Ballyhoo (Jan 18, 1957)

Page scan 00011 from Ballyhoo

Record Details:

Title:
Ballyhoo
Date:
Jan 18, 1957
Volume:
Ballyhoo (Jan 18, 1957) National
Leaf #:
00011
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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e CAPITOL —FORT WILLIAM | Itve got a report of activities from Gordon Carson who signs himself manager pro tem ... since he is only filling in for Jimmy Cameron ... It's all about WAR AND PEACE ... and it's good. First of all there's so much newspaper coverage that I can't even attempt to itemize it ... but I do see two excellent pics of Mr, Fitzgibbons and Countess Tolstoy, with good covering stories ... one in each of the dailies ... and some fine co-ops paid for by a local beauty salon, featuring the Natasha Cut, with good credits. The lémm WAK AND PLACE production reel which was shown at the Western meetings was planted with C F PA T.V. and was shown twice ... for free, with theatre credits. A half hour roving mike interview was conducted on opening night, and the tape was put on the air a few days later. C F P A have a popular ladies' afternoon show, which was used in its entirety one day for an interview with Jimmy Cameron ... and what did he talk about? You guess ... and you're right. Various local radio personalities used personal endorsements to plug the pic well in advance, Central News did an unusually fine job in arranging good coverage in all of their dealerships, on the Bantam and Dell books. The Public Library, which as a policy shuns any type of commercialism, agreed to use book marks, and placed an excellent display in the reading room. Jimmy talked to two school assemblies about W and P, and school story guides were supvlied to various English and Social Study teachers for further discussion in the cdassrooms. Lux’ Soap had come out with large ads in several National publications, featuring Audrey Hepburn and plugging her new film, FUNNY FACE ... With a slight twist the copy was made to tie in with WAR AND PEACE, and through this, some very effective window displays were secured throughout the city. Blotters with WAR AND PEACE imprints were distributed to various business offices in town. Members of the theatre staff all wore W AND P badges well in advance, The lobby was well decorated as well as the entire front ... and this all spells a very successful engagement. Thanks Gordon for your report. oX.X-X~X.X, CAPITOL REGINA For LOVE ME TENDER, Hilliard mentions a good newspaper ad which a local T.V. dealer ran ... but I can't seem to find the tear sheet. Six music stores came through with excellent windows, and C K C K taped the audience reaction on opening night and used it on the air twice with suitable comment, A local dry cleaner opened several depots around town, and to introduce the service he published the name of a local citizen daily, the lucky winner to receive a pair of guest tickets to the Capitol. In return for the passes, the name of the theatre and the attraction are mentioned in the newspaper ads. The dealer also comes through with good credits on his daily radio programs.