Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1957)

/lie Ttowyf MERCHANDISING 4 EXPLOITATION DEPARTMENT Allied Planning Its Own Business-Building Campaign Taking a dim view of the value and effectiveness of the Audience Awards Poll and the Academy Awards Sweepstakes, especially for sub-run theatres. Allied States Association, disclosed in its recent "white paper" on its relations with COMPO that it is "considering some form of contest to be conducted by its members". The report states: "There is an imperative need for a businessbuilding program and the need of the subsequent-run theatres is greatest of all. No representative of theatres of that class would dare oppose a business building plan that gave promise of benefit to them. But discussions at Allied meetings have raised grave doubts as to whether Audience Polls and Academy Awards Sweepstakes, as heretofore conducted, are of benefit to any except the key metropolitan houses." In a survey made by Allied via mail questionnaire to exhibition leaders in various parts of the country, it was revealed that both the Poll and the Sweepstakes were a "total failure so far as the subsequent-run and small town exhibitors are concerned". The "white paper" belittles the vague success claims made for the Sweepstakes in light of the results produced by the Allied study. Ining Dollinger, board chairman of Allied Theatre Owners of New Jersey, has been requested to study the contest idea, in which "European tours or something equally attractive" would be offered as prizes. Exhibitors are requested to submit their suggestions to Dollinger. "What Allied wishes to avoid is the futility of asking patrons to vote on pictures that have not yet been shown in the theatres where the ballots are distributed,*' the pamphlet states. "The motion picture business throughout its career has been prolific of ideas", the report declares, and Allied refuses to believe that representatives of all industry elements putting their heads together could not devise a promotional scheme that would be beneficial to all elements and hence worthy of support of all elements." At a New York meeting last week, COMPO declared that it was going ahead with its business building plan. Chief features of the program include the Audience Awards Poll, Academy Awards Sweepstakes, visits to editors and publishers, and industry short subject, and a radio promotion test. -A Taking aim at his favorite audience — kids from nine-to-ninety — Walt Disney is beating the promotional drums for his forthcoming "Perri" via a syndicated 21 -week color cartoon strip scheduled to kick off July 7 in the Sunday comic section of 55 key-city newspapers. Skouras Announces Special 'Eve' Distribution, Promotion "A highly specialized distribution and promotion program" designed to garner top grosses in every stage of the release of "The Three Faces of Eve" was announced by Spyros P. Skouras, president of 20th Century-Fox at a recent home office confab of sales, promotional and international executives. Tabbing the forthcoming CinemaScope production as "one of the most important motion picture subjects ever turned out by the studio," Skouras classified the film as comparable in boxoffice potential to two former provocative 20th dramas — "The Snake Pit" and "Gentleman's Agreement". He predicted that the Nunnally Johnson production will be a top boxoffke attraction by virtue of planned pre-selling. "Three Faces of Eve," the story of a woman who possesses three distinct personalities, is scheduled for late summer release in New York to be followed up by carefully selected dates throughout the nation capitalizing on the national promotional buildup that will be developed via every type of communications outlet — radio, TV, magazines and newspapers. Among the executives participating in the meeting with Mr. Skouras: Buddy Adler, studio production chief W. C. Michel, executive vice president; vice president Charles Einfeld and key members of his promotion staff, general sales manager Alex Harrison, and secretarytreasurer Donald Henderson. Departing from the tried-and-tired, Metro ad chief Si Seadler came up with this novel poster for New York City's Plaza Theater to announce a four-day facelifting operation in preparation for "The Happy Road", by happy coincidence a Metro release. Bypassing the usual "closed for alterations" format, Seadler contrived quite a few plugs for the film and its benefit premiere.