Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1947)

The Selling Approach ON NEW PRODUCT [The material below reflects pressbooks now in preparation and represents the point of view of the distributors' exploiteers on selling points and special merit of these pictures.] EASY COME, EASY GO (Paramount): Here is a comedy-romance with Barry Fitzgerald, Diana Lynn and Sonny Tufts sharing fop billing. The fitle offers many opportunities for exploitation. For example, most towns are receptive to any gag which will help to put across the message of traffic safety. Your police department might help you to post signs which would carry this copy: "Speed limit — 25 MPH— 'Easy Come, Easy So'." Use a teaser twist on the title for a series of personal ads in the classified ad section of the local newspaper. Suggested copy: "Mabel, stop worrying about that million dollars you lost. See 'Easy Come, Easy Go'," or "No house? No appetite? Nobody loves you? Oh, well 'Easy Come, Easy Go' — Gem theatre." Sell the title on the streets with a walking ballyhoo. Have a scantily dressed man with a barrel strapped over his shoulders parade through the town. Copy on the barrel could read: "Oh, well, 'Easy Come, Easy Go' — Gem theatre." The title also is a natural fortieups with taxicab companies, automobile dealers, tire firms, and all types of companies connected with any mode of transportation. Capitalize on Barry Fitzgerald's past picture successes. Jitterbug Contest Helps To Exploit "Co-Ed" Date Manager Elmer Adams, Jr., arranged a jitterbug contest on the stage to exploit his playdate of "Betty Co-Ed" at the Bison theatre, Shawnee, Okla. An advance ticket sale took the pressure off the box office the night of the show. Adams promoted several free announcements at basketball games during the week. Radio spot announcements and window displays also were obtained. Several drug stores tied in with the special show by advertising "Jitterbug Sodas." A diamond ring and an Elgin wrist watch were promoted from a local jeweler for the couple winning the contest. Teaser Ads, Lobby Display Promote "Jolson Story" Teaser ads were used for several days in advance by manager Dick Peffley to promote "The Jolson Story" at the Paramount thetare, Fremont, Ohio. The ads featured Jolson's white gloved hands. A StrombergCarlson radio-phonograph combination was promoted from a local store for use in the lobby a week in advance. A sign was placed on the phonograph, reading: "Listen to the hit tunes from 'The Jolson Story'." 2,000 THE GUILT OF JANET AMES (Columbia): Billed as a provocative love drama, this picture stars Rosalind Russell and Melvyn Douglas. For street ballyhoo, send two or three attractive girls, armed with borrowed cameras, into the main streets of town. They should pretend to take the pictures of pedestrians and then hand out small, printed cards containing the following copy: "I did not take your picture, but if you want to see a real good picture, don't miss, etc." A newspaper contest can be worked around the name "Janet Ames", with readers asked to make up lists of words from the letters. The rules are simple: the words must be familiar ones, they cannot be names, they cannot be plural, they must be four or more letters. Guest tickets could be awarded for the 20 longest lists. The theme of the picture offers radio station program directors a number of angles for broadcasts: I. A husbands-andwives forum, in which two couples discuss the meaning of true and unselfish love, and of marital happiness generally; 2. A bobby-soxer or teen-age forum in which the younger generation describes what it thinks happy marriages should be and how they can be obtained. no cost movie news sheets were sent out on the regular mailing list, to rural boxholders and distributed at the theatre. 500 personalized post cards were sent to businessmen and professional people. Visiting Cards in Hotels, Restaurants Aid "Gilda" Starting four weeks in advance the wording, "Rita Hayworth as the glamorous and tantalizing 'Gilda' " was used in slides and on cards in the foyer to exploit the playdate of the picture at the Dominion theatre, Bispham, Blackpool, England. 4,000 "Gilda" visiting cards were distributed by 14 of the leading hotels and restaurants in the town. Waitresses left a card beside each plate as they set the tables, while maids left a card in each room they cleaned. The campaign was arranged by manager A. A. Allen. Handbills Posted for "Crime" Manager H. Clayton-Nutt used handbills in the form of a police "Wanted" notice to publicize "Appointment With Crime" at the Broadway Cinema, Eccles, Lanes., England. The handbills were placed in a large number of shop windows, with the result that passersby were confronted with the playdate notice at almost every other shop. Store and Radio Tieups Spark "California" Many window tieups contrasting travel facilities in the days of the covered wagon with today's streamlined trains sparked the campaigns for the opening of "California" in Omaha and Des Moines. A tieup with the Union Pacific netted manager Don Shane a number of window displays on travel for the playdate of the picture at the Paramount theatre in Omaha. California goods and fashions were the inspiration for many department store window tieups. A former Hollywood stunt man, now an announcer for radio station KOIL, was engaged for a street ballyhoo which required him to ride a horse and execute whip and rope tricks. A covered wagon was used in the lobby. Highlight of exploitation in Des Moines, which was set contrasting travel then and now was a tieup with the Rock Island Railroad. Harold Lyon, manager of the Des Moines theatre, was instrumental in lining up the Des Moines campaign. Plants. Stories on Sneak Preview in Local Press Manager Morris Rosenthal garnered publicity in all local newspapers for a sneak preview he arranged to exploit the playdate of "Lady in the Lake" at the Poli theatre, New Haven, Conn. Cashiers distributed $1 bill change with imprinted bands around them a week in advance. Copy read : "Save this $1 to see 'Lady in the Lake'." Small cards with strings attached were distributed a few days before opening. Copy on the cards read : "If you get nervous, play with this string." A strip of stills showing the new camera technique used in the picture was planted on the amusement color page in the Sunday New Haven Register. Window Tieups Aid "Suspense" Manager Leslie Fletcher arranged 10 window tieups to exploit his engagement of "Suspense" at the Carlton Cinema, Chapel Bar, Nottingham, England. In addition, a tieup was set with the Nottingham Ice Stadium for a fancy dress "Suspense" ball. Prizes were awarded for the best costumes. WANT A LOOK-SEE? A reader has suggested that the campaign books of the winners of the 1946 Quigley Awards Competitions be made available for inspection at key centers throughout the country. Exchanges or circuits which desire to exhibit these samples of showmanship are requested to write to this department. — C. F. MANAGERS' ROUND TABLE, MARCH 22, 1947 5'