Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1953)

(Continued from Page 17) ibly so that M-G-M can decide on whether it's worth the extra expense — to Leo, of course. Trailers Whet Appetites Special "intermission trailers" have boosted drive-in concession sales 20 per cent, according to Detroit's Community Tiieatre circuit topper Irving Goldberg. Produced by Hygrade Food Products Corp. (hot dogs to you), who claim the "ciucial selling time" for drive-ins is within two minutes after the first feature ends, a series of six full-color, one-minute intermission trailers set the pace. They carry no brand identificataion, just try to whet the appetite. They're available, free, from the Hyg.ade people to those who carry the Hygrade-Kingan line Spillane, Stars Phi? 'I, The Jury' United Artists intends to get the first Mickey Spillane 3D thriller, "I, the Jury" off to a rousing start. Stars Biff Elliott and Peggie Castle were in Chicago lasc week for an exhaustive round of p.a.'s, interviews and publicity rounds to set up the w orld premiere in the Windy City, July 24. Spillane himself did the chores the preceding week. Elliot and Peggie climaxed their promotion by taking to the stage of the Chicago Theatre for a special five-a-day series of appearances on opening day and over the weekend Spillane's appearances, incidentally were as fabulous as his novels. During his three days in Chicago, he appeared on 30 radio and TV shows, and virtually round-the-clock interviews by leading columnists and critics. He even participated in a shooting contest with some of the best marksmen on the Chicago police force and was crime reporter for a day for the Chicago Sun-Times. Sheas "June Jubilee" Hypo The Shea Circuit's "June Jubilee of Hits" was the type of hypo this live-wire outfit injects— just in case. It never fails. With cash prizes as incentive, managers hopped to the task. Shea supplied some important ammo — letters from film executives and stars expressing gratification with the inclusion of their pictures as part of the lune Jubilee, thus lending prestige to the theatre and the film. Two winners in the competition were Bernie Hickey and John Walsh, managers of the Fulton, Pittsburgh. Jerry Baker, managing director of the RK Keith's in II ashington, worked a switch on t) ci er-popular bathing beauty contest. W'orkii with local radio s/unc. Bakei exploited winner the "girl from outer spacti" competition, set I the lobby piece above and used the girl as part the display, featuring an added gimmick — tl' world's largest 3D glasses. The Denver Theatre, Denver, perked up inter: and enthusiasm for W B's 3D "The Charge Feather River." Theatre pulled the kids attenti by dressing up a select group in colorful regal then jocussed interest of large crowds with pi odic war dances in front of theatre. Star junkets continue to pay off for local h I penetration. 20lh-Foxs "The Farmer Take* I Wife" was beneficiary of a two-week 16-city w in upper New York State, with Casey Ado>, Charlotte Austin and Mer-y Anders carrying H ball. Their public appearances, press, radio i TV interviews and meetings with communal i club groups boomed film's grosses. Shown al e are Casey (left) and Misses Austin and Am s with Kiwanis C'ub president in Watertown, N • Pressbook Award Many theatremen are apt to take for granted that invaluable aid to showmanship — the pressbook. For that reason, we devote this space in each issue of FILM BULLETIN to recognize those pressbooks that best serve the needs of theatre showmen. In this issue, the Pressbook Award goes to— "SO THIS IS LOVE" The world best remembers Grace Moore as the lovely songstress who reached the heights of the operetta stage, and, ultimately, the golden Metropolitan Opera, before her tragic death in an airplane crash several years ago. But as a selling gimmick for their film version of her life story, Warner Bros, have thrown the spotlight on her days as a Greenwich Village cellar cafe entertainer. The pressbook features from front to back this striking and provocative illustration of Grace Moore, the shimsham-shimmy girl. "When She Shimmied, the ShowWorld Shook!" The operatic numbers are there in the picture for those who want that Grace Moore, but there's hardly a trace of that phase of the film in the press material. She's hailed as the "Dazzling Darling from Jcllico, Tenn. — The Honeyvoiced Honey They Couldn't Stop Till She Reached the Show-World's glittering Top!" This emphasis on the lighter, gayer side of the Moore career strikes us as smart showmanship, hence this issue's Pressbook Award to the Warner boxofficers for the campaign manual on "So This Is Love". Page 18 FILM BULLETIN July 27, 1953