The Exhibitor (1966)

Tiffany Theatre, Los Angeles, is the first major theatre constructed on Hollywood's famed Sunset Strip. Owned by Robert L. Lippert and Harold Goldman, this 350 seater was built at a cost of approximately $250,000 and opened early November, Its opening attraction was Nikos Koundouros's "Young Aphro¬ dites." "Cast-The-Movie" Contest Boosts "Adventurer" As It Nears Screen NEW YORK — A landmark in the pre-pro¬ duction promotion of motion pictures has Seen achieved by Paramount Pictures, Joseph E. Levine and Pocket Books with their giant “Cast-the-Movie Sweepstakes” in conjunction with Harold Robbins’ ‘ The Adventurers.” While it has been a general industry prac¬ tice for film companies to tie-in with paper¬ back publishers at the time of a picture’s release, this marks the first time that a still-tobe produced motion picture version of a best¬ seller has been the focus of a massive cam¬ paign timed to the initial appearance of the book in its popular-priced soft cover edition. In one of the major phases of the promo¬ tion, in which the public is being asked to submit the names of the stars they would like to see play eight of the principal roles in “The Adventurers,” Paramount and Levine have arranged for Pocket Books to devote four and a half pages in their book to sweepstakes. The initial printing of 1,500,000 copies is report¬ edly the largest in paperback history. Esti¬ mated readership figures are an average of four people per copy, or a total readership of 6,000,000 people. Since the hard-cover edition of “The Ad¬ venturers” out-sold “The Carpetbaggers” in its hard-cover run, Pocket Books expects this pattern to be repeated in paperback sales, Increase net profit, forget concession headaches ! Let ABC’s refreshment con¬ cession experts do the job for you. ABC does the work — and the worrying. All you do is bank the check. Make us prove it . . . Write, or call collect, now. ABC CONSOLIDATED CORP. 333 S. BROAD ST., PHILA., PA. 19107 • AREA CODE 215 PE 5-5966 with “The Adventurers” easily out-distancing the more than 5,000,000 copies sold of “The Carpetbaggers.” More than 100,000 retail outlets will join in the promotion of the sweepstakes, in which over 250 valuable prizes are being offered, including a trip around the world for two, Cougar sports cars and portable color tv sets. Point-of-sale promotion materials will in¬ clude lloor displays, counter cards, wall tents, streamers and other accessories, as well as the official entry blank, which is a re-print of the sweepstakes section in the book. Paramount and Pocket Books representatives throughout the country are coordinating an extensive ad¬ vertising and publicity campaign. The characters in “The Adventurers” for whom casting suggestions are being sought are “Dax,” “Fat Cat,” “El Presidente,” “Amparo,” “Sue Ann Daley,” “Jim Hadley,” “Sergei Nikovitch,” and “Caroline De Coyne.” Close to a million readers have already been introduced to these characters through the hard-cover edition, which has been on best¬ seller charts for over 40 weeks. The grand prize in the “Adventurers” sweepstakes is an all-expenses paid, 30-day “Jet Set” trip around the world for two. There are two second prizes of Cougar sports cars, and five third prizes of G. E. Porta-Color tv sets. Fifty G. E. portable phonographs are be¬ ing offered as fourth prize, and fifth prize is 200 Polaroid “Swinger” cameras. The contest runs through Oct. 31, 1967, and is being ad¬ ministered by the D. L. Blair Company. John Michael Hayes is currently completing the screenplay for “The Adventurers,” which is one of the most important projects on the Levine-Paramount forthcoming production schedule. Hayes also wrote the screenplay for Levine and Paramount’s record-breaking filmization of “The Carpetbaggers,” as well as for “Nevada Smith,” which was a spin-off from that earlier success. Wallace To WB Studio BURBANK, CALIF.— Lee Wallace has joined Warner Bros, as head of the studio casting department. Formerly head of casting at 20th Century-Fox for seven years, Wallace has resided in Paris for the past two years. Seen here are projectionists Ray Peveto and James Kirkland in the booth of Jefferson Amusement Com¬ pany's Windsor Cinerama Theatre, Houston, Texas. The New Ashcraft Super Core-Lite arc lamps in¬ stalled on Century 70mm Cinerama projectors re¬ place lamps which were used from the date of the original equipment installation. The screen image is 68 feet wide and 321/2 feet high. Southwestern Theatre Equipment Company was the supply dealer. 26 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR January 18, 1967