Barabbas (Columbia Pictures) (1961)

POST REVIEWS: Make an attractive layout of national and local reviews of “Barabbas” on display boards as a lobby feature. Dress them with scene stills and color borders. Spotlight these display boards. HCI) —_ LIBRARY DISPLAY: Arrange with local library to display Swedish Nobel Prize winner Par Lagerkvist’s original story of “Barabbas,” along with the books of other Nobel Prize winners whose works have been made into films. SSS TV DISCUSSION: Arrange with your local TV station for students from high schools and universities to participate in a round table discussion of “Barabbas” and its meaning in today’s world, after they have seen a special showing of the film. Se —=n SCHOOL EDITORS: Invite high school and college newspaper editors to participate in a “review” contest in which the best (journalistic quality ) printed review is awarded a nominal prize. Arrange for local newspaper to print the review judged best by paper’s own critic and editor. ——EEE——————— sss STREET BALLYHEQ@O: Use your girl ushers, or volunteers from the Italian colony in your town, to wear attractive Roman costumes. Each girl carries a large cutout letter of the title “Barabbas,” group should parade during the lunch hour in the business section, be ranged in front of the theatre on opening day, sent about to make appearances at various functions before and during the engagement of “Barabbas,” etc. CHARION BALLYHO®O: [f a chariot doesn’t exist in your town, one can be dummied up, with horses rented locally. Put the driver in the costume of a Roman warrior, and theatre and playdate copy on sides of chariot. Send chariot through the business and shopping centers of your city—especially during lunch hour, and in the early evening when people are heading for home. ee CHARITY PREVIEW: Through the clergy, or any other charitable organization in your city, arrange for a charity benefit preview. Or, if your newspaper has a newsboy or Milk Fund Charity Drive, suggest that they take over such a benefit—this should be a clincher for newspaper space. a MARQUEE HANGERS; On cut-out Romantype shields, paste up assorted stills and star heads and & hang from marquee. Back of each shield carries the & “Barabbas” title treatment. WHEN YOU BOOK IT: Have photographs § taken of signing of contract with Columbia and plant with & “Lust for Life” and “Viva Zapata,” for both of which he won Academy Awards. Work with newspaper or other media in a write-in contest seeking a list of Quinn films based on fact. a local papers. Adds importance to opening and distin% guishes “Barabbas” from run-of-the-mill picture bookings. es 5 x FIRE CHEER INTERVIEW: Arrange with & local newspaper man to interview local Fire Chief on basis s of question: “Can our city burn the way Rome did?” Be Should make good copy if promoted as a “Fire Prevention e Day” in city or town. Still Nos. 556, 557 and 597 dra & matically depict the burning of Rome. x E TENNIS NET CONTEST; Still Nos.549 and & 648 depict gladiators using nets in which they trap their bs opponents for the kill in the Roman arena. Arrange with E) high school and college tennis teams to use their regulation Fy tennis nets in a contest to see if they can trap ach other a in the net while on the run. This should make a newsworthy a Saturday morning event. ba —————— ie) QUINN ROLES: As Barabbas, Anthony Quinn E portrays a man who lived during a particular period of : history; he has played similar roles in such pictures as & Us| eI 5 fe & Copies of ''Barabbas"' should be sent, well in advance of playdate, to a select list of local VIP's—amusement page editors and reviewers, editors of religious publications, leaders of all religious denominations, directors and secretaries of local councils of churches, opinion-makers, radio and TV personalities, educators. Accompanying letter might read: Dear Mr. Doe: In 1951, Sweden's Par Lagerkvist won the Novel Prize for Literature, shortly after the appearance of his novel, 'Barabbas." “Barabbas" was perhaps the most monumental undertaking of a distinguished literary career. In it Mr. Lagerkvist tells the story of the man who was acquitted, at the time Christ was condemned to crucifixion. How this unexpected gift of life affected Barabbas is explored by the author, and the years that followed . . . when Barabbas discovered that the man who died in his place was increasingly more than a man. Enclosed you will find a copy of the Par Lagerkvist novel. | am sure it will prove a memorable reading experience. Now, noted poet-dramatist Christopher Fry has adapted ‘Barabbas" to the screen. Anthony Quinn stars as Barabbas in the Dino De Laurentiis production, for Columbia Pictures’ release. The film, in all its savage spectacle and searching emotion, opens..... atethel sens) Theatre, in Technicolor and Technirama. | do not