Ballyhoo (Sep 15, 1957)

Page scan 0003 from Ballyhoo

Record Details:

Title:
Ballyhoo
Date:
Sep 15, 1957
Volume:
Ballyhoo (Sep 15, 1957) National
Leaf #:
0003
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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WORDS OF CHEER FRON A GREAT SHOWMAN I have on my desk a memo from Gordon Lightstone, Canadian general Manager for Paramount, in which he quotes a statement made by Oscar A. Doob one of our great industry executives who was recalled from retirement by Eric Johnston who named him in Washington to head an International program of movie goodwill. Mr. Doob has this to say ... and it makes awfully good listenin’. "JT honestly believe that I would not have taken this job were I not confident that the motion picture theatre business is in a resurgence ... that the worst is over ... that T.V. has shot its bolt ... and that the dear old American public is ready, after flirting with that tiny parlor screen, to return to its first love ... I saw the movies come back after radio emptied our seats and box-office tills. I've seen them smacked by good roads and zooming auto sales ... walloped by miniature golf, night baseball and football and a dozen other timeand-money competitions. Somehow or other that ribbon of celluloid has twined itself deep into the American scheme of living. As kids we liked to sit back and let somebody tell us a story... I guess that urge sticks with people into adulthood. So long as we strive to tell enough good stories, or stories they want to hear, we'll have customers. Sounds on the Pollyanna side, but I happen to believe it." Years ago I had the privilege of interviewing Oscar A. Doob in New York, and a more aggressive, enthusiastic champion of the motion picture would be hard to find anywhere. What he says comes from the heart ... and we should welcome it into our own hearts ... let his words of wisdom permeate our very being and influence our thought patterns and action patterns for a bigger, better, happier and healthier show business ... OUR SHOWBUSINESS, 9280210 OBS ORS OSORSC CONGRATULATIONS MURRAY LYNCH In a recent issue of BALLYHOO I reported in detail the really wonderful job that Murray had done in promoting a short subject, CHASING THE SUN. Now comes the happy news that Murray's entry ranked high in the judging in New York, and he has wound up with one of the top prizes ... a two week vacation in Florida ... with all expenses paid. Congratulations fella ... on a swell job, and a swell win.