Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1952)

%L BULLETIN Exploitation & Merchandising l)EVM\Ti\\ENT One of the biggest showmanship drives 1 any one area by a theatre chain gets nderway December 1 to run for a solid ix months under the auspices of W arner tos'., Philadelphia zone. During a twoay meeting in the Quaker City, zone lanager Ted Schlanger, flanked by home |ffice executives from New York and disibutors, told the assemblage of circuit jrsonnel of a "Showmanship Crusade" that ids fair to top any theatre ballyhoo that iwn has ever seen. A budget of $125,0(10 is been set for the drive, including prizes 'i theatregoers and cash to theatre manners. The campaign will encompass a vast nount of giveaways in an effort to make ie community "Motion Picture in e-Theatre Conscious". A jackpot prize of a full furnished ranch >me with a 1953 car in the garage, heads j: array of moviegoer awards which iniides cars, mink cots, television sets, dish ishers, gas ranges, and others too numerds to mention. The promotions will emlice every known method of merchandisi:, with every age of moviegoer from lldies to the mink-coat set on the receiving Ji. Additional incentive to the theatre manfirs will be some $3700 in bonds for the i ividual campaigns that realize the best ijrease in grosses over last year, plus anil er $1000 from the distributors for the <| standing campaign on each company's ipase. Lhe initial meeting, Oct. 28, brought a 'N3 circuit home office delegation headed b president Harry Kalmine, in addition to ljamount ad publicity head Jerome Pickfln, publicity executive Stirling Silliphant <3|l representatives of all distributors. The ■<j:uit's district managers are Lester Jpger, A. J. Vanni, Paul S. Castello and Jlk M. Flynn. ■1 * * * l.xhibitors can pick up a glamorous 101<I vacation for themselves, as well as ?, jji'St in boxofftce, for their participation in Wi-Fox's "The Thief of Venice". An airfcjnc-all expense trip for two to the Italian c will go to the theatreman "organizing the most energetic and productive" campaign up to June 6, l°53j The doublebarreled merchandising plan also includes a top-level national magazine ad campaign, topped by two-page spreads in Collier's and Look, which should reach some 25,000,000 readers. Moreover, the national insertions offer a strong local point-of-sale tack, with exhibitors playing the picture before March 1 having their theatre and playdate featured in the spreads, and field representatives of Look and Collier'si cooperating with the theatres to initiate playdate events and joint promotions. Sounds like a can't-lose deal. * * * Two of New York's top department stores are having a field day with Samuel Goldwyn's RKO release of "Hans Christian Andersen," due for its world premiere November 24 at the Criterion for the benefit of the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital, and starting a two-theatre NY run the next day. Macy's is using a "Hans Christian Andersen" motif in its fashion, children's wear and toy departments for Christmas season displays, tied in with a strong merchandising co-op with several manufacturers and newspaper advertising. Bonwit Teller's is devoting their six Fifth Avenue windows to a "top-secret" display which will be unveiled on November 18th. Scuttlebutt at the store is that the displays will be among the most striking ever designed by the store, which has a nationwide reputation for unusual window dressings. * * * RKO Radio sales chief Charles Boasberg is testing "Blackbeard the Pirate" Thanksgiving Week in four key runs, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington. The idea is to work out the best ad-publicity-exploitation pattern in actual use, to serve as a model for future engagements, with modifications to meet individual local requirements. L'niversal-International is currently in the midst of a three-way promotional tie-up involving leading department stores in towns and cities throughout the country, on behalf of "Because of You". The tie-up, is centered RKO'S BOASBERG Testing around the "Bin Payoff" video show, sponsored by Colgate Palmolivc Peet Co., and is based on the program's nationwide search for a "Because of You" Girl. The participating department stores are asking their customers to help select via photographs a local "Because of You" Girl and the lucky lass will be sponsored by the store in each town. The winner, to be named by a board of judges in New York, gets a nineweek contract on the TV show, a modeling course, a week's expense-paid tour of New York and such. Locally, the winning girls will get wardrobes from the stores and their sponsors will receive Helbros wrist watches. In each city, the local theatres and TV stations will be tied in with the promotion. * * * Walt Disney Productions has always put on a big promotion show for its films, but with "Peter Pan", it looks like they're planning on a new high — and intend to keep exhibitors posted on everything they do to (Continued on Page 14) 20-Fox,s "Bloodhourds of Broadway", based cn the Runyon story, is aptly spotlighted in a colorful window display at "Harry the Horse's" Sportsman's Cafe. A party honoring real-life Runyon characters last week added to the effectiveness. FILM BULLETIN November 17, 1952 Page 11 • the dais at the W arner Showmanship Crusade meeting: Henry Eherle. Dan Triester, Ted Minsky, ul Castello. Harry Goldberg. Carl Siegel, Stirling Silliphant. Lester Krieger, Ted Schlanger, rr\ Kalmine. Jerome Pickman. W. Steward McDonald . Everett C. Callo. A. J. Vanni. J. Ellis Shipin, Herman Levins, J. M. Flynn and Robert L. Mills.