The Exhibitor (1961)

EX-394 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR March 7, 1962 In a joint promotion WIP and the Arcadia paid the marriage license fees for 43 future brides and bridegrooms on Valentine's Day at Philadelphia's City Hall. The stunt was set up in connection with U-I's "Lover Come Back" and Jack Kruschen, who plays a sup¬ porting role in the film, was on hand to greet applicants Sandra Weiss and Arnold Kamens. A four-way promotion helped Columbia's "Mysterious Island," Victory, Brussels, Bel¬ gium. Participating were Renault Automobiles, Le Bon Marche department store, Hachette publishers, and Euro-Rama, top circulation weekly magazine. Centered around an essay contest there were over 20 prizes, first of which was a 1962 Renault. ated with us is no longer in business. How¬ ever, by showing the dealer how we could help him advertise his business away from his place of business on our screen, etc. swung the deal. We also printed the heralds and coupons and paid for the trailer which plugged both the dealer and the date and time of the give-away. He was at the theatre that night and was very happy with the event. As he left the theatre, he said, “See me the next time you want another jalopy.” EXPLOITATION— an encyclopedia of useable exploitation stunts — is published every other week as a section of Motion Picture Exhibitor. THE NEW 1962 "Showman-of-the-Year” CONTEST Bach 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 a Board of Judges for their individual study and their personal choice of the BEST THREE. A minimum of $30000 IN PRIZES will be awarded to the three “SHOW¬ MEN OF-THEYEAR” so selected. Alert showmen, interested in the international distinction 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. NONAMAKER, Feature Editor, MOTION PIC¬ TURE EXHIBITOR, 317 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia 7, Penna. For United Artists' "One, Two, Three", Penn, Pittsburgh, Pa., local model Jerry Strecki dressed in tights and a parka was used as street ballyhoo. She gave out clusters of balloons in the downtown area. Some con¬ tained passes to the theatre. NUMBER D-17 Atmosphere For “Flower Drum Song” THEATRE: North Massapequa, ADDRESS: North Massapequa, N.Y. MANAGER: Charles E. Boeckman Since all competing theatres in our area were playing U-I’s “Flower Drum Song” at the same time we felt it was necessary to do some extra promoting in order to get the people to go to our theatre. In our lobby we set up a fine display con¬ sisting of Chinese lanterns hanging from the lights, and small Chinese figurines on the shelfs and candy counter. The figurines were borrowed from staff members, and the lan¬ terns were purchased at a very low price. For one week prior to our playdate and dur¬ ing the run of the film, the cashier, candy attendant and doorman all wore attractive Chinese costumes, which were borrowed and therefore cost us absolutely nothing. Lam’s Chinese Restaurant provided us with Chinese fortune cookies which we distributed to patrons on the first four nights of our en¬ gagement. The restaurant also permitted us to put up a large 8 feet x 4 feet sign in front of their place of business, which is located on a main road. The sign gave feature title, playdates and name of theatre. In return, we gave the In San Francisco an "Apple Annie" got the heave-ho from the swank Sheraton-Palace Hotel after trying to dispose of some of her apples in one of the promotions for the open¬ ing of United Artists' "Pocketful Of Miracles" at Loew's Warfield. Stunt was covered by local papers and television. restaurant 40 guest tickets which they dis¬ tributed to some of their patrons thereby attracting interest in the picture. These extra promotions, together with our usual newspaper ads and radio spots, attract¬ ed plenty of attention and paid off at the boxoffice. I INSTITUTIONAL NUMBER 1-3 Happy 22nd. Anniversary THEATRE: Bryan ADDRESS: Bryan, Ohio MANAGER: A. W. Yahraus Recently we celebrated our 22nd birthday and as a feature gave away free passes to celebrate with first prize a season pass; sec¬ ond prize, six month pass; third, three month pass; and fourth, one month pass. To win, all one had to do was stop in the lobby and sign his or her name. The event was marked by our increasing our advertising and showing “Babes In Toyland.” Our anniversary ad ran six and three quarters inches by three columns. The Bryan Times gave us an editorial which read as follows: “The Bryan Theatre is observing its 22nd birthday, and with quite a show, “Babes In Toyland.” “Back in the 30’s Skirball Brothers bought the Temple Theatre from L. D. Miller, and a bit later they purchased property on the west side of the square and built the present thea¬ tre, which was the finest in Northwestern Ohio. “There has been quite a change in that time, when the pictures were all in black and white. First came color, then the wide screen and improved sound systems until today the pictures can bring scenery to the stage with realism and beauty. “But something new has been added — tele¬ vision, which has closed many theatres. In Williams county only the Bryan and Mont¬ pelier theatres are still operating. While the attendance has been reduced, the quality of the pictures has been improved and it is a tremendous change from the 21 inch screen to the wide screen, in gorgeous color — and with no commercials. “So we extend congratulations to the Bryan Theatre and to its manager, A1 Yahraus, who is active in the business and social life of Bryan, looking forward to many more birth¬ days for this excellent playhouse.”