The Exhibitor (1960)

ing department store, a jewelry store, etc. For opening day bally we obtained a live tiger, a lion and a beai’ and paraded them (carefully of course) around town and had them on television. The bear was used for a contest “Guess the weight of this bear and win a freezer.” This was more Pictsweet coop promotion. Another old contest stunt was adapted. This was a guess when the giant cake of ice will melt? gimmick and was used in a tieup with a local jeweler, who gave a man’s and lady’s watch as prizes. Thousands of free inches of newspaper editorial space was secured, as well as col¬ umn items in the various newspapers. In all, 200 super markets in the four coun¬ ties were tied-up on the Pictsweet deal. Figuring conservatively there were 148 ra¬ dio and TV spots; and a $45,000 price tag was placed on the campaign if purchased. It all came to the theatre FREE. JACK MITCHELL started with Schine Theatres during high school days in Lexing¬ ton, Ky., and worked as an usher while attend¬ ing school and as a stu¬ dent assistant manager while attending the Uni¬ versity of Kentucky. After duty with the armed forces in World War II, he returned to work for Schine as an assistant in 1945 in Lexington, Ky. and later became a manager in the same town, transferring to Maysville, Ky., as city manager for the same company. MITCHELL Norman Wasser, Pepsi-Cola Company, adds a bonus prize to the five winners of MOTION PICTURE exhibitor's Showman Of The Year awards, and will present each of the winners with a Pepsi-Cola all aluminum picnic cooler. In 1949, he went to Ohio as a city manager, and then to Auburn, N. Y., as city manager. In 1955, he was made zone manager of the northern division working out of Watertown, N. Y., and in 1958 was transferred to Glens Falls as zone manager for the eastern and northern division of theatres covering 15 houses and managing the Rialto. He is at present heading up the new Bowling Division of Schine Theatres but still resides in Glens Falls. Mitchell’s entry on “Art Films Helped by University Benefit” is not only timely since there is a growing trend to augment regular programs with more and more foreign film showings, but it also bespeaks effort to make proper local tieups with local organizations to further such “cultural” cinema. We recently had a very successful benefit with the University Woman’s Association, which have chapters all over the country. We contacted the organization and told them we understood they were looking for a way to raise money. Knowing that they were in¬ terested in bringing a form of culture to Glens Falls, I felt the first approach was to try and sell them on an art type of picture. They chose “To Paris With Love” starring Alec Guinness. I then presented the plan I had in mind that would instill enthusiasm in the group for get¬ ting out and selling tickets. They really did a job, but it took considerable work on our part, keeping behind them and going through with our plan for them so that the opening night was a success for them, not only in sales, but also in presentation at the theatre. I knew that among the people they reached would be many who do not ordinarily go to the movies, and who, if treated properly, with all the red carpet effect, would leave our theatre very pleased, and with a better thought for motion picture theatres. So it was suggested to the ladies of the Association that they contact the merchants and have them put slugs in their ads on the benefit. I helped them with this and gave them some contacts. I suggested that the first ticket sold should be to the mayor, and a pic¬ ture was run on this in the newspaper. Red carpet from boxoffice to curb was used the night of the benefit with an usher out in front opening car doors and the entrance door for patrons. Ushers and doormen were in white gloves besides their uniforms. Coffee was served in the lobby by the Queensbury Hotel and this made a terrific hit. Organ music was played before screening time through a tieup with a record shop. All of THESE were the 137 skilled Theatre Clrrult Cxecutiw MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR wishes to publicly thank each and every one of the gentlemen here listed, for taking the time to carefully peruse the Joseph F. Alexander, RKO Theatres, Cincinnati, Ohio Jack Armstrong, president, Armstrong Circuit, Bowling Green, Ohio George M. Aurelius, Arizona Paramount Corporation, Phoenix, Ariz. Page M. Baker, Theatres Service Company, New Orleans, Louisiana Sam Bendheim, Jr., Neighborhood Group of Motion Picture Theatres, Richmond, Virginia Frank J. Benedict, Quimby Theatres, Fort Wayne, hidiana J. Kenneth Benefield, Colonial Theatres, Inc., Valdese, N. C. Robert H. Benton, Los Angeles Drive-In Theatre Company, Los Angeles, California Ben Berger, Berger Amusement Company, Miimeapolis, Minn. Harry Brandt, Brandt Theatres, New York, N. Y. Walter Brecher, Brecher Theatres, New York, N. Y. Richard P. Brous, Fox Midwest 'Theatres, Kansas City, Kansas Carl Buermele, General Theatre Service, Detroit, Michigan Robert Buermele, General Theatre Service, Detroit, Mich. Floyd W. Chrysler, Chrysler 'Theatres, Detooit, Michigan William M. Clark, Clark 'Theatres, Detroit, Michigan Roy Cooper, Roy Cooper Company, San Francisco, California J. Kerry Crockett, Crockett-Pender 'Theatres, Virginia Beach, Va. F. J. Damis, Stanley Warner Theatres, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania A1 Davis, Fried 'Theatre Management, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Russell W. Downing, Radio City Music Hall, New York, New York Ernest Emerling, Loiew’s Theatres, New York, New York Harry Feinstein, Stanley Warner 'Theatres, New Haven, Conn. Harold D. Field, Pioneer Theatres, Sarasota, Fla. L. J. Finske, Jacksonville, Fla. Frank H. Fisher, Odeon 'Theatres, Toronto, Canada Marshall H. Fine, Associated Theatres, Cleveland, Ohio Theodore Fleisher, Interstate 'Theatre Corporation, Boston, Mass. Mitchell FrankUn, Franklin and Herchorn Circuit, St. John, N.B., Canada Leopold Friedman, Loew’s Theatres, New York, N. Y. Manny Frisch, Randforce Amusement, Brooklyn, N. Y. Jack Fruchtman, Fruchtman Theatres, Baltimore, Md. George Gaughan, Cooper Foundation Theatres, Lincoln, Nebr. Morton Gerber, District Theatres, Washington, D. C. Ben D. Gladstone, Century Circuit, Queen’s Village, L. I., New Yor Harry Goldberg, Stanley Warner Corporation, New York, N. Y. Jay Golden, RKO Theatres, Rochester, N. Y. L. R. Golding, Fabian Theatres, New York, New York Samuel Goldstein, Western Massachusetts Theatres, Springfield, Mas.* Sam Goodman, Century Theatres, Queen’s Village, L. I., New Yori Julian Gordon, Palace Theatre, Newport News, Va. Harry Greene, Welworth Theatres, Minneapolis, Minn. S. J. Gregory, Alliance Amusement Company, Chicago, Illinois Sheldon Gunsherg, Continental Distributing, Inc., New York, N. Y. W. A. Harrison, South -Lyn Theatres, South Gate, Cal. J. Harrison, Twinex Century Theatres, Toronto, Canada S. M. Hassanein, Skouras Theatres, New York, New York Milton Herman, Detroit, Michigan Walter Higgins, Associated Prudential Theatres, New York, N. Y. George Hoover, Interstate Theatres, S. Miami, Fla. Rex M. Hopkins, Fox-Evergreen Theatres, Portland, Oregon Robert E. Hosse, Crescent Amusement Company, Nashville, Tenn. R. N. Hurt, Kerasotes Theatres, Springfield, Ill. Edward Hyman, American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres, Nev York, New York Alan V. Iselin, Tri City Drive-In Theatres, Albany, N. Y. Leon F. Janssens Van Der Sande, Rex Film Inc., Quebec, Canada Julius Joelson, J. J. TTieatres, New York, N. Y. Robert V. Jones, Affiliated Theatres, Indianapolis, Indiana S. J. Kallet, Kallet TTheatres, Oneida, N. Y. Wally Kemp, Grand Theatre, Grand Island, Nebr. George Kerasotes, Kerasotes Theatres, Springfield, Ill. H. P. Kincey, Wilby-Kincey Theatres, Charlotte, N. C. Mrs. Miriam Kinsey, Lathrop Circuit, Seattle, Washington Richard Klein, Black Hills Amusement Company, Rapid City, S. D Herbert Kohn, Malco Theatres, Memphis, Tenn. John Krier, Intermountain 'Theatres, Salt Lake City, Utah Dillon Krepps, United Artists Theatres, Detroit, Michigan Arthur Krolick, Buffalo Paramount Corporation, Buffalo, N. Y. Ben La Haye, TOA Service Company, Montreal, Canada Oscar Lam, Lam Amusement Company, Rome, Ga. 12 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR May 4, I960