The Exhibitor (1966)

By MARK GIBBONS Marty Rackin Pulls Out AH Stops Selling "Stagecoach" To Everyone HOLLYWOOD — When 20th-Fox’s “Stagecoach” is world premiered in Denver next Wednesday (May 18), the film will not be lacking in pre-sell ballyhoo build-up. Producer Marty Rackin handled that chore, personally, and one wonders what the 150-odd members of the world press will have to write about when they junket into the Colorado metropolis. Rackin, just returned to relax in his Beverly Hills home, traversed the highways and byways of the nation as well as jetting the airlanes to sell his picture not only to the press but to hundreds of exhibitors. No major film, especially a classic western re-make, ever had so many tom-toms thumped in a diapason to whoop it up. While he has tremendous respect for the power of the press, Marty maybe figured that perhaps some movie house operators don’t read or perhaps can’t afford to subscribe to MOTION PICTURE EXHIBI¬ TOR. So he covered all bases with the most whipped-up, tie-in cam¬ paign the motion picture industry has ever seen. He sold unrelated enterprises to become partners in his promotional campaign. Before “Stagecoach” flashes across the many screens of the nation, the tie-ins will have spent more than the $4 to $5 million it cost to produce “Stagecoach.” Marty shoved his exploitation into almost every segment of American life, and he reminded the multifarious exhibitors he visited that “You’re on the winning roll of the dice . . . the dice are in your hands and they’re hot . . or “What this has, it has a want-to-see for the whole family.” Marty also frankly exposed his purpose by stat¬ ing: “I’m beating a drum. I’m beating a drum to men who have cal¬ loused ear drums.” Marty may have annoyed a few exhibitors, but his pre-sell campaign results are reflected in the bookings. It is a known fact that exhibitors in general are willing to bend an ear to anybody who personally sings in praise of an upcoming film. They (the exhibitors) figure that if a person as high as the producer comes out to peddle his product, that film is at least worth considering. Exhibitors trying to win their bread and butter sometimes miss the boat on a “sleeper” because the worth of a film has not been made clear to them. That’s what Marty Rackin had in mind when he went out to plug “Stagecoach.” As to the tie-ins, Rackin more than covered the bases. In downtown New York, there will be Pepsi-Cola slickers to cover the front of that office building, and there will be a Norman Rockwell painting of “Stagecoach.” The Pepsi people also will roll a stagecoach in the lobby and have Miss Joan Crawford host a cocktail party for the national press, even if the famed actress does represent a soft drink. Coppertan, the sun lotion folk, are installing window displays in beauty salons, cosmetic shops, and drugstores, in some peculiar way connecting their merchandise with artist Norman Rockwell, Marty Rackin, and all those redskins who attack the “Stagecoach.” Then Rackin made a deal with Gold Medal Books to print and distribute 500,000 copies of the novel, “Stagecoach,” with, quite naturally, Rockwell for covers and Rockwell for window displays. Eor people who can hear, Marty Rackin may already count on recordings by Wayne Newton, Dean Martin, and Andy Williams warbling the virtues of “Stagecoach” songs. Jerry Gold¬ smith, the composer of the “Stagecoach” score, will soon have a sound track in circulation. On the night of the “Stagecoach” debut, Ken Murray will deliver his network television slot to plugging the picture. At 60,000 sporting goods dealers all over the nation, there will be window displays some¬ how connected with “Stagecoach.” It just so happens that Winchester is celebrating its centennial, and the Winchester panjandrums are mail¬ ing out five million copies of their catalogs with, natch, a Rockwell painting of a scene from “Stagecoach.” We said that Rackin didn’t miss a bet on his ballyhoo junket, but that ain’t all. Marty lined up Levi-Strauss, the jean makers, to market a Winchester sport shirt with a stagecoach woven into the retail fabric and Norman Rockwell art displayed with it all over the country. Then Rackin persuaded Cole of California, which rescued the bare bosom bathing suit ban by cover¬ ing the mammary glands with some sort of a