Pepe (Columbia Pictures) (1960)

IT’S PRE-SOLD Your audiences have been made “Pepe’’-conscious through the mass of material carried by the nation’s press, magazines, TY and radio! Well before production began, Cantinflas and “Pepe” were attracting the attention of the audience-getters in the communications fields! Gossip columnists and syndicate writers flocked to the locations, to interview the stars and to broadcast their findings; magazine writers prepared special picture and text material for publication before and after the premiere openings. The guest stars, as they completed their “Pepe” chores and took off for appearances around the world, talked about Cantinflas and about “Pepe” on the air, and in interviews. The word got around! Following are just a few of the more recent pre-selling operations that created interest in the picture’s opening. NEW YORK PARADE “‘Pepe”’ was seen by millions of TV viewers of the 34th annual Macy Day Parade in New York City on Thanksgiving Day. The “Pepe” section of the parade included a re-creation of the title song sequence from the picture, involving Shirley Jones and some 100 Mexican singers and dancers. The sequence was broadcast by 167 NBC-TV stations to an audience numbering in the millions. THE DONNA REED TV SHOW The popular Donna Reed Show, telecast weekly on the ABC-TV network, devoted an entire half-hour program to “Pepe,” Jan. 26th. In the half-hour program, Donna and her TV family are invited by producer-director George Sidney to visit the “Pepe” set to watch the filming of a Cantinflas dance sequence with Debbie Reynolds. ART LINKLETTER TAPES Popular television personality Art Linkletter, who was the MC at the gala “‘Pepe” premiere at the Stanley Warner Beverly Hills theatre, taped the entire proceedings for showings as reruns on seven daily Linkletter shows on 276 television stations. PEPE’ PRESS COVERAGE As befitting one of the year’s most important motion picture productions, an extraordinary harvest of “breaks” in all media has been reaped for “Pepe.” The national magazine breaks, especially, have been truly impressive, ranging through “Life” and “Holiday” magazines, “Ebony,” “Saga,” “Dance Magazine,” “Town and Country,” ‘‘Seyenteen,” “Harper’s Bazaar,” “Dateline,” “Vogue,” “Women’s Day Magazine,” Diners Club Magazine cover, etc. Keep your eyes open for other breaks in magazines and newspapers. Obtain copies for posting in an out-front display. Shown below is an editorial printed by the New York Daily Mirror, the day after the opening in that city. Another glowing editorial, in the Los Angeles Herald Express, hailed “Pepe” as ‘“‘a cheerful picture.” Wonderful Evening We don’t know what all the erudite critics will say, but we'll take ‘‘Pepe,”’ the new motion picture at the Criterion, until another “Around the World in 80 Days” comes along. ‘‘Pepe,”’ of course, is the incomparable Cantinflas, everybody’s good neighbor. From tough Dan Dailey and hauntingly beautiful Shirley Jones—on down through more top stars than you can count on your fingers and toes, the performances are superb. Edward G. Robinson fans will get a particular kick out of the mellowing Old Master of menacing roles. We congratulate George Sidney, Jacques Gelman and Columbia Pictures for bringing us a clean, gay, colorful piece of sheer entertainment in time for this bright season. N. Y. DAILY MIRROR EL PRESIDENTE HOTEL VACATIONS AS PRIZES! Two expenses-paid 10-day vacation trips for two to Mexico are the national grand prizes in the Balsa Hotels-Pepe" essay-writing contest. One grand prize will be awarded the winning entrant from East of the Mississippi and the other grand prize will be awarded the winning entrant from West of the Mississippi. The expenses-paid vacations will include stays at the luxurious Presidente Hotels operated by the Balsa Hotel Corporation in Mexico City and the resort city of Acapulco. The vacations, complete Mexican hcliday packages, will include meals, sightseeing, special tours