The Independent Film Journal (1954)

Fox Campaign Rolls Major Promotional Drive Heralds Premieres Of "Man Called Peter ' A widespread promotional campaign for “A Man Called Peter” has been launched by 20th Century-Fox. Aspects of the drive include screenings for clergy of all faiths, unusual premiere paper advertising and a tie-up with a book publishing concern. The move to enlist support from clergy¬ men for the filmization of the recent best¬ seller was begun at a special conference of the National Council of Churches. Suggested procedures were advanced by Arthur deBra, MPAA community relations director, for getting the word out on the picture. Outlining the advance campaign were the Rev. S. Franklin Mack, executive director of the Broadcasting and Film Commission of the National Council of the Churches of Christ, and Mrs. Jesse Bader, National Council secretary. Mrs. Bader, who saw a rough cut of the film in Hollywood, noted that in her belief “all Protestantism will thank 20th-Fox for giving us this stimulating and beautiful film. Also I think non-Protestants will want to see this moving story.” She called the film “wonderfully impressive” and “magnificent.” Special brochures and other literature on the film were distributed and the entire Council membership was alerted via a series of letters describing the picture. Participating in the conference were Rodney Bush, 20thFox exploitation manager, representing Charles Einfeld, company vice-president; Edward E. Sullivan, publicity manager, and Mac Eichler, who is heading up the field ex¬ ploitation campaign for the film. As a result of the conference, various clergy screenings were set up and the reac¬ tions were quoted by 20th-Fox as very en¬ thusiastic. All-out support of the film was pledged by repi’esentatives of the Prot¬ estant, Catholic, Jewish and Episcopalian faiths and journalists representing religious periodicals as well. Simultaneous international world pre¬ mieres of the film will be held in the U.S. and principal cities of Europe to which / Speaking Tours Set In "Peter" Campaign A group of 11 industry figures, headed by Arthur DeBra, MPAA community relations director, will hit 60 key cities between March 21-25 to speak at special screenings of 20thFox's "A Man Called Peter." The showings have been arranged for leading clergymen, prominent lay members of churches and im¬ portant opinion makers. Program has been divided into eight geo¬ graphical regions— Empire State, New Eng¬ land, Atlantic, Central, Chicago, Mid West, Southern and Western— with each of the 1 1 figures to cover from four to seven cities. Visitors will speak at theatre showings and hold meetings with local representatives of the National Council of Churches and other religious and civic leaders to formulate co¬ operation for the production. V _ J activities, massive magazine and news members of royalty, heads of governments, stars of the entertainment field and prin¬ cipal figures from all walks of life will be invited. The film will make a simultaneous do¬ mestic bow at the Roxy Theatre, New York, and in Atlanta and. Washington, D.C. Latter pair of cities play a major part in the film’s background, and served as location spots for the shooting. For the Washington opening, President and Mrs. Eisenhower arc expected to head an attending delegation of top government figures including cabinet, Senate and House members plus diplomats from every Wash¬ ington embassy. Internationally, the picture will be launched in Glasgow, Scotland, where Peter Marshall, subject of the biographical film, was born and spent his early years. In that Scottish city, Sir Alexander King, prominent producer and theatreman, is serv¬ ing as head of a special premiere committee which is mobilizing citizens from all walks of life to participate in honoring the memory of Marshall, the native son who rose to international prominence as chaplain of the U.S. Senate. Official recognition of the premiere is anticipated with a proclamation from the mayor along with a host of other events heralding the picture. Included in campaign plans are a series of radio, television and newspaper salutes to Marshall with special features to be carried in the press and on the air beginning the early part of March. Roxy Debut Set Stars and cast members will attend the Roxy opening where preparations for a swank, high-fashion premiere are being made. Video, radio, newsreel, wire service and metropolitan press coverage are in the works. Heralding the domestic launching is a $500,000 national advertising, publicity and exploitation drive utilizing virtually every mass media fully three months in advance of the Easter openings scheduled for the feature. Full-page and page-dominating color in¬ sertions in 25 top publications are sched¬ uled for placing in general consumer pub¬ lications, Sunday supplements, leading re¬ ligious journals, women’s club magazines and locally printed newspaper magazine sections during March and April. An audience penetration of 274,000,000 is expected for the ads with the combination of newspaper and magazine space insuring eight to 10 impressions per person during the run of the campaign, 20th -Fox estimated. A newspaper readership in excess of 56,000,000 will be reached by the series of teasers planned for at least 21 days in advance of first bookings in more than 81 key centers, the company noted. Meanwhile, a tie-up drive has been set by 20 Century -Fox bfing» you the worm, ff story a-f 4 MatL Oe ^ QnemaScoPE RICHARD TODD JEAN PETERS ..•Vi n i a h.NGej. s“MENF'v kosuk i rsELEANOnt OrsirriNw I j ■: I \ \ One of the ads prepared by 20th-Fox for "A Man Called Peter" the film company with McGraw-Hill Book Co., publishers of the Catherine Marshall best-seller on which the picture is based. The campaign will introduce a special movie edition of the book, priced at $1.98, and will be serviced to thousands of department and book stores. Kick-off will take place on Sunday, March 13, when large-size ads on the book and the picture run in leading newspapers in nu¬ merous big cities across the land. Ads on the book have been set also to appear reg¬ ularly through May in newsjoapers and book publications to achieve a major impact as well as to inform the book trade of cam¬ paign developments. Promotional material, including posters, streamers and book bands, are being de¬ veloped for window, in-store and theatre lobby decorations. Displays will be featured for a minimum of two weeks in advance and current with playdates of the picture. McGraw-Hill also is sending special litera¬ ture to its dealers urging full co-operation with theatremen on the film and suggesting co-op campaigns, stunts and contests. A full set of promotional posters and varied other material will be displayed in theatres in 60 cities during the week of March 21, when special morning showings of the film will be held for leading clergymen, prominent lay members of churches and important opinion makers. Additional showings of the picture in grass roots situations across the country are planned. The increased screening program, ex¬ pected to cover some 200 situations, wall have an audience penetration ranging from 60 to 70 million persons. Showings will get under¬ way early in April. Previews will be ar¬ ranged through the local film exchanges in co-operation with church and civic officials. Programs will be held in theatres before the start of regular film performances. “Peter” has meanwhile been named the Picture of the Month for March by the Prot¬ estant Motion Picture Council which hails it as “an epochal production, visually magnifi¬ cent and deeply impressive, with a spiritual quality rarely attained.” ‘ , Copies of the December issue of “The Reader’s Digest,” which featured as lead article a special Christmas sermon by Peter Marshall, were sent to exhibitors by 20thFox. 20 THE INDEPENDENT FILM JOURNAL— March 5, 1955