Motion Picture Herald (May-Jun 1943)

May 15, I 943 MANAGERS' ROUND TABLE 59 Gets Six Windows for "In Which We Serve" Boy Scouts Demonstration Given on "Stand By For Action" For three days ahead of the opening of "Stand By For Action" at the Kenyon theatre, in Pittsburgh, Lige Brien arranged for focal Boy Scouts to lecture in his lobby and give a demonstration illustrating the various methods of tying sailor knots. In addition a board featured the 45 different kinds of knots. A "Knot Club" was also started for kids, Brien rounding up about 31 children, discussing the reason for joining the Scouts and then giving the lecture on knot tying. The Round Tabler also tied up with a patriotic club, "The American Rangers and Rangerettes," to collect and secure new and used safety pins to be donated to the local hospitals. Publicity was secured in the Pittsburgh press on this. For a week in advance, the entire lobby ceiling was covered with different colored pennants attracting attention to the ship articles scattered about the theatre. For "Yankee Doodle Dandy," Brien constructed a seven-foot Yankee Doodle hat atop his stamp booth for three weeks in advance. Copy on the hat read "James Cagney says be a Yankee Doodle Dandy and buy War Bonds and Stamps." The hat had the title painted on it with metallic letters and a flasher spot was thrown on the hat for three weeks before opening. The entire theatre staff wore "Yankee Doodle" hats, two colored co-op heralds were distributed house-to-house, and a travelling bicycle ballyhoo with appropriate copy on its sides covered the schools at breaks. Soriero Ties In With Merchant's Fashion Show Tom Soriero, manager of the United Artists theatre, in Los Angeles, made a tieup with one of the largest credit houses there in connection with a preview of their new Spring Easter Apparel. The merchant sent out 15,000 cards to all their customers announcing the preview and advising that each lady purchasing a suit during the event would receive guest tickets to see "Hello, Frisco, Hello," at the theatre. Approximately 500 tickets were awarded, the store purchasing them at regular prices at the box office. Waltman Holds Screening On "One Day of War" In connection with his date on "One Day of War, Russia" at the Princess theatre, in Columbus, Miss., Burgess Waltmon landed twenty spot announcements over the radio one day before and on the opening date of the film. A screening was held for newspapers, radio and local civic heads and special announcements were made at various clubs. In addition to the regular marquee billing, Burge used special 30x40 and 40x60 displays made up from stills along with artwork, window cards, handbills, menu billing and cards in the rooms of two hotels. Detwiler's Personal Letter To bring his date on "Army Chaplain" to the attention of the local clergy, A. C. Detwiler at the Manos theatre, in Latrobe, Pa., sent letters to them, individually typewritten and signed by the management. Detwiler also landed a writeup in one of the local papers on the picture. Matlack Ties Up Store with Civilian Defense Groups In Portland "In Which We Serve" played in Portland, Ore., during Holy Week. That fact and the previously poor record in town of English-made pictures, convinced Jack Matlack, publicity director of the Broadway theatre, that some unusual selling would have to be done. Biggest item in the campaign was a tieup with a large department store which used a battery of six windows to promote the picture. The publicity director of the store thought it a wonderful tieup especially since it aided the various Civilian Defense Agencies of the city. Also included in the promotion was a tieup with the main library of Portland, using photos from the picture and other works by Noel Coward. A local magazine store tied up with the theatre on the Parents' Magazine award, which was won by the picture. Special Screening Held Prior to opening Jack had the 24 sheet mounted and placed in the huge lobby of the Broadway theatre. Among his other promotions was a reproduction of Noel Coward's prayer in the picture, which was mailed to local ministers, who in turn mentioned the picture from their pulpits. Newspapermen, radio executives, public servants and prominent citizens were invited to a preview of the picture by Mrs. J. J. Parker, president of the J. J. Parker theatres. The head of the Kaiser Shipyard in Vancouver, which is near Portland, was among those who attended. So was the British consul. The extra effort which Jack put into this engagement also resulted in some additional newspaper publicity, including both art and stories. In order to set the department store tieup mentioned above, heads of civilian defense organizations were invited to the preview. Specially prepared bulletins were sent to the following as a result: 50,000 Civilian Defense Service; 15,000 utility repair specialists ; 3,000 emergency medical service ; 150 decontamination experts; 100 serving in rescue squads ; 500 emergency food and housing service workers; 1,000 fire watchers; 4,000 block leaders; 1,200 auxiliary firemen ; 20,000 air raid wardens ; aircraft warning service; 4,500 veterans' guard and patrol ; 100 of Portland's leading civilian defense council officers including the Mayor and the Governor. The Mayor's weekly broadcast was largely devoted to "In Which We Serve." Then the department store took a full page ad pointing out that tieup between "In Which We Serve" and how people of Portland could serve civilian defense, and announcing that their windows would depict various civilian defense activities against a background of a photo-mural showing a scene from the picture. Yale News Lauds "Cat People" In advance of his date on "Cat People" at the Poli Bijou, in New Haven, Conn., Sid Kleper landed a rave review on the picture in the Yale Daily News. This publication is distributed to about 2,500 Air Force Cadets now at the University. Entire Staff Endorses Ad A little off the beaten track was Kenneth Vohs ad on "Journey for Margaret" at the Ritz theatre, in Chariton, la. In an open letter addressed to readers, an endorsement was run on the picture and signed with the individual names of the entire house staff. By Sowell-Simon Studio This is one of the six windows which Jack Matlack obtained in a tieup with LipmanWolfe, a Portland, Ore., department store. It was a three way affair with civilian defense coming in for cooperation, too.