The Exhibitor (1964)

Producer, Star Tours Back U’s “Night Walker” NEW YORK — Universal will launch the in¬ itial territorial openings of William Castle’s “The Night Walker” with an unusually heavy concentration of promotional activity by the producer, his production assistant, and three of the stars — Robert Taylor, Barbara Stan¬ wyck, and Lloyd Bochner, starting Jan. 4. “The Night Walker,” a unique suspense shocker, which marks Castle’s return to Uni¬ versal after a series of successful exploitation pictures released by other companies, is being accorded one of Universal’s top showmanship campaigns. Initial territorial openings of “The Night Walker” are scheduled for Texas, the Detroit area, Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago, as well as New York and Canada. Castle will visit 10 cities starting in New York on Jan. 4, with his itinerary including Boston, Philadelphia, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Detroit, and Chicago. Miss Stanwyck will also start her tour in New York and then visit Boston, Philadelphia, Toronto, Detroit, and Chicago. Taylor is expected to cover Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin, starting Jan. 11. Dona Holloway, Castle’s production assist¬ ant, is scheduled to cover 17 situations in the Texas and Detroit territories starting Jan. 11 in Galveston and including Beaumont, Port Arthur, Waco, Abilene, Amarillo, Wichita Falls, Albuquerque, El Paso, Grand Rapids, Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, Saginaw, Bay City, Flint, Lansing, and Ann Arbor. Bochner, who will cover the Canadian open¬ ings, will start his tour in Toronto on Jan. 24 and then visit Ottawa and Montreal. All five personalities will make television and radio promotional appearances in these cities and do press and point of sale exploita¬ tion activity. The second part of the “The Night Walker” promotional campaign is a nation-wide con¬ test being conducted in conjunction with Dell Publications’ Modern Screen and dealing with dreams, which ties in with local theatres and local Dell distributors through the medium of the special five minute featurette produced by Castle on the subject of dreams and fea¬ turing Pat Collins, world-famous hypnotist. Redstone Seeking Patents BOSTON — Redstone Theatres of Boston, through its wholly-owned subsidiary National Amusements, Inc., has applied to the United States Patent Office for the trademark regis¬ tration “Showcase Cinema.” Redstone is using the names Showcase Cinema and Showcase Cinemas in connection with all its indoor ventures. Redstone has also applied for the patent registration of a symbol being used in con¬ junction with the names. Comerford Opens Theatre WILKES-BARRE, PA. — A new, deluxe, 1,000 seat theatre, named the Gateway Cinema, has been opened in one of the largest shopping centers of its kind. Comerford operates the new house. INDUSTRY PRESS ACCLAIMS UNIVERSAL’S NEWEST COMEDY AN "INSTANT BOXOFFICE SUCCESS”* Cast of trio of stars as skilled in their art as Rock Hudson, Gina Loliobrigida and Gig Young in a story by a pair of writers as consummately masters of comedy as Norman Panama and Melvin Frank, shoot it in sparkling technicolor, and what have you got? You've got instant success. "Strange Bedfel¬ lows" is an instant success as you find out beyond question the instant the first of the thousand laughs, you're in for bounces back at you from the busy screen. Instant box office. -Motion Picture Doily * A bright and rollicking comedy drama. Hilarious, frivolous, always pleasant to behold. "Strange Bedfellows" will keep audiences wide awake with its rush of madcap events. It is strong, popular fare. —Film Daily Rock Hudson who teams equally well with whole¬ some Doris Day or the sexy Gina Loliobrigida, has another surefire laugh getter and audience pleaser in this hilarious Norman Panama-Melvin Frank Pro* duction. It will be one of the 1965 box office hits. —Boxoffice December 30, 1964 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR