Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1952)

BULLETIN Exploitation I Merchandising ntrw \\L\i If a theatreman has one or more groups in his town that are members of the General Federation of Women's Clubs — and it would be hard to miss having one since there arc 700 district groups— he can get a big assist in his merchandising of "Because of You." IThe Federation's motion picture chairman, Mrs. Dean Gray Edwards, has notified each oi the 700 district chairladies that "Because of You" was a film the Federation would recommend highly for its fine entertainment as well as for its emotional appeal." We remember, faintly, being dragged to a neeting of one of these groups. Frankly, ive were rather surprised with the interest (our own included) and efficiency of the neeting. One of the orders of business was he reading of important correspondence — ncluding a letter from the Federation's novie advisor. There was a hush during the •eading, then a considerable nodding of leads when the recommended film was menioned. It was evident that many of the ladconsidered the recommendation their ible for moviegoing. Exhibitors fail to be constant contact with their local groups .re missing out on one of their most imporant word-of-mouth publicity outlets. As the adio announcer said, giving the details of a ontest: "Men! Write in 25 words or less thy you like Bloop-O . . . Ladies, 50 words ir less." * * * The ever-popular radio quiz-show format las been paying off handsomely, both for he Fanchon & Marco-St. Louis Amusement ompany chain, and for its patrons. The ickpot prize in the circuit's "Know Your ovies" quiz dumped S3, 775 into the lap of lOviegoer Edith Bryant, the second time in lore than 20 weeks that the show has been existence that the jackpot has been hit. his is how it works: The radio show consists of seven telehone calls daily on the top disc jockeyhows, every day except Sunday. A qualifyg question (Who was the male star of Son of Paleface?"), worth $25 and a pair f guest tickets to one of the chain's four rst-run houses in St. Louis is offered. The ackpot question is only slightly tougher. In this case, it starts at $500 and builds, if not answered, $250 per week. All of this, of course, with commercials on the movie programs. A special 15-minute show Sunday evening consists of reviews and previews of current and fothcoming pictures, and one phone call is made on this show, also. F & M general manager Edward Arthur notes that the show has proven a "definite stimulant." opflight grosses registered by "The Thief in its oxy run were helped no little by the striking ont and rolling display which carried jour odels to publicize Rita Gam. Street bally used by E. M. Loew's for Hartford shotting of Columbia's "The Golden Hank" had this pair of lovelies parading down the central area, causing many heads to turn. The well-known House of Westmore cosmetics line will give some other well-known lines — those of Marilyn Monroe — a featured spot in its advertising. Advance credits to 20th-Fox's forthcoming "Niagara," starring Monroe, Joseph Gotten and Jean Peters, are being scored nationally in key magazines as part of a tie-up effected with the Westmore outfit. Promotion was launched with a fullpage color ad in the Oct. 13 issue of Life, continues this month with large-scale ads in the Dell group and in fan mags Modern Screen and Screen Stories. It won't stsp with magazine ads, however. There will be an extensive window and in-store campaign by Westmore's thousands of outlets nationwide. A veritable waterfall for "Niagara." * * * Scattering its advertising buckshot where it will do the most good via the national magazines, RKO has accorded "Blackbeard, the Pirate" a general and specialized ad campaign that should reach a 50,000,000 circulation. While the bulk, numerically, is in the big circulation weeklies including Life, Look, Colliers, Time and Newsweek, as well as newspaper supplements, the youth maga( Continued on Page IS) EDITORIAL Heflin's Campaiqn Personal appearances by stars in the hinterlands are, of course, one of the fundamentals in boosting movie business. A star's p. a. in the town, on the radio, on television, plus the newspaper interivews that are grabbed up by the dailies whenever the glamour gal or guy comes on the local scene in the flesh, has brought many a picture into the limelight that might have slipped by in the darkness of showmanship, lethargy. What a wonderful opportunity to plug pictures, as well as their own picture careers, falls to those stars who take time off from Hollywood to star in legitimate road shows? Whatever their reason for taking to the road — either to find out or to relive the satisfaction of performing before a live audience, or to fill in between pictures, or to bolster a slipping popuarity — theirs is the golden chance to boost Hollywood, its pictures and their own fan rating. Van Heflin's example in this direction can serve as a model. Heflin recently began a 20city road tour in the stage hit, "The Shrike." It also happens that Heflin is one of the stars of "Shane," a Paramount 1953 release. Working with special Paramount field representatives in each of the 20 cities, Heflin is interspersing his stage appearances with newspaper interview:, radio broadcasts, and addressing civic groups. He is carrying a suitcase full of promotion and publicity material for "Shane," including stills and mats. He ends the tour three full months of continuous publicity for "Shane" and a bonanza of good will for himself and for Hollywood. A great many of the stars who put in their two or three months of film making during the year, then spend the rest of their time lolling at cocktail parties, night clubs and yachting to Timbuctoo may realize too late the fable of the grasshopper and the ant. When the winter of audience forgetfulness comes, there will be pretty slim pickin's. And the helluvit is that they — as well as the industry that gave them their yachts — would have been a lot happier basking in audience adulation, giving satisfaction to others, and, of course, adding to their bank accounts, if they would follow Van Heflin's example . Timely is the word for Metro's stunt in Toronto. During one of the big football games, these young spectators, with sweat shirts supplied by MGM, gave ''lvanhoe" a ballylulu. FILM BULLETIN November 3. 1952 Page 17