Marooned (Columbia Pictures) (1969)

‘Marooned’ VIP Shows! Opening benefit performances of "Marooned," as well as the special showings of the Frankovich-Sturges production in advance of its first playdates, have won nationwide attention to the film. In Washington, "Marooned" was screened for audiences of political dignitaries — Congress, the Administration, the judiciary and Embassy representatives from other nations, as well as officials of the Armed Forces and of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Other special screenings were held for the space teams at Cape Kennedy and Houston, and there was a private Hollywood showing for two Russian cosmonauts visiting America. The World Premiere of ‘''Marooned" was held at the Egyptian Theatre, in Los Angeles, the night of Dec. 12th. The picture's stars and production staff, U. S. astronauts and local civic dignitaries attended the opening and later participated in "An Evening in Space" ball. ABC-TV's Joey Bishop Show covered the opening, on December | 8th. Santa Monica Hospital, in Los _ Angeles, hosted a special benefit premiere of ''Marooned," Dec. 13. The tickets, priced at $100, also entitled purchasers to attend a gala post-theatre party. The East Coast premiere of ''Marooned," at Walter Reade’s allnew Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City, was another $100-a-seat affair, sponsored by the Boy Scouts of America, and a "Space" party followed the opening. In Miami, the opening of "Marooned'' served as a benefit for the Miami Police Benevolent League and, in Houston, the charity opening benefitted the local Chamber of Commerce. A benefit performance of ''Marooned"' can cue your premiere of the picture and strengthen later group sales activity. Find the most worth-while organization in town to sponsor your opening of ''Marooned, and go after other groups for later sell-out showings. Cooperate with the sponsoring groups in promoting their own ticket sales by helping them to promote their benefit showing to their own membership, and friends, as extensively as possible. Industrial Support! The industrial corporations which participate in America's Manned Space Program are valuable areas for promotional activity. These would include not only the major corporations responsible for final construction of a spacecraft, but the hundreds of organizations around the country which contribute to its thousands of vital parts, to the equipment of the spacemen, to their diet and other space requirements and, of course, to the spectacular electronic equipment which is used in space guidance and communication. There probably is a corporation which can be fitted into the "Marooned" promotion campaign, in your own community! You can find out by checking local newspaper business editors, the Chamber of Commerce or some similar agency. Go after: e Theatre party arrangements for all employees and their families. e "Marooned" publicity in company publications and on bulletin boards. e ‘Tribute’ advertising—''The Blanktown Company is Proud to Be Associated With, etc.,"" — calling attention to the picture as well as the company product. e Arrange for company VIP's to join local civic and Armed Services dignitaries in radio and television discussion of "Marooned," and the role the local civilian plays in man's exploration of outer space. e Set a Chamber of Commerce or other business group lunch or dinner tribute to the local company, and to the picture. e Local "space" company may have promotional displays of its products or other activity for use in theatre lobby or, better, in the windows of a department store or shopping center. Armed Services Cooperation America's real-life astronauts come from every branch of the Armed Services, as well as from civilian life. Work with every local Armed Services installation in your area, on whatever it is they can help organize . . . parades, bands, flag displays, photos and perhaps models of American space activity, etc. In some areas, there may be an officer or other serviceman who served with one or another of America's astronauts, or with some aspect of the Space Program. The local publicity officer might arrange for such an individual to be interviewed by press, radio, television. Such an officer or serviceman might possibly be released from present duty so that he can speak to community groups on the twin topics of "Marooned" and the space activity of his branch of the Armed Services. Newspapers published by Armed Service installations and camps should be plentifully supplied with publicity material and art from the picture, as should the camp libraries. SCIENCE! The Manned Space Program that backgrounds the adventure of "Marooned" is vitally linked with numerous aspects of science —scientific research, science education, etc. Scientists and educators—and their organizations—should be brought into the "Marooned' promotion picture as rapidly and as often as possible. For example: e There are about 2500 science clubs in America; the local organizations can be found through the newspapers, science teachers, etc. Members can be helpful in spreading word on the picture and, as a group, can attend in a broadly-publicized body. e Under local newspaper or other sponsorship, science club members and science students can discuss "What 'Marooned' and the Manned Space Program Means to Me," on the air or in school publications and newspaper columns. e Annually, more than 200 regional Science Fairs are held, with teen-age projects exhibited and judged after earlier Science Fairs held by the local schools. The Science Department of the nearest high or junior high school probably can tell you whether such a project is planned in advance of, or during, your "Marooned" engagement, and who to get in touch with in order to arrange for the utmost co-operation. e Science editors of local newspapers, concerned as they are with Manned Space Flight, the biggest story of the day in their field, can be especially helpful in a variety of ways; in all probabiity, so can every college educator and administrator in a science discipline. SCHOOLS! Students attending high and_ parochial schools and colleges in your area are especially interested in the continuing experiments in manned space travel and student theatre parties can be one of the most important elements in your group sales campaign. Enlist the assistance and cooperation of community school authorities, pointing up the fact that the film has also won the Scholastic Magazines’ "'Bellringer Award." Set up a series of Special Student Shows, to be held at the theatre on specific dates at special student rates. Provide posters, price placards and scene stills for bulletin board posting and school library display, and publicity stories and mats for school editors. Suggested below is a ticket order form. Please send No.-.......... tickets cat:....cs. for SPECIAL STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE of Marooned” at the State Theatre on: birst Cheiceusa.civie Second. choice........... TEE -CROICE sorcirerentiens Payment of $.i....cc.c000 is enclosed. (Check made payable to the State Theatre . NG io accneivnn Name of school...siiicc IGAISNS Tees cnaccateec seats DL, INO waianss LEV: ote narsundverel seta evan eee nS Lt ee a As part of your promotion of group sales with community school authorities, get their approval for conducting an essay contest inspired by "Marooned" and the exploration of space. Promoted prizes or guest tickets might be awarded. Page 9