ask you to pre-judge the film now, although you surely have read the glowing tributes paid to ‘'Barabbas'’ in other cities. | would be most pleased, however, to hear from you should you wish to comment upon the use of the motion picture to tell this provocative story of “Barabbas" to hundreds of millions of people. Sincerely, John Roe, manager The people who receive copies of the book should, of course, be invited to an advance showing of the picture, if such a screening is part of your over-all campaign. ‘BARABBAS’ — THE BOOK Written by Nobel Prize winner Par Lagerkvist, ''Barabbas'’ has been published in paperback form by Bantam Books, with front and back cover credits for the picture. (The front cover, incidentally, reproduces the Siegfried Reinhardt painting one of six described in these pages under "'Barabbas Art Exhibit.'') The Curtis Circulation Company is distributing the Bantam paperback version of ''Barabbas,"' promoting it with a window streamer with imprint space. Limited quantities of the streamer are available by writing direct to Exploitation Dept., Columbia Pictures Corp., 711 Fifth Avenue, New York 22, New York. As part of the overall promotion, Columbia has worked out a deal with Bantam to have the 'Barabbas'' logo imprinted on the sides of all shipping cartons. Every carton will contain a coupon giving the shopkeeper or display person an opportunity to see the film, as Columbia's guest.This involves every Bantam outlet in the promotion of "'Barabbas." e Work closely with Curtis Circulation and Bantam representatives in your territory on mutually beneficial promotions. e Make up a book mark, using a one-column pressbook ad and "Read the Book, See the Movie" copy. On reverse side imprint theatre and playdate copy. e Provide stills and posters for window and in-store displays and use in conjunction with full credits. e Obtain local book reviews of ''Barabbas,"' current or from date of original publication, and blow them up for lobby display. e Give away copies of the paperback edition to first people on line opening day. e Obtain copies of paperback book for delivery to editors, disc jockeys and as prizes. e Street bally, with front and back covers of the book enlarged, carried through town. e Post pages from the book with ribbons leading to appropriate stills from the picture. e Provide the distributor with wraparounds plugging your engagement of the picture, to be attached to all copies in town. NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS Through local newspaper radio or TV ask audiences to list films based on books by Nobel Prize-winning authors. Key this contest, for guest tickets, to the fact that ''Barabbas'’ was based on the novel by Nobel Prize-winner Par Lagerkvist. Fe) hb 99d) 34 9) 9s 2a) 12e 5 3] ea LS IL, sins da 3 sede ae) dee] be) ANTHONY QUINN Anthony Quinn today probably is the hottest film personality in the industry. Current with release of "Barabbas,"’ in which he plays the title role, are ''Requiem for a Heavyweight'' and ''Lawrence of Arabia," in both of which he also stars. Two-time Academy Award winner — for his performances in "'Lust for Life" and "Viva Zapata'’ — Quinn should be played up BIG! e Plant his stills wherever possible. Useful, in merchandising promotions, are Still Nos. Anthony Quinn X-I, and NY614; and, from ‘The Guns of Navarone,’ Still Nos. RP77 and Spec. 20. e Using Quinn stills from newspaper and other files, set up an advance 40x60 display: "Identify These Other Great Performances by Anthony Quinn, Now Starring in ‘Barabbas!' Stunt might also be worked with a newspaper or TV program, with guest tickets offered as contest prizes. e Stage a look-alike contest. e Make use of the Academy Award Oscar — two of them! — in connection with Quinn's name, The October 13 issue of The Saturday Evening Post carried a two-page picture and story on Anthony Quinn, with a plug for "'Barabbas,"' Obtain a back copy of the magazine and display the article out front, with stills and credits to the picture. Beibrabrabsdbedbsd brdbsdibsaibcdcdbsd PARENTS’ MAGAZINE AWARD Parents’ Magazine, with its tremendous circulation and influence, has presented ''Barabbas'’ with its "Special Merit Award" in addition to devoting the entire front page of the Movie Guide Section in praise of the film. Parents’ Magazine called the Dino De Laurentiis production "'an engrossing film with fine acting and a literate script." This is an open invitation for you to contact the Parents'-Teachers' Association in your city for group ticket sales, as well as the VIP educators and administrators. Impressive Film... Profoundly Moving Experience PARENTS’ MAGAZINE SPECIAL A special Parents’ Magazine Award MERIT AWARD. poster—l-sheet size—is available in limited quantity from Exploitation Dept., Columbia Pictures Corp., 711 5th Avenue, New York 22, New York