Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1960)

This seemingly endless queue waiting to buy tickets for "On the Beach" during a special advance sale at the Park Theatre in Stockholm attests to the tremendous impact UA's global drum beating had in Sweden. As in other capitals around the world, Stockholm reported record grosses. Manpower and Money Keys To World-Wide Promotion GLOBAL SELL PAYS OFF During the past years, while TV has kept so many potential U.S. movie goers glued to their home screens, foreign revenues have been steadily rising, until now they account for up to 50% of a picture's potential profits. Industry reactions to this financial turnabout have been mixed. Some companies have taken a strange let-'em-eat-cake attitude toward Old World markets, expecting them to provide hefty revenues on mere promotion crumbs. Some companies, however, have made determined ballyhoo efforts to cash in on this growing market. In the very forefront of the drive to make the most of the world market is the dynamic United Artists organization, whose keen-sighted management team realizes that changing market conditions demand a bold new jet-age concept of international promotion. "We want to take full advantage of this one-world idea," observed president Arthur B. Krim, at UA's first international conference last year. Addressing UA sales and promotion executives from all over the world, Krim declared: "This is no longer a business of two paths — domestic and foreign. From now on we will be thinking of 158 exchanges in 58 countries." No longer would the foreign market be treated as a step-sister, getting mere rehashes of domestic campaigns. From now on, as Roger H. Lewis, vice president in charge of advertising, publicity and exploitation, pointed out at the same meeting, UA would "unify all of our promotional activities to carry our message through to every potential audience of the world. Our plan is to find out the specific needs and requirements of individual markets and then to fill these needs for maximum selling impact." For the first time, he continued, "we are thinking and acting on a global level . . . We intend to develop and exploit this vast potential on a scale that has never before been \ Mart oh Nut buns on (right), UA international publicity chief, is greeted by actress Keiko Asatni (center) and Geza Polaty, UA's Japanese branch manager, during recent global trip on behalf of "On the Beach.'' achieved." And many industryites, knocked on their ears by the spectacular world-wide campaigns with which UA backed "On the Beach" and "Solomon and Sheba" believe that the company has more than carried out its herculean plans. Literally translating Lewis' words into global action, UA pulled off the unprecedented coup of setting up its premiere for "On the Beach" in eighteen world capitals — including Moscow — on all seven continents. The Stanley Kramer production immediately became international front-page news! Not content with just this, the special Kramer global unit — the first truly world-wide promotion team in industry history — made sure that "On the Beach" continued making news everywhere. Headed by George Thomas, Jr., Kramer's publicity director, the unit stimulated more prestige for the openings by arranging to have them sponsored by local charity groups, and in many of the capitals Dec. 17 was officially proclaimed "On the Beach Day". Still more was to come. In line with Lewis' contention that promotion should .appeal to local needs, prominent artists in thirteen countries were commissioned (Continued on Page 19) Page 16 Film BULLETIN January 4, 1940