Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1947)

SCHINES ACCENT ON SPRING "Springtime Is Schine Show Time — sell it with showmanship" keynotes the new Spring show season campaign which is conducted annually by managers of the circuit. A manual, embodying successful promotions of past Spring campaigns and containing some new suggestions has been dispatched around the circuit. It was prepared by Seymour Morris, director of publicity, at Gloversville, N. Y. An old favorite is the Easter Party. The manual suggests that merchants be contacted for Easter baskets, bunnies, jelly beans, chocolate eggs, etc., to give away to kids attending the show. Five and ten cent stores usually cooperate on this kind of a tieup, because they ordinarily operate on a low advertising budget. The treasure hunt is another time-tested promotion. It is usually conducted in playgrounds or parks. The night before the hunt different colored eggs are hidden. The kids go out Saturday morning or sometime before the show opens and hunt for the eggs. The eggs are then brought to the theatre and the child receives a free admission plus a prize promoted from the merchants. Fashion shows, when staged properly, create a great deal of interest. The local newspaper usually cooperates in a promotion of this sort for most of the stores who will be in on it will undoubtedly be consistent advertisers. Models for this show can be recruited from high schools, sororities, women's clubs, etc. For the past several years the "Quest for Fashions" idea has been used in many situations. Here is how it works: On Easter Sunday a committee of impartial judges selects at least 50 best-dressed women, presenting them with a flower and a card advising them that they have been selected as one of the city's best-dressed women. They are invited to appear on the stage of the theatre the following Monday. The bestdressed woman is selected on the stage by audience applause and awarded promoted prizes. Also covered in the manual are merchant full page newspaper co-ops, florist tieups, radio promotions, morning shows for kiddies during the Easter school holidays, ice cream giveaways, pet parade, bike giveaways, and a Tom Thumb wedding. In conclusion, it is pointed out that Springtime is always a good time to brighten up the theatre. New Jersey towns of the Reade Circuit are holding special Easter Kiddie Shows, consisting of cartoons and children's feature presentations. Managers will promote prizes and Easter comic books to be given to children attending: the shows. Tieups Promote "Scheherazade 99 Cosmetic tieups highlighted the campaign arranged for the world premiere of "Song of Scheherazade" at the Uptown theatre, Toronto, Ont., Can. The campaign was conducted by manager Stanley Gosell. Demonstration booths were set up in Eaton's and Simpson's, department stores, with demonstrators on hand to exploit "Scheherazade" cosmetics. Eaton's also used a window display featuring cosmetics and stills from the picture. Tamblyn's, the leading drug store chain, dressed 22 of their windows with blowup cutouts of Yvonne De Carlo, star of the picture, and stills. Prominent citizens were invited to the premiere with each lady guest receiving a bottle of "Scheherazade" Cologne as a souvenir. A novel feature of the premiere was the Trans-Lux illuminated travelling jumbo telegram erected in the lobby by the Canadian National Telegraph Company, which operated continuously spelling out the congratulatory telegrams received from stars and executives. Doob Uses Novelty Cards To Sell "The Chase" Several thousand novelty cards were distributed by manager Edgar J. Doob to exploit his playdate of "The Chase" at Loew's theatre, Wilmington, Del. Copy on the cards, which had red spots on them, read: "If the spot changes color, you're too weak to see 'The Chase.' " Through a tieup with a local newspaper, a "raffles" appeared at specified times and places. All envelopes sent through the mail were rubber-stamped: "You'll be gasping for breath at the end of 'The Chase.' " Sets "Prentiss" Radio Tieup A good deal of attention was directed to the playdate of "Nora Prentiss" at the Stanley theatre, Baltimore, through a tieup with the "Ladies' Party" radio program over WCBM. The picture was plugged several times on each broadcast of the hour-long program, a week in advance. Manager Rodney Collier arranged the tieup. Ties In with Local Campaign Special window cards which tied in with a local campaign against reckless motorists were placed in selected locations by manager Hugh S. Borland to exploit "The Killers" at the Louis theatre, Chicago, 111. Keefe Arranges Ski Show A "Ski Jamboree" show was arranged by manager Jim Keefe at the Orpheum theatre, Spokane, Wash. Keefe tied-up with various ski clubs in Spokane. The show consisted of a full length picture featuring skiing and several short subjects filmed in various skiing centers. A ski fashion show was presented on stage by Simchuk's. Car, Sound Truck Herald Opening Of "The End" A new 1947 Studebaker was bannered with playdate copy and driven all over town to promote manager J. G. Samartano's engagement of "The Beginning or the End" at the State theatre, Providence, R. I. An Army recruiting sound truck also was used for ballyhoo opening day. Dignitaries, including the governor, judges, newspaper men, scientists and personnel who were connected with the atom bomb project, living in Providence, were invited to the opening. Junior League girls in evening gowns acted as hostesses opening night. Military Police were stationed in front of the theatre to handle crowds. Samartano planted stories in the local newspapers and tied up with various radio programs to exploit the picture. Railway Express trucks were bannered with playdate copy. 100 cards announcing the premiere were distributed to downtown shops. Exhibits Paintings, Books For Negro History Week Manager Steve McCall tied-in with Negro History Week by using an exhibit of Negro oil paintings in the lobby of the Michigan theatre, Chicago, 111. The paintings depicted the Negro in the U. S. Navy. In addition, the display contained 10 portraits of Negro authors set in a frame above several glass cases, displaying their books. The books were donated by local book stores and the paintings were loaned by the art center of the Negro district. Promotes Full Page Co-Op Ad A full page cooperative ad in the Cumberland News was promoted by manager Fred Perry to publicize a "Miss Valentine" contest at the Liberty theatre, Cumberland, Md. Nine merchants paid for the ad. Satiate Me«t; Humphrey Bogart mi Litabelk Scott, "Daad Sieckaaing'* Dave Jones, advertising manager for the Kerasotes theatres, Springfield, III., created this original display ad to advertise "The Jolson Story". Jones used an actual photograph of the theatre, which was mortised for screen and balloon copy. 60 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, MARCH 22, 1947