Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1947)

Heavy Newspaper Publicity Marks Havana Opening 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. ] IT HAPPENED IN BROOKLYN (MetroGoldwyn-Mayer): Anything can happen in Brooklyn! And it generally does! The Brooklyn Dodgers and sport fans have made Brooklyn synonymous throughout the country, with everything that is wacky, unconventional and hilarious. So, though neither the team nor the fans appear in the picture, the title, nevertheless, presents the opportunity for goofy exploitation. For display purposes, use enlargements of singing heads of the stars of the picture, Frank Sinatra, Kathryn Grayson and Jimmy Durante. Enclose them in music notes for musical emphasis. Amplify song hits over the public address system or play records on a hidden lobby victrola. Durante and the title make a perfect medium for newspaper, radio or theatre contest seeking funny title limericks or flip wisecracks. Have a man parade the streets with a barrel strapped to him. Copy reads: "Don't ask me! 'It Happened in Brooklyn', a barrel of fun, music and romance." Construct a lobby disc for free spinning. Letter on it various cities in the United States. When the arrow stops on Brooklyn, present the winner with a guest ticket. Place tie-in signs on all juke boxes and contact disc jockeys to play old or new Sinatra, Grayson and Durante records. THE IMPERFECT LADY (Paramount): The story here concerns a woman whose reputation is caught in a net of circumstantial evidence against her. The picture stars Ray Milland, winner of an Academy Award for his performance in "The Lost Weekend", and Teresa Wright, who appears in last year's Academy Award winning picture, "The Best Years of Our Lives". Play up the Academy Award angle. The title lends itself to a series of teaser ads in the personal columns of the local newspaper. A typical teaser ad could read: "WANTED — 'The Imperfect Lady' to present her testimony and save the life of an innocent man. Gem theatre." Plant the following question with your newspaper's inquiring reporter or radio station man-inthe street broadcaster: "Should a wife tell her husband about her past, as Teresa Wright wanted to do in The Imperfect Lady'?" Suggest to department store or ladies' shop that they dress up a dummy in an outfit they are interested in pushing. The dummy's costume should be perfect, except for one or two small discrepancies, which the ladies would not consider stylish, such as a brown handbag with a blue dress. Copy could read: "Prizes! If you can tell why this is 'The Imperfect Lady'." Highlighting the campaign for the opening of "Sister Kenny" at the America theatre in Havana, Cuba, were two promotional ventures that garnered a wealth of newspaper space and 'plenty of radio comment. The campaign was arranged by manager Jose Valcarce. A contest arranged for the rotogravure section of Diario de la Marina, Havana's leading daily newspaper, drew several thousand letters. The picture's illustrated story was published in three parts with contestants required to cut out each of the three chapters and mail them to the theatre. Free tickets were awarded for the first 100 entries received. The second promotion was a special screening for all licensed nurses. The nurses were required to wear their regular uniforms. Dr. Pedro Noguiera, director of Health and Sanitation, represented the Minister of Health at the screening. Stories and pictures of this event appeared in all the local newspapers. Teaser Ads and Cards Aid Date on "Miss Pilgrim" A teaser campaign was used by manager Tom Wolf for "The Shocking Miss Pilgrim" at the State theatre, Bellevue, Ohio. 1,000 "Job Wanted" cards were distributed at the theatre and mailed to leading business men. The cards also carried a photo of Betty Grable, star of the picture. In theatre ads, the appearance of Dick Haymes in the picture was tied-in with the catch-phrase "Open the Door, Richard.'" Copy read: "Look, folks ! Richard's going to open the door so you can see what 'The Shocking Miss Pilgrim' did.'' Boy Parades Streets with Sign for "Bedelia" A boy paraded the streets with a 12-foot sign to exploit the engagement of "Bedelia" at the Paramount theatre, Fremont, Ohio. 1,000 wall paper novelty throwaways were passed out to people in the downtown area. 1,000 no cost movie news sheets were distributed and 200 mailed to surrounding towns. 1,000 large grocery bags were imprinted for a leading super-market. Ten 11x14 hand painted teaser cards were placed in downtown windows and in barber shops. The campaign was arranged bv manager Dick Peffley. Balloons Exploit "Clouds" Manager George Light had 250 balloons with tags attached released from an airplane over the city to exploit "Till the Clouds Roll By" at the Maryland theatre, Cumberland, Md. Fifty of the balloons contained guest tickets to the opening. of the picture. Iff-4** "yMAHL-LoUMJl" 7o^ UJOma/ ( baqtiAk tUiiA.) <md. OLwwjjlH.. Qruw po&aj... tactile fymuX VOGUE / Sevt*> duoum.stajdmi tomcviouj; TnaruJi \W "Tnanie-Eouwe' T«ca>M<i/nW''Hitfrw. ojj tfw. "rlaiian'ii' Corui|cW.(krt tlie. ^Kuz^t \frvujCjin ^JUm.a tivux TKa/uih ton "Beit (jouujn Ukkih in x^txmh^alUhUl'mchdi "C£oamc.U)« wiqe xpu. to in AArW/Jtmed. Con^(j3WiaA><.&(>t.K.-H^lxtwiqafc4'3l34 Institutionalizing the Vogue theatre in Brooklyn as a shoiuplace for foreign films, Ed Schreiber, publicity director for the Century circuit, devised a series of special neicspapcr ads for the New York dailies which feature the tag line, "In Brooklyn its the Vogue." MANAGERS' ROUND TABLE, APRIL 19, 1947 49