Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1951)

4 Motion Picture Daily Tuesday, March 20, 1951 National Pre-Selling SPECIAL pressbooks issued by Mutual Broadcasting System in its 544-station tieup for "The 13th Letter" with 20th Century-Fox, and a similar device issued by National Biscuit Co., to its 3.500 fieldmen in a tieup for Columbia's "Lorna Doone are indicative of the kind of pre-selling aids which penetrate into other lines for the benefit of the film industry. The exploitation kits are patterned after motion picture practice and are based on showmanship, thus makingcooperation with theatre managers at the point of sale the logical and practical thing to do. • Universal has mobilized a special exploitation force of 20 fieldmen to help promote the initial openings of Bill Mauldin's "Up Front" which will have its world premiere at Loew's State Theatre in New York next Saturday, and is set to open in more than 500 situations during April. Assignments include Bob Ungerfield in Cincinnati and Indianapolis; Dave Polland in Baltimore and Washington; J-uhan Bowes, Dallas; Ed Holland, Omaha and Des Moines; Duke Hickey, Pittsburgh; John McGrail, New England; Bob Kaufman, St. Louis; Ben Katz, Chicago, and Cliff Brown in San Francisco. Special assignments go to Bob Wile, "Bucky" Harris, Bill Slater and others of the home office staff • Edward Alper son's "The Sword of Monte Cristo," "which will be released this month by 20th Century-Fox, is being boosted by 12,000,000 teen-agers in a tieup with .the "Y-Teen" Clubs of America, who have hundreds \ of local units throughout the country, under the wing of the Parent-Teach crs Association, Chambers of Com merce and civic groups, assuring publicity for the film with schools, libraries and youth groups from Coast to Coast. Film Ads Draw Fire of British Censors; Clean-Up Is Asked by Ad-Publicity Men London, March 19.— The trade here has been asked by A. T. L. Watkins, secretary of the British Board of Films Censors, to clean up certain allegedly undesirable posters. At a meeting with advertising-publicity men he produced examples of what he termed offensive advertising that had provoked newspaper and child-welfare societies' criticism. Watkins said the trade did itself no good in descending to such advertising methods. Some of the matter objected to came from the U. S. and, it is understood, the British Censor's Board has been in touch with the Production Code Administration concerning it. The ad-publicity men will discuss the subject with their companies and it will be taken up also by the Censorship Consultative Committee, on which all sections of the industry are represented. Most of the posters objected to showed sordid or brutal scenes and characters. Nezv Yorkers will have an opportunity to enter "The Lemon Drop Kid" guessing contest and help the Damon Runyan Cancer Fund when the picture opens at the Paramount theatre on Broadzvay tomorrow. The old guessing game is dressed up; this time it is how many lemon drops are contained in a giant Easter Egg. The picture will receive Coronet magazine's accolade in May as "The Best Picture of the Month." A mutuallybeneficial tieup with Royal Deserts for "Lemon Drop Kid" mil begin on March 24 over four ' major netzvorks In addition, spots will be used on 154 network stations, with a total of about 4,000 breaks for the promotion. A special "Bird of Paradise" newsreel has been made by 20th-FoxMovietone and will be available to hundreds of leading stores which are introducing fashions and merchandise based on the picture's promotion. The film, which runs five minutes and is offered in 16mm for use away from the theatre, features models wearing the 23 fashion creations inspired by the film, with a commentary by Vyvyan Donner, fashion director for Movietone News. In addition, the regular theatre edition of the newsreel will carry a generous clip of the fashion promotion of thousands of theatres. • The Fuller Brush Co., through more than 15,000 dealers, is adding another 15,000,000 copies of its promotional circular for "Fuller Brush Girl" to the printed matter which its salesmen have already distributed. This raises the total to more than 66,000,000 pieces of advertising which the door-to-door canvassers have distributed since the picture's release. With coverage extending into a majority of homes in all of the 48 states, the film is expected to enjoy a much greater than average number of bookngs, especially in small towns, due to the saturation promotion and cooperation of the Fuller company. Warner Brothers and Columbia Records have arranged one of the most complete promotional tieups in recent years for the benefit of the new Technicolor musical, "Lullaby of Broadway." Promotion on a saturation basis from Coast to Coast will reach all Columbia dealers with special screenings for the music trade in every major town. Warner's entire disc jockey list will be supplied with the title tune, and Warner's field exploitation staff will distribute special material to effect cooperation with theatre managers at the point of sale. Columbia is printing 36 by 36 blowups for window and floor displays, as well as miniature cut-outs for counters, booths and music outlets. • National Screen Service offers something nezv in framed "Displayazvays"—a group of five differently framed and showmanized displays, caL culated to "turn people into patrons." Attractive frames hold standard NSS advertising forms, with a place for theatre and pi ay dates, for use in shozvzvindozvs, on store counters and in hotel lobbies and transportation terminals. An innovation is "azvay_ from the theatre" shozwnanship that is expected to pay off at the box office. * The musical score from "Alice in Wonderland" was heard for the first time Sunday evening over the CBS radio and television networks. By special arrangement with Walt Disney, song hits from the film will be featured on the Carnation show over 165 CBS stations and the facilities of the Canadian Broadcasting System. Making its television bow the same night, the score was telecast on the Fred Waring show over the entire CBS-TV network. Walt Disney appeared in person and introduced Kathy Beaumont, the "voice" of Alice in the picture. Fred Waring's setting for the production included backgrounds designed by Mary Blair, one of the top Disney artists.