Ballyhoo (Sep 15, 1957)

Page scan 0008 from Ballyhoo

Record Details:

Title:
Ballyhoo
Date:
Sep 15, 1957
Volume:
Ballyhoo (Sep 15, 1957) National
Leaf #:
0008
Language:
English
Collection:
Hollywood Studio System, Global Cinema, and Canada
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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HERE 'N THERE WITH OUR DRUMBEATERS Okay guys ... summer's over, your staff's at full strength again ... Daylight Saving has just about run its course ... no more night ball games +». and all the amateur horticulturists have pulled in their horns and have nothing to do evenings from now until next spring ... Now it's your turn to start crowing ... and you should crow long and loud, and make sure that you're heard from one end of town to the other. Send up those smoke signals ... beat the old drums ... It's our season now, so let's make the most of it. Things are a little bit rough? Sure they are ... and all the more reason for doing the best doggone job we know how. Man is never at his best unless under pressure ... Well, the pressure's on ... so let's dig into that old bag of tricks ... and if you've used them all before, why ... just start from the bottom again, give them a new twist, a novel angle ... and you'll be surprised at how effective all the old gags can be again. Start getting your entries in, fellows ... Honest now, how long is it since YOU sent something to this department? You know the answer better than I do. We like to hear from you, and we just love to publish accounts of your ticket-selling activities ... so, dust off that old writin' machine of yours and drop us a note ... huh? In the meantime, let's take a peek at what some of the lads have been doing this past while to keep the old fires goin! ... oXeX.X.X~-X.X~X, CAPITOL ST. THOMAS Zara Ellwood did a real selling job on CINDERELLA when it played her theatre, and didn't overlook a single angle. She promoted a life-like Cinderella doll from Hawke Hardware, and the merchant paid for a full inch right across the entire width of the page a few days before opening. Dodgers were handed out at the schools a week in advance, inviting the small fry to meet Mr, Peanut at the Saturday matinee ... which they did, and each youngster received a treat. Instead of her regular doorman, Zara engaged a winsome young lass in Cinderella costume, who greeted patrons during the engagement. A beautiful display of dolls was placed in the lobby a couple of weeks in advance, with suitable CINDERELLA copy. The winner of the special doll was presented with her prize on the stage, the lucky number being drawn by Mr. Peanut himself, Howse Electric came through with several radio programs, featuring the music from CINDERELLA. Good plugs accompanied each broadcast, In addition they devoted their entire window to a fine display of records and sheet music, with good theatre credits. The Labour Day parade is a big event in St. Thomas, and Zara took advantage of it by placing an attractive float in the parade, carrying out the TiN COMMANDMENTS theme. A figure of Moses holding the two tablets was mounted in front of two 3-sheets, with a bible on a stand alongside, Theatre sig and starting dates appeared on the Sides of the truck. A very effective display.