net which didn’t conceal anything, to get on the “Stagecoach” bandwagon. Cole currently is touring the country displaying clothing and giving away more than 300,000 Norman Rockwell lithographs. At a nominal charge. Cole will dress every movie usherette in the nation, and zip the “Stagecoach” old west to the new garments. Marty also persuaded the Hat Corporation of America to design and publicize a male head covering branded as the “Stagecoacher.” It looks like a standard businessman’s topper and is being advertised in color in important men’s magazines. Quite natu¬ rally, there are Norman Rockwell “Stagecoach” paintings as part of the coast-to-coast hat displays. As for national magazine publicity, Marty has lined up such journals with feature items as Esquire, Look, Pageant, Saturday Evening Post, and others. Marty admits that all the shooting irons and the skin lotions are not going to make “Stagecoach” a blockbuster unless it has merits of its own. He says frankly; “If the movie clicks, then the tour I made with the whoopla and the tie-ins will be worth the effort.” Utah, Arizona Governors To Attend "Diablo" Bow SALT LAKE CITY — Governors Calvin L. Rampton, of Utah, and Samuel P. Goddard, Jr., of Arizona, will attend the gala world premiere of Ralph Nelson’s “Duel at Diablo” in Salt Lake City on May 12. The inter¬ national event will be covered by the press of more than a score of European and Latin American nations and the United States who will be flown in. The premiere of the motion picture, starring James Garner and Sidney Poirier, is a joint venture of United Artists and the State of Utah, where “Duel at Diablo” was produced on location by Ralph Nelson and Fred Engel. Highlights of the premiere festivities will be a luncheon tendered by Governor Rampton and other high state officials and civic leaders; a posh party to be held in honor of the guests and celebrities, and sightseeing tours for the foreign and domestic guests. The guests will be taken on a day-long trip on Lake Powell, visits to Zion and Bryce National Parks, and stopovers at the scenic location sites of the motion picture, which was filmed in the vicinity of Kanab, Utah. There also will be an overnight trip to Arizona land¬ marks. Libraries Thank Industry For Book-To-Film Poster NEW YORK — The industry’s participa¬ tion in National Library Week has been recognized in a letter from the National Library Week headquarters — “We wish to thank you, the members of the Motion Picture Association of America Advertising and Publicity Directors Committee and all representatives of the motion picture in¬ dustry, for the fine efforts made to pro¬ mote National Library Week through your colorful poster ‘From Books to Films.’ ” A total of 9,500 of this year’s library poster was distributed to libraries. Requests from libraries for additional posters totaled over 250. Marcus Adds Five Theatres MILWAUKEE — Ben Marcus, president, Marcus Theatres Management Corporation, announced that five more theatres have been added to the chain. They are the 2100 seat SW Warner here; the 1800 seat Venetian and 1200 seat Rialto in Racine; the 1350 seat Sheboygan, Sheboygan; and the 900 seat Appleton, Appleton. Marcus’ theatres, all in Wisconsin, now total 47. ASPCA Names Disney For Once-ln-Century Honor NEW YORK — The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals an¬ nounced selection of Walt Disney as recipient of a once-in-a-century award for his four decades of outstanding humanitarian activities. A gold medallion will be presented to the Hollywood producer and business executive at the ASPCA’s 100th anniversary meeting on May 23. In announcing the award, James H. Jen¬ kins, president, said that Mr. Disney will be honored for his unique creative efforts which have resulted in a better understanding and love of animals. The producer’s first animal short subject — “Oswald the Rabbit” — achieved fame just 40 years ago, in 1926. Jenkins said, “We feel that no man in this century has done more to instill a love and appreciation of animals in the hearts of generations of children and adults. It is fitting that the oldest and largest humane organiza¬ tion in the Western Hemisphere honor Mr. Disney on the 100th anniversary of its found • 55 ing. 1 1 May 11, 1966 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR