The Exhibitor (1960)

EX.282 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR December 21, I960 station with the volume turned down so they could not be heard too far away. We had the press room in the projection booth and an¬ other in our ushers’ room. One set was hooked into our soimd so we could control the soimd of all sets from one location. This prevented any possible echo in the theatre with several speakers going at one time. Slides were used to flash the local returns on the screen as fast as the press section had them ready for us. No motion pictures were shown. The news¬ paper placed a trailer on the screen which they paid for. Our rental for this was $125 to be paid for in future advertising with the paper. We certainly got plenty of publicity in The Daily News, which also put the theatre in the lime -light and reminded many people that we are still in Port Clinton. D [MERCHANTS NUMBER D94 “Midnight Lace” Covers The Town THEATRE: Gopher, ADDRESS: Minneapolis, Minn. MANAGER: Ed Linder Our recent campai^ on U-I’s “Midnight Lace” in all probability may set the house record for the year, 1960. For advance publicity we used one mount¬ ed six-sheet and two moimted three-sh^ts in otir lobby four weeks prior to opening, using on and off colored lights on these dis¬ plays plus the trailer for the same period. Both Shinders’ Book Stores, largest book stores in the Twin Cities, used 40x60 dis¬ plays two weeks in advance. We also had three sheets and one sheets placed in empty store windows several weeks in advance of opening. The Dayton 'Company, one of the nation’s leading department stores, gave us two win¬ dows with an Irene original gown; and one with an Irene suit with both windows plug¬ ging the picture. THE NEW 1960 “Showman-of-lhe-Year” CONTEST • Each individual achievement, selected by the Editorial Board and published in this every-second-week EXPLOITATION Sec¬ tion of MOTION PICTURE EXHIBI¬ TOR, will receive an Achievement Cita¬ tion. Five by the same showman published in any one year will receive a SILVER Achievement Citation, And, should any showman ever accomplish ten in the same year, a GOLD Achievement Citation will be awarded. No weekly or monthly prizes will accompany such citations. At each year’s end, all such published achievements will be submitted to the “COMMITTEE OF 100” theatre circuit executives for their Individual study and their personal choice of the BEST FIVE. A minimum of $100000 IN PRIZES will be awarded to the five “SHOWMENOF-TTHE-YEAR” so selected. Alert show¬ men, interested in the international dis¬ tinction to be gained from such awards, will recognize that an advantage lies in winning repeated individual published achievements. Address all submissions and photographs to: GEORGE F. NONAMAKBR, Feature Editor, MOTION PIC¬ TURE EXHIBITOR, 246-48 N. Clarion Street, Rdladelphia 7. Prana. Robert S. Ferguson, Columbia national director of advertising, publicity and exploitation, is seen beside a figure of "Pepe" and an ex> ploltation piece set up in the home office. We secvured a window in the Raddison Hotel Arcade from the Finger Tip Beauty Salon. More than 10,000 people a day pass tliis win¬ dow, which contained a color^ blow-up of Doris Day in a white gown, plugging the pic¬ ture; plus an additional 20x40 with three hair styles of Doris Day plugging the Mid¬ night Lace hairdo. We had a model at the salon, where they gave her a Midnight Lace hairdo, with many women watching through the Arcade window. We retziined this beautiful local blonde model to represent Doris Day in Minneapolis and lined her up on radio and television guest shots. Had a sign made “Vote ... To See Doris Day etc.” and had her carry it down¬ town on the day before election. This was the only sign allowed with the words “Vote For” on it because it had no running candi¬ date’s name on it; but the sign cTeated a lot of attention and interest — so did the modeL Fifteen thousand jumbo heralds were printed for the Minnesota-Iowa football game at Memorial Stadium, which was the number one spot in the National rating plus the Big Ten Championship. Over 60,000 people came to the game. Heralds had the starting line¬ ups, names, numbers, weights and substitu¬ tions on one side plus a full page ad of our picture on the other side. Our model and boys passed out heralds before game time with our sign in midst. Ralph Green, Milace Underwear Company, maker of “Western Maid” imdies, furnished us with sets of black lace slips and panties. These were presented to the coach of the winning Minnesota football team for his wife, one half hour after the game was over in the Minnesota locker room. Cedric Adams, Minneapolis Star; Will Jones and Bob Mur¬ phy, both amusement colximnists for the Minneapolis Star and Tribtme, various radio and TV personalities were all presented sets for their respective wives by our model. She also presented a set to Elmer L. Anderson, newly elected Governor of Minnesota. Don Doty, of KSTP radio, ran a contest asking people to mail in cards naming the last three pictures Doris Day appeared in. Prizes were sets of lace imderwear and passes to the theatre. All radio and TV sta¬ tions were visited; presented with “Midnight Lace” re(K>rding sovmd track and asked to play it. All seven stations cooperated 100 per cent. The picture was screened for Will Jones, leading midwest newspaper columnist, in company with three Minneapolis Police De¬ partment Homicide Squad members and their wives. The pictime was stopped 10 min¬ utes before endmg. Viewers were given a pad and pencil and told to write who they thought the would be murderer was. Picture was then completed. Jones guessed right per¬ son in one minute and 18 seconds. One mem¬ ber of the department guessed partly right. Others missed completely. This stunt re¬ sulted in a full column in Jones’ Sunday story and created much interest As an election night stunt we had our model and a boy carrying “Vote For Doris Day” sign at Lemington Hotel News, Radio and TV headquarters, where they were con¬ stantly seen ^ evening. 'Thousands of peo¬ ple were invited over the radio and TV to come down and watch the broadcasts and telecasts. Our model posed with various newscasters dindng the evening. Splendid cooperation on this campaign was received from Universal press agent Morris Steinman. F |armed service NUMBER F20 Local Arsenal Lends A Hand THEATRE: SW Baker, ADDRESS: Dover, N. J. MANAGER: O. Schoepe Prior to playing Coliimbia’s “I Aim At 'The Stars” I contact^ the public relations de¬ partment of Picatinny Arsenal and asked their assistance in publicizing this picture. 'They cooperated wholeheartedly by plac¬ ing at my disposal a huge float on which was mounted a “rocket,” a torpedo, various shells, and all form of ammunition which is made and tested at this vast Government depot. 'This mobile display moimted on a large truck and trailer was placed entirely at my disposal and parked in front of the theatre for the entire play date, every day and eve¬ ning, made a bang-up, attention-getting street bally. TTie 75 foot float attracted great interest and many people had the display explained to them by trained employees of the arsenal. TTiey seemed particvJarly in¬ terested in the fundamentals of the “rocket” and then decided to come into the theatre and see the film. We are sure that this display in front of the theatre made it possible for us to do extra business during the showing of the film. SAVE THESE EXPLOITATION SECTIONS FOR A PERMANENT RECORD The Picatinny Arsenal recently cooperated with the SW Baker, Dover, N. J., in furnishing this motorized float bearing "rockets," torpedoes, shells, etc., for display in front of the theatre during the showing of Columbia's "| Aim At Tho Stars."