Motion Picture Herald (May-Jun 1944)

oiting the New Films LADY IN THE DARK A campaign that covered every possible angle was placed behind "Lady in the Dark" when it played Shea's Great Lakes, in Buffalo, by Charles B. Taylor, director of advertising and publicity. One of the outstanding tieups was with the Hengerer Co., through which their entire Main street display space of four large windows was devoted to a flash, each window -featuring an eight foot square background in the form of a painting of a scene from the picture, all done by the store art staff. The tie-up was with Dorothy Gray "Lady in the Dark" perfume, and Adrian gowns. In addition the company also used more than a half page ad on the tie-up. Berger's also used both their Main street windows, on a complete spring ensemble tieup, featuring the slogan, "Be as fascinating as 'Lady in the Dark'." Flint & Kent, another big department store, featured a Dorothy Gray perfume display, as did other 'large stores. One of the city's big drug store chains, featured some splendid windows on cosmetics, tying in the attractive set of color stills made available by the Paramount . home publicity office. Some excellent ad tie-ups were made, one of these a 45-inch display in the Evening News, in the form of a tie-up with Paul's Pies with this theme: "Two prize winners — Paul's Pies and the glorious, glamorous Ginger Rogers in 'Lady in the Dark', now at Shea's Great Lakes," and featuring a large photo of Ginger in her $20,000 costume. Another smash display ad was that used by the Kleinhans company in what was close to a full-page and which featured a large cut of Ray Milland. The i tie-up line was "Deservedly Popular." The ad featured a splendid photo of Milland in an attractive spring suit. There are close to 100,000 Poles in the Buffalo area and so a full-page of scenes from the picture in the Polish Everybody's Daily as well as daily stories and cuts undoubtedly helped tack up the big returns at the box office. The full page was used in the Saturday tabloid edition of the paper, which has a national circulation. Beauty Shops Cooperate With Ads and Stills The beauty angle was well covered, every prominent beauty shop in town displaying card distributed by the theatre. The Edwards department store Beauty Shop also used an attractive two-column ad with a photo of Ginger in an attractive hair-do. Tents and coasters were used in night clubs and restaurants. Heralds were placed in stations along the western New York route of the New York Central. Signs were used on newsdealer trucks tying in with current movie magazines. The city and surrounding area was covered with twenty-four sheets and special 22 x 28 cards. All the Buffalo radio stations carried special advance and current announcements. Richard Peffley at the Paramount theatre, in Fremont, Ohio, carried a special box above each of his ads with copy reading: "The greatest motion picture that has ever been shown at this theatre." In addition, Peffley distributed How the recent pictures are being sold a the first run and pre-release date showing: Photo by J. N. Erhar One of the four large main street windows promoted by Charles B. Taylor for tl engagement of "Lady in the Dark" at Shea's Great Lakes, Buffalo, N. Y. 2,000 tinted programs house-to-house, the front of which carried a large cutout of Ginger Rogers. TUNISIAN VICTORY A precedent was recently established in Washington, when Jack Foxe at the Loew Columbia theatre, for his premiere of "Tunisian Victory," obtained permission from the District Commissioner to locate a mammoth military display in the street directly in front of the theatre. Col. Curtis Mitchell of the War Department furnished motorized equipment including a large 40 mm. anti-aircraft gun and range finder in complete action demonstration. Trucks and jeeps were also on exhibition. Another precedent was established when four of the local dailies ran stories on the same contest. This was for highschool students, who were eligible to win a $100 War Bond for the best essay on "How the combined operations of the American and British forces were combined to effect the 'Tunisian Victory' in North Africa." Picture of the winner receiving the Bond from the chairman of District Commissioners was run in the papers together with complete details. Advance Screenings Held For Commentators Spot announcements were landed on the radio, advance screenings were held for all local and national commentators in Washington and a cocktail party was held, at which Col. Frank Capra was the guest of honor. Two-color cards with appropriate copy were used on street cars, and Army uniform window displays together with production stills were landed at five of the more important downtown department stores. McCarthy Hosts "Snow White And the Seven Dwarfs" "Snow White's Seven Dwarfs," in persoi proved to be top attention-getters for Jams McCarthy at the Strand theatre, Hartford, fc the reissue of "Snow White." They were give feature notice in all newspapers in the souther Connecticut area and were interviewed ove radio station WTHT. This troupe of circi midgets has covered nine states, selling w? Bonds and Stamps, sponsoring salvage drivt in schools, entertaining soldiers and sailors, et The troupe was entertained at luncheon ;" the Hotel Bond in Hartford by a delegation <S theatremen and newspapermen headed by Mm Carthy of the Strand and David R. Daniel ( The Hartford Times. Later they appeared, i full costumes and masks, in an entertainmei for the Newington Home for Crippled Chi: dren, and made personal appearances in tlj lobby of the Strand theatre for picture public, ity tie-ups. Theatre Party Arranged For "Memphis Belle" To plug his current showing of "The Men phis Belle" manager Lou Cohen, Loew's Pol Hartford, arranged a special theatre party fc the Memphis Belles, a girls' club of Hartford main USO Center. The Memphis Belles wer formed at the USO in Hartford about a yes ago when the Fortress for which they wer, named was on a War Bond tour in Hartford1 The girls take care of the USO Canteen onqj a week, make candy and scrap books for so diers at Bradley Field Hospital, and sell Bond and Stamps. Cohen's invitation to the girl landed in the local press and has been cited bot as a patriotic gesture and good showmanshi] 60 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, MAY 6, 194