Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1956)

Sk ovum en in on Response to the application for membership in the Round Table, which appeared a week or so ago. was so very good that we run an encore in this issue, although it is our usual policy to print this form only once every three months. Membership in these meetings now totals 7,405 which makes this the oldest and largest international association of motion picture showmen, operating in the United States, Canada and 55 countries overseas. ▼ Murray Meinberg says “It’s been a long time,” but he’s back in the news with his handling of the "Kiddie” potential at the Main Street theatre, in Flushing. He sewed up a supermarket for a series of shows, with sponsored tickets good in the morning for a show that ran all day. Another merchant furnished 800 jelly apples for a matinee show, but Murray doesn t care for any more jelly apples, thanks just the same. He publishes a kiddie-size “kalendar” of his children’s shows, good for free admission when stamped three times, and just big enough to carry in small pockets. ▼ Bill Dennis, manager of the Tower Drive-In theatre, Elyria, Ohio, features a “Like-Nu” car giveaway — no jalopy, but a good used car, in fine condition, sponsored by a dealer who likes the advertising, and goes for the deal on the last Thursday of each month. He says this boosts an otherwise dull weekday business to new highs. ▼ Dominick Lucente. manager of the Stanley Warner Broadway theatre and “Mayor of South Philadelphia” — staged a gigantic Hollowe’en party and stage show, with prizes for best costumes and a program aimed at keeping the kiddies off the streets and having a good time. Prizes started in the “one to five years of age” bracket — so you can see what the other groups added up to. in terms of youthful enthusiasm. ▼ Joe Meyer, manager of the lone theatre, lone, Calif., is alreadv putting out coupon tickets good for $1,000 in prizes to be given away on Christmas and New Year’s Eve. You save your coupons and deposit them in the box for your chance at the moment. T David Kaplan, manager of the TransLux theatre, in Boston, is proud of the campaign which he has entered in United Artists’ “Exquisite Form” contest — where there will be $5,000 in cash awards for managers — and he expects his feminine contenders to win also, on points. He says his campaign cost $400, but with no cost to the theatre, so it was entirely sponsored. Ben Tureman, manager of Schine’s Russell theatre, Maysville, Ky., staged a terrific fashion show in his small city, thus proving that fashion shows are always possible with showmen, and especially, with stage room available to show off the styles that local merchants want seen. It’s always better to play up fashions at the local level, where they are on sale. One manager sent us a fine campaign this week — but we won’t mention his name here, because he didn’t! Even went so far as to paste in his picture — but never signed his name, or gave us the name of the theatre or the town! He would never believe the amount of research it required to find out who he was, or where! We finally identified him, from old records and through a telephone call to a major film company. But, please put your name and address on campaigns — and don’t depend on the outside wrapper, for these are often discarded and lost in our incoming mail. V Samuel Goldwyn Jr.’s new CinemaScope picture, “The Sharkfighters”, will have a vast cooperative advertising tieup with more than 200,000 retail outlets in 123 cities — one of the most extensive pre-selling campaigns ever developed, which will employ store displays, newspaper ads and national magazines, reaching a combined audience of 100,000,000 persons. The complete list of sponsors and their participation is a campaign catalog beyond the ordinary, and will be felt at the local level. We’ll review the pressbook, under “Selling Approach” when it is presented. Top exhibitors in Pittsburgh territory meet Richard Egan on his personal appearance tour for "Tension at Table Rock" — which had its world premiere at the Stanley theatre. Above, Bert Stern, Harry Hendel, Bud Thomas, Ernest Stern, John Wineck, Lou Hanna, F. D. Moore, George Stern, Vincent Corso, David Silverman, with their guest, center. Roy Robbins, manager of Stanley Warner’s Palace theatre on Market Street, in Philadelphia, pondered a double bill, “The Violent Years” and “Wiretappers” for his action house, and came up with a vivid radio campaign over stations WHAT and WJMJ, with special lobby front and poster display. This leads into a year-around arrangement with the two radio stations for much additional promotion for the picture. T We might observe, with things as they are, we’re sending up smoke signals to say that the British are “comers” — between England, Canada and Australia, we’re seeing more that is up to our standards than we do from Kansas, for instance. It’s nice to know that business is good, around the world, but it leaves us with the feeling that the effort is also greater, and perhaps if and when we put the same energy into it, the results will show. Julian S. Katz, manager of the Meserole theatre in Brooklyn, is a new member of the Round Table, and has a recent entry for the Quigley Awards in the fourth quarter — a campaign on "The Ambassador’s Daughter" which he says brought him extra business. In the picture above, Julian stands between the two girls on the right — and his assistant Sam Samuels, stand: at left, to complete the circle. We find that good theatre managers are generally surrounded with good-looking girls — as part of their promotion of motion pictures in the proper dimensions. MANAGER’S ROUND TABLE SECTION, NOVEMBER 10, 1956 33