The Exhibitor (1965)

EX-734 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR February 2, 1966 AIP "Beach-Bikini" Gang To Travel Around US In Live Variety Shows NEW YORK — American International Pic¬ tures has concluded a deal with John F. Du¬ gan Agency to develop and produce variety show entertainment units keyed to the theme of AIP’s “beach and bikini” theatrical films which Dugan will book for “live” appearances throughout the United States. The deal, according to AIP executives James H. Nicholson and Samuel Z. Arkoff, is another facet of company showmanship de¬ signed to increase theatre attendance. The new traveling Beach Gang Variety Show units will feature personalities who have appeared in AIP’s beach films, bolstered by other well-known stars who have worked in AIP pictures, Nicholson and Arkoff re¬ veal. According to Dugan, initial reaction to the anouncement of the forthcoming “live” shows is so enthusiastic that several units will be on the road at one time. “Like the ‘beach’ movies, these shows will be basically fun shows,” he says. “They will be put together by outstanding people and will feature outstanding people, providing sub¬ stantial entertainment for up to two and a half hours.” They will be booked into all phases of the personal appearance field, Dugan asserts, in¬ cluding concerts, fair dates, theatres, indus¬ trials, and one-nighters, with the first unit hitting the road early in spring. Each show will be self-contained, carrying its own lighting and stage equipment, and all other paraphernalia for proper presentation. It is observed by Dugan that while each season brings out numerous touring compan¬ ies and concert attractions, this is believed to be the first time a major motion picture company has developed and produced a stage attraction featuring its contract players “live” on a nationwide show tour. AIP executives Nicholson and Arkoff add that aside from building the star value of the personalities featured in the shows, the tour will serve to effect advance press for pictures subsequently to be released by AIP, parts of which will be integrated into skits and songs especially created and written for the touring shows. Your Telephone Is Important Paramount’s special promotional featurette on “The Slender Thread,” titled “Dial O For Emergency,” is winning very favorable acceptance from many of the country’s top television stations. Philadelphia’s WCAU-TV was so enthusi¬ astic about the “Slender Thread” featurette that it devoted its entire “Ten Around Town” show to the film. To round out the half-hour program, a panel of telephone company exec¬ utives discussed the real-life repercussions of the suspense drama, in which the telephone plays a crucial role in a life-and-death struggle. In San Antonio, WOAI-TV thought so highly of “Dial O For Emergency” that it programmed it three times within a single day, on its mid-day and late-night news shows and at the conclusion of its late after¬ noon movie. U Personalities Tour With the personalities of “Moment To Moment” converging on Miami and the per¬ sonalities of “The Rare Breed” converging on Texas for the respective premieres of these two films coupled with the activities of the personalities in New Orleans for the launching of “The Ghost and Mr. Chicken,” Universal currently is in the midst of one of the most intensive concentrations of the use of per¬ sonalities for promotional purpose in its his¬ tory. This of course will be followed early in March by a similar concentration of per¬ sonalities for the launching of “Madame X” in Miami and other key cities. Producer Mervyn LeRoy and Honor Black¬ man, starred with Jean Seberg, joined costar Sean Garrison in Miami for the premiere of “Moment To Moment” and the Florida territorial openings of the picture following three days of promotional activity in New York. Garrison has been in the Florida territory since January 17th touring Jack¬ sonville, Daytona, Orlando, Tampa, St. Peters¬ burg and Sarasota before his current appear¬ ances in Ft. Lauderdale, Hollywood and Miami for the multiple-theatre Miami pre¬ miere and the Florida territorial openings. Don Galloway, co-starred in “The Rare Breed,” who has been touring Texas cities since January 19th including El Paso, Amaril¬ lo, Abilene, Tyler, Wichita Falls, Waco, Aus¬ tin, San Antonio, Houston and Dallas was joined in Waco by director Andrew McLaglen who will visit the remaining above listed cities jointly with Galloway. They are to be joined in Fort Worth by stars James Stewart and Maureen O’Hara and co-star Juliet Mills. They will participate in the four-city Texas World Premiere of “The Rare Breed” in Fori ( Continued on page EX-735) Which is the real Doris Day? The one on the left, smiling happily because her look-alike, Tuula Mattila, of Finland, won the Doris-For-A-Day inter¬ national competition held recently in connection with 20th-Fox's “Do Not Disturb.” The winner was brought to Hollywood for the premiere of the film. THE EXHIBITOR'S EXPLOITATION EFFORTS E. D. HARRIS, director of promotion, mer¬ chandising and group sales for Herbert Rosener Theatres of Southern California with ace team work from general manager Sydney Linden; Bill Watters on publicity; and Vaga¬ bond manager Ted North, recently made a concerted effort in exploiting the re-release of Jeanette McDonald-Nelson Eddy-MGM light operettas. These films made the rounds a few years ago on one day playdates for a pretty thorough saturation. Due to recent demands by woman’s groups for family type entertainment and the latest cultural kick taking place nationally, it was thought it would be a good idea to call the womens’ bluff and challenge them to support the films they cry for. It worked. Under the general title of “Jeanette McDonald Film Musical Festival,” the plan called for the showing of two such films on one program for one week only. Surprised results gave the theatre three ad¬ ditional weeks of McDonald musicals. Pub¬ licity and art, plus feature stories by colum¬ nists, in advance and during the run, had full coverage in all dailies and weeklies. Special promotion and group sales was instituted to attract Senior Citizens with a daily $1.00 matinee. Senior Citizens from Los Angeles and surrounding areas even came in private busses chartered by their clubs. All Senior Citizen clubs and associations as well as the Senior Citizen division of the recreation de¬ partments of the city of Los Angeles and nearby cities, put out notices in all publica¬ tions going to its members. To build evening patronage, the major womens clubs were contacted and sent film programs to go with their publications to members. They also an¬ nounced it at meetings. Colleges, music, dancing and drama schools put out notices on bulletins and also announced the programs during classes. Record distributoi's took ad¬ vantage of the promotion campaign, stocking retailers with recordings of music played in the film musicals. They got disk jockeys to play songs from films and compliment the Vagabond theatre for reviving the films with the unforgettable tunes. IN HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA— William Tuttle, head of MGM’s Makeup department, appeared on Dennis Bracken’s KNX radio program, “At Your Service,” and discussed the complexities of makeup for motion pic¬ tures with “A Patch of Blue” as the specific subject. During the 45-minute show, tele¬ phone lines were opened so Tuttle could personally answer questions put to him by listeners. Four-foot-long bumper placards announcing “Read the Popular Book, See MGM’s “A Patch of Blue” at the Crest Thea¬ tre Westwood” were attached to the 75 trucks of the Sunset News Co. distributors of the Popular Library book, “A Patch of Blue.” The paperback, being distributed to more than 1500 local bookstores, is a new edition of the original novel by Elizabeth Kata, “Be Ready with Bells and Drums.” MGM ar¬ ranged two special screenings of “A Patch of Blue” for 200 dealers and music store owners throughout the greater Los Angeles and Southern California area. The Merit Distributing Company set up showings at the Studio’s Theatre in connection with an ex¬ tensive promotion campaign for the sound track album of the Jerry Goldsmith score and the five singles of the title theme song. ( Continued on page EX-736)