Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1945)

\{n international association of showmen meeting weekly t MOTION PICTURE HERALD for mutual aid and progress (lESTER FRIEDMAN, Editor the Pied Piper ll A Maryland exhibitor recently cooperated with the town's health jfficer by offering free admission to any person bringing a dead rat p the theatre. |,The theatre attracted news space in local and out-of-town news^pers, and Associated Press gave the story national prominence. ; We are reminded of the plight of the original Pied Piper of lamlin of storybook fame. After the Piper had rid the city of jamlin of its plague of rats, the misguided musician discovered '.i had performed a thankless and profitless task. j The exhibitor, too, might recall that few people are apt to ppreciate his service to the community enough to overcome the atural aversion and abhorrence for rats, dead or alive, when conmplating a visit to the theatre. AAA QP GERTRUDE MERRIAM, Associate Editor xploitation Highlight Now that most of the tumult and shouting for the glories of 1944 hs subsided, let's say a friendly word for Hal hlorne and his staff Twentieth CenturyFox for an outstanding exploitation campaign connection with a little picture called "Home in Indiana". Produced on a comparatively low budget, "Home In Indiana" 'as originally designed by the distributor as an ordinary program cture. The four principal characters In the vehicle were portrayed V three unknown and unheralded players and a character actor, js chief claim to magnificence lay in the fact that It was made Technicolor. With a small supplementary advertising budget, the distributor's ploltatlon staff In conjunction with the theatremen put on a everly conceived and brilliantly executed campaign in three iportant cities which under severe competitive handicaps won itionwide attention. As a result, the picture was Immediately reclassified by the disbutor as a high-rental release, with exhibitors eagerly submitig dates. I Commonly, the studios' more popular and better-known stars, irectors and artisans and their greatest resources are employed I the production of top-budget vehicles. Not only does this tend b reduce the sales resistance of exhibitors and patrons, but It iturally enables the distributor to command higher film rentals, ''hen a picture Is finally released, it must then find favor with the Ubilc before a suitable return for the Investment Is assured. Occasionally a low-budget film comes along that finds unexpected favorable response with the public. These "sleepers" generally have some outstanding quality to recommend them, such as the acting or some timely theme that strikes a responsive note with the moviegoer. "Home in Indiana" fitted neither of these groups. It was a simple, if somewhat corny, story that was transferred to celluloid with no great expectancy that it would be a super-production; nor was it essentially in a highly exploitable category. It was the conception and the skillful execution of the method of presentation in the initial exploitation that lifted "Home in Indiana" into the big-money class for exhibitor and distributor alike. Maybe the picture did not gross In dollars and cents what many other productions did during the past year, but penny for penny it Is doubtful whether any other film released during that period could measure up to the financial Impetus established solely through exploitation. • A A A Figures Versus Facts According to a New York Times report, advertising lineage dropped during the year 1944. Quoting figures compiled by Media Records, the survey, covering 52 cities throughout the country. Indicated that display advertising dropped only 0.9 per cent. Th is no doubt will prove very interesting to theatremen where local newspapers have Imposed restrictions ranging from 10 to 40 per cent on amusement advertising. In Boston, last week, the theatres were notified of another cut in newspaper lineage to take effect Immediately. • AAA The Managers Write Sgt. Edward D. Harris, U.S.M.C., and former Round Tabler. dropped a note to us recently, calling attention to the fact that the second anniversary of the Marine Corps Women's Reserve will be observed on February 13. "This date," he Informs us, "gives live-wire showmen the unusual opportunity of consolidating the event with Lincoln's Birthday on the 12th and St. Valentine's Day, the 14th. "There are numerous devices that can be used in connection with the war effort, also, like Bond promotions, recruiting Red Cross blood donors, etc." —CHESTER FRIEDMAN HON PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 27. 1945 49