Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1956)

EXPLOITATION PICTURE That "Itch" Man's Back-For Big B. D. Scratch "The Lieutenant Wore Skirts" is twiceblessed in the exploitation fold. Not only does it boast a story loaded with belly-laugh situations on which the showman can hang a rackful of exploitables, but it shines brightly in the afterglow of the delightfully successful "The Seven Year Itch", with Tom Ewell, the star who won fame chasing Marilyn Monroe, transferring his aim to another charmer, Sheree North. "That Seven Year Itch Man Is On The Loose Again" exemplifies the latter blessing, while another catchline, "The lieutenant was a lady . . . Her husband was a wack . . . Who drove the Air Force crazy . . . 'Til he got her back!" capsules the frolicsome farcicles in the script. Both get bang-up treatment with clever art in the versatile batch of ads and poster material concocted by the ballylads of 20th Century-Fox. Prominent, too, in making the most of Ewell's popularity windfall from his earlier film is the phrasing, "Keeping up with his itches will have you in stitches!", blithely indicating a continuance of the hilarity inspired by "Itch". Whatever campaign is used, this phase should be capitalized for a tidy exploitation bonus. But there is plenty of rich fodder for showman activities in the rollicking script about a WAF lieutenant and her husband, who flunked his Air Force physical and fought a running battle with the USAF to get his wife out of the service. This thesis alone is well calculated to pique the public's fancy and a whole campaign can be plotted to center around this happy hub. A "What Would You Do" contest is indicated, with plenty of variations for male or female spots. Or, in keeping with Ewell's forced to become a "housewife" in the picture, a newspaper contest asking women to write, "Why My Husband Is Handy Around the House". Another facet of the campaign should capitalize on the WAF angle. Even if there are no Air Force bases near the town, the showman can exploit this by honoring exWAF officers, or any ex-service women at the opening. Local newspapers can be induced to run stories inviting ex-WAFs to get in touch with the theatre manager to participate in a special salute to the Women's Air Force as a feature of the theatre premiere. There is real heart interest in locating local couples who may have undergone a similar experience. The theatreman could make a deal with the local newspaper to print a short synopsis of the picture — no mean selling angle in itself — and announce that the newspaper, in cooperation with the theatre, will offer free admissions to those who substantiate their story. Of course, newspaper photos of the couple(s) along with the story is a sure-fire stimulant. 20th is offering a wealth of material for a radio and TV campaign, both for local use and on a national scale. The latter is a fiveway program comprising an advance TV publicity buildup, a special radio teaser campaign, a regular radio campaign, a filmed TV advertising campaign, and slides and telops. The advance segment was launched late last year when Ewell starred in NBC-TV's "Playwrights '56" dramatic show, followed by guest shots on the Perry Como show and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". On Jan. 11, "The Twentieth Century-Fox Hour" featured a day with Sheree North, presenting a brand new "North Star" to the public, with scenes from the picture. Local campaign includes six free radio spots, two free TV trailers and two 10-second slides. SIX-SHEET The novelty song from the film, "Rock Around the Island" is getting a music promotion by Coral Records for their disk by I The Lancers. A series of special letters and promotional pieces have gone out to top disk jockeys and TV-radio program directors tying in with the film. A series of accessories will be used to tie in local record and depart ment stores for participation in co-op cam paigns with exhibitors. A clever herald combining the teaser ar in the ad shown below, at left, on the cove with a running set of quip-captioned situ ation stills will be an important selling aic Rounding off the campaign is an attractiv series of posters and accessories, featurin cartoon art of Ewell eyeing the stridin shapely WAF, as in the 6-sheet shown abov< Here, too, there is a similarity to "Itchj even to a catchline on some of the posters! "He's got that "itch" again . . . this time it I for Sheree." Tie lieutenant was a lady. . . Her husband was a wack . . . Who drove the Air Force crazy. . . Til he got her backl Tom EvjeW Sheree islortk i ~r1a, €o«^k a**C THE Lieutenant wore SKIRTS ju I h r I i NEWSPAPER AD "THE LIEUTENANT WOBE SKIRTS'' Frank Tashlin, who used to be a writer for Bob Hope, must have had a whale of a time writing and directing "The Lieutenant Wore Skirts". The breezy situation-comedy is loaded with opportunities for the fast quip, rollickir predicaments and the unique Tom Ewell brand of rubber-faced mugging th clicked so happily in "The Seven Year Itch". The script wastes no time puttiill Ewell in a fix, as wife Sheree North, a former WAF lieutenant learing that h husband is being called back to the Air Force, re-enlists to be with Tom wh he goes overseas. Only Ewell is rejected for a "psychosomatic knee" and Sher sails for Hawaii as a WAF, paving the way for a round of ebullient situatio as the distraught husband drives the Air Force crazy trying to get her bat. Having ti ailed her to Honolulu, he finds himself locked out of sharing her loo ing as a "dependent". To remedy this, Ewell turns beachcomber, rents a shac and hires a stripper to be his native girl servant (opposite page). Sheree hJI tily changes her mind about sharing hei quarters. In desperate efforts to hel her discharged, Ewell tries to work "section 8" — G.I. slang for insanity — to c< vince her she is wacky and unfit for service. He blows reveille at 2:30 in j morninp (opposite page), puts eggs in her bed, makes her believe she is a so nambulist, and appeals to the base psychiatrist, only to have her discover game and put him in hotter water. It all comes out happily, however. Page 30 Film BULLETIN January 23, l»5»