The Exhibitor (1966)

February 15, 1967 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR EX-819 NSS Cancels Production Of Announcement Trailers DETROIT — National Screen Service Corp. has notified theatres across the coun¬ try they will no longer be making special announcement trailers effective Jan. 20. They are giving up all direct positive work such as merchant ad trailers, personalized theatre headers, etc. They will continue to supply theatres with color daters, holiday trailers, negative work, and volume printing. University Cinema Series Features Screen Classics DALLAS — American films with claims to lasting value as art will be featured in the spring series of Cinema Guild, a joint effort of Southern Methodist University’s Dallas Col¬ lege and the Student Center to make seldom seen films, introduced by brief lectures and followed by discussion, available to the general public as well as to SMU students. G. William Jones and Richard Simpson, assistant profes¬ sors of broadcast-film art at SMU, alternate as lecturers, stressing factors that make each film important. The fall series of foreign films was the initial effort of Cinema Guild which consistently drew 200 subscribers from the community and an equal number of SMU students and faculty. “Parade of the Decades” is the peg for film selection in the new series, the earliest being the D. W. Griffith silent classic “Intolerance” (1916), to be shown Jan. 26. A double bill is slated for Feb. 9, offering “The Covered Wagon” (1923), the first epic western, and “High and Dizzy” (1920), a Hal Roach comedy starring Harold Lloyd. Another double feature for Feb. 23 will turn on the sound with “Desire” (1936) coupled with an early Marx Brothers favorite “Duck Soup” (1933). Private eye films of the ’40’s are spotlighted on March 2 with the “The Big Sleep,” with Humphrey Bogart and Lau¬ ren Bacall. The great musicals are represented by “An American in Paris” (1951), which starred Gene Kelly. April 13 program depicts some aspects of the 1960’s through a series of short documen¬ taries: “Ivanhoe Donaldson” on civil rights workers in the Deep South; “The Interview” showing the communication gap between the hipster and the square; and “Goodnight, Soc¬ rates” depicting urban renewal through the eyes of a small Greek boy. The final screening on April 20 features four experimental European and American films. An army recruiting display promoted by Albert H. Hallam at the ABC, Nuneaton, England, to boost "Battle of the Bulge." iiimmnnmnmiiniHiiiiimiiiHiiiiminuiiiniiimininitW British Showmanship by Jock MacGregor NUNEATON IS NOT IN THE BIG ENGLISH FOOTBALL LEAGUES, BUT IT HAS been proving a giant killer in “The Cup” by beating important teams. In consequence, cup fever” is high locally, and Albert E. Hallam contacted head office to book Goal— World Cup 1966” which would not normally have played the ABC, Nuneaton. Traders lined up to get on the bandwaggon, providing window displays, and gladly cooperated by taking space in a composite page in the Evening Tribune with a contest for promoted prizes On the Satur¬ day prior to opening at the ABC Minors morning matinee, he staged a best dressed football fan” contest, and a female member of the staff in track suit and carrying rattle acted as a town crier at the football ground and other vantage points. On the opening night, the local team attended and appeared on the stage with the executives A letter to schools also resulted in one sending a party during school hours to a matinee. The press gave the booking full support all the way. Hallam also got a good break through his policy of giving anything that could make news to his contacts. Carrying out the routine security check before locking up the theatre for the night with his assistant, they definitely heard music, faint as it twas A check revealed that the non-sync had been switched off. Back stage proved a blank, but the front stalls gents’ toilet was another matter. A ^nsistor. radio ^was f°^nd lodged ii^he cistern. WHEN KEITH HARRISON TOOK OVER AS TRAINEE ASSISTANT MANAGER at the Odeon, Barnsley, on the promotion of his brother, Raymond, to the Majestic, Leeds, the first thing he apparently did was to get press breaks for both on the keeping it in the family” angle. He also got publicity spotlighting the theatre’s Saturday Club by placing a photo of members parading their new Pyrenean mountain dog mascot through the town to the theatre, accompanied by suitable banners and fife and drum. ... 