The Exhibitor (1966)

EX-768 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR June 8, 1966 Local Movie Doubles Contest Helps "7%e Oscar" In KX. An audience of “big names” ^attended the opening of “The Oscar” at Kansas City’s Roxy Theatre on “Celebrity Night,” recently. Pres¬ ent were names such as Joseph Levine, Doris Day, Elizabeth Taylor, James Stewart, Sue Lyon, John Wayne and Pearl White. Actually there were four James Stewart’s, four Mary Martins, three Elizabeth Taylors, and several other names were duplicated among the 132 “big names” who attended. The “Celebrity Night” was devised by the sales and promotion arm of Durwood Theatres to bring special radio attention to the engage¬ ment of Embassy’s “The Oscar.” “Celebrity Night” at the theatre was the cli¬ max of the tie-up with WDAF Radio. The idea was a natural for both theatre and station since the latter has as its slogan, “The station of the stars.” The purpose of the exploitation as devised by the Durwmod office was to concentrate radio promotion on the picture. An unusual amount of air emphasis is seen in the fact that the station promo schedule carried 70 spots the week before the opening. An additional 25 announcements were scheduled two days pre¬ ceding the opening. There was a pitch to the general public to “come down and see the Kansas City celebrities,” aired five times dur¬ ing the day of the party. The promotion details were worked out be¬ tween M. Robert Goodfriend, general man¬ ager, and George KiefTer assistant for Dur¬ wood, and Edward Giller, program director, and John Krivas, promotion director, for the station. Gelebrity night turned into a gala event with Ralph Buhrmester, Roxy manager, as host. A highlight for the local “names” was the oppor¬ tunity to meet Ed Muscare, m.c., who is a recent WDAF addition. Muscare interviewed the “celebs” and sev¬ eral taped promo spots. These were later aired in this fashion, “This is Betty Davis, inviting you to stay tuned to the station of the stars. Radio Kansas Gity WDAF — (Betty Davis of such and such a local address) that is.” In this manner the station increased the span of the promotional effect for “The Oscar.” The promotion achieved a purpose in alert¬ ing Kansas Gitians to “The Oscar” and its starcast, Goodfriend said. Albuquerque Has Premiere Embassy Pictures’ “An Eye for an Eye,” action-packed Western in color, had its gala world premiere recently at the Sunshine Theatre, Albuquerque, N.M. for the benefit of the city’s Gasa Linda School for Handicapped Ghildren. Stars Robert Lansing and Slim Pickens, pro¬ ducer Carroll Case and director Michael Moore attended the premiere, accompanied by actor Ed Begley and starlet Leslie Perkins. Also attending were U.S. Senator Joseph M. Montoya, who arranged the premiere. Gov¬ ernor Jack Campbell, Mayor Ralph Trigg and Mrs. Richard Blackhurst, director of the Casa Linda School. The stars and dignitaries were met at the theatre by a uniformed band. Full press, radio and television coverage was accorded the ex’cnt. Nearly 10,000 pieces of mail were received for a "name the puppy" contest promoted by Jerry Booth, left, CKLW-TV personality on his "Fun House" show in conjunction with the sub-run multiple showing of Buena Vista's "The Ugly Dachshund" in Detroit. Harold Morrison, BV Detroit manager, looks over the mail with Booth. Swap Shop At Drive-In Mike McKinney, manager of Florida State Theatres’ Hillsboro Drive-In Theatre — the company’s only outdoor house which is op¬ erated in concert with 56 indoor theatres — has set into production an outstanding example of showmanship and resourcefulness by turn¬ ing the Hillsboro’s extensive grounds into a gigantic swap shop which Mike has officially named “Tampa’s Flea Market.” Mike oper¬ ates his Flea Market at a time when the grounds would otherwise be silent and empty. The Flea Market comes to life at noon each Sunday and is in full swing until time for the first evening show — allowing about six hours of operation. Sellers pay $1 to the Hills¬ boro for the privilege of exhibiting their wares and buyers and browsers are admitted free. As many as 1200 persons have been counted on the Hillsboro grounds on a single Sunday afternoon and hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise have changed hands. Mike tells his flea merchants to “bring grandma’s white elephants, junior’s toys or jalopies. Mom’s used dishes, sister’s old clothes, ladders and wheelbarrows, or anything you want to get rid of.” Besides providing an interesting after¬ noon for buyers and sellers, the Hillsboro also rakes in a profitable number of banner sales at concessions stands— which is why the Flea Market was opened in the first place. ''Khartoum'* On UA Records United Artists Music Companies has in¬ itiated its national music campaign backing the release of Julian Blaustein’s Cinerama presentation, “Khartoum,” with a soundtrack album from the picture. The soundtrack recording of the music com¬ posed and conducted by Frank Cordell will be followed by singles of music from the film, also to be issued by United .Artists Records. The soundtrack album will be backed by a nationwide campaign in record stores, depart¬ ment stores and other outlets, timed to the release of the motion picture across the country. Popular Library's 'Idol" ' Embassy Pictures and Popular Library have' concluded arrangements for a novelization of Joseph E. Levine’s romantic drama “The Idol,” which is scheduled by Embassy for re¬ lease this fall. Popular Library will publish “The Idol,”... adapted from the screenplay by Millard’ Lampell based on an original story by Ugoj Liberatore. Details of the promotion and ex¬ ploitation of the paperback in connection with > the release of the film are currently being worked out between Embassy and Popular Library. 'Dot' Has 'Nevada Smith' Kicking off a major music promotion for Joseph E. Levine’s “Nevada Smith,” Para¬ mount Pictures has serviced disc jockeys throughout the country with advance press¬ ings of Dot Records’ single of the main title theme by Alfred Newman. ;