Motion Picture Herald (May-Jun 1946)

The Selling Approach ON NEW PRODUCT [^Tlye material below reflects pressbooks noiv in preparation and represents the point of view of the distributors' exploiteers on selling points and special merit of these pictures.^ RENEGADES (Columbia): This picture in Technicolor is being advertised as the redblooded story of a red-headed girl. This suggests a contest to find the nnost beautiful horsewoman in town. Have all entrants appear in riding clothes and invite newspaper fashion editors and prominent merchants to judge the contest. Promote merchandise to be used as prizes for winners. For a lobby stunt a girl in riding attire could be employed as the subject of a weight-guessing contest. In this game male patrons lift the girl in order to estimate her weight. Patrons leave their names and addresses and their guesses as to the girl's weight. Guest tickets could be awarded to the ten closest guessers. Plug the event as the "Renegades WeightGuessing Contest". Here is an idea to start the campaign: Well in advance of playdate, advertise for an old stage coach, preferably one with a history. The advertisement itself can be turned into a news item; discovery of such a stage coach also is news. Picture and playdate credit should figure prominently in any news story. Another contest suggestion is one where children under 10 years of age submit drawings of horses. The best drawings could be displayed in the lobby with the Personal Appearance Draws Big in Sheffield, England The personal appearance of Glennis Lorimer, "The Gainsborough Lady," drew extra business for the engagement of "The Wicked Lady" at the Regent theatre, Sheffield, England. The portrait of Glennis Lorimer prefaces all Gainsborough films. She appeared on the stage for a week. The promotion was arranged by Frank Bradley, manager, and R. T. Rea, Gaumont-British divisional publicity manager. In conjunction with Miss Lorimer's appearance a series of tea parties, visits to newspaper offices and other events were promoted, resulting in additional press publicity. Newspapers Boost Hongkong Playdate of "Cover Girl" Stories on the Silver Jubilee of Columbia Pictures, tying-in with the engagement of "Cover Girl" were planted in the South China Morning Post and the Hongkong Telegraph to exploit the picture at the Lee theatre in Hongkong. Manager Yuen also devised attractive ads in both the English and Chinese press. A special box office was set up in the Alexandra Building to facilitate handling the crowds. names and addresses of the children. Guest tickets could be awarded as prizes. JANIE GETS MARRIED (Warner Brothers): Successor to the "Janie" of a couple of seasons back, the title indicates the theme of the picture. The bridegroom is a returned G.I. Play up the housing problem by promoting a contest to name the honeymoon house of the newlyweds. A cooperating department store could offer suitable prizes of house furnishings for the best names submitted. For a single angle arrange with a department store or a group of stores to advertise a free trousseau for the lucky "Janie" to be selected as follows: For three weeks In advance of opening, cooperative stores advertise that all girls purchasing articles for their trousseaus will be given entry slips to be deposited at the theatre. On opening night a winning slip is drawn and the lucky "Janie" will have the cost of her purchases refunded. A huge six-tier wedding cake, topped by the traditional figures of a bride and groom, is shown In the picture. This lends Itself for window display tieups with local bakeshops. A display cake could be promoted for the lobby of the theatre. Other tieups could be arranged with florists. Files Reviews for Future Use Manager Andrew G. Nickols clips film reviews in four Chicago daily newspapers and files them away against the day when he can use review highlights in blowups to exploit his playdates at the Windsor theatre. Co-Ops Publicize "Adventure" Loew's publicist, Ann Bontempo, promoted cooperative newspaper display ads with Kresge's, Ward Motors and Wolf's to publicize the playdate of "Spellbound" at the State theatre, Newark, N. J. MANAGER DAVE DALLAS NOW AN EDITOR Ex-soldier Dave Dallas, city nnanager of the H. J. Griffith theatres in Manhattan, Kans., recently was appointed editor of the Post, official publication for the Pearce-Keller post of the American Legion. In this extra-curricular activity, Dave sees the opportunity to serve the comnnunity and the theatres with mutual advantage. Exploit Drive-in Opening with Army Truck A huge army recruiting sound truck and a staff of 25 uniformed soldiers were used to ballyhoo the opening of the new Drive-In theatre, Albany, N. Y. The promotional campaign was under the direction of Larry Cowen, publicity director for Fabian Upstate theatres. Daily stories were planted in Albany, Schenectady and Troy newspapers. Cooperative full page ads ran in the Albany Times Union and the Schenectady Gazette. The mayors of the three cities attended the opening, proclaiming it a great civic improvement. Mayor Ahern of Troy said that the new Drive-In was his idea of the finest way of eliminating the parked car menace. Decoration Day parades were taken advantage of and heralds announcing the opening were distributed to crowds along the line of march in the three cities. 1,000 threesheets were placed on the highway from Schenectady to Albany. They were paid for by a local gas station. The opening was broadcast over the General Electric station, WGY, and by the "Roving Reporter" over WOKO. Ushers Wear Army Uniforms To Exploit "Hargrove" By outfitting his staff in Army uniforms and distributing several hundred oil cloth chevrons to boys, manager Charles B. Barnes, Jr., realized higher grosses for "What Next, Corporal Hargrove?" at the Granada theatre, Kansas City, Kans. The uniforms were supplied by assistant manager Bob Hockensmith, late of the Army Air Corps. To tie-in the ushers' Army dress with the picture, title cards were taped to the backs of auditorium seats. Teschner Arranges Co-Ops For "Adventure" Date Cooperative newspaper display ads, window tieups and newspaper breaks were promoted by manager Ted Teschner to exploit his date on "Adventure" at the Valentine theatre, Toledo, Ohio. Basch's Jewelers ran a four-column by 20-in. deep co-op ad in the Sunday Times and Blade. Another co-op ad was set with Leo Marks. Teschner planted a still of Greer Garson and Clark Gable in the rotogravure section of the Sunday Times. Two window tieups were devoted to a display of books while a third used a perfume display tying in with the picture. Bachman Sells Out Midnight Show Tickets were sold out in advance for a Saturday midnight twin horror bill program manager Bob Bachman arranged at the Indiana theatre, Indiana Harbor, Ind. Bachman publicized the event in an eight-page program and a teaser ad campaign. 50 MOTION PICTURE HERALD. JUNE 22, 1946