Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1946)

SHOWMEN PERSONALS Poppas Promotes Parade for Date In Peril, Ind. In New Posts: Earl Young, manager, Clayton theatre, Clayton, 111.. Helen Wingeard, Griffith, Griffith, Ind. Murray Meinberg, Strand; Ray Pemburn, Paramount; both in Plainfield, N. J. Emil Uhrin, Vic, Indiana Harbor, Ind. Joe Taylor, Springs, Tampa, Fla. M. Rich, Astor, Chicago. Charles Braunch, Ridge, Breckridge, Minn. Gerald J. Yanisch, Chief, Red Wing, Minn. John Colorite, Alvin; Hy Rossman, Carlton; Dante Del Grosso, Alden; Joseph Hunt, Imperial; Jack Sage, Vogue; all in Detroit, Mich. Lois E. Clark, Lake, Gary, Ind. O. N. Bard, Rialto and Rex, Sinton, Texas. Jerry Ransdell, Fordson, Dearborn, Mich. Jimmie Reyna, Regis, San Diego, Texas. Abe Sinow, Strand, Taunton, Mass. Dan Cudone, district manager, Fred Faulkner circuit in New Jersey. Herman Prado, Art theatre, Quincy, Mass. Glen Ramsey, Rosedale, Detroit. William H. Elder, Loew's Penn, Pittsburgh, Pa. J. G. Varnell, Ramona and Ritz, Frederick, Okla. Stanley Anushko, Casino; Walter Pate, Majestic; William Butler, Garden; all in Detroit. Assistant Managers: Doug Amos, Paramount, New Haven, Conn. Charles Whitaker, Rosedale theatre, Detroit, Mich. Vincent Tripodi, Loew's Valentine, Toledo, Ohio. Birthday Greetings: Erich Brendler, William Brown, Irving Feinman, Donald K. Ayres, W. Richard Bartholomew, Guy Jones, Robert W. Chambers, Gordon Woodruff, William Harper, Fordyce J. Kaiser, Alfred G. Swett, Joe D. Marino, Charles Coussoule. O. L. Byrd, Ivan Ackery, J. E. Courter, William C. Land, Frank Gomez, Edward A. Kalinowski, Gerald Hugh Allison, Oscar F. Swanson, Victor Cornilliac, James J. Fenoglio, John G. Townsend, Dorothy Flukes, Andrew Gorzo, John W. Shaffer. James A. Carey, Russell M. Hogue, Alec H. Hurwitz, H. Douglas Carpenter, W. Lee Byers, J. S. McNeill, Carl Bechdel, John J. Cotter, Robert C. Bowman, Hinton Newsome, Sidney Schwartz, Ben Rosenberg. Edward R. Golden, Eddie G. Kane, Carmon Phillips, Lester Kolste, Milford H. Parker, Robert W. Gravenstine, Jack N. Mitchell, Edwin Adler, Donald Seasholtz, Arnold Stoltz, Ray O'Connell, Brewster Newton, Wayne Shepler. Wedding Bells: Clyde Miner, manager of the Strand theatre, Ridgeway, 111., to Mabel Satterfield. Edwin L. Bey, Jr., manager of the Fowler theatre, Fowler, Ind., to Marjorie Recker. Junior Showmen: It's a 7-pound, 8-ounce girl at the Bob Weitmans. Father is manager of the Paramount theatre in New York. It's their third child. Bob Carney, manager of Loew's Pbli-Lyric in Bridgeport, Conn., and Mrs. Carney are the parents of a baby boy. Starts Campaign on "Night Train" Eight Weeks Ahead Manager Norman H. Willis started his exploitation campaign eight weeks before playdate on "Night Train to Memphis" at the Corbett theatre, Wildwood, Fla. His first step was to display a window card in the box office, reading "Coming soon; watch for playdate, 'Night Train to Memphis/ with Roy Acuff." The theatre was literally covered with handbills, hanging from a string and running in several directions. In ad dition, Willis used his car to make personal calls to well over 40 surrounding country homes. Several new friends were made in this fashion. Teaser Ad Campaign Aids Stalcup "Hitler" Date A teaser advertising campaign was conducted in the local newspaper by manager D. T. Stalcup for his date on "Hitler Lives" at the Gem theatre, Etowah, Tenn. Typical teaser copy read: "Do you think Hitler is alive?" A lighted shadow box with a onesheet inside was used on the left side of the screen for two weeks in advance. 150 post cards were personally mailed by Stalcup to people who ordinarily do not attend the theatre. Display Boosts "Notorious" An attractive lobby display was set up by manager E. A. Pyne to publicize his playdate on "Notorious" at Keith's 105th St. theatre, Cleveland, Ohio. The display consisted of a board on which was painted a large key. Copy read: "For this key they risked life and love . . . Why?" A photo of the three stars of the picture was inserted at the top of the key. HARVEY SMITH and Mrs. Harvey Smith, recent visitors to New York and the Round Table. Harvey is publicity director for Georgia Theatre Company in Atlanta. Ballyhoo Aids Cardiff Date A man dressed in wing collar, top hat, etc., walked around town with a sandwich board to exploit manager William Newman's playdate on "Gaiety George" at the Olympia theatre, Cardiff, England. Posters also were used with the phrase, "Where's George?" The expression is a common catch-phrase in England. An all out campaign was conducted by manager George Pappas for the playdate of "Night and Day" at the Roxy theatre, Peru, Ind. The campaign was given an added lift from the fact that Peru is the birthplace of Cole Porter, on whose life the picture is based. A highlight of the promotional activities was the parade through the main streets of town with the local high school band, members of the American Legion, war veterans and businessmen in the march. Banners were strung across the street at intervals along the route of march. A 24-sheet was placed on top of the Miami County court house a week prior to playdate. It marked the first time that the court house had been used for ballyhoo purposes. Two weeks before opening a streamer was placed on the front of the stage. A special front was designed, consisting of posters of the stars, and large musical notes, with the cast names and title. Newspaper coverage was considerable, including a story on the native born Porter and a synopsis of the picture, which covered the entire front page of the Peru Republican. MONTHLY PROGRAMS: A SMALL TOWN STANDBY Manager E. M. Freiburger considers monthly programs of paramount importance for the promotion of playdates in small town situations. In his town of Dewey, Okla., with a population of 12,000, Freiburger sends out 1,000 program calendars monthly to exploit the pictures at the Paramount theatre. Augmenting the calendars are daily advertisements in the morning and evening newspapers of Bartlesville, an adjoining town of 1 7,000 population; theatre ads in the weekly Dewey newspaper; trailers, banners and one-sheets on each picture. 60 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, NOVEMBER 2, 1946