Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1945)

mart Promotions or "Emmanuel" •Ljjj {Continued from preceding page) } roughs, May Co., Halle Bros, and Higbee Special lobby displays featured the exrtation at the theatre itself. It Warner's Roger Sherman theatre in New ten, manager Edgar Lynch teamed with 1 Engel of United Artists, staging a special sening of the picture for clergymen of all J:s, prominent merchants and heads of variorganizations. The Jewish Centre cooperS with a feature story on the picture in its J X)-circulation weekly organ, and recomlied "Mr. Emmanuel" to its entire memship. Inserts were made in all Jewish pei:cals sold in the city, and several types of rowaways" circulated in drug stores, resrants, cigar stores and hotels, ireta Gynt, highly praised glamor-discovery 'Mr. Emmanuel/ was featured in the news>er ad campaign, which started a week in -ance of opening. Other highlights of the .paigns included a strong radio spot anmcement campaign on station WELT, unal newspaper publicity space, and co-op ad 1 window tieups with leading jewelry, fur hions and florist establishments. A 40 x 60 mor photo of Greta Gynt was spotlighted in Roger Sherman lobby, with a blow-up of reviews from the New York critics; and el lobby-cards and special window cards re distributed widely in the New Haven a. reet Ballyhoos Highlight Aschner's "St. Louis" Date A.s part of his advance campaign on "Meet [$ in St. Louis" at Loew's Valentine, Toledo, d Teschner promoted the full fleet of Buckle News Trucks for the bannering of three eets advertising the picture. All CommunTraction buses and trolleys carried one eets on the outside. One of the highlights of i campaign was a trolley excursion sponsored the Toledo Rail Fans Association, whereby trolley was rented for four hours and song :s from the picture were played and sung . members attending the ride. Numerous window displays were promoted, .eluding a full window from Kresge's Five and fen and Grinnell's Music Store, each of which itured song sheets of hits from the picture. Hard Serves Drinks to Patrons Waiting to See "Bell Tolls" | Through a tieup arranged by Ray Allard of ,e Interstate Centre theatre in Fall River, , ass., in exchange for courtesy cards which ere placed in the lobby, patrons who had to and in line to see "'For Whom the Bell Tolls" lere treated to hot chocolate through the cooeration of nearby Walgreen's Drug Store. : Assistant manager Maurice Feldman prented each ticket purchaser with a yellow j'inted slip of paper on which was inscribed : Why wait? Visit Walgreen's soda fountain id have a de luxe hot chocolate. Free." ...And When You Want Them Matlack Lands Tieups With "Summer Storm" A summary of the promotional campaign instituted by Jack Matlack for the date of "Summer Storm" at the Mayfair theatre in Portland, included a street ballyhoo of a young man dressed exaggeratedly in large fisherman's hat, huge raincoat slicker, wearing hip boots and carrying an umbrella with copy: "I'm on my way to see Linda Darnell and George Sanders in 'Summer Storm' at the Mayfair theatre". A special over-all beaver front was constructed for the occasion, utilizing two six-\ sheet and two three-sheet cutouts from the pressbook. Special selling copy included such catch phrases as : "The most beautiful women God ever forgot to put a soul into" and "Nothing so beautiful was ever so deadly." Tack cards were printed up, reading: "To insure a Summer Storm of bombs for Hitler, Buy War Bonds and then see 'Summer Storm' now playing at," etc., etc. 600 of these cards were placed throughout the downtown district. Through a tieup with Royal Crown Cola, 20 of their trucks toured the area with signs : "See Linda Darnell in 'Summer Storm'," etc. Bookstore tieups included copy to this effect: "Did you know that 'Summer Storm', now playing at the Mayfair theatre, was adapted from Anton Chekov's famous story, 'The Shooting Party' ? See," etc. These placards were placed with a grouping of books by Russian authors. Wabbe Promotes Full Page On "Tall in the Saddle" For her date on "Tall in the Saddle" at the RKO Golden Gate, San Francisco, Helen Wabbe landed a full-page color break in the Call Bulletin and numerous other breaks which • included art and stories. A special feature story on the front page of the Shopping News resulted from a tieup with Meadowbrook Hats and Lois Andrews, who appeared on the stage with the Condos Brothers. Special interviews were transcribed over KYA plus six free plugs and KLX had a back-stage interview with the stars. Special Lobby Display Sells "Winged Victory" for Taylor To start things rolling for his date on "Winged Victory" at the Capitol theatre, Logan, Utah, Ray G. Taylor promoted the local radio station for the use of music from the picture on one of their half-hour transcribed programs. A special lobby wall panel was constructed for the date by Ray measuring 22 by 37 feet with a dark blue velvet background with cutout letters in red, white and blue. The letter "V" in the title was done in solid metallic flitter for extra attention. Blair Overcomes Brownout Order with Lanterns When the brownout regulation recently came in, Merle Blair at the Regent theatre, Cedar Falls, la., ran a two-column ad in the paper reading: "We need light. We will pay ceiling prices for several good (Barn Yard variety) lanterns to be used in front of the Regent theatre for lighting purposes. Bring lanterns to the Regent theatre. No brownout of good shows. Our regular programs are being presented inside the theatre on the usual schedule the same as before." Blair reports getting more than his share of the lanterns as a result of which he crashed the local papers with a two-column cut of his engineer shown hanging the lanterns across the marquee. Puppy Giveaway Aids Campaign On "My Pal Wolf Sam Fitzsimmons at Schine's Medina, Medina, Ohio, for "My Pal Wolf" promoted a cocker spaniel for giveaway and displayed it in a green and white dog house in the lobby ten days in advance. The highlight of Sam Fitzsimmons' campaign on "My Pal Wolf" at the Schine Medina, Medina, Ohio, was the promotion of a two-monthold cocker spaniel puppy for giveaway on the opening day. The promotion was made through Porthole Lunch, a restaurant, the owners of which paid for the dog. The giveaway was started through a 10-day advance advertising campaign with a special trailer and a 60 by 80 lobby display board plugging the pup and sponsor. Fifteen hundred heralds were printed and distributed in Medina and stuffed in Akron papers. All schools were covered at breaks. In addition, the city school superintendent was contacted and announcements made in all classes. The PTA also heartily endorsed the picture. Newspaper coverage included extra space given in the ads and both papers gave readers, the Gazette coming through with a small frontpage break announcing the winner. Usherettes in WAVE Costumes Distribute Contest Blanks Directing her campaign on "Here Come the WAVES" at the Loew Poli Palace, Meriden, Conn., to the bobby-sock brigade, Mollie Stickles dressed her usherettes in WAVE outfits and had them distribute contest blanks to the high school students. The heralds carried a list of jumbled song hits and titles from the picture in which they were sung. Guest tickets went to those correctly assembling the list. Since the picture opened during a severe snow storm, Mollie placed 100 "snow birds" around the city where the snow was piled high along the highways. As part of her advance newspaper campaign a series of one-column one-inch ads were placed at random throughout the newspaper. 5,000 menu stickers were used in all downtown confectioners plugging a Navy sundae and all soda shops cooperating in the tieup used 14 by 22s in their windows announcing the fountain special for the week with copy on the poster plugging the picture. He** iflLMACIC *• JttflS.WMMHOT. OfffiGO J, u. Your< Ot*ct IANASERS' ROUND TABLE, MARCH 17, 1945 S7