The Exhibitor (1964)

“Station Six” Bolstered By Exhibitor Suggestions NEW YORK — Two weeks of coast-to-coast meeting's on “Station Six Sahara’ with 145 advertising and publicity heads representing aproximateiy 4,000 of the top theatres and drive-ins in the country have been excep¬ tionally successful and productive, it was reported by Jack Goldstein, Allied Artists national director of advertising and publicity. In heading up the meetings and seminars in New York, Chicago, Dallas, and Los Angeles, Goldstein found unqualified enthusiasm for the approach which allows exhibitors to contribute their thinking to an important film’s advertising and promotion campaigns. Theatre and circuit ad-pub directors who came from many parts of the country, he stated, expressed elation at the chance to consult in depth with a major distributor before campaigns had been finally firmed up on a national basis. The sessions, generally, were so success¬ ful, Goldstein revealed, that many theatre and circuit representatives asked for more of the same and, in turn, he argeed to continue the practice on every major AA picture. The fact that the exhibitors attending the sessions had not previously booked the film under discussion provided still another di¬ mension to the meetings — that of sales im¬ petus. In addition to being able to express their views on the film’s advertising-promo¬ tion approach, exhibitors viewed “Station Six-Sahara” and personally met with Allied Artists sales heads Ernest Sands, general sales manager; Nat Nathanson, assistant gen¬ eral sales manager;; and Harold Wirthwein, western division sales manager. Most significantly from a sales point-ofview, Allied Artists branch managers from each territory also attended their respective seminars. Although the basic advertising and art concept on “Station Six-Sahara” was con¬ ceded to be of top calibre and met with enthusiastic acceptance — many valuable sug¬ gestions were offered by exhibitors in each area reviewed. In addition to the over-all advertising-promotion campaigns, these topics included accessories, trailers, radio and tv spots, lobby display materials, and Carroll Baker promotional aids. Examples of the latter, inspired by exhibitors interest, are special “sex-sell” Carroll Baker tv trailers for use after 10 p.m. and Carroll Baker radio spots designed for use by one outlet in each city as station breaks. One graphic example of the promotion re¬ sults of the sessions is the general agreement of exhibitors to run a special newsreel clip insert of the “Station Six-Sahara” premiere staged in Las Vegas. This footage highlights Carroll Baker, who attended the event in an Oleg Cassini transparent gown, celebrity party and premiere attendance, and general color and ballyhoo that spotted the city. The newsreel film, at the request of exhibitors, is also being made available in 16 mm for local television. The “Station Six-Sahara” seminars were attended by, in New York, advertising and publicity heads from RKO, Loew’s, and Stan¬ ley Warner; in Dallas, representatives from Fort Worth, Oklahoma City, Atlanta, Char¬ lotte, Jacksonville, Memphis, Houston, and San Antonio; in Chicago, by exhibitors from Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Des Moines, and Kansas City; and in Los Angeles, by practically every major theatre circuit nearby. . . . . . . . . mum, I, urn . imiimmmilll . . . . . immimm . . . Illlimm . Ill . . . mimmmmiimmimmm . mum . . . . . . . '"mini The NEW YORK Scene | By Mel Konecoff ACCORDING TO JAMES NICHOLSON, PRESIDENT OF AMERICAN INTERNA tional, his company is embarking on the building of a contract list of new people as well as capable veterans in the business. The newcomers will most likely be signed to ex¬ clusive contracts. It seems that the company has had great success with their various “Beach” pictures, and the casts have become well known both as a result of the films and their personal appearances. To take advantage of the build-up, it was decided to establish the equivalent of an AIP stock company with about a dozen promising actors and actresses in the group, who will receive the star build-up. Sending them out on the road helps to establish them, and he felt it was to the company’s advantage to have them exclusively under contract. Personal appearances are not only limited to the U. S., but they are being sent over¬ seas as well, where they serve both as ambassadors from Hollywood and to hypo film receipts on their pictures. Nicholson reported across the luncheon table at Sardi’s that ten years ago, the com¬ pany started out by making pictures for young people, and he was