The Exhibitor (1955)

MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR i r% iJ Merchant Tieup Wins For Ohio Exhibitor 1955-56 SERIES Finalists In Contest No. 20 magnificent motion picture. Massillon men who are vitally interested in cooperating with the motion picture industry in con¬ tinuance of the production of greater entertainment than ever before request your presence as their guest at the Lin¬ coln Theatre at 8:15 P.M. on (date). You are permitted to bring another guest with you. Please do not regard this invitation lightly as this committee made up of your employer and some of the local merchant^ are picking up the tab so that this eve¬ ning will cost ycu absolutely nothing. We state most courteously, however, that your invitation is not transferable.” A parade preceded the premiere at the theatre and was shot by a Warner-Pathe News cameraman, although the film evi¬ dently wound up on the cutting room floor. MUMBiR 1 PUTTING ON THE DOG FOR NATIONAL DOG WEEK Submitted by Diane Gordon SW Oritani, Hackensack, N. J. 1800 seats * 85 cents top adult admission General patronage. This theatre’s recent joining in the cele¬ bration of “National Dog Week” with a dog show and parade resulted in much gcod will as well as excellent boxoffice receipts due to the tiein of a puppy give¬ away. The only cost to the theatre was a 40 X 60 lobby display and a short trailer. The plan’s details were worked out as follows: A parade permit was granted by the City of Hackensack for “Pets and Pals On Parade” from State Street School down Main Street to the theatre. Co¬ operating and participating were the Boy Scouts, a drum and bugle corps from Maywood, the Englewood German Shep¬ herd Training School, and many others. Edgar Duell, Mayor of Hackensack, at the request of Miss Gordon, issued a proclamation in honor of the event. Prizes were awarded for the best floats and were promoted from the Ken-L Ra¬ tion Company. There were a bicycle, a camera, a three-way lamp, an electric clock, and dog accessories including a leash, feeding bowls, etc. Each winner was awarded a ribbon plus first prize winner received the judges’ award ribbon. The prizes were awarded the winning floats which went on stage at the Satur¬ day matinee. In addition, the Ken-L Ration Company purchased and donated a pedigreed cocker spaniel, which was placed in the theatre lobby. They also built a display pen for the dog, with the theatre running a “Win The Puppy Contest” in conjunction with the giveaway. To the child writing the best essay in 25 words or less “Why I Would Like To Win The Cocker Spaniel In The Oritani Theatre Lobby.” The dog was awarded after judges chose the best essay, and was given on the Saturday matinee the children’s parade floats were judged. Reams of newspaper publicity in the Bergen Evening Record resulted from the theatre’s participation in dog week. Plugs were also received from two radio sta¬ tions. Blanche Beisswenger, columnist, Bergen Evening Record, devoted most of one of her columns, titled “Putting On The Dog” to the theatre’s pai’ticipation in the celebration; and the Humane Society of Bergen County had its trucks bannered with signs on both the parade and the cocker spaniel give-away. Also, on stage after the judging of winners, a special exhibition of German Shepherd jumping and other tricks was given by A1 Many, training director, Northern New Jersey German Shepherd Dog Club. A full page of publicity on the stunts was carried in the Bergen Evening Record with coop ads all on national dog week. This called plenty of attention to the the¬ atre’s participation and did not cost the theatre a penny. RyNNIR-yP NUMBER 2 // TO CATCH A THIEF Submitted by Charles Eagle SW Stanley, Pittsburgh, Pa. /# Philadelphia — The efforts of Ben Schwartz, Lincoln, Massillon, O., in tieing in with an industry-merchant jubilee were finally rewarded last week when the judges in Motion Picture Exhibitor’s SHOWMANSHIP SWEEPSTAKES Contest 20 voted him the winner. Schwartz’s $100 prize is already on its way to him. The voting was very close in this con¬ test, with one judge commenting, “All entries were very good.” WINNING ENTRY INDUSTRY-MERCHANT JUBILEE Submitted by Ben Schwartx Lincoln, Massillon, Ohio 953 seats * 65 cents top admission City and rural patronage. This venture was decided upon by in¬ dustrialists and merchants of the town, who planned it to stimulate the movement of people from their homes to the market place and we jumped on the bandwagon at the outset. On each of two midweek nights 500 persons employed by sponsoring groups were invited to bring a guest to the premiere showing of “The Sea Chase” at the theatre. The “evening on the town” cost participants nothing. Seven co-spon¬ sors and 23 business contributors to the “Jubilee” underwrote the expense of the two-night event. The sponsors aimed to entice people out of their homes and make them aware once again of entertainment and business facil¬ ities in their own city. The group ad¬ mitted the “stay-at-hcme” attitude hasn’t caused an economic decline; but the healthy stimulant of increased activity, injected into business veins would act as a tonic.” The assistant district manager of Re¬ public Steel Corporation, Central Division, pointed out that Massillon’s steel produc¬ tion is geared closely to the automotive industry. “When the car industry slumps, employers and employes alike in our in¬ dustry feel the pinch. And when an auto sits in the garage, it doesn’t wear out.” The industrialists and merchants gave $£00 in cash and their time to have the idea instigated in Massillon. First, because they believed that the thought behind it was absolutely true and would be picked up on a national scale; and, secondly, be¬ cause of their civic pride and desire to help the economic picture of all con¬ cerned. Although the event did not reach the national scale anticipated; and remained a local event, nevertheless its idea might well serve as a method of presentation to National Chambers of Commerce and Merchant Associations as well as National Associaticns of Manufacturers of certain ready to wear items, who might in folloing suit furnish valuable assistance to the film industry. The committee sent form letters to those invited to the “free movies” which read as follows: “All cf your life time you have wished you could be among the chosen few who see the premiere of a 3700 seats * $1.00 top admission Genera! patronage. A $500 jewelry prize awaited any Pitts¬ burgher who could open (without dyna¬ mite) a safe on the sidwalk in front of the theatre as item one of a high powered promotion campaign for “To Catch A Thief.” This was an entirely costless tieup between Schiffman Jewelers, Diebold Safe Company, and the theatre. An estimated total of $330 or more in free newspaper ^ mi i s>Pi , s November 16, 1955