1 he Gaumont, Coven¬ try, was one of the 10 theatres chosen to stage “Arabesque” girls contests to find the British girl most closely resembling Sophia Loren. Not only did George Lockyer get excellent cover¬ ages for his participation, but arranged for a reporter to accompany his winner to London for two great days, a visit to the Pinewood Studios, and the finals. Even though she did no win, Lockyer got a further half page feature spotlighting the highlights of the visit, which must whet the appetite of potential contestants for future promotions at the Gaumont. CLIVE JONES REPORTS ON HIS ORDEAL OF MEETING HIS ABC MINOR members at his first Saturday morning matinee on taking oyer at the Beau Nash, Bath, a theatre from which I cannot recall having previously received a campaign^ Breezily, he greeted the children from the stage with his usual “Good morning, Minors. Silence and blank looks! He tried again with the same result. They sat there staring at ^ him or self¬ consciously looking at each other. He explained that he wanted them to reply “Good morn¬ ing, Uncle Clive,” and after further attempts, he got the right response. Then he asked for anyone who could sing, dance or do any turn to come on the stage. Not a movement. Getting desperate, he asked the chief projectionist to put on a lively record, did a dance himself, and asked again. A few tinies started gyrating in the aisle, and to his relief they were away. In gratitude, he gave candy to the participants, re-introduced the giving of birthday cards to those who had birthdays during the week, and with the singing of the Minors song, audience participation was complete for the day. With mixed feelings, he approached his second Bath Minors Matinee hoping that the right impression had been made. A cheery response to his good morning was promising, a line had formed for birthday cards, and there was no shortage of volunteers for the “shake and twist.” The ice had been broken. By the third week, the show was more as it should be, the atmosphere friendly, with members eagerly joining in and even suggesting activities, with sales improving. The effort was proving worthwhile. The local press started taking notice and publishing stories, and by the time of the Christmas party, complete with local beat group on the stage, fancy dress, and talent contests, Santa Claus, etc., nevvs outlets were positively rooting for the club with pictorial spreads. The theatre was further in the public relations spotlight' when a check for 100 pounds, won in a Butlin’s Holiday Camp national contest, was presented by a tv personality to a patron on the stage. Editorial and pictorial coverages resulted. Jones does not forget the main function of his theatre— the regular programs. “Bath’s ‘Switched On’ Girl” contest resulted in pictorial press photos, plugs at a dance hall, and widespread word of mouth to boost “Kaleidoscope.” Clive Jones certainlv seems to be making an impression in this celebrated Roman City in double-quick time. MOWS EDDIE PATMAN HAS ORGANIZED A NATIONAL CONTEST OPEN TO all art students to design an eye-catching poster expressing the atmosphere of Michaelangelo Antonioni’s “Blow Up.” It must include the contractural billings for the film, but layout, color and design are left to the artist. The judges will include Norman Reid, BA, Director of the Tate Gallery; Sir Charles Wheeler, KCVO, CBE, PPRA, former President of the Royal Academy; John Anstey, editor, “Weekend Telegraph”; Donald Bdlett editor, “Adver¬ tisers Weekly”; Michael Havas, chairman and managing director, MOM; and C. John Harvey FIPA, assistant managing director, United Kingdom Advertising Company. Entry forms giving details have been distributed to all art colleges throughout the country, and the winner will receive a guaranteed offer of employment with the UK Advertising Company. Playing “Tarzan and the Valley Gold” at the ABC, Woodwich, South London, Harry Bolton promoted an ingenious foyer display-come-treasure himt. Patrons were invited to place marker flags bearing their names and addresses on a large sand table representing a desert valley where they thought Tarzan’s gold lay hidden for prizes donated by a store. He reports a terrific success. He certainly showed imagination in displaying a new Riley Elf on the theatre forecourt under a “Wizardry in Motoring banner to plug his booking of Hammer’s “The Witches” (“The Devil’s Own” in the U.S.). For The Venetian Affair, he ran a holiday snaps contest with a photographic service and a 1930s period costume contest at a dance hall to promote “This Property is Condemned ” Each campaign was backed by window displays, street stunts, etc. . . . S. Murray, Odeon, Blackburn, claims that the composite page that he got for “Life at the Top” was only the third ever carried by an uncooperative paper and really resulted from constant requests over a period of seven years! So if you don’t succeed at first.