— Walter Brooks British Film Loan Leads to Charges London, March 19.— J. H. Lawrie, head of the government's Film Finance Corp., is being charged by Northern exhibitors : with attempting to dictate public film tastes. The government corporation made a loan of, £60,000 to John Blakeley' s Mancunian Film Corp., which produces low-cost, robust comedies popular with Northern exhibitors but which are not shown, in the South of England. Blakeley said the government corporation has demanded full repayment of the £30,000 outstanding on the loan, or the appointment of receivers. Lawrie is credited with having said that if he had known the kind of pictures Blakeley makes he would not have made the advance to him. RKO to Stress Three Exploitation Films Three "exploitation specials" set by RKO Radio for release one each in April, May, and June will be given extensive campaigns based on maximum use of publicity, advertising, and local showmanship, it was announced here yesterday by Robert Mochrie, sales vice-president. The campaigns, which will be coordinated by S. Barret McCormick, director of advertising ; Terry Turner, exploitation director, and Don Prince, Eastern publicity director, will cover Howard Hawks' "The Thing," to be released in April ; "Tokyo File 212,'' which was produced in Japan, to be released in May, and "Jungle Headquarters," produced by Sol Lesser, which will be released in June. First Exchange in Columbus in 15 Years Columbus, O., March 19. — The first film exchange to operate here in 15 years has been opened by Lee J. Hofheimer and Al Sugarman, of H. and S. Theatres, operating the World, Avondale, Little, Indianola and Champion., The firm, which has the Central Ohio rights to Realart reissues, has teen named the Motion Picture Sales Organization. The last exchange here was Paramount's, which was absorbed by the Cleveland and Cincinnati branches. Asks Relief from Photographic Excise Washington, March 19. — E. S. Lindfors, vice-president of Bell and Howell Co., has asked the House Ways and Means Committee for -more equitable tax treatment for photographic manufacturers. Speaking on behalf of the National Association of Photographic Manufacturers, Lindfors stressed the role of the industry in the defense program. He recalled that the Committee had received proposals from other witnesses for a broad manufacturers or retail sales tax, and said that if the Committee adopted such a scheme, it should reduce the 25 per cent photographic tax to the rate levied in the broad tax. Mayor Revokes Bingo Licenses in Cleveland Cleveland, March 19. — Mayor Burke has ordered the 39 city bingo licenses revoked and operations discontinued, following the Ohio Supreme Court's decision upholding the illegality ruling of two lower courts. However, because the suit was not heard by the State Supreme Court on its merit, the decision effects only the Eighth Appellate District (Cuyahoga County). Holt to Film in Colorado Salt Lake City, March 19. — Hollywood Producer Nat Holt, his associate, Harry Templeton, and Harry Davis, Liaison representative in production, were here to discuss plans for making "Royal Gorge," based on the history of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. The picture will be made at the Royal Gorge in Colorado. Delays Drive-in Bow Chicago, March 19. — The Double Drive-in, scheduled to open last_ Friday along with four other Chicago area outdoor theatres, has postponed its opening until a later date. Illinois Drive-in Suit Settled, Dismissed Chicago, March 19— Federal Judge Michael Igoe today dismissed the Grays Lake Outdoor Theatre case against major distributors, Balaban and Katz, Great States Theatres and A. J. B. Theatres on agreement by both sides. The settlement terms were not announced. The case has been in and out of the courts many times since it was filed on May 26, 1949. The plaintiffs claimed the defendants conspired to keep first-run product out of its drive-in in the Waukegan area. Since the case was filed, the drive-in has been getting product one week after it leaves Waukegan. Sue Over Coast Property Los Angeles, March 19. — Fox West Coast and 20th Century-Fox have been named defendants in a suit filed in U. S. District Court here by Selma Steiner, owner of the Larchmont Theatre, who charges that Fox West Coast and other defendants violated anti-trust laws by obtaining a long-term lease on the Larchmont running to 1962, at "a grossly inequitable low rental." Special 'Arms' Bow Washington, March 19.— A special 'showing of Marrii of Time's "Modern Arms and Free Men," will be held Wednesday for top government officials and the press at the Carnegie Institution of Washington. Sponsored by the Committee on the Present Danger, the showing will also be attended by Richard de Rochemont. March of Time producer ; D. Y. Bradshaw, associate producer, and Phil Williams and Marjorie Harker, MOT.