Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1960)

COAST-TO-COAST. Above, vintage cars street bally was arranged to back "Elmer Gantry" engagement at Washington, D.C.'s RKO Keith's by manager Jerry Baker, UA fieldmen under supervision of regional field boss Max Miller. Tie-in with anti-jaywalking drive ciicumvented Capital's ban on street stunts. Below, giant float tours major Los Angeles traffic areas for week prior to film's opening. UA's Bill Scholl handled the preparations. SHOWMAN COMBAT. Guy Gabaldon, whose war-hero life story is pictured in Allied Artists' "Hell to Eternity", helps man machine gun with uniformed combat Marine in lobby of Des Moines, Iowa, Paramount. &* ftp »m* DRESSY WINDOW. Saks Fifth Avenue shop in Detroit devoted front window to "CanCan" display, plugging run at Madison Theatre. Souvenir programs are draped aiound mannequin wearing one of original $750. "Can-Can" dresses made for film and obtained by local 20th-Fox branch. It is estimated over half-a-million people passed window each week. HYPNOTISM. Mind-reader-hypnotlst Ro:hel!e Forest projects patron at N. Y.'s Warner Theatre into year 800,000 A.D. as promotional stunt for M-G-M's "The Time Machine." Mysterious lady worked in speciallyconstructed lobby booth, reading futures of fans gratis. 'Concept of Years' Governs U's Campaign for 'Spartacus' An excellent example of the modern trend to carefully planned, long-range promotion of highbudgeted pictures set for extended, hard-ticket runs is the promotional schedule for I'niversal's SI 2, 000, ()()() Bryna production of "Spartacus". It's being mapped out not in terms of weeks or months, but in terms of years. This, and a number of other interesting items, was discussed recently at a three-day "Spartacus" orientation meeting presided over by executive coordinator of sales and advertising JetT Livingston, and attended by vice president David A. Lipton; Bryna ad-publicity head Stan Margulies: U's Eastern ad-publicity director Philip Gerard; circuit ad-pub representatives; ad-publicityexploitation staff members, and special "Spartacus" personnel. Since then, of course, numerous additional aspects of the mammoth campaign have been disclosed — all in the pattern of a continuing and seemingly never-ending stream of cinema salesmanship. The concept of "years" instead of the normal campaign durations, according to Livingston, applies not only to national promotion on the picture, but to the local level drives as well, since all initial engagements of "Spartacus" have been cleared to run one, two or more years. Where local campaigns in key cities generallv are started several weeks in advance of opening, the "Spartacus" pushes are being kicked off as long as six months in advance by the use of such showman devices as trailers, lobby displays, cross-trailers, display material and the solicitation of group sales through special mailings. And, added Livingston, where field exploiteers normally are sent in two or three weeks in advance of openings, "Spartacus" field men are being sent in not less than eight weeks prior to playdates. Perhaps the most eve-opening idea of all in the long-range "Spartacus" setup is that once a campaign hits its peak at the time of opening, it must then be sustained for 20, 30, 40 or more weeks as the picture continues its engagement. That's the ultimate in present-day planning — and a real test of showmanship strength and ingenuity. jfll CAMPAIGN PLANS for roadshow run of UA's "The Alamo", beginning Oct. 26 at Gotham's Rivoli, were mapped at meeting of 60 Skoura; Theatres managers led by president Salah M. Hassanein, flanked here by UA vice president Roger H. Lewis (right), Russell Birdwell, producerdirector-star John Wayne's representative. All Skouras houses will assist in advance sale drive aimed at schools, community, civic groups throughout N. Y. area. Film BULLETIN September S. 19*0 Page If