Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1962)

TV&at t&e S&owwm /tie 'Douty! Tribute from Movie Columnist for UA Press-Agent: 'He Ain't a Phony' 'BOYS' OH BOY. Above, at dinner before showing of "Boys' Night Out" at Loew's Capitol, I. to r.: Laurence A. Tisch, president and chairman of Loew's Theatres; Mrs. Joseph E. Leu.ne; star Tony Randall; Mrs. Tisch, and Levine, head of Embassy Pictures, which produced the film for M-G-M release. Below, producer Martin Ransohoff greets star Kim Novak at premiere. 50,000 See 'Terror' Trailer Columbia has cooked up a showcase for its striking theatre trailer on "Experiment in Terror" that promises an audience of over 50,000 per day for the next four weeks. As part of the heavy promotion campaign for the Criterion (New York) engagement of the picture, "Terror" is being sold to more than 50,000 commuters per day in Gotham's Grand Central Station. On the lower level of the terminal building, a special projection screen is continuously carrying the trailer on the film. I. Moritz, c, sales chief Leon P. Blender talk to driver I. Moritz, c, sales chief Leon Blender talk to driver of hearse ballyhooing L. A. bow of "The Premature Burial." The film chalked up big business. One of the prime requisites of a good press agent is that he gain the full and unstinting confidence of the editor with the jaundiced eye, an elusive accomplishment for many. With dozens of handouts to place each week, photos to get into print and, generally, titles of pictures to get before the reading and viewing public, the publicist must exercise every one of his p.r. talents to keep the channels to the editor's desk well oiled and flowing smoothly with cinema information. If he beats the drums too loudly, overplays the hyperbole, hails every film as an Oscar entry, he quickly acquires the reputation of a phony. On the other hand, the overly relaxed, all-too-sane approach, might find him often beaten to the free-space by more enterprising contemporaries. Of course, if he builds a solid reputation for steering writers to the truth and being there firstest with the mostest, he proves an invaluable promotional aid to the film company at a local level. And, if his name happens to be Max Miller, United Artists' ever-alert publicity man for the PhiladelphiaWashington area, he even gets a story written about him by a big-city movie columnist. In a recent edition of The W ashington Daily News, James O'Neill, Jr. penned a tribute to Miller's enegry and veracity under a headline that must have made the homeoffice promotioneers beam with pride: "About 'Jessica.' NewMovie Is O.K. if Max Miller Says It Is." O'Neill's piece about the press agent opened thusly: "He wears a six-bit heater in his face, a grey fedora and usually carries a bale of photographs and canned press releases under the arm which doesn't wave the heater. The Schine Exhibitors Plug Product thru Stunts, Tie-ins If you have any doubts that the Schine exhibitors are constantly dreaming up new ways to promote their product, take a look at the latest issue of Reel News, published by the circuit's publicity department. It's a tribute to their strong sense of showmanship. A couple of the most impressive stunts and tie-ins are described below: John Sparling, of the Ashland (Ohio) Theatre, engineered a clever tie-in with a local dycleaning establishment for his showing of "Mysterious Island." He borrowed a dirigibleshaped balloon from the store and attached a 15-foot banner to it, featuring copy that plugged both the playdate and the cleaners. For his showing of "El Cid", at the Granada, in Buffalo, manager Joe Garvey developed a smart tie-up with Sears Roebuck. The famous store gave him windows for displays in five of their locations, sent out 40,000 heralds to their charge customers stressing the fact that 'Cid' tickets would be on sale in their stores. There also were effective tie-in ads. Man from Philadelphia who trades, for United Artists' under the name of Max Miller is one of the jewels of press agentry. What I mean is, he ain't a phony. He doesn't shoot from the hip, or come up late with the information, the details, the invitations, the angles, the photographs, the cabs, the waiters or the movie stars he is paid to promote. " 'What's the rumble, Maxie?' I wondered. 'Jessica,' it's called. 'It's a religious picture, in a way. Maurice Chevalier plays a priest. Angie Dickinson plays a mid-wife. How'd ya like to use this picture of her ... '{' A rear-end view . . . " 'Sorry, Maxie, we're a family newspaper. A picture like that would cause some raised eyebrows.' " 'O.K., so use this one. It's a profile.' The movie, by the way, will arrive at the Apex, April 9, and should prove interesting . . . "Max is not often deluded by producers who attempt to push off a dog on the public and try to get a maximum effort from the press. While he gives away no confidence, Max Miller is just as apt to tell a producer to go shout down a rain barrel as he is to lead a reporter by the nose thru a maze of conventional Hollywood nonsense." Obviously, the newspaperman's traditional wariness of anything that glitters like the tinsel from movieland is evident in the words of the Washington scribe. But Max Miller is one publicist who doesn't have to worry about getting a fast deal from the press. He's guaranteed himself a sympathetic audience every time he comes around to tell his story. Rand Joins Embassy Harold Rand, below, will move over to Embassy Pictures as director of publicity, effective April 23. He succeeds Mort Nathanson, who joins the Myer P. Beck organization. Rand will withdraw from active participation in the publicity firm of Blank-Rand Associates. Prior to that association, he had held publicity positions with Paramount, Buena Vista and 20thFox. He worked for the latter for eight years. Page 22 Film BULLETIN April 16, 1962