Ballyhoo (Mar 23, 1956)

Page scan 00018 from Ballyhoo

Record Details:

Title:
Ballyhoo
Date:
Mar 23, 1956
Volume:
Ballyhoo (Mar 23, 1956) National
Leaf #:
00018
Language:
English
Collection:
Canada, Global Cinema, and Hollywood Studio System
Format:
Periodicals
Contributor:
Media History Digital Library, Greig Dymond in memory of David Dymond, Paul Moore and Jessica Whitehead
Coordinator:
Media History Digital Library
Description:

Ballyhoo

  • Ontario 'B' District Ballyhoo, editor: Dan Krendel (1952-55)
  • Profit Blitz for ‘Fitz’, editor: Dan Krendel (1955)
  • National Ballyhoo, editor: Dan Krendel (1956-57)
  • Time Out for Ticket Talk, editor: Norman Barker (1960-61)

Ballyhoo (1952-61) was published by Famous Players Canadian Corporation as a mimeographed internal sales and theatre managers’ newsletter. Editor, Dan Krendel, had been division manager of the Ontario ‘B’ District since 1942, and initially created Ballyhoo in 1952 to circulate weekly updates for a regional sales contest. Ontario ‘B’ District Ballyhoo continued until 1955 as a tool for sharing and incentivizing new sales techniques and publicity methods as the movie business declined in the face of television and the baby boom.

In Fall 1955, Profit Blitz for ‘Fitz’ was a nationwide sales contest, named for Famous Players’ president J. J. Fitzgibbons, honouring his 25th year as head of the business. Dan Krendel was made National Drive Captain and edited a weekly newsletter for the campaign.

From 1956 until at least 1957, National Ballyhoo was published weekly with Krendel as editor. He continued the style and content developed earlier for his Ontario ‘B’ District, but now extended vastly for a chain-wide coast to coast scale. Ballyhoo’s sharing promotional tools came at a time of contracting box office as television and automobile ownership became prevalent in the mid-1950s.

By 1960 until at least 1961, Time Out for Ticket Talk continued as a mimeographed newsletter, edited by Norman Barker of the head office publicity department. Time Out was compiled on a less ambitious scale than Ballyhoo. Compared to the earlier national compilation of local publicity gimmicks, Time Out often contained only a single memo or reproduced local story, and was often undated and only informally edited.

– Paul Moore, March 2024

Date Added:
April 11, 2024
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WELL, THIS IS BETTER Yes ... MUCH better, so perhaps our NATIONAL BALLYHOO is beginning to catch on, I hope so, The material is beginning to pile up, and it gives me a chance to spread the word that our F,P, Showmen are really practicing the art of Showmanship ... on a full-time basis, Mind you, there are still plenty of you who are entirely too conspicuous by your absence from these pages .., but, I've had my say, and if you still insist on hiding your light under that well known bushel ... well, that light is just liable to be snuffed out for lack of air. Just simple chemistry, that!s all, So we handed out some prize money in our last issue ... Were you on the receiving end .., or standing on the sidelines while the parade passed you by? It must be nice to receive an unexpected cheque in the mail .,. and to know that it was sent along voluntarily ... for an outstanding job, well done. We have plenty of blank cheques around ... and only YOU can decide whose name will be inscribed on them, In addition to the cash awards we are working on some additional novelty gimmicks, which may include some typical Showbusiness desk decorations, and BALLYHOO SHOWMANSHIP CITATIONS. These will be awarded for consistent showmandizing ... and it would be nice if every manager on the circuit wound up with one or more before the year runs out, It!s certainly not impossible, but it has to be EARNED by YOU. Maybe we!1l have some of these items ready for presentation at the regional meetings which in all probability will be held in the Fall, Youtve all read about Ivan Ackery!s very successful Rock 'N Roll shows ,.. How come nobody else has cashed in on this craze? It's probably only a passing fad, and will poop out in a few weeks! time, Then it will be too late, It's simple enough to promote ... and you can take my word for it, you can jampack your theatre any time you try it ... providing you do a little advance planning. And how about a Spring fashion show for everybody from tots to the grown ups, along the lines of the one being currently developed by Jimmy Cameron? That!s showbusiness fellows ... and I can remember when deals like this used to be part and parcel of normal theatre operation. Now you have to be hit on the head to try anything that's not strictly routine. I just can't make it out ... it doesn't make sense, In this week's trade press I read accounts of at least a dozen good ticket selling gags ... designed for the average small town operation. You must have read them too ... So ... what're you waiting for? Nobody's going to do it for you. Well ... let's cut the chatter and swing into action. TODAY is only a brief pause ... and it's gone as quick as a wink. Tomorrow could be too late, so let's not wait around too long, huh? See you in a couple of weeks! time ... until then, why ... just KEEP BALLYHOOIN!, Dan Krendel