The Independent Film Journal (1954)

‘Harem Girls’ Tour Slated For “Sinbad” A transcontinental tour of four costumed Harem Beauties from Howard Hughes’ “Son of Sinbad” will create advance publicity and promotions for the Superscope-Technicolor production by accenting local civic and com¬ mercial events in 16 key-city areas, it has been announced by Walter Branson, RKO’s world-wide sales manager. Thorough penetration of each of the 16 areas will be accomplished, Branson said, by utilizing local angles timed to the visits of the Harem Beauties for personal appear¬ ances, merchandise tie-ups and other promo¬ tion approaches. With the RKO release opening in 400 thea¬ tres immediately following its world pre¬ miere May 31 at the Fox Theatre, St. Louis, the Harem Beauties will begin their tour in Denver May 2. The girls will travel in a chartered plane labelled “Son of Sinbad’s Flying Carpet.’’ Celebrations Planned In each community, the Beauties will begin with an official meeting with a local civic leader, tied into local celebrations. RKO fieldmen have arranged for the girls, all with modeling as well as acting experience, to participate in fashion shows for local depart¬ ment stores or retail stores and to model clothes and other merchandise for local mer¬ chants on area television programs. In these tie-ups, the Beauties will appear in their Harem costumes — short jackets with flowing gossamer skirt below a bare mid-riff — at the co-operating store. The Famous Barr Co., St. Louis depart¬ ment store, and Gimbel’s in Milwaukee have agreed to an all-department store promotion built around the Harem Beauties’ visit. Television and radio will be stressed to enhance the coverage of the promotion activi¬ ties and as individual publicity approaches. Most of the civic and merchandise events will be covered by either medium’s local outlet. A one and half-minute and a two and halfminute film clip has been prepared on “Son of Sinbad” for use in conjunction with TV appearances of the Harem Beauties. The TV clips will be used also for TV stations in Beauties Aid ‘Sinbad' Dale Robertson, star of RKO's Technicolor "Son of Sinbad," bids goodbye to the "Sinbadettes," as the quartette of beauties leaves on a national tour in advance of the film. The girls are (1 to r): Andrea Cleve, Susan Ames, Dorothy Van Dyke and Yvonne White. those communities not included on the trans¬ continental tour. Since the Beauties also have musical talent, they will make appearances — in costume — on disc jockey shows. The four Harem girls will be given as prizes in local contests for the funniest or best letter on “Why I would like to have din¬ ner with a group of Harem Beauties.” Win¬ ners of the contest will enjoy a dinner with the Beauties. In most of the 16 cities, this promotion will be run in co-operation with the leading local newspaper to assure extra leg art in advance of the girls’ arrival. Tie-ups with local auto dealers are being worked out, using a motif built around a photograph of a Harem Sedan Chair, the type used for transporting reclining beauties in historical times. Pitch in the ads pro¬ claims, “Sedan chairs were used by ‘Son of Sinbad’ Harem Beauties years ago, but mod¬ ern Beauties prefer. . . .” Co-operating deal¬ ers will also provide latest-model autos to meet the Beauties at the airport, with credit banners flying from the cars. The Harem Beauties’ itinerary’s : May 2, Denver; 3, Kansas City; 4, St. Louis; 5, Mil¬ waukee; 6-8, Chicago; 9, Indianapolis; 10, Cincinnati; 11, Detroit; 12, Cleveland; 13, Buffalo; 14, Toronto; 16, Pittsburgh; 17, Washington; 18, Philadelphia; 19, Boston, and 20-22, New York Citv. Increased Advertising Hinted By Universal Strong indications that the current year will see U-I’s pre-selling display advertising program in national magazines and Sunday newspaper supplements topping its 1954 record was given this week by vice-presi¬ dent David A. Lipton. The studio’s expendi¬ ture during 1954 amounted to $650,000, an increase of 140 percent over the 1953 budget. Lipton made the 1955 prediction to estab¬ lish, he said, “further evidence of our con¬ fidence in pre-selling ... in accord with what exhibitors for years have advocated.” The U-I executive is currently in New York charting the record ad budgets for “The Shrike,” to be released in Sept, after a series of important key city openings during July and August, and for “To Hell and Back.” Universal’s current 17 weeks “Charles J. Feldman Annual Sales Drive” concludes to¬ day with what is expected to be one of the biggest week’s business in the company’s his¬ tory. With 53 representatives from four continents attending, U-I’s European Sales Conference will convene in Barcelona, Spain, on May 16 to Avork on an agenda which in¬ cludes the screening of latest product. Horizontal Vista Vision Debut A record first-week gross of $108,000 — highest since the N. Y. Paramount began operating on an all-film policy — was announced as Paramount's horizontal VistaVision-Technicolor "Strategic Air Command" began its second week at the showplace. Gala premiere, attended by stars. Air Force dignitaries and industry executives is pictured top, left. Top, right: a huge aerial banner saluting the picture spans the widest part of Times Square, "the crossroads of thet world," as decorated Air Force trucks are parked across the street from' the theatre. Bottom, left: "SAC" star lames Stewart interviews Academy Award winner Grace Kelly in front-oftheatre telecast over Arthur Godfrey's CBS-TV show, as Danny Kaye and Godfrey look on. Bottom, right: Robert K. Shapiro, mng. dir. N. Y. Paramount; Leonard Goldenson, AB-PT presi¬ dent, and Edward Hyman, AB-PT vice-president meet in the lobby. 16 THE INDEPENDENT FILM JOURNAL— April 30. 1955