The Exhibitor (1956)

30 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR RUNNER-UP NUMBER 2 SELLING A SHORT Submitted by Mel Katz Embassy, Johnstown, Pa. 1417 seats • 75 cents top admission General patronage. Recently we did a bit of exploitation on Columbia’s CincmaScope featurette, “Wonders Of Manhattan" that paid off for us, and most likely could be duplicated elsewhere. One week in advance of playdate, we ran an extra screen trailer giving full particulars about the subject, in con¬ junction with which we ran a contest. This was in the nature of a letter writing contest on the subject: “I want to see ‘The Wonders Of Manhattan’ in person because ...” The trailer also called attention to the contest. A 40x60 lobby poster also heralded the contest and the short. The contest was sponsored in its en¬ tirety by the Hammond Travel Service, a local travel agency. In return for theatre advertising, they agreed to supply the fol¬ lowing as a prize to the winner: An all expenses paid trip for two to New York City for three days and two nights in¬ cluding lodging for two for two nights at the Hotel Belmont Plaza, special broad¬ cast tickets, two tickets to see Cinerama, tickets to Radio City Music Hall, a yacht cruise around Manhattan, afternoon cock¬ tails at the Rainbow Room, a visit to the Empire State Building observatory, a United Nations tour, a trip to the Statue Of Liberty, a visit to the Whitney Museum, transportation to and from Johnstown, Pa. The entire cost of the promotion, in¬ cluding all posters, was paid for by the sponsor, who also put up a special win¬ dow display. The deadline of the contest was set for several weeks past the completion of the run of the short subject. Over 300 entries were received and in the opinion of the judges the winning letter was written by a school teacher in one of the city’s junior high schools. The travel agency was well satisfied with results of the promotion; and so were we, since it is not often that a co-op stunt of this magnitude is worked in conjunction with the showing of a short subject. It just goes to prove that there may even be an extra buck laying around in some of the most neglected items of this entertainment business of ours, the short subjects. RUNNER-UP NUMBER 3 I®! “THAT CERTAIN FEELING" Submitted by S. L. Sorkin RKO Keith's, Syracuse, N. Y. 2239 seats • 75 cents top admission General patronage. The theatre did not spend any money at all for this entire campaign. Everything was promoted. Paramount supplied us with a free tele¬ vision open end and interview trailer with Bob Hope. This made it appear as if he was in town on a personal appearance. It was used by the NBC-WSYR station on the Jim Deline Show, one of the most popular local live programs. This lobby display featuring a "robot" made out of bits of scrap lumber, corrugated paper and heavy duty foil paper was created by Mrs. Neil Blount, Bristol, Memphis, Tenn., for her showing of Columbia's "Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers." On radio we had a free tieup with “Thank Your Lucky Stars,” popular pro¬ gram on station WNDR. For one hour on Sunday evening before opening date of the picture, the program paid tribute to and profiled Eva Marie Saint, co-starred in the film with Hope. The station made up two 40x60 displays which were placed in windows of two downtown stores and also a special 40x60 in the theatre lobby calling attention to the radio program, in addition to all this, they used a radio transcription disc supplied by Paramount for such tieups. In addition to the seven downtown and outlying district top music stores, we also received the cooperation of the music departments in the local dime stores. This was in the nature of a tieup between the stores and the disc jockeys on five radio stations. The jockeys played the songs from the picture and talked about the recordings, and the music stores displayed posters in windows, telling the people to see the film and also to listen to the disc jockey programs. A children’s specialty shop, located in the heart of the downtown section, a 100 per cent location, gave us a full window display. We supplied two 40x60’s on “That Certain Feeling.” They had six live monkeys in the window with a special background made up to tiein with the picture. It was a natural store tieup sug¬ gesting a “Circus” of savings. The monkeys attracted a tremendous crowd day after day. They liked to chew the 40x60, and it had to be replaced twice during the full week we had the display. We made full, and good, use of the Li’l Abner tieup and used the special Li’l Abner multi-color heralds. A tieup was effected with the Carrier Corporation using the slogan "It’s Always Fair Weather Days With Carrier. See Bob Hope In ‘That Certain Feeling’.” Blocks of ice were displayed in front of the theatre, and frozen into the blocks were signs reading “That Certain Feeling.” Miss Fair Weather Days sat on a block of ice, with all this bally paid for by the Carrier Corporation. In fact, everything else per¬ taining to this tieup was paid for and sup¬ plied by Carrier. The top of our marquee, the sides, and the sidewalks had flag and bunting display, all supplied by Carrier, who also gave away three room air con¬ ditioners from our stage on three consec¬ utive Saturday nights. These went to holders of lucky numbers. RUHH£R~U9 NUMBER 4 m "EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS" Submitted by Mrs. Neil Blount Bristol, Memphis, Tenn. 850 seats • 50 cents top admission Neighborhood patronage. As exploitation on this film, Colonel John Somers, chairman, Memphis-Shelby County Defense Commission, was con¬ tacted; and enthusiastically endorsed and supported a contest in the junior and senior high schools in our area. This was in the nature of a 25-word composition on the topic “What would you do in case the Civil Defense sirens sounded an actual air attack” The Ace Appliance Company awarded an RCA portable electric record player, one to the boy and one to the girl, sub¬ mitting the best entry. The MemphisShelby County Civil Defense Commission judged the entries. Entries were mailed or left at the theatre. The record players were on display in the Ace Appliance window and in the theatre lobby. Principals of schools were contacted and full cooperation secured. Entry blanks number 3,500 were distributed by home¬ room teachers and the participation of students was urged. The Ace Appliance Company also distributed entry blanks. Tatum’s shoe store, next door to the theatre, cooperated with a “flying saucers” toy giveaway, at their expense; and ran a co-op ad which they also paid for. This read “Modern age styling for modern age boys. Get your ‘Flying Saucers’ at Tatum’s. Free with shoe purchases. See ‘Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers’ at Bristol Theatre. (Playdates).” Imprinted napkins were given out at Hollingsworth’s Cafe for two weeks prior to engagement. A tiein trailer by Filmack was run on our screen three weeks prior to engage¬ ment. Copy called attention to the con¬ test, the free “Flying Saucers” with shoe purchases, and reminded patrons to “snack or dine” at the cafe. The only cost to the theatre was for this trailer which proved most effective. A unique display was set up in the theatre lobby with “robots” fashioned by Mrs. Blount from bits of scrap lumber, corrugated paper and heavy duty foil paper at a cost of approximately $5.00. A few, not over three dozen, window cards were strategically placed, particu¬ larly in school areas. These were handlettered with playdates, etc. Some of the toy “flying saucers” given out by the shoe store were also distrib¬ uted through “premium” popcorn bags, bearing an imprint ad on “Earth Vs. Fly¬ ing Saucers” and playdates. The total expense of this most effective campaign did not exceed $30. Filmack Names Stitt Chicago — Irving Mack recently an¬ nounced the appointment of Ralph Stitt to a post in Filmack Trailer Company’s publicity and advertising department. This expansion of Filmack’s publicity depart¬ ment, explained Mack, will place Stitt in charge of theatre advertising and the editing of Inspiration, replacing Dean Davis, who will handle television and non¬ theatrical advertising. December 5, 1956