Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1952)

Exploitation and Merchandising United Artists' fieldmen have been tubUttmping like crazy for "Island of Desire", md brother, how it's paid off! Armed with karongs and grass skirts, the exploitcers uflder the direction of ad-publicity chief '•'rancis Winikus and exploitation head Mori '\rushen had the potential customers craning Iheir respective necks and talking it up all |>ver the country. Some examples: In I'ittslurgh, the pic was plugged heavily on radio [md TV, and a Tab Hunter fan club blossomed. On Saturday before opening, a platform was set up in front of the theatre, Iressed as castaways and played cards, stopping traffic as crowds gathered. Navy re(ruiters named Linda Darnell as "The Girl 'hev would most like to be stranded on an MODEL, CUSTOMER & LEI Ballyhoo Named Desire land with," and the dailies caried plants in L-ery issue. In Philadelphia, UA exploitace lax Miller got saturation breaks on all the lidio stations and combined them with a TV mipaign. Grass-skirted models in Bikini bthing suits gave leis to pedestrians, as well i visiting newspaper, radio and TV offices j' distribute garlands. In Xew Orleans, a Iream girl," dressed in a South Seas outfit, irew candy kisses to passerbys. Much of he same was conducted in Kansas City, layton (Models with the title stenciled on eir backs visited swimming pools) recruitg Marines for the very welcome job. It's is kind of old-fashioned ballyhoo which is aking "Island of Desire" a top boxoffice traction. * * * i If the gloom-mongers had attended the hine circuit convention in Albany, they puld have had very little ammunition for eir blues program. "Win witli Showmanip" was the keynote of the confab attendby better than 150 theatre managers and EPTEMBER 8, 1952 the six-poitit program adopted was like a beacon in the gloom and fog of the calamity hounds. The sextet included (1) Merchandising films; (2) Campaigns which "tell and sell" the product played; (3) Proper service and facilities for theatre patrons; (4) Getting youngsters into movie houses; (5) More participation by managers in community affairs and (6) Economies and efficiency in theatre operation. Best of all was president J. Meyer Schine's appraisal of the present and prospective outlook for theatres. Though there was a recession between 1946 and 1950, said Schine, 1951-52 grosses were climbing back up, due chiefly to increased value of Hollywood product and more intensive selling. Schine pointed out that in 1951 moviegoers spent some $1,350, 000. 000 on movies, more than all other types of entertainment combined. Also on hand as a hammer was Metro's Si Seadler, ad-head, who plugged home the point that managers should "talk shop" at every opportunity. The comments, he said, are juicy items for newspapers to pick up and enlarge the audience for moviegoing as well as specific pictures. The Schine confab should serve as a model for the theatre circuits of the nation. That rear-view 16mm projector with trailer stunt running continously in theatre lobbies on Columbia's "Affair in Trinidad" is drawing 'em in like flies to molasses. Some 10 ol the "soundies" are being used in theatres across the country, showing a twominute slice of Rita Hayworth's hot "Trinidad Lady" calypso number. When the device was first used in front of the Victoria in Xew York, police had to be rushed in to disperse the mobs that gathered on the sidewalk and overflowed into the street. % %• Darrvl V. Zanuck's personal production for 1952, "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" (don't say it, see it) is getting an unprecedented coverage by the fan magazines. Some 11 color covers and color inserts, plus 13 feature stories and picture layouts devoted exclusively to the film have been lined up, timed to break with the picture's initial prerelease engagements. QA l'REEMS: Darryl Zanuck's only personal production of the year, "The Snows of Kilimanjaro," bows in its invitational world debut at Broadway's Rivoli on Wednesday night, Sept. 17, with the regular run beginning the following morning. The premiere is decked out in all the trimmings, with bigwigs from the United Nations, society, politics, sports and the entertainment world as guests. In the forefront will be top-ranking diplomatic representatives from the three regions which background the picture's action, British East Africa, France and (Continued on Next Page) By BARN fyJONOGRAM — ALLIED ARTISTS' national convention has been set by sales v.p. Morey Goldstein for Chicago's Blackstone Hotel, Sept. 24-26. The first national confab since 1946, the current conclave's importance is pointed up by Goldstein who claims the company's 1953 production schedule "warrants a meeting of this nature. It will give our sales staff the opportunity to learn fully about the program that offers the greatest boxoffice potential ever presented by our company." All of the big brass, including president Steve Broidy, v.p.'s Harold Mirisch, G. Ralph Branton, Edward Morey and George D. Burrows and studio MONOGRAM'S GOLDSTEIN The Meeting Is II ar runted chief Walter Mirisch are due to be on hand, as well as Mono-International prexy Norton V. Ritchey and ad-publicity director John C. Flinn. THE LADIES who will attend the TOA convention in Washington, Sept. 17, are due for a special treat — a tour of the refurbished White House, personally conducted by the President and Mrs. Truman. Convention chairman A. Julian BrylawSki proudly announced the arrangements for the tour at 9:30 a.m., with buses leaving the Shoreham Hotel, headquarters for the convention, at 8:45. There'll be plenty more for the ladies to do but it is problematical that anything will top this event. The males, with more serious business to take their time, will have five days, Sept. 14-18 to be climaxed by the presidents' banquet with each of the company head invited to attend. Sales chiefs are also expected to be on hand and the MPAA's Eric Johnston is due to address an estimated 700, members of TOA and their better half. (Continued on Next Page) 15