The Film Daily (1935)

THE 14 DAILY Wednesday, Nov. 6, 1935 » » EXPLOITING THE CURRENT FILMS « « Big Ballyhoo Scores Broadway Handicap "DROADWAY Handicap Night D got off to a flying start at Loew's Palace Theater in Brownsville, Brooklyn. Never before in the twenty or more years that the Palace has been in existence outside the night of its official opening, was there so much excitement in and about the theater. Manager Sig Strauss with his Assistant Walter Mock assisted by Eddie Dowden and Carl Fishman of the Loew's Brooklyn Publicity office put over an intensive week's campaign that aroused unusual interest in Brownsville. It was necessary for the police of the local precinct to detail a sergeant and five policemen to handle the crowds. The race scene more than lived up to expectations. Everybody in the theater, young and old became enthused and excited as the horses raced around the track. The cheers of the audience in the theater was taken up by the crowds outside. The advertising slogan "Belmont Park moves to Brownsville" was well lived up to The general campaign included distribution of 30,000 free tickets over a period of three days by three beautiful girls dressed in jockey costumes, 10,000 heralds, attractive valances on the marquee of theater, 100 per cent lobby display, trailer on screen for two weeks, 100 one-sheets, and 200 window cards. The three girls in jockey costumes stood in front of the theater Monday night giving out additional tickets for participation in the racing game, which gave the audience a new and novel thrill with lots of excitement. — Loew's Palace, Brooklyn, N. Y. Radio Tieup Features Campaign '"THE campaign on "Broadway Melody of 1936" put over by the publicity department of H. M. Wilcox June Marlowe Marie Prevost Balaban & Katz for its showing at the Roosevelt, in Chicago, featured a tie-up with a morning radio program on station WENR. The program uses movie news with an especial appeal to women, who form the majority of its audience. The publicity men, assisted byanM-G-M exploiteer, requested women to send in their names and addresses. Free tickets were awarded to those whose names started with the initials "E.P." — those of Eleanor Powell, one of the stars of the production. Music from the picture was planted with all leading night club, hotel and restaurant orchestras. A special announcement of the playdate was made over the local NBC network on Sunday evening following Jack Benny's program. The General Food Company, makers of Jell-O, contacted their stores and placed streamers in the windows. For street ballyhoo a truck was obtained, with an interior layout similar to the Traveling Studio. Four attractive girls, in gay costumes, were on top of the truck while it paraded through the streets, the public address system being used for announcements. — Roosevelt, Chicago. Extensive Exploitation Worked Out on "Pompeii" DKO RADIO PICTURES has produced a press book of magnitude for "The Last Days of Pompeii," taking advantage of the exceptional opportunities for publicity and exploitation that the film offers to wideawake showmen. The book is 18x24, folded in half for convenience in handling by the exhibitor. The multicolored offset-printed cover, when opened full, measures 18x 48, and makes an effective poster for a variety of uses, used either as a whole or as two units. The book contains 43 ads, ranging in size from 501x190 lines to small but attention-compelling logotypes, which cover every copy angle of the film. In addition to six art strips in two practical sizes and the four-unit coloring contest — ideas that have proven most effective in show promotion — there is an exposition of RKO Radio's big mailing campaign to 122,000 educators, clergymen of all faiths, women's clubs and Better Films organizations, and of means whereby the showman can tie-in with these various cultural agencies. One novel gadget, especially effective for "Pompeii," is the so-called "Skiriter" throwaway, a printed dodger showing Vesuvius in eruption. When a lighted cigarette is applied to the summit, the word Pompeii is spelled out by a slow-burning flame. The effect is weird, and entirely harmless. This is inexpensive enough to be given away by the thousands, and can be expected to create much word-oi'-mouth publicity for the attraction. —RKO Radio Plenty Coverage In This Campaign CAMUEL GOLDWYN'S "Bar bary Coast," was ushered in at Loew's State, Norfolk, Va., with an effective exploitation campaign arranged under the supervision of Manager Allen Sparrow. Days before the opening local newspapers played up the engagement with photos of the stars in the attraction. The Portsmouth "Star" ran the sixday serialization in advance of the opening. In announcing the serialization a special 2-column ten-inch ad with a cut of the stars in "Barbary Coast" broke in the "Star" a day before the instalment. Tie-ups were arranged with many local merchants all tending to focus attention on the opening at Loew's State. A tie-up with Kresge's on "Barbary Coast Sundae" resulted in imprinted napkins, window streamers and other signs being used throughout their stores. Whelan's, Peoples and the Martin Drug Stores also distributed specially imprinted napkins. All United Cigar Store windows carried streamers and 5,000 heralds were distributed three days in advance in a house-to-house campaign. Cooperative ads were secured with Hof heimers and The Hub Stores. Hofheimers used a twocolumn ten-inch ad on shoes and the Hub ad featured a cut of Joel McCrea and gave the picture full credit. For a street ballyhoo a girl paraded the principal streets of the town and distributed special cards with a new Lincoln penny attached. A tie-up with Buick accounted for a new car with signs parading the street plugging the picture. — Loew's State, Norfolk, Va. Gets Big "Dream" Plug Over Radio in Detroit pARL HUDSON, exploiteer for the United Detroit Theaters Corp., plugged the presentation of Warners' "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the Wilson Theater with four advance announcements over station WXYZ. The highlight of this advance bally was a half-hour musical program over the station, which used a 32-piece orchestra to broadcast Mendelssohn's "Dream" music. The broadcast went over the nine stations comprising the Michigan Radio Network. — Wilson Theater, Detroit. "Melody" Gets Effective Play J^ADIO publicity and window displays played the major roles in the exploitation campaign arranged by publicity chief Charles Perry of the Aldine, Philadelphia, for the world premiere of "The Melody Lingers on." All local and suburban newspapers played up the engagement with advance and feature stories, and used plenty of art on the stars in the film. A few days in advance of the opening all local radio stations participated in the campaign and literally filled the air with plugs on the premiere of "The Melody Lingers On." Station WFIL, in conjunction with the Friehoefer Bread program, plugged the film; WDAS used the electrical transcription; both WCAU and KYW devoted generous time to "The Melody Lingers On" in connection with their U. P. broadcast; and part of the Powers Gouraud Program was devoted to raves on the picture. In addition all local commentators devoted time to mention of the picture. Tie-ups were effected with leading merchants in which the picture received effective publicity. A Finery Hosiery tie-up accounted for special window cards in 400 retail shops. Gimbel Bros, distributed 30,000 heralds on Hutchinson coiffure, and also used a co-operative ad. The Snellenburg Department Store distributed 50,000 package stuffers in their book department, and all local drug stores carried displays on cosmetics. Special cards were used in all local florists shops. — Aldine, Philadelphia. — RKO Radio Pictures Public Library Sets Display on "Dream" 'THE Queens Borough Public Library, New York City, and its branches exhibited a special still display on "A Midsummer Night's Dream." In addition, a special card was posted alongside the display with credits on theater and playdate. — Warner Bros. AS SEEN BY THE PRESS AGENT John Miljan, one of the screen's most consummate villians, spends most of his spare time in building toys for his 3 '/i-year-old son, John, Jr. —DAVE EPSTEIN.