Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1940)

60 MOTION P'ICTURE HERALD April 6, 1940 Exploitation Briefs Here & There So successful has Ralph Craig's kiddie club worked out at the Adelphi, in Reynoldsville, Pa., that local devoted two columns to plug, stressing the club's activities and theatreman's effort to help keep the kids off the streets. Through tieup with publisher of local theatre guide, front page was devoted to the club, back page carrying house ad. V Opening night of "A Child Is Born" at the Playhouse, in Statesville, N. C, Manager E. L. Carter held a diaper changing contest on his stage. Group of popular high school boys competed for prizes, using flexible dolls and three-cornered diapers. Master of ceremonies directed the affair. In addition, nurses in local hospital were solicited to help sell tickets, small percentage of sales going to nurses' fund. Tieup with neighborhood merchants brought gifts for first baby born opening day. V A blind date with romantic adventure was the stunt arranged by C. Frederick, manager of the Garden Theatre, in Greenfield, Mass., for "Shop Around the Corner." Blue and rose numbered tinted cards with tiein copy were distributed to high school students carrying instructions for the boys to search for the girls (and vice versa) holding cards with numbers corresponding to those in their possession. Couples presenting duplicate cards were admitted as guests of the management. V Making a check on couples married within the past months, Jim Redmond, at the Bonham, in Fairbury, Neb., sent the brides humorous letters calling attention to his opening of "He Married His Wife." Mailed a couple of days ahead of his opening, Jim reports the stunt as creating plenty of wordof-mouth comment. V Special show of "Hunchback" was held by Leon Pickle for various English and literature teachers as an advance for that date at the Kentucky Theatre, in Henderson, Ky. Response is reported to have been gratifying, with teachers requesting and using the movie guides provided by the theatreman. V Planted on the classified ad page of local paper, George Irwin ran a chuckle ad contest week ahead of opening of "Remember the Night" at the Lyceum, in Duluth, Minn. Entrants for guest tickets were required to take a line from various ads and put them together coherently. Each ad carried a different scene still from the picture in addition to cast and playdates. V Exploitation on "Swiss Family Robinson" as arranged by R. T. Kemper at the Century, Buffalo, included special teaser trailers and newsreel shots of premiere five weeks ahead, art in roto and fashion pages two weeks ahead and displays in leading hotel lobbies. Numerous window tieups were effected, heralds distributed by Liberty magazine carriers. Merchant Cooperation Landed By Winston for "The Women" For date on "The Women" at the Metro Theatre, in San Juan, Porto Rico, Round Tabler Hal Winston got out a special program which was tied to theatre anniversary. Merchants' ads tied to picture title covered entire cost of printing and distribution. Three weeks ahead, the date was plugged over Station WNEL, chain of beauty salons having its beauty commentator dedicate entire program to "The Women." Numerous merchant windows were secured in all of which title was conspicuously tied in, five full-page roto displays were landed in weekly paper and leading daily sponsored a luncheon to merchants of the city to promote Women's Week in honor of the picture. Largest beach club came through with a carnival masquerade ball at which a Norma Shearer trophy was awarded. "LET'S HEAR FROM YOU" Students Run Theatre During "Oz" Date High school students in East Chicago, Ind., went to town for Mel Blieden, selling his recent "Wizard of Oz" opening at the last run Forsythe Theatre by taking over operation during the two-night run, president of the class acting as doorman, vicepresident as chief of service, etc. Entire school system was contacted by the students, who sold tickets in a house-to-house canvass for a small percentage of the advance ticket sale. School was gaily decorated with posters, signs and banners advertising the benefit, school assemblies were told to attend the show, and local Lions and Kiwanis Clubs purchased tickets for every member. Journalism classes supplied papers with publicity, art classes made a project of hand painted posters and these together with window cards were spotted in strategic places. '■LET'S HEAR FROM YOU" Novelty Advance Herald Aids Shannon on "Ninotchka" Week ahead of opening on "Ninotchka" at the Boulevard Theatre, in Pittsburgh, Manager Chuck Shannon distributed questionnaire heralds carrying two different ads for the picture. Contest angle was brought in by patrons being asked to check in box provided at bottom, which they considered the better ad. Blanks were available two weeks ahead. Through cooperation of leading bank, memo pads with appropriate tiein copy were distributed ahead of opening, special mailing list was covered and programs were distributed house-to-house. "LET'S HEAR FROM YOU" Hart's "Invisible" Stunt On "Invisible Man," Lou Hart at Schine's Hippodrome, Gloversville, N. Y., promoted window display consisting of miniature doll answering all and sundry questions put to it by folks standing in front of the window. In the deep recesses of the basement an ad lib artist listened in on conversations and made the doll answer or carry on a conversation with passersby. Promoted from local hospital were test tubes, bunsen burners, chemicals, etc., which completed the display. j4d v ertisemem \Dayt rooney as "Young Tom Edison"^ intelligence-/ S'Wll/TX DOORS jMiimuAhfs) a mm I'ltC-^flU FRIDAY "ROM) . MMMOUNT PICTU«S! (Above) Easter bunnies heralded the double-bill holiday show at the United-Detroit Michigan, in Detroit. Ad measured 2 col. on 140 lines. (Below) Art on Priscilla Lane and straight picture copy -formed basis of E. V. Dinerman's "Irish" ad at the Albee, Cincinnati. Size: 2 col. on 55 lines. obV.o V°° ,\\\ Weep \ou9We'; (V,e"9r>0' be I"0, PLUS! The Last Days of WARSAW! \ War as if really is, in "SIEGE"