The Exhibitor (1966)

March 2, 1966 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR EX-741 March 2, 1966 section three Vol. 75, No. 4 This special section is published every-second-week as a separately bound, saveable service to all theatre executive subscribers to MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR. Each saveable section represents current submissions by theatremen and promotion plans from distributors that have originality and ticket selling force. Exhibitors are invited to submit campaigns on specific pictures or institutional ideas. Add EXPLOITATION to your permanent theatre library. Address all communications and submissions to tha Editors of MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR, 317 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, Penno. — 19107. I EXPLOITATION 1 ACTUAL PROMOTIONS from the fertile minds of exhibition and dis¬ tribution that can be applied with profit to the theatre situations. 20th-Fox, Winchester Rifles Set Big Promotion For "Stagecoach" "Dr. Zhivago" To Schools Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Films, Inc. of New York will distribute a 16mm educa¬ tional subject and accompanying promotional material on Nobel Prize winning author Boris Pasternak and David Lean’s film of his “Doctor Zhivago” to the heads of English De¬ partments in school systems throughout the United States. To stimulate educational interest and create a major want-to-see for the film among stu¬ dents before and during local engagements, initial mailings describing the 9-minute “Pas¬ ternak” color featurette will be sent to 16,000 public, private and parochial high schools and to 8,000 college professors. Mail¬ ings will also go out to 13,790 librarians on the high school, college and junior college levels, making this promotion the most ex¬ tensive ever conceived for this market. “Pas¬ ternak” offers a comprehensive introduction to the author’s literary achievements, describ¬ ing his life and times and the important themes that comprised his works. In addition to the short subject, MGM and Films, Inc. are also offering schools a bul¬ letin board display with color illustrations from the film; Viewer Discussion Guide ma¬ terials, covering background information about the film and the novel, the history of the Russian revolution, geneology charts, and guidelines for discussion leaders; and an information booklet describing the making of “Doctor Zhivago.” David Niven Look Alike AUSTIN, TEXAS — With everyone sponsor¬ ing contests to find a Doris Day look alike, Sue Lyon look alike, Stella Stevens look alike, etc., MGM came up with what it be¬ lieves to be a promotional first for “Where the Spies Are,” starring David Niven and Francoise Dorleac. With interest primarily focussed on finding look alikes for attractive girls, MGM offered the men a chance, and held a contest here to find a David Niven look alike. Contestants did not have to re¬ semble the actor. What they had to have was a moustache similar to Niven’s. Judges of this moustache contest were John Bustin and Jim Langdon of the American Statesman and a man who was perhaps most qualified to act as judge, Joe, a popular Italian barber. Jointly sponsored by The American Statesman and radio stations KNOW and KTBC, the promotion was completed opening night, when the winner was introduced on stage. In addition to a cash prize, the winner was given a special gift certificate, entitling him to a free haircut, massage and (optional) moustache trim at Joe’s. Kicking off the merchandising tie-in between 20th Century-Fox and Winchester-Western for Martin Rackin’s production of “Stagecoach” recently were Jonas Rosenfield, Jr., 20th-Fox vice-president and director of advertising, publicity and exploitation, Sharon Gilpatrick, ‘Miss Stagecoach’; Rackin, and William Wallace, vice-president and general mana¬ ger of Winchester-Western. They are seen atop a stagecoach in front of the Cattleman Restaurant, New York, where a formal announcement of the pro¬ motion was made following a western breakfast of steak and eggs. "Promise" Offers Prizes In one of the biggest television promotions ever set for a motion picture, 401 prizes, in¬ cluding a free trip for two to Rome, are be¬ ing offered by Paramount Pictures and WORTV in behalf of “Promise Her Anything,” at New York’s DeMille and Beekman Theatres. The promotion, in the form of a grand drawing of postcard entries, is being conduct¬ ed on Joe Franklin’s “Memory Lane,” the top-rated 90-minute show seen daily at 11:30 a.m. For an entire week, Franklin is devoting a portion of each day’s program to the pro¬ motion and to various sidelights and high¬ lights of the filming of “Promise Her Any¬ thing.” Additional prizes in the giant contest in¬ clude 300 pairs of guest tickets to see the film and 100 copies of the Kapp soundtrack album from the film. When one of America’s leading illustra¬ tors, Norman Rockwell, completed a panoram¬ ic painting of a western stagecoach under attack by hostile Indians, he forged a link between the famous Winchester rifle of the old West and a modern epic film devoted to the same period. Twentieth Century-Fox and the WinchesterWestern Division, Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation, have combined talents in an ex¬ tensive promotion based on the Martin Rackin production of “Stagecoach.” Utilizing the Rockwell paintings commis¬ sioned by 20th-Fox, Winchester-Western has made “Stagecoach” the theme of its $2,500,000 Centennial year advertising and promotional campaign. Winchester is distributing millions of con¬ sumer catalogs featuring Rockwell’s painting of the stage coach attack as its front and back covers. The company is offering coupons for reproductions — suitable for framing — of the same scene through its 44,000 firearms outlets. The Rockwell paintings have been incor¬ porated into special Winchester display kits for dealer’s showrooms. The kits will consist of large photo blow-ups and counter-cards of the “Stagecoach” painting and a series of counter-cards of Rockwell’s portraits of the stars of the movie. While 20th-Fox will use Winchester rifles and display materials in thousands of window and lobby displays throughout the country, Winchester will tie in the “Stagecoach” theme throughout its centennial year in its special sales and promotions. The company will fea¬ ture “Stagecoach” in a 24-page full color bro¬ chure to be mailed to 60,000 outlets. Winchester’s advertising campaign for its centennial line of products will appear in the following media: Sports Illustrated, True, Argosy, Field & Stream, Outdoor Life, Sports Afield, Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, Mechanix Illustrated, Farm Journal, Progres¬ sive Farmer, Grit, Boy’s Life, National Future Farmer, Sport, Guns & Ammo, Guns, Ameri¬ can Rifleman, Trap & Field, Skeet Shooting Review, Skeeter, Guns & Hunting, Gunsport, Gun World, Shooting Times, American Field, Colorado Magazine, Ducks Unlimited, Fishing and Hunting News, Hardware Age, Hardware Merchandiser, Hardware Retailer, Southern Hardware, Sporting Goods Dealer, Sports Age, Selling Sporting Goods, Home & Auto Retailer and the Progressive Grocer. In addition, one of Olin’s corporate adver¬ tisements for national consumer publications (Contniued on page EX 743)