Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1957)

EXPLOITATION PICTURE Impact of Super-Shock Ads Makes "Black Scorpion" Showman's Delight! Having picked up a tidy bundle by exploiting horror in such earlier shockers as "The House of Wax", "Beast from 20,000 Fathoms", "Phantom of the Rue Morgue" and, most recently, "The Curse of Frankenstein," Warner Bros, now aims to top em all in scare fodder with "The Black Scorpion" — and thereby hangs an exploitation tale for the showman. To most people, there is nothing more shuddery than a giant insect; ergo, the proponent of this film is a huge arachnid — or, more properly a swarm of them — slithering one hundred and fifty feet from fang to tail! The only thing more fearsome than a bloody creature is a creature with NO blood; ergo, our monster is bloodless — "that's why he wants yours!" scream the ads. The terror is introduced to the screen in the David Duncan-Robert Blees scenario following a series of earthquakes in Mexico that leave huge crevasses from which pour the Things. Virtually indestructible, the monstrous scorpions grab up every human being in their path until the Mexican Army manages to lay them low — all except one which escapes to attack Mexico City. Under the shadow of the metropolis, a battle rages between the tiny humans and the lashing monster that sees the final demolition of the giant scorpion leav ing thousands of pale, shaken humans to nightmares the rest of their lives. Whether anything more horrific has ever been filmed is a moot question we won't debate here. But Warners is selling it as the horror A pair of mats to enable inexpensive quantity reproduction locally are the monster mask (above) and the simple but effective herald which folds into a four-page scaresheet. picture that has pulled out all the stops, and has worked up an ad campaign for the eager showmen that makes no bones about it. A group of the ad approaches are shown on the opposite page, with portions of the copy ripped out to point up the text as well as the scare catchlines. Curiously, the ads, primeval as they may seem at first glance, are designed to snatch up not only the horror fans — which they assuredly will do in whirlwind style — but to pique the interest and curiosity of those who can take horror pictures or leave 'em with such wry warnings as: "We Urge You Not To Panic or Bolt from Your Seats", such advice as "Don't Be Ashamed To Scream. It Helps Relieve the Tension!", such reservations as: "The SPECIAL TRAILER The usual trailer employing scenes from the film was discarded by Warners' boxofficers and replaced by one specially produced to carry through the striking scare effects that marks the entire "Scorpion" campaign. It is said to be a real shocker. Management Reserves the Right To Put Up the Lights Any Time the Audience Becomes Too Emotionally Disturbed." This may bring a smile to the more sophisticated moviegoer, but in more cases than not, will create a challenging want-to-see that should sweep a large fringe of the lukewarm-to-horror-pictures public into the theatre. Much of the advertising designed for the newspaper is versatile enough to be adapted to shock displays and gag displays alike. The art is simple enough to blow up to sizeable proportions with the blast: "He'll Get You — Scared Stiff!" or a "See This? We Defy You Not To Get a Genuine Case of the Horrors When You See It on the Screen!" Or it can take the form of straight large type reader copy asking "Are We Too 'Nervy' Showing 'The Black Scorpion'?", with follow-up wording similar to that in ad at upper right of opposite page. Obviously, there are gimmicks and stunts galore to go along with the "scariest" aspect. The nurse in the lobby with smelling salts for those who are shocked senseless; a periodic recorded moan, followed by the admonition to scream to relieve the tension; even a dummy Highlights from the various display ads underline the all-out play on terror and the macabre — with clever tongue-incheek notes — that promises "You Haven't Really Seen Horror on the Screen Till You See the Horror of 'The Black Scorpion'!" FRUSTRATION DESPERATION light switch near the door with a placard advising the patron to see the manager to put up the lights if the screen goings get too rough. The enterprising showman can go on and on with such gags, sure to arouse nervously lighthearted reaction and especial awareness of the film where given an advance play. Another exploitaid is the radio series of six spots on one record, given a unique and chillingly humorous treatment that lends itself to lobby treatment as well as airwave use. Basically, experience has shown there is an apparently limitless audience for the well-sold horror picture. Warners has supplied a precision set of selling tools in the advertising campaign for "The Black Scorpion" that should delight the exploitation craftsmanager. Page 26 Film BULLETIN October 14, 1957