Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1948)

TEN BEST OF THE YEAR AS SHOWMEN DO IT The austere New York Tunes refers casually to "the most fanciful exhibits of unblushing press agentry in the year just past," and includes such examples as that perpetrated by Irving Levin, San Francisco theatre manager, who mailed out live turtles to advertise his new noiseless popcorn bag, probably inspired by something he read in a Warners' Pressbook on "The Voice of the Turtle." And down in Sarasota, Florida, another manager had a young deer to exploit "The Yearling," the animal becoming so enamored with the picture that it returned to stand in the aisle and watched every every performance on the screen. Difficult to Choose Best Among members of this association of motion picture showmen, it would be difficult to point effectively to the ten best, because there are so many more than ten, and all best for different reasons. But for the purposes of this page, we rise to defend those who practice press agentry the year around, for profit, and who live rather for the practical result obtained than the exotic method. We are in an enviable position, for we have the opinion and judgment of the Quigley Awards competition through four quarters of 1947 to look back upon, to say nothing of pleasant memory of letters in the mail, before these entries were sorted and selected and shaken down to size. Without attempting to list our choice in showmen, either alphabetically or chronologically, we will drift backwards through 1947, beginning with Len Chant, manager of the New Victoria, Preston, England, who surprised the judges and ourselves, winning the overseas citation for the fourth quarter with an entry which was described in these pages only last week. And that reminds us of Percival B. Singh, of the Deluxe theatre, Port O'Spain, Trinidad, who did an equally good job with the same picture, "The Jolson Story," to win the overseas citation for the second quarter. And Stanley Hodnett, of the Gaumont Palace, Middlesbrough, England, who did it in the third quarter. Then, there's Willis E. Shaffer, of the Fox Atchison theatres, Atchison, Kansas, who has twice won the quarterly silver desk plaque in 1947 and who excels in his handling of advertising and publicity in the Kansas town where he has two theatres and a friendly competitor who is becoming a Round Table member, in self defense. We can't decide whether "Shaf" or Pierce McCoy, of the Miller theatre, Augusta, Ga., leads in civic and community relations, but it's close, with maybe a shade the best of it for McCoy. Or, Mildred Fitzgibbons, at the Skouras Broadway theatre, Flushing, L. I., for Mildred was a close rnuner-up last quarter for top honors. Stanley Gere, manager of the Rialto theatre, Racine, Wisconsin, took Abbott and Costello's "Buck Privates Come Home" and turned it into a municipal holiday, best example of that order ever to reach this desk, but Stanley hasn't done it again, and it's sustained showmanship that counts towards awards. Jack Matlack, winner these many years, turned in a marvelous job with the opening of a new theatre for foreign films out in Portland, Oregon, but he doesn't hit these pages as often or as hard as he used to, from the records. Fred Perry, down in Schune's Liberty theatre, Cumberland, Md., is a specialist of the first quality, hitting regularly on all twelve cylinders. We had a laugh at the "Mitty" pictures which Bob Case had printed in the Kingston newspapers, showing the remodeling of the city of Kingston, by trick photography, in his "Mitty" dreams. And Bill Novak, who turned Winnipeg inside-out to turn in the premiere of "Welcome Stranger" for Canada, at the Capitol theatre. Or Lester Pollock, of Loew's Rochester theatre, who is consistently in front with displays to advertise his attractions. And Jules Landfield, out in the Melrose theatre, Melrose Park, 111., who keeps the midwest on its toes with good showmanship. Among Round Table Members Or, consider the two "Phils" — who accomplish so much in neighborhood theatres; Phil Katz, at the Kenyon theatre, Ptitsburgh, and Phil Chaiton, at the Tuxedo theatre, in the Bronx, who won applause* for his birthday parties and for filming his own street parades as an audience attraction. And there's Elmer Adams, down in Shawnee, Oklahoma, who is a frequent prize-winner, and Carlos Giacheri, at the Astor theatre, Turin, first to show us how professional was the job of showmanship in Italy. That's more than ten? We haven't any more than started, and there isn't space enough to list them all. Toy Train for Lobby Display Manager F. P. Gloriod of the Varsity and Rodgers theatres, Carbondale, 111., discovered a good idea in the use of a toy train in his lobby, to advertise a "train of coming attractions." He promoted the electric train from a young boy, for passes, and the operation of the railroad was the added responsibility of regular theatre employees. Children Give Toys to Needy Gerry Savoie, manager of the Paramount theatre, Brattleboro, Vermont, had a monthlong promotion plan that created plenty of good-will while providing toys for children. The American Legion put on a campaign for the needy; Gerry offered free tickets to children who would bring in their old toys to be donated to the less fortunate. Iowa Managers Win Praise For Campaign Ideas William Singer, manager of the Brandies theatre, Omaha; Harry Dearmin, manager of the Strand in Marshalltown, and Raymond Langfitt, manager of the Orpheum in Dubuque, are winners in a contest for the best campaign on "Tycoon" conducted by Harry Mandel in RKO Iowa theatres. Aside from the usual radio, newspaper and window tieups, each town had many original stunts applicable to their special situations. In Omaha, for instance, Mr. Singer tied in with the Chamber of Commerce and the U. S. Army Engineers, honoring as "Tycoon" General Pick of the U. S. Army Engineers in connection with the Pick-Sloan plan to make the Missouri River navigable, which is hot news in that vicinity. In Marshalltown, Mr. Dearmin took advantage of historical dates, such as "V-E" Day and "V-J" Day, to exploit "T-Day," which naturally referred to the opening of "Tycoon." All advertising carried this theme, even to "Tycoon" sandwiches and "Tycoon" sundaes, which were all over the town. In Dubuque, Mr. Langfitt tied in with a radio "Man in the Street" show to ask the question, "What's the difference between a tycoon and a typhoon ?", with amusing answers. A smartly dressed man, for street ballyhoo, was introduced as a "Tycoon," just for a sample. Manager Harold Perlman. of the RKO Palace theatre, Chicago, offered two memberships in the desirable "Dress of the Month Club" through a tieup with station WCFL in a radio contest to advertise "The Lost Moment". Pretty girls were "planted" at busy hours in front of this lobby poster to ask land answer) questions about the contest, and to explain the club idea. All expense borne by the cooperating station. 40 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 31, 1948