Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1952)

Exploitation and Merchandising (Continued from Page 15) quiring two showings at each house to accomodate the crowds, was featured by a festive two-day program of special events, climaxed by a gala parade to the theatres. More of these will be an invahiahle boost to the movie industry's slock, as well as those of the stars who participate. It's surprising how many players come back from such jaunts, electrified by the never-known — or forgotten — thrill of audience adulation they experience in these personal appearances. * * * The Roxy's stunt for the premiere of "The Thief" was a showmanship coup on the giveaway theme that drew plenty of attention and talk. Amateur — and perhaps an occasional professional — safe-crackers were offered the opportunity of opening a Meilink Safe. They were given the first two numbers of the combination and if they succeeded in cracking the safe, they were given A pet contest at the Colonial Theatre in Poughkeepsie, won by the boxer in lower right foreground, hypoed business at the house. a choice of one of a batch of envelopes inside. Each listed a gift prize, with the selection ranging from television sets to cigarettes, from radios to perfume, from wristvvatches to tires. The list was a veritable treasure box of gifts in virtually every category. And for good measure, the prizes included Meilink home safes for the wouldbe safe-crackers to practice on in their spare time at home. Many of the prizes were the result of UA's coast-to-coast tieups with the manufacturers, which had passed the 20-mark by October 10. * * * Always one of the most friendly (to the film industry) of the nation's newspapers, the Chicago HeraldAmerican once more goes all-out to aid in the promotion of a movie. The Hearst publication last week ran a full-week serial and storv, with picture layout, on Warners' "The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima". Earlier the paper heralded the feature with teaser boxes in the news section and sent letters to 6000 members of the clergy and religious groups in the Chicago area advising them of the "Fatima" serial. With its million-circulation Sundays and more than half that daily, the HeraldAmerican's promotion assures the film of a tremendous sendoff throughout the midwest area. The same promotion, it seems, should be suitable for newspaper coops in other territories. * * * The technique of advance screenings for key groups, so often touted but too rarely activated, is being applied with a vengeance by Universal-International. A two-w-eek series of special screenings at the U-I home office will encompass such groups as the General Federation of Women's Clubs; personnel of leading women's department stores in New York; beauty salons such as Elizabeth Arden, Helena Rubinstein and Peggy Sage; operators of the New York telephone company; stewardesses of domestic and foreign air lines; editorial staffs of NY newspapers, syndicates, magazines, fashion press and fashion executives. And, oh, yes, members of "The Woman Pays," 30-year-old club of career women. From this nucleus, a network publicity will spread out over the nation to plug "Because of You" to America's females in the two most effective publicity media yet devised — the lips and the pen of the female of the species. * * * Charlie Einf eld's 20th-Fox crew has turned out a honey of a press-book on "The Snows of Kilimanjaro". It's a jumbo-sized, 28-page packaging of showmanship material, including the Roxy campaign ads and a breakdown of the national magazine advertising and breaks, that should afford any type of theatre plenty of ammunition for a top-flight campaign. The ad mats run the gamut from teasers to more than thousandline special displays. An important adjunct is the wealth of point-of-playdate suggestions. Also available are a series of threecolor door panels, an oversize rotogravure herald, auto bumpers banners, usher's badges and other specials to the usual line of accessories. * # * Some exhibitor is going to get $500 and five more will receive $100 apiece for the best jobs of retail cooperative tie-in advertising in connection with 20th-Fox's "Snows of Kilimanjaro". While the prizes are not exactly peanuts, the big news about this is that it is being offered not by a film company, but by American Weekly, the nationally circulated Sunday supplement, which will extend its cooperation to exhibitor-, for tie-ins on a local basis. (Continued from Page 14) over $16,000 to the Marquette Unive School of Medicine for their Variety t Center . CINANCIAL: Monogram Pictures C took a half-million dollar dip in net the fiscal year ended June 28, 1952, deJ a gross that maintained the figure for ke year before. Earned surplus at the entf '52 period, however, made up the differed, increasing by approximately the s lie amount. The totals for each year: Net p jh for 1952, $589,000; for 1951, $1,061,000. G|a for '52, $9,223,000; for '51, $9,311,000. Eai surplus for '52, $546,000; for '51, $43 The company's net working capital $1,979,000, including cash of $522,000. AF MEN AND THINGS: It was a ti'l ^ celebration for Spyros P. Skouras as 20th-Fox clan gathered to honor the pany president at a special home ot luncheon: it was his 10th anniversary is president; it was an advance bow to Skojfl whose name was given to the key weeibfi the company's current Branch Manajrsl Testimonial drive; and it was bon vc^tei Spyros P. Skouras, 20th-Fox president, wl celebrated his 10th anniversary as head o/Mb company and is currently in the Far East. on the eve of his five-week trip to the W < East and Australia . . . Paramount be'd 1 chairman Adolph Zukor, nearing his I'M year of service to the industry, found n e than 100 leading exhibitors throughout e mid-west area on hand to pay him tribe i at the Bismarck Hotel in Chicago . . . M I(Duke) Clark, former Paramount diviiin j manager, was named special represent^'* for COMPO, to cover the South and Wt 5 His chores will include the Movietime tc'S and the campaign for repeal of the Fedil admissions tax . . . UA veep Max You,:stein and the missus planed to London * . a European tour that will take him to Otinental capitals, including Paris and Ro:. In London, Youngstein supervised f« » preparations for Charles Chaplin's "Lif"f light," attended by Princess Margaret I other royalty, as well as the hoi polloi Page 16 FILM BULLETIN October 20, 1952