The Film Daily (1936)

THE Friday, July 31, 1936 -2&*l DAILY » » EXPLOITING CURRENT FILMS « « H. Royster Plugs "Tractors" Through Dealer Tieup T_T. ROYSTER of the Liberty, Lewiston, Idaho, took advantage, in his campaign on Warners' "Earthworm Tractors", of the company's tieup with the Caterpillar Tractor Co. of Peoria. Royster contacted the local Caterpillar tractor dealers and with their aid he arranged for pipe organ music to be broadcast daily from the theater, interspersed with plugs for the picture. Announcements of the opening were also broadcast over the regular news broadcast hour of the station. The Tractor Co. bought extra time on the radio plugging their product and tying it in with the picture. Cash prizes and free tickets to the theater were given to the winners of a contest writing the best essay on the subject "Why I Would Prefer a Caterpillar Tractor to any Other". One thousand one hundred cards were mailed out to farmers throughout the district and 500 more were sent to a select city mailing list. The Tractor Co. took huge tieup ads on the dramatic page of the local paper throughout the engagement. The ads averaged 55 inches per day. The company also arranged special displays in their windows. Fifty watch fobs with a small bronze tractor attached were given to the first 50 children at the opening show. Motion pictures of babies on tractors were taken at a local baby contest. Two tractors were on display at the theater, one in the lobby and one in front of the house. Banners were strung on the machines plugging the film and date of opening. Eight special window displays were placed around town with neon illumination. The local tractor company employees attended the show in a body getting the house some swell breaks in the papers. Throughout the engagement the P. A. system outside of the theater broadcast the laughter of the patrons in the house watching the picture. — Liberty, Letviston, Ida. Dannenberg Plugs Theater's New Chairs §ID DANNENBERG, exploitedfor the Warner Theaters in Cleveland, set up a novel display in the lobby of the Hippodrome Theater there to plug the 1,000 new chairs recently installed in the balcony. Dannenberg set up several of the chairs in the theater lobby with a sign asking people to sit in the chairs and try them out. The theater also ran a trailer carrying the following copy: "A message to those people now waiting for seats: Why stand when you can relax and enjoy the comfort of the luxurious, modern seats in our newly decorated balcony? Elevator service up and down in either lobby for immediate seating." — Hippodrome, Cleveland. DENVER The old Englewood theater has been reopened as the Pioneer after complete remodeling. House was damaged by fire several months ago. It is one in the Civic Theaters group, owned by Tony Archer and Joe Dekker. Harry Huffman has announced managerial changes in his theaters following the resignation of John Lindhart and Warwick King, who have started a portable circuit. Ralph Bachalet is now manager of the Bluebird; Jack Copeland, former assistant manager at the Tabor, is managing the Rialto; and John Denman went from the Rialto to manage the Broadway. "Suzy", current at the Denver, broke the opening day record set last week by "Poor Little Rich Girl". It will be taken to the Broadway next week for a holdover. "Poor Little Rich Girl" is being held a second week at the Aladdin following seven days at the Denver. Fred Schmitt, formerly director of theater orchestras in Denver theaters, is conducting the municipal band concerts this season. Changes in the managerial set-up of the Civic Theaters have been announced by A. P. Archer and Joe Dekker, following the resignation of C. G. (Chuck) Doty, publicity manager and manager of the Granada, to take over the Washington Park theater. Jack Davis, who now manages the Granada, has been replaced at the Oriental by Clyde Anderson from the Jewel. Dick Dekker and E. J. Ward, managers of the Jewel and Santa Fe, traded theaters. Jack Kramer succeeded to the post left vacant at the Egyptian by Harold Shalla, who went to Fort Collins to assume a new position. Clyde Anderson also took over the duties of SAN FRANCISCO Bill Heinman, former district manager for Universal and again with that company, is off on a nationwide tour to pep up interest in the new sales drive running from Sept. 6 to Dec. 26. Smith's Theater, Yuba City, has been bought by Morgan Walsh and George Mann, who will add it to the circuit already controlled by them. Ed Benham, former proprietor, will remain with the Morgan Walsh organization as district manager in charge of the National at Marysville, while Mrs. Benham will remain in active charge at Yuba City. Walsh announces the building of a new modern house at Yuba City in the near future. R. L. Duray, formerly with Paramount Exchange here and out of the business for a few months, is now with Universal as booker. "San Francisco" is making local film history. After three weeks at the first-run Paramount, it is now in its second week at the St. Francis, ace subsequent run down town house under Fox management. W. S. (Woody) Van Dyke, here for the opening of the picture, was so impressed by the dubbed-in finish included by Manager Allan Warshauer of the Paramount that he is considerine the shooting of some additional local footage to be used in the nationwide showings for the film. Added to the picture will be scenes showing the bridges and other important changes in the geography of San Francisco and vicinity since the great fire. publicity director and editor of the Civic News, a weekly paper published by the Civic Theaters for the public and covering the city. Si Gertz is his assistant. DETROIT Jacob Schreiber circuit has closed Blackstone Theater No. 2 for the summer. Del Apel has transferred the Dix Theater, west side, to Clare Winnie. Charles Deardorf of the M-G-M office in Cleveland is assisting W. G. Bishop, divisional publicist, on "Ziegfeld" in northern Michigan. Lyndon Young, assistant publicity director for United Detroit Theaters, has gone to Yellowstone Park on vacation. Saul Sloan, Detroit contractor who is reported planning erection of a new theater in Royal Oak, Mich., stated that definite announcement would be made in about two weeks. The house, it is understood, would be operated by United Detroit Theaters if plans carried through. About 150 film folk attended the farewell banquet for Otto Bolle, who leaves this week as branch manager for Paramount exchange to join 20th Century-Fox in New York. John Howard came on this week to take over Bolle's post. Monarch Pictures Corp. will handle Spectrum's series of musical westerns starring Fred Scott in this territory. Broadcasts From Location An unusual radio tie-up has been effected on GB's "The Great Barrier," on which location shots are now being made at Revelstoke in the Canadian Rockies. Through Station KOL in Seattle, nightly programs from the location camp are being broadcast, describing the production activities. FILM DAILY GUIDE TO . . . PRODUCTION FOR 1936 . . . WILL SOON BE READY FOR DISTRIBUTION. A COMPLETE SURVEY OF ALL COMPANY PRODUCT FOR 19 3 6-1937 WILL BE FEATURED.