Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1958)

lesday, November 18, 1958 Motion Picture Daily 3 Sirk Finds Trips to Field Enlightening Douglas Sirk, director of Univerl*s forthcoming "Imitation of Life" well as some of the companys' bigst financial hits ("Magnificent Ob;sion" and "Written on the Wind" ) , long others ) believes in going out in 5 field at regular intervals to find t what the exhibitors and the pubare thinking about. "If you stay in Hollywood all the le, you lose contact with the real >rld," he said in an interview at the liiversal home office. His specific ssion at the moment is publicizing nitation of Life," Universal's Easter [ease which stars Lana Turner, John Win and Sandra Dee. However, he d in addition a number of ideas on iier topics. In particular the value these trips into the field. 'Old Fashioned, Perhaps' 'Perhaps," he said, "it is an old hioned approach to exploitation." t he finds that as he publicizes his :ture, he also picks up a good deal pertinent information from "people ao are interested in movies without owing too much about them." It | as a direct result of one of his jvious trips, he said, that he cast ndra Dee in his latest film. By direct ntact with the public he found that |s Dee was one of Hollywood's ist popular young players. Until in, he had known her only as one Universal's group of contract ;iyers. On the matter of color, Sirk said he s happy that there is now a new iphasis on the use of color. He vioitly disagreed, he said, with the pol■ of several years back which held it the public did not notice color. ie increasing number of iblack and ute films in that period contributed a general public apathy towards !>vie-going and the consequent at,idance recession, he believes.— V.C. Herald Forum "alace Puts 'Roots' on jontinuous Run Policy 'The engagement of "The Roots of |;aven" at the Palace Theatre here ill be changed from a reserved seat | a continuous run, "popular price" llicy, starting tomorrow, it was announced by Sol A. Schwartz, RKO teatres' president. (The change is being made to take (vantage of the vacationers, shopIfs, students on holiday and visitors I New York during the Thanksgiving d Christmas season, Schwartz said, lace doors will open daily at 10:45 M. "Roots" has been at the theatre ice Oct. 15 when it had its world emiere. Mouth9 Big $21,583 i "The Horse's Mouth" rolled up a j ge $21,583 gross for its first week the Paris Theatre here, scoring t e of the biggest opening-week } osses in that theatre's history, it was | nounced yesterday by United Art ( Continued from page 1 ) said, "and from the ideas which you men take home with you, can come benefits for the entire industry." "It is sometimes difficult," he continued, "to come up with the best campaign ideas right after you've seen a picture. So, after you get home and have time to think about what you've seen, don't hesitate to write or even phone your ideas to these men at the New York companies. They are more than eager to have the benefit of your experience in the field." Promotion Plans Outlined Following the screening of "torn thumb," MGM's Christmas release, Dan Terrell, eastern publicity manager of MGM; Si Seadler, MGM advertising manager, and Emery Austin, director of exploitation for MGM, detailed the plans which have already been made for the film in their respective departments. Terrell told the exhibitors that although "torn thumb" is the company's Christmas attraction and thus its national campaign has "pretty well jelled," he would welcome the kind of suggestions which the merchandising conferees could make "on the local level." He said he also welcomed this opportunity "to establish the right climate for selling pictures. We feel this is a very good time to talk about Metro, not only about this specific picture but also about our entire fine-up." Seadler Goes into Detail Seadler presented the theme for the 'torn thumb" advertising campaign ("perfect entertainment for the entire family") and then discussed some of the particular aspects of the campaign. Beginning immediately the film is to be featured in the MGM "Picture of the Month" column in national magazines, getting a total readership of 65,000,000. He also passed out proofs of a full-page, full-color ad to run in Look Magazine which will reach more than 27,000,000 persons. In addition other ads have been prepared for such diverse publications as the Library Journal, various Dell Publications comic books and Parents Magazine, which already has given the film its monthly award. The newspaper ads will be supplemented and backed up by extensive use of radio and newspapers, Seadler added. Second to None, Says Terrell Austin promised that the exploitation campaign on the picture "will be second to none." Sparking this exploitation is a giant tie-up with the Corn Products Company, makers of Bosco chocolate syrup for children. Bosco, which sponsors 111 television shows on 84 stations in 60 cities, will plug the picture on each of these shows. Viewers of the Bosco shows will be offered a free recording of Russ Tamblyn, "torn thumb" star, singing the picture's title song. The two other major aspects of the Above, Edward Stuckey of the Butterfield circuit, Detroit; Andy Gebstaedt, Rank Films; and Silas F. Seadler and Dan Terrell representing MGM, at the Astor Hotel luncheon following the screening of "torn thumb." At right, Roger H. Lewis, UA director of advertising, publicity and exploitation, with R. J. O'Donnell of Texas Interstate. M. P. DAILY pictures exploitation campaign are centered around the sound track album, featuring the film's five songs, and dolls and toys based on characters in the film. The sound track album is on MGM's new Lion label, lower priced to get wider distribution in such places as supermarkets and drug stores, as well as in more conventional record outlets. Exhibitor Suggestions Solicited Following this briefing by the MGM executives, the exhibitors present were asked if they had any ideas to put forth. Jim Shanahan, Loew's Theatres, told of plans to sponsor "toy depots" in the name of the film to collect toys for needy children, of special screenings for the children of radio and newspaper personnel and for primary and parochial school teachers, and of contests for kids with prizes for their teachers as well as the kids. Sy Evans, of the Schine Circuit, suggested a special lobby display making use of a "reducing lens" to create the "torn thumb" effect. He even told how an enterprising exhibitor can make his own reducing lens. O'Donnell Tells of Activity R. J. O'Donnell, of Interstate Theatres of Texas, reported that his circuit already has started its campaign for the picture. "We had our first 'Christmas parade' last week and 'torn thumb' was in it." Interstate is also benefitting, he said, from the fact that there is a chain of Tom Thumb stores throughout Texas which is cooperating in the promotion. Ernest Emerling, Loew's Theatres, suggested that exhibitors could build their own floats for the picture, modeled on the one which MGM will have in the big Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City. "It's not necessary," he said, "to spend a lot of money on a large flat-truck float. If you're watching expenses, you can build a float right on the back of a jeep." The first merchandising forum adjourned for luncheon at the Astor Hotel. Later in the afternoon, the visitors were guests of Rank Film Distributors of America at a screening and discussion of "A Night to Remember" (to be reported in tomorrow's Daily). In the evening they attended the premiere festivities for 20th-Fox's "Mardi Gras" at the Paramount, followed by a midnight screening of Universal's "The Perfect Furlough." Today's schedule calls for a merchandising forum on "Furlough" this morning at the Universal home office, followed by a general round table discussion on all phases of film merchandising. In the afternoon there will be a screening and discussion of United Artists' "Anna Lucasta," and in the evening a screening and discussion of Paramount's "The Black Orchid." Top Circuits Represented In addition to those already noted, exhibitors at yesterday's sessions included: Harold Brown, United Detroit Theatres; Henry Capogna, Butterfield Theatres; Harry Goldberg, Stanley Warner; L. R. Golding, Fabian Theatres; Edgar Goth, Stanley Warner; Bernard Hickey, Fulton Theatre, Pittsburgh; George Trilling, Fabian Theatres; Frederick Kunkel, United Artists Theatres; Blanche Livingston, RKO Theatres; Seymour Morris, Schine Circuit; Gerald Shea, Jamestown Amusement Co., and Edward Stuckey, Butterfield Theatres.