The Exhibitor (1960)

Local television personalities with their own shows will be offered this one— a contest for kids that come to the studio shows. Prizes and guest tickets will be given to those who j come in the best outer space costumes. A lobby display or trailer may or may not be necessary to “interchange” invoices and eliminate payola. It seems like every channel in the U.S. i has its own way of regulation on this sort of things these days. I A variation of the above is offering prizes for the best drawI ings of what the youngster thinks an outer space man looks like, thus giving the nonartistic and younger children a better chance at the prizes. The youngsters may make or send in I their versions of a flying saucer. It can be a model, drawing, i or just a written description. Divide prizes into three cate¬ gories. The TV personality must continually show stills from : the picture to give his viewers ideas. An added gimmick might be to announce that every kiddie j A\ho enters the contest will receive a postcard which, when I presented at the concession counter of the theatre, will entitle the holder to a special concession discount or credit. Kids like to get mail, and when the postcard tells them they can get something for nothing at the theatre, they’ll drive their parents I crazv to be taken to the show. I » I NEWSPAPER CARRIER SHOW To set up a personal salesman in every section of town or I city, we would give the newspaper an advance carrier show in return for the gratis advertising and publicity that goes along with such a tie-up. This time, however, to get the same representation of adult salesmen for the picture, you tell the newspaper each carrier can invite one adult to be his guest at the screening. This adult can be his dad or the man on the carrier’s route who has the best record of prompt payment, or, mavbe, the carrier’s favorite male customer. This additional angle gives the newspaper a stronger reason for better support and exploitation of such a show. CIVIL AIR PATROL Check into that CAP tie-up outlines in the press book, mak¬ ing sure the local heads notified all members, displayed the posters, etc. Ask their information officer if he can get radio or television time to talk about Jerry Lewis, his part in CAP, and the picture, “VISIT TO A SMALL PLANET.” SIGNET BOOKS Signet Books is putting out a paperback edition which calls for contacting local representative and getting playdate added on the Signet promotion material going into stores, windows, and book racks. Our situations always make up special banners for the distributor’s trucks, theme of banner being the usual see-the-picture-and-buy-the-book angle. TRAVEL AD In a day when everyone’s talking about man going to the moon, it looks good to insert the following newspaper ad in the classified section, under the heading. Travel: '‘WANTED, PASSENGERS FOR INTERPLANETARY TRAVEL. IF IN¬ TERESTED, TELEPHONE ATlantic 6116.” The answer to dialing is a recorded telephone message which asks the listener to soar thru the planets in a flying saucer with Jerry Lewis in “VISIT TO A SMALL PLANET,” etc. To properly load up the trunk lines Bell telephone assigns you for these dialings, mimeograph slips with the same message as the newspaper ad and pass them out at schools, sports events, etc. I’d follow the press book suggestion of sending out humans in outlandish outer space costume for a street ballyhoo, but make it a comedy girl accompanied by a young man. They can give out currency or slips on the “travel” telephone gag, as well as be properly bannered with picture, star, and playdate. BET VISIT TO A SiALL PLAMEF LATOH ON TO TNE CONRENT SPACE CRAZE WITH JERRY LEWIS CRAZY CURRENCY! Flood your town with this timely novelty. Rememfaer, money toilet . . , especiotty this kind, whkh wUI hove kids iond plenty of grown-upt, tooi talking oltoof Jerry lewis ond his “Visit" to your theatre! ihtiMi ar0 a nvmintt wtfyif atoufttf; /ou'W st/refy think of mntty more way* thnt ettn b4t txppHit^ spnciiSttftty ih yovr Ion. ' JERRY LEWIS ' VISIT TO A SMALL PLANET pAckAoi oFiooo clKirses Order from MORRIS ROTHENSFRO a SON m-3rdSt„Bro«k|yniS,M. Y, Hike AM mst W WAYS TO MAKS IT PAY OFTf • :: ' if 4«s«e* iKrfit fh* i: ji t wiffi imi tor ftfiy inwi stf ^ « e jlwfi fifWC ’ : h7;F" ' ' y hetfi hA &f , . , . YOUR SPACi AMO Ol£m~ to CASM IM BlOt ABOVE, the crazy currency pro¬ vided by Paramount to cash in on the current space craze should de¬ light the youngsters and turn everyone who carries it into a walking advertisement for the film. Even if every kid can't get some currency, every one should see it. RIGHT, a one-sheet on the film. Mr. Seibel points out that in cities of 40,000 population and less, he suggests use of window cards, supplemented by spots such as store windows, sidewalks, etc., for displays using ones, threes, and even a few six-sheets. I d also send that girl out with the rocket invitations de¬ scribed in sketch A. In a city like Minneapolis (Pop. 500,000), we would use those outstanding twenty-four sheets and six sheets on heavily travelled streets. A number of the six-sheet stands are located near schools or on neighborhood streets that carry heavy children traffic to and from school. In cities of 40,000 downward, we would use window cards, but on this one, make special effort to find some spots, windows, sidewalks, or what-have-you for ones, threes, and may even a few six-sheets. COMING ... in the issue of April 13 NICK LAVIDOR, Smith Management Co. Cinema Theatre, Framingham, Mass, tells how he would sett . . . United Artists' "THE FUGITIVE KIND" April 6, I960 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 21