, and window cards, spot announcements over the radio and contacts with libraries and schools. Norwich, Connecticut — For the RKORadio production, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” manager Joseph Miklos: Broadway, had an usher made up as a perfect hunchback cross the stage, carrying a half-filled burlap bag through every showing of the picture’s trailer, starting a week before the playdate. Green footlights helped to give the desired weird effect. A three-sheet was pasted and shellacked on the lobby floor for one full week. Also, manager Miklos posted date strips for the seven 24-sheets around town. Syracuse, New York — Manager Harry Unterfort, RKO-Schine Keith’s, used a seven-foot book mounted on a truck. Truck also carried theatre cards and banners with stars, dates and theatre. "The Invisible Man Returns” Providence, Rhode Island — Principal stunt arranged in behalf of this Universal thriller by manager George French and exploiteer Bill Morton, RKO-Albee, was a man who walked the downtown streets in civilian clothes with his head bandaged and wearing a pair of dark glasses in the Invisible Man manner. Street bally man wore a stiff shirt on which was lettered “The Invisible Man Returns — RKO Albee Now!” Man lunched at Child’s at a street window table, with shirt front exposed, also made calls at all the hotels. To schools and colleges went the dot fill-in stunt suggested in the press book with offer that the 25 neatest solutions of the puzzle turned in to the theatre would win guest tickets. In the theatre lobby and also in Ludham’s pet shop downtown on Washington Street were placed gold fish bowls full of colored water, agitated slightly by hidden fans. The fish bowls were placarded, “Can you find the Brazilian invisible fish?” Shaffer Believes in Dailies Staunton, Virginia — A firm believer in newspapers as perhaps the best medium for receiving 100 cents’ worth for every dollar spent in exploitation, Frank Shaffer, manager, Dixie, utilized the morning News-Leader and the evening Ledger to advantage recently. Among his recent activities along this line were his special institutional Christmas advertisements and the planting of special art for “Four Wives.” For “Ninotchka,” Shaffer ran a series of teaser advertisements on the society page of the News-Leader, and imprinted (in red) 500 copies of the January 4 issue of the Leader with “Garbo Laughs! At the Dixie Today.” Shaffer’s activities are not restricted to features, for special short subjects receive their share of attention. For example, the timeliness of The March of Time’s “Newsfronts of War — 1940” was given extra reader space, and special art was used on the Pete Smith Specialty, “Set 'Em Up.” Notables of Shaffer’s recent achievements with the press is the planting for the first time in the history of the NewsLeader, the serialization of a moving-picture story. And for that on “We Are Not Alone,” the paper went along by contributing a 30-inches-by-three-columns announcement advertisement The serial ization was furnished the paper in mat form. Many a theatreman has discovered that, perhaps next to word-of-mouth advertising, space taken in newspapers is the most valuable way to put the theatre’s message before the most people for the least unit cost. Shaffer’s activities along this line are typical of countless hundreds of progressive theatremen throughout the U. S. "Four Wives” Elmira, New York — Eddie Yarbrough, Keeney manager, got good selling by a tie-up with the two largest stores in the city. All their bags used in both markets were imprinted with “Four Wives” copy and illustration and serially numbered, with memo to save bag and check with winning numbers at end of week. Winners were announced by large window display of the “Four Wives” shopping and tie-up copy, and by 40x60 signs in each market. Eddie Yarbrough was successful in getting newspaper to carry feature time schedules daily for theatres, a policy that the newspapers has always been against, and it took a lot of selling on manager’s part. Picture was plugged by a contest in Elmira College newspaper read by all students, and tickets were awarded for fashion drawing contest. "Gulliver’s Travels” Norwich, Connecticut — For the opening of the Paramount-Fleischer “Gulliver’s Travels,” manager Joseph Miklos, Broadway, arranged to have the American Legion Bugle and Drum Corps stage a gala parade in the center of the city. The band painted the town red. and many kids could not resist the temptation of marching behind the band and joining in the parade. After the parade, the band played songs from “Gulliver’s Travels” in front of the theatre for a half hour. THE EXHIBITOR January 17, 1940