The Exhibitor (1959)

November 4, 1959 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR EX-171 The New York world premiere of U-I's "Pillow Talk" at the RKO Palace brought out huge crowds to see star Rock Hudson and others. Hudson was interviewed in the lobby by disc jockey Fred Robbins. Not all initial openings had the advantage of personalities in person. However, in Buffalo, Basil's Lafayette held a "Miss Pillow Talk Of I960" contest conducted with radio station WWOL. The finalists are shown. PillowTalk Registers Via Pre-Selling Universal’s Dave Lipton on several occa¬ sions has explained that the publicity and promotion on a motion picture becomes more effective after an image has been reg¬ istered through national magazine and Sun¬ day supplement advertising. The image of a successful motion picture in the key and sub-key cities generally pen¬ etrates to the local level, and theatre show¬ men really have a valuable assist when they start their own selling campaigns. Pre-selling of U-I’s “Pillow Talk” is a good case in point. The pre-selling can be said to have started last year as far as MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR is concerned, since it has been said that with Rock Hudson and Doris Day being voted Top Male and Female Stars in the Laurel Awards, an inspiration was provided to cast them as the leads in this picture. They won the same coveted hon¬ ors in this year’s poll. The advance promotion campaign got un¬ derway last August when producer Ross Hunter and Martin Melcher of Arwin Pro¬ ductions came to New York with a rough print for screening for the national magazines and fan magazines, whose current “breaks” on the film are directly attributable to this advance planning. Michael Gordon, who directed “Pillow In Detroit for the premiere at the Michigan was co-starring Thelma Ritter, seen here being interviewed by Mary Morgan for radio. Talk,” was the first to take to the road to help promote the picture. He visited some seven cities making television and radio pro¬ motional appearances and newspaper and syndicate interviews to help register the pub¬ licity and promotional image tied in with the large national magazine advertising, set for the picture in 20 magazines with an estimated readership of 160 millions. Hunter covered five cities for advance pro¬ motional activity; Rock Hudson visited New York, Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit and Los Angeles; Lois Rayman, a former airline stewardess who has a featured role in the picture, covered almost 24 cities; clothes de¬ signer Jean Louis visited St. Louis, Des Moines, and Kansas City; Doris Day and Melcher toured New England; and Tony Randall and Thelma Ritter have aided in the promotional activity for a long period. Universal brought newspaper critics and writers from 14 cities to New York to see “Pillow Talk” and to interview the person¬ alities, while an additional group from the southwest and west were brought to Holly¬ wood for the premiere at the Egyptian. How does all this aid the exhibitor in the small situation? His patrons have been preconditioned by reading about “Pillow Talk” and hearing about it on radio and In Chicago for the midwest premiere at the United Artists, Hudson was mobbed by teenage admirers who flocked to buy records. TV. When the picture opens, it is the picture they want to see. Doris Day has recorded four of the film’s songs for Columbia Records, and Rock Hud¬ son has recorded two for Decca. Both record companies have prepared special promotional material for use by their local dealers who will be anxious for tieups with theatres playing the picture. Gold Medal Books has published a motion picture edition of “Pillow Talk” which should work out the same way. A new Doris Day hair style is receiving local newspaper space through ads by department stores from coast to coast, and Tony Randall has a tie-up with Cardinal Clothes. All these should aid local exhibitors. Most important for the exhibitor in the smaller situations is Universal’s desire to help sell “Pillow Talk” right down the line. The company has prepared a series of tran¬ scriptions involving the stars which can be used on local radio; there are also spot an¬ nouncements available for the asking, as well as special trailers. The most important added factor is the “success” image which the picture is now building up in its early engagements which are being widely publicized through the press, television, radio, and, of course, “word-ofmouth.” Lois Rayman, who has a featured role in the film, visited almost 24 cities, and is seen here in Pittsburgh in a promotion set by the Fulton.