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MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR
21
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"There's No Business "
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A TV remote truck was used to broadcast the gala premiere activities. It was the first commercially-sponsored telecast of such an event.
HIGHUGHTING production at 20thFox in 1954 was the $5 million pro¬ duction of Irving Berlin’s “There’s No Business Like Show Business” in Cinemascope, and one of the most memor¬ able campaigns in years was turned in by the company in launching to great success the Darryl F, Zanuck presentation.
Faced by a record drive hitting and rehitting all segments of the public through the utilization of all media, the musical giant starring Ethel Merman, Donald O’Connor, Marilyn Monroe, Dan Dailey, Johnnie Ray, and Mitzi Gaynor appears headed to fame and fortune.
Under the astute direction of vice-presi¬ dent Charles Einfeld, the 20th-Fox pro¬ motional team pulled out all the stops for the lavishly-mounted musical attrac¬ tion. The world premiere at New York’s
Part of the premiere bally consisted of turning Times Square into "Show Business Square."
Roxy was transformed into a giant tribute to the acting profession marking the first time show people were on the re¬ ceiving end of a benefit opening. The gala launching saw all proceeds, running into thousands of dollars, turned over to the Actors’ Fund of America and its allied organizations, the Episcopal, Catholic, Jewish, and Negro Theatrical Guilds, The Lambs, and The American Theatre Wing. To lend a personal touch to the proceed¬ ings, four of the pictime’s six stars, Ethel Merman, Dan Dailey, Johnnie Ray, and Mitzi Gaynor; producer Sol C. Siegel; and composer Irving Berlin converged on New York for promotional activities.
The personalities reached millions of persons, not only in New York but also in every corner of the nation, through a record number of TV and radio appear¬
ances, newspapers, magazine and whe seiwice interviews, and personal appear¬ ances around Gotham.
Official civic recognition of the opening saw Mayor Robert F. Wagner proclaim¬ ing Actors’ Fund Week in ceremonies held at City Hall. Manhattan Borough President Hulan Jack officiated in cere¬ monies re-naming Times Square “Show Business Square.”
Promotional icing was placed on the vitamin-packed CinemaScope and color by De Luxe cake on opening morning as stars Merman, Dailey, Ray, and Gaynor, joined by composer Berlin, manned the theatre’s boxoffices selling tickets to en¬ thusiastic patrons mobbing the bedecked Roxy.
It all adds up to big business for “Show Business.”
Arriving at the theatre to buy the first tickets opening day are, left to right, Mitzi Gaynor, Johnnie Ray, Ethel Merman, and Dan Dailey, stars of the big Irving Berlin musical.
January 12, 1955