Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1945)

Exploiting the New Films How the recent pictures ore being sold at{ the first run and pre-release date showings! NATIONAL VELVET An extensive outdoor campaign was the highlight of manager Boyd Sparrow's exploitation endeavors to publicize his date on "National Velvet" at Loew's theatre in Indianapolis. Beginning four weeks in advance, Sparrow underlined all newspaper ads with teaser copy. Beginning two weeks in advance the underlines were supplemented with regular teaser ads running about 20 lines daily. A series of teaser trailers were prepared for use well ahead of the date and cashiers answered phone calls by saying: "Good evening, Loew's, National Velvet is coming." Twenty foot banners were erected in the lobby and patrons upon leaving that theatre were handed s'inall cards as a reminder that the film was coming to theatre with date and star mention. Ten thousand special heralds were imprinted and distributed at schools and sporting arenas : 6,000 photos of Rooney and Elizabeth Taylor were inserted in the Sunday Star a week before opening, which attracted considerable comment; dash cards were used on street cars; 150 posters were sniped on trash cans and outdoor billing was augmented through the posting of forty 24-sheets at strategic locations. A special screening of the film was arranged for members of the Indiana Motion Picture League which was attended by press and radio representatives. Newspaper display advertising included national ads as well as special layouts on the sport pages. Radio promotion comprised spot announcements on stations WFBM, WIRE, and WISH. Additional free time was secured from WFBM and Sparrow tied in with the Taystee Bread program contest by offering free guest tickets to see the picture to telephone subscribers who answered the phone when thev were called. The De Wolf News Co., distributed 200 half-sheet cards to dealers throughout the area Here's a lobby sefpiece at the Missouri, in St. Lotiis which was a real attractor for "Thl Body Snafcher". Mechanical contrivance had Karloff ghouling xvoman's body from a gravt tvith cemetery to provide an atmospheric background. be long remembered by the citizens of thai with prominent picture and theatre credits as well as playdates. During the current engagement of the picture, transparent display boards covering all three sides of the marquee replaced the usual attraction letters. THE BODY SNATCHER Backed up by a "scream contest" street and lobby ballyhoo and. extensive newspaper and radio advertising, the campaign put on to herald the opening of "The Body Snatcher" at the Missouri theatre in St. Louis is one that will During current engagement of "The Body Snatcher" the front of the Missouri theatre in St. Louis presented this suitable appearance, a smart attention-getter. city. \ Manager Harry Crawford of the Mis.souri will also have cause to remember by virtue oi a warrant served to him for disturbing thej peace. An elaborate set piece placed atop the marquee emitted a howl of a lonesome dog at one second intervals. It was the noise from this ballyhoo which nearby tennants objected td which drew the complaint. I The theatre front and marquee was decoratec^ appropriately during the current engagement of the film. A mechanical setpiece, 15 ft. square showed Karloff removing the body of a woman from a grave and was installed in the \ohW, well in advance of the playdate. Skulls, mum-1 mified bats and bodies also contributed to the eerie background. An effective street ballyhoo was employed! utilizing a hundred-year-old hearse filled withi dummy bodies which was hauled about the city' streets by two decrepit horses. i The picture opened on Valentine's Day and| 25,000 novel valentine heralds were distributed illustrating a bleeding heart with Karloff-, strangling Lugosi and the former holding a' valentine with caption, "Please give me a piece: of vour heart". I Black and white dash cards were posted on I all city buses and trolley cars against a back-l ground of skull and crossbones. Radio advertising included spot announce-' ments and transcriptions and a novel "scream contest" sponsored by station WMTV. Entrants were obtained and the contestants after' hearing a special Karloff recording were given! the go ahead signal to scream. The winner wasi adjudged in the control room as the one whoso, screams reached the highest pitch and was, given a booking on a spook show which shared! program honors with the picture. ! Special newspaper ads were supplied by Ben Grimm of RKO Radio's New York office. 72 \ MOTION PICTURE HERALD, FEBRUARY 24, 1945