The Exhibitor (1962)

June 27, 1962 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR EX-421 EXPLOITATION i ACTUAL PROMOTIONS accomplished by Experienced Theatremen, that can he applied with profit to many other Theatre Situations. This special section is published every-second-week as a separately bound saveable service to all theatre executive subscribers to MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR. Each such cumulatively numbered saveable section represents current submissions that have been judged by the Editorial Board as having the originality and ticket selling force to warrant placement in the 1961 SHOWMEN OF THE YEAR CONTEST (explanation elsewhere). It is recommended that theatremen save complete annual consecutively numbered files of. these EXPLOITATION sections, and on the last page of each issue will be found a complete cumulative index for the year. Address all communications and submissions to the Editors of MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR, 317 N. Broad St., Philadelphia 7, Pa. JUNE 27, 1962 SECTION THREE VOL. 68, NO. 2 Individual ACHIEVEMENT CITATIONS have been issued for each of these: B KIDS' MATINEES NUMBER B6 Answers “Violence In Films” Charge THEATRE: Odeon, ADDRESS: Rutherglen, Scotland MANAGER: C. Hayden Reed The meeting of our Boys and Girls Club committee which consists of senior members and discusses programs, presentations, contents and matters of general interest for the smooth running of our Saturday morning perform¬ ances, coincided with a report in the press that doctors believed that violence in films had a bad effect on children. The committee felt the matter should be discussed and their view made known. The majority believed that a certain amount of violence in films so long as it was a natural development of the story and not violence for its own sake would not have an adverse effect on children. The only girl present, however, condemned any display of violence. She said that a certain type of child would be affected by displays of violence but the committee felt that to be so influenced by a film a child would require to have violent tendencies inherent in its nature. Another committee member expressed the view that children see a great deal of violence in the outside world, some of them unfortu¬ nately in their own homes, and that the cinema could not be held entirely, if at all, to blame for outbreaks of crime against chil¬ dren. Details of the meeting were telephoned to the newspapers which had carried the doctors’ report and they were happy to carry the observations. This coverage not only kept the theatre to the forefront; but made the public aware that the film industry is not lacking in its responsibilities towards children. Many telephone calls and letters were re¬ ceived at the theatre as a result with most agreeing with the committee that the children had a natural tendency towards seeing that justice is done. STUNTS-BALLY NUMBER G21 “Pirate” And Treasure Hunt Bally THEATRE: Regal, ADDRESS: Rothesay, Isle Of Bute, Scotland MANAGER: W. Gourlay Since we are situated on an island off the west coast of Scotland, MGM’s “Morgan, The Pirate” was a natural for exploitation. A pirate costume was hired for a week and I wore it on every opportunity, making quite a dashing figure as I distributed over-printed balloons and throwaways at various schools and around the town. I got permission to go aboard the ferry-boat from the captain; and also attended a dance at the Grand Marine Hotel and an indoor football match at the Pavilion. "Cold War" Continues; Exhib Raps Toll-TV were distributed. Three do-it-yourself galleon construction kits were the prizes and 150 entries were received. HARTFORD, CONN.— Smith Manage¬ ment Company, owner and operator, Meadows Drive-In here, the largest out¬ door theatre in Connecticut, introduced a new note in the continuing “cold war” be¬ tween approaching WHCT-TV, Channel 18, subscription tv project, and Connecti¬ cut exhibition. The drive-in used a top catch-line in newspaper ads: “This is real action . . . not the television kind!” A treasure hunt was organized. Six small plaster skulls together with credits were placed in shop windows on the main street and children were asked to name the stores. Free passes were offered for the first six cor¬ rect entries; and though there are more than 100 shops in the street, the theatre was be¬ sieged with youngsters and their entries with¬ in half an hour of the leaflets being distrib¬ uted. A small foyer display consisted of a tea chest filled with empty liquor bottles plus a standee coffin for a macabre effect. Adults were invited to guess how many bottles were involved. There were 120 entries and a bottle of Captain Morgan Rum was presented by the distillers to the winning person. Balloons were distributed at our sister theatre’s Saturday children’s club and 1,000 children’s painting competition entry forms NUMBER G22 Puts on the ‘Dog’ to Bally “101 Dalmatians” THEATRE: Odeon ADDRESS: Newcastle-On-Tyne, England. MANAGER: R. C. Sidney -Wilmot. Our campaign for “101 Dalmatians” was so comprehensive that details are presented in order of occurrence rather than publicity value. First we conceived “Star Personal Ap¬ pearance of Pongo and Perdita.” Through press contacts we interested Mrs. Graham, a Dalmatian breeder, who loaned two cham¬ pions to appear on the stage on the Monday prior to playdate. This event was given the full treatment and the only difference from a normal PA was that dog biscuits were pre¬ sented to the star in place of the usual flow¬ ers. The press gave us an excellent coverage. Next, the Newcastle Evening Chronicle (circulation 280,000) sponsored a “Find the Twins” competition. This drew nearly 4000 entries from the under twelves and the paper’s development manager in a letter of apprecia¬ tion wrote “although we look upon these contests normally as novelties and recognize that they are in main vehicles for cinema publicity, in this case there is no doubt at all that the Evening Chronicle has gained most decided benefit.” We persuaded our Hot Dog Rolls’ supplier to bake a monster Dalmatians cake for pre¬ sentation to a local children’s hospital by Pongo and Perdita plus three six week old About 300 motor scooters carrying pennants were assembled recently at MOTION PICTURE EX¬ HIBITOR'S London bureau before being ridden in convoy to the British premiere of UA's "Jessica" at the nearby Odeon, Marble Arch. Here, London editor Jock MacGregor gives a helping push to "Jessica," actress Yvonne Buckingham, and Barbara French as UA's Charles Berman and Vespa executives look on.