Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1960)

M-G-M Gets Unexpected Reactions in Test Stunt Has instinct betrayed showmen into directing their ballyhoo of such passionately female stars as Gino Lollobrigida to the wrong segment of the population? One might jump to just that conclusion after perusing the results of a psychological test (taken during a screening of Metro's "Never So Few") which pointed out that while the men in the audience, watching the fiery Italian star taking a bath, recorded a sufficiently high pulse and blood pressure rating, the gals' leaped even higher. But a further reading of the report by Lee Morgan, head of the Scientific Introduction Service, which conducted the tests, gives instinct back its own by showing that men had their most violent reaction when Miss Lollobrigida first appeared on the screen, dressed in an evening gown. Explaining the seeming paradox, Miss Morgan stated that in this scene, when Frank Sinatra meets his costar for the first time, male viewers, recognizing "that these two volatile personalities will now become joined in the plot of the motion picture . . . responded with an emotional explosion." During this meeting, the women's reactions, while not as high as the men's, were still "way above normal." "The audience recognized Sinatra and Lollobrigida," she continued, "as being 'ideal mates' in terms of the promise of excitement. On the other hand, earlier in the film, when Sinatra meets a pretty Red Cross nurse, who is eager for a night on the town, the audience hardly responded at all. It knew that the combination wasn't right," Miss Morgan concluded. The stunt screening, which Metro used to ballyhoo "Never So Few's" New York opening, revealed the ladies hitting their highest bloodpressure rating while watching scenes inspiring fear of fire, also reacting strongly during love scenes. Men scored higher as a result of battle sequences. On the whole, the psychologist found, women were more emotionally affected than men by M-G-M's current release. "Audience reaction," Miss Morgan summed up, "to scenes of love, passion, and war scenes involving fear of fire, revenge, and retaliation in 'Never So Few' was as strong as those emotional reactions resulting from strenuous physical exertion." S.F. Showman Sics 'Mouse' On Lion-Sized Competitors Seeing the walloping "defeat" that the tiny Grand Duchy of Fenwick gave the mighty United States (in "The Mouse That Roared"), San Francisco showman Irving M. Levin figured that a similar "declaration of war" might create as impressive a boxoffice victory for his Vogue Theatre showing of the Columbia release. Starting off with the challenging "HONESTLY ... The GREATEST Film in San Francisco," the playful Examiner ad went on to "vanquish" the opposition with such olympian claims as "More spectacular than BENHUR' . . . More provocative than ON THE BEACH' ". The blood pressure of rival showmen may very well have hit the boiling point by the time they read the clincher line: "Honestly, we're only kidding, but judge for yourself . . ." followed by the advice to patrons that, after seeing "The Mouse," they ought to catch the other shows named, listing their theatres. The outcome of the "war," according to Levine, was one of the biggest triumphs a comedy has ever had at his art house. BIONDI TO MIRISCH Guy Biondi, veteran film drumbeater, has been added to the Mirisch Company's advertising, publicity and exploitation staff, as eastern representative. Biondi, who had previously supervised field operations for Mike Todd's "Around the World in Eighty Days," will now work under vice president Leon Roth as liaison and coordinator between the company and its exclusive distributor, United Artists. Another recent Mirisch appointee, Jerry Ludwig, will act as Roth's aide. During << special stunt screening, //>< w tests weri hi. i<l, oj i In audience's emotional reactions to M-G M'i "Nevet So /,«." Col. Beats Jazz Drum For 'Gene Krupa Story' Jazz buffs who settled down on the floor of New York's Forum Theatre to enjoy two hours of drum rolling by all-time favorite Gene Krupa had Columbia to thank for the favor. Company drumbeaters, seeing a natural for promoting their holiday release, "The Gene Krupa Story," got Martin Block to use his entire "Make Believe Ballroom" radio show as a tribute to the famous drummer. Broadcast live from the Forum, where the Philip A. Waxman production had its premiere, the program also featured interviews with the Krupa and Sal Mineo, who plays the drummer in the film biog. UA Tie-In on the Beam Proving that its promotion program for "Happy Anniversary" is on the beam — the Sunbeam, that is — LInited Artists has been ballyhooing its current comedy release through 5,000 outlets and distributors of the electric appliancefilm in 33 major markets, nationwide. LIPTON Upton Predicts Millions To Get 'Spartacus' Message As 1959 drew to its end, prognosticators may have looked to the coming year with bewild ment, but for radio listeners at least one fact was made clear: "I960 is the year of 'Spartacus' and 'Spartacus' is the picture of the year." And doing some prognosticating of his own, David A. Lipton, U.I vice-president, expected incalculable millions would "get the message." Continuing its policy to presell the $10,000,000 Bryna production nationwide long in advance of release, Universal set up what was probably the most intensive radio campaign a major movie has ever enjoyed. All within a few hours on New Year's Eve, radio listeners were literally bombarded with 3,870 separate "Spartacus" dispatches over 690 stations on all three major networks. 'The Story on Page One' Gets 20th-Fox Fashion Play Worknig on the theory that the front-p£ feature in almost every woman's book is fashion story, 20th Century-Fox has whipped up a high-style promotion to ballyhoo its January release, "The Story on Page One." Tying-ir with Kay Windsor Fashions of New York which is providing special labels for its w intei dress line reading, "This year, Kay Windsor i 'The Story on Page One' " — the 20th campaigr will make a direct appeal to presell the Jerr) Wald production to 250,000 women. In what is believed to be the most extensivt fashion-film co-promotion, the dress manufac turer and distributor will emphasize the front page values of both its dresses and the ne^ Fox film with a full-scale ad program in news papers, national magazines, garment trad papers and the women's press in key cities simultaneous with January engagements. In addition, Windsor sales representatives am toil department-store drumbeaters will worl hand-in-glovc with 20th branch ad-publicit; managers in rounding out the extensive grass roots campaign to make the picture one of thi most completely presold in Fox history. Page 18 Film BULLETIN January A, I960