Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1956)

St o u/men in on Both truth and poetry, down from Canada. Dan Krendel, in his Ballyhoo Bulletin for Famous Players-Canadian, says, “Maybe the dollar is only worth half what it was in 1939, but some guys only work half as hard to get it.” And Jim Cameron quotes a little verse — “Sitting still and wishing, makes no person great. The good Lord sends the fishing, but we must dig the bait.” T Jim Ricketts, Paramount field man, sends in a tear-sheet of a cooperative ad for Martin & Lewis in “Pardners” — and they are in partnership with Reddy Kilowatt, an electric character, so the ad was paid for by the Southern Colorado Power Company, but no mention of the name of the manager of the Grand theatre, in Rocky Ford, where this deal was accomplished. ▼ “War and Peace” will bow in as the Christmas week attraction in Loew’s Theatres in New York, with a contest to name the ten greatest novels of all time, including the Leo Tolstoy classic, of course. Quite an undertaking, to put such a long film in for holiday turnovers — but we know at least one man who liked the picture so well he sat through it twice! ▼ Nancy Donaldson, 16-year old daughter of the Mayor of Pontiac, Michigan, is the winner of Photoplay Magazine’s contest and will have a date with Sal Mineo on Sunday, December 30th, in her own home town. Sal will be in Detroit on a personal appearance tour, and his date with Nancy is going to be a big event in Pontiac with a charity ball dedicated in his honor. ▼ Phil Gerard sends in a sample of a special one-sheet which Universal is mailing out to exhibitors on “Roc* Pretty Baby” to serve two purposes. It is a broadside on the picture in advance and the theatre manager can use it for his own lobby display for a coming attraction, as it accomplishes a dual selling approach. ▼ George Kemble, manager of Walter Reade’s Community theatre in Hudson, N. Y., obtained a fine cooperative advertising page in the Register-Star for “Solid Gold Cadillac” with eight local businessmen underwriting the cost and the theatre getting a free ride, in solid-gold advertising value. T Norm Levinson, with the active collaboration of Miami Daily News columnist, Herb Rau, conducted a vigorous search to find a genuine cricket (live) to occupy the cricket-cage, which was part of the pic tured setting for “Tea House of the August Moon.” Seems that crickets are hard to come by, in Miami, and the story had everybody out looking for them, with Marvin Reed, manager of Loew’s Riviera, Coral Gables, leading the chase. T More than 200 department stores will cooperate with a “Queen of Fashion” show for the premieres of “The King and Four Queens” in as many key-cities, where point-of-sale promotion has been ordered for the United Artists picture by Roger H. Lewis, national director of advertising, publicity and exploitation. ▼ Paul Lyday, manager of the Denver theatre, Denver, Colorado, posts an easel board in the lobby with free ads for help wanted, in a scarce market. When we traveled the highways recently, we saw several permanent, painted boards outside of big industrial plants, asking for engineers, at any price. Our teen-agers, today, are more interested in tripe than in trigonometry. ▼ Charles E. Carden, manager of the Palace theatre, Forth Worth, Texas, finds that putting the names of local film critics in the marquee sign pays off in generous support from both the public and the personalities involved. They like it — and it personalizes and localizes, a favorable film review. T Sam Yablonsky, manager of the Esquire theatre, Sacramento, whom we admire for his excellent showmanship, uses a holiday theme for early playdates of “The King and Four Queens.” He posts his exit doorways with good advertising for attractions that are coming and gives the house a Christmas atmosphere. Two showmen In action that we like to make mention of — see further action picture below. At left, Mort Nathanson, UA's publicity manager, and standing with proper cigar, Mori Krushen, UA's most-traveled exploitation manager in the industry, who is now on tour, as usual — he went that-away, conducing key-city seminars. Louis Fishkin, manager of the Flamingo theatre, Miami Beach, had a reasonable facsimile of Van Gogh, the artist, roaming the streets and attracting crowds with his paintings — until the P. D. chased him. Well, that happened to the original, too. Sam had a local artist convert a 24-sheet into a wall sign, and made good tieups with local schools and art critics. ▼ Merle R. Blair, president of Cedar Amusements, Inc., at the Regent theatre, Cedar Fall, Iowa, sends his story of “Shop ’n Show” — which could be as popular as “Rock ’n Roll” with this kind of pushing. He circulates a free guest ticket, paid for by local merchant sponsors — and says the plan is in for another four weeks, on the basis of current success. Each merchant pays $10 per week to participate and pays the newspaper for cooperative advertising, which is important in small situations. Results: More people in the theatre, more shoppers in the stores, more business along Main Street, where they are all crying for it. Everybody happy! Field day for field men, United Artists' district exploitation managers, heading a fifty-man force, meet in New York. Above, seated: Addie Allison, Dallas, Mori Krushen, Chief; Howard Pearl, Detroit; Wally Heim, Chicago; and Max Miller, Philadelphia. Standing: Bill Gandall, Pittsburgh; Archie Laurie, Toronto; Earle Keete, Seattle, Bill Scholl, Los Angeles; Bill Prass, Denver; Bernie Young, New York, Joe Mansfield, Boston, Al Fisher, assistant to Mori Krushen and Bill Shirley, Buffalo. MANAGERS’ ROUND TABLE SECTION, DECEMBER 22, 1956 31