The Independent Film Journal (1953)

Promotional Folds of “ The Robe” Newspapers, Television Mags Sew Up Drive National publicity has been netted for “The Robe” via breaks in three important magazines, two Gotham newspapers, the Na¬ tional Broadcasting Co. and the “Sunday Pictorial Review,” magazine supplement to the Hearst newspapers. In addition, 20th Century-Fox has prepared a kit on the film, which it has been distributing to many for¬ eign-language and religious newspapers in this country. Promotion of the film will be linked with “Collier’s” star merchandising program to give the film its second big mention in that magazine. A page and a half four-color ad will appear in the Oct. 16 issue showing film’s star Victor Mature as the central figure in a “Plan a Meal with Man Appeal” pro¬ gram. Accessories Back Ad The film crediting ad will be backed with store and newspaper accessories and mats, including 21"x30" posters, a report stated. These will be placed in theatre lobbies with stores’ names displayed and in supermar¬ kets with theatres’ playdates given mention. Earlier, the May 23 issue of “Collier’s” car¬ ried a four-page layout on the film. Other magazines giving a play to the film include “Look,” whose Sept. 8 issue featured stars Richard Burton and Jean Simmons on its front cover, which gave full credit to the picture. Inside the book two separate lay¬ outs totalling seven pages were devoted to the CinemaScope production. One article, a four-page feature, showed color scenes of the film, and the second was devoted to Burton. The August issue of “Fortune” magazine carried a 10-page article on the American optical industry which included photographs from “The Robe” and drawings explaining CinemaScope. Article described the anamorpliic lens process and detailed the progress being made by Bausch and Lomb, optical company, in producing them. Newspaper breaks came from two of New York City’s leading tabloids, the “News” and the “Mirror.” The former spotlighted Jean Simmons on the cover of its July 26 Coloroto section and gave the film a two-page layout in its Aug. 23 edition. The “Mirror” gave the production the cover of its Sept. 13 is¬ sue as well as Movie of the Week honors. Another Sunday supplement cover plug¬ ging the film was the one run on the Aug. 30 issue of the “Sunday Pictorial Review,” which appeared in the New York “JournalAmerican” and other Hearst newspapers throughout the nation. NBC Joins Drive Radio and television publicity was added to the campaign, which Charles Einfeld, 20th-Fox vice-prexy, called “the greatest . . . entailing the highest promotional budget in the company’s history,” via a tie-up with the National Broadcasting Co. Many special pro¬ grams as well as breaks on regular shows were scheduled to be devoted to the film in the drive that began Aug. 31 and will run through Oct. 10. Special interests were brought into the drive when the company sent more than 300 publicity kits on the film to prominent re¬ ligious and foreign language newspapers, a notice stated. The kit included 13 feature and news stories, data on CinemaScope, an article by the late Lloyd C. Douglas, who wrote the novel, an article by Richard Burton, star, and other promotional material. 20th CENTURY FOX pf»S fifth The First Motion Picture In JNemaScOP! The Modem Miracle You See Without Glasses! TECHNICOLOR Six-sheet prepared by 20th Century-Fox heralded the opening of the company's first CinemaScope release, "The Robe.'' Calling CinemaScope "the modern miracle you see without glasses," the poster appeared on signboards, buildings, subway stations. Preern Covered By TV; Lights Flicker Salutes The Roxy premiere of “The Robe” was afforded full television coverage when the event was telecast by the American Broad¬ casting Co. in an on-the-spot “live” show that ran from 8 to 8:30 p.m. Other TV-radio support was given by the National Broad¬ casting Co., which has been participating in a promotional campaign for the film running from the first week of September through the second week of October. Also marking opening night was a “Golden Brigade of Light” formed in the sky over Broadway by four huge three-bil¬ lion candlepower searchlights. They generated one-tenth the light of the sun and projected skyward three times the height of Mount Everest, a 20th Fox report claimed. All air¬ ports and police stations within a 50-mile radius were alerted to avoid unnecessary alarm. Premiere was a formal-dress, invitationonly affair, with top diplomatic, political, social, military, industrial and entertainment figures present. A special guest was the first movie-goer ever to enter the Roxy Theatre on its opening day, March 11, 1927. A search had been made to find that person. Circuits Plug Film Circuit interest in the film was called into play when five leading chains with approxi¬ mately 200 houses in New York, Westchester and New Jersey programmed trailers of the film. Beginning during the Labor Day week¬ end, the cross-plug trailers were shown in RKO, Skouras, Randforce, Harry Brandt and Walter Reade theatres. Virtually every major city in every geo¬ graphical region of the country participated in the national exhibitor salute to “The Robe” when theatres throughout the nation blinked their lights in the Navy’s good luck signal at the exact moment when the film was sched¬ uled to be shown. Broadway houses included the Warner, Radio City Music Hall, Capitol, Loew’s State, Paramount, Rivoli, Astor, Vic¬ toria, Globe, Mayfair and RKO Palace. The event garnered international attention via arrangements made between the film com¬ pany and 15 countries of the Voice of Amer¬ ica, the British Broadcasting Co. and inter¬ national station WRUL. Huge sign on the corner of 46th St. and Broadway, New York's famed Duffy Square, was given over to publicizing the world premiere of "The Robe," which took place at Gotham's Roxy Theatre on Sept. 16. All four sections of the sign announced the fact to main stem throngs that "the first motion picture in CinemaScope" was about to be released. The Biblical spectacle, based on Lloyd C. Douglas' novel set in the time of Christ, was finally produced in the new medium after years of preparation by the film company. 16 THE INDEPENDENT FILM JOURNAL— September 19. 1953