confident that these are still in demand. The base has been broadened to embrace entire families as well, and concentration is still on escapist themes. He wryly noted that 10 years ago, if he had known what he had to go through to reach their present position, he might never have started the company. A most rewarding point in the decade was the wonderful treatment by exhibitors. He reported that “Bikini Beach” will gross W/i millions domestically. “Beach Party” took in three millions in net film rentals. “Muscle Beach Party” took in $1,800,000. Twelve to 16 features are planned for 1965, including a “Golden Dozen” which will be in color, widescreen, and in an “A” category of over a million dollars. The emphasis will be on quality and not quantity, with the youth theme and science fiction stressed. One of the contract youngsters introduced at the luncheon was Susan Hart, who was glad to be with AIP because of their plans for her and because the people were so nice. There are no plans to give up franchise operations, nor were exhibition plans of the company yet finalized, he said. YOUTH PLUS EXPERIENCE: Add together Sol Lesser, 74 years of age, and Sandy Lane, 11 years of age, and you’ve got the start of something new in the area of elec¬ tronic dots and exposed cellulose. It seems that Lesser, who produced 117 motion pictures and won two Academy Awards, saw “The Searching Eye,” which is a documentary at the Eastman Kodak pavilion at the World’s Fair and which features young Lane. He was so impressed that he signed the lad to a five-year contract with options. Lesser, who was first to recognize the talents of such as Jackie Coogan, Jackie Cooper, Bobby Green, and others, was lured from retirement by the lad’s possibilities, and he plans on making his debut in tv as a producer with young Lane in a series presently being scripted. Plans for theatrical films are still in abeyance. Lesser will continue as president of the Hollywood Museum while working on the series entitled “The World Is Round,” concerning a boy’s discoveries regarding the world. Saul Bass, he of prize-winning title fame, will help as physical producer. Sandy (real name is W'alter) is the son of veteran actor Rusty Lane (real name is James), whose career dates back to 1914, when he appeared in his first film, “The Man Trail,” and who appeared in more than 500 live telecasts in five years as well as in count¬ less films. The most recent of these are “Spencer’s Mountain,” “The New Interns,” “Fate Is The Hunter,” and “Youngblood Hawke.” Dad has no intention of retiring since Junior is talking about 74-foot yachts. Sandy, by the way, doesn’t care too much about act¬ ing, preferring some day to become an electronics engineer. ADVISE AND ADVICE: ELSEWHERE ON THIS PAGE, THERE’S A STORY ABOUT Jack Goldstein, national director of advertising and publicity at Allied Artists, turning to theatre advertising and publicity heads for guidance on the campaign for the company’s forthcoming “Station Six-Sahara,” which stars Carroll Baker. The material he got as a result was fantastic, in his opinion, and he plans on continuing this with other product. As regards Baker, he had much praise for her cooperation and willingness to help in the selling. One instance came to mind. It seems that Oleg Cassini designed a transparent gown, which she was supposed to wear for the premiere of the film in Las Vegas. He sent it on to her a couple of days prior to the event. It uncovered too much in many places and not enough in others. She spent a whole day patching and cutting so it would be ready for the premiere, where it caused a sensation. As a result of this and other cooperative moments, Goldstein is seriously considering asking the theatre reps to award her a citation, not only for her help but also designating her as the sexy successor to Jean Harlow and Marilyn Monroe. FLORAL NOTE: The other day when we returned to the office, we found a florist’s box containing a pink carnation with the note that Tony Richardson’s “The Loved One” started production on that day. We called MGM to tell ’em that they were sweet to send the floral reminder and found out that 149 others were similarly treated. The kicker to the bit is that the film concerns itself with a romance between a girl make-up artist in a mortuary for humans and an employee in an animal mortuary. The florist who handled the distribution didn’t know this and decided that the request for 150 white carnations was too macabre — so he sent pink ones instead. The result is that MGM isn’t paying for the flowers. 14 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR August 5, 1964