Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1952)

Exploitation and Merchandising (Continued from Page 27) newspaper reviewers, syndicated writers, disc jockeys and music scores were on ilic receiving end of a mailing piece, together with an album of the songs from the sound track of "Stars and Stripes Forever"'. The literature was from MGM Records Disc Data, which headlines the Technicolor musical about John Philip Sousa, detailing his career, his compositions and the filming of the biography. The album, first 20th-Fox filmusica] package on the MGM label, is getting one of the strongest national and local level campaigns in MGM Records' histor v. NOVEMBER 27 Jjkifi} PtN! MODELS & MODEL In Pittsburgh, the model of the Mayflower touring the country gets the added benefit of a pair of models in original costumes. Stunt was originated by William Elder and Herb Read of Loew's Penn. New England had probably its most intensive coverage of any movie when motion picture editors and critics from New England newspapers converged at the Old C olony in Plymouth, Mass. for the special invitational showing prior to the mass New England openings Nov. 25. With the bluebloods of the Mayflower Society as sponsors, citizens of the town, in Pilgrim costume, reenacted the historic signing of the Mayflower Compact in a pageant before the screening, The replica of the Mayflower, now on tour, was also present for the ceremonies. Helen Dcutsch, Metro screen writer who did the script for the Dore Schary production, was on hand in Boston and Plymouth, meeting the press and being interviewed on radio, to do a bang-up publicity job for the big do. * * * A free ad in Collier's and Look is available to exhibitors booking 20th CenturyPox's showmanship contest picture, "The Thief of Venice}" — if the booking is set early enough. Fbk is running a two-page spread in the January 31 issue of Colliers, due on the newsstands Jan. 23, and in the Feb. 10 issue of Look, out Jan. 27. Theatres who book the picture to play before March 1 and set the booking before Dec. 20 will l ave the name of the theatre, city and state in the spread in both magazines with a combined readership of some 35,000,000. The mags are soliciting all exhibitors to get the free billing, asking them to notify 20th-Fox of their intention to play the film before the Dec. 20 deadline. The three key cities on the Mississippi as well as scores of other towns on Old Man River, will be the beneficiaries of UniversalInternationaPs plani for the debut of its biggest of the year, "Mississippi Gambler". The Mississippi River saturation premiere was set in motion last week when U-I Eastern ad-publicity manager Charles Simonelli trekked to the three keys, St. Louis, Memphis, and New Orleans, to stai t the machinery. Simonelli is meeting with executives of the Fanchon & Marco chain in St. Louis, the Malco circuit in Memphis and the RKO network in New Orleans for the elaborate plans involved in the week of premieres along the Mississippi. Three more stores have been tied in with the New York showing of Samuel Goldwyn's "Hans Christian Andersen". Following the co-ops for all of Macy's Broadway Yvindows for the film and Bonwit TelleCs six Fifth Avenue windows, Mark Cross and Gsorg Jensen are also giving their valuable Fifth Avenue space to displays on the picture. In Brooklyn, Abraham & Straus displays the ballet wedding gown worn by Jcanmaire in . their fourth floor restaurant which, serves more than 16,000 people a week, with posters calling attention to the ('isplay in all of the store's elevators and windows. 20th-Fox has a sure-fire gimmick in its nationwide high school and college hand contest to focus interest on its film story of John Philip Sousa, "Stars and Stripes Forever". In keeping with the Sousa tradition of big bands, the competition will be open to all school bands of 50 or more pieces, with two national winners to be selected — one from high schools, the other from colleges. Judging will be on the basis of each band's recording of the March King's "Stars and Stripes Forever" and one optional Sousa composition. These will be sent to the Marine Corps recruiting representative nearest to the school. A pair of state winners will be named and the 96 finalist records go to New York for final judging. Sousa's long association with the U. S. Marine Band has ensured the lull cooperation of the Marine Corps Reserve Districts and Recruiting branches throughout the country. *Sliort Subjects (Continued from Page 26) exhibitors, many of whom had traveled hundreds of miles for the purpose, met with congressman Wayne N. Aspinall to present facts and figures showing the unjust nature of the tax. The meeting was held prior to election and the congressman, after hearing the exhibitors' plea, not only pledged himself to vote for repeal, but advised the theatremen how the industry should proceed after Congress convenes to get the tax killed. In a statement, Rep. Aspinall termed motion picture entertainment "one of the integral parts of our civilization" and promised that "if this tax means the closing of large and small theatres, you're going to see this tax taken off". Kudoes to exhibitor Robert Walker of Fruita, Colo., for organizing the meeting, gathering facts and figures and doing the leg work OF MEN AND THINGS: J. Arthur Rank, G. I. Woodham-Smith and Robert Benjamin have resigned from the Universal board of directors. Benjamin takes his portfolio to UA as chairman of the board . . . The industry mourned the passing of Isaac E. PIONEER OF THE YEAR Nate Blumberg (center) accepts the plaque as Pioneer of 1952 from Ned Depinet as Pioneer president Jack Cohn looks on. Chadwick, 68, president of tne Independent Motion Picture Producers and Distributors Association, in tnat post since 1924 . . . Arnold M. Picker, who resigned as executive vice-president of RKO Radio before taking office, continues with United Artists as a stockholder and v. p. in charge of foreign distribution . . . UA v. p. Max Youngstein has accepted the post of public relations chairman of the 25th anniversary committee of the National Conference of Christians and Jews . . . 20th Fox president Spyros P. Skouras has '.een named honorary chairman of the annual American Fund for Israel Institutions' dinner concert, which pays tribute to impressario Sol Hurok next month in the Waldorf's Grand Ballroom. fage 28 FILM BULLETIN December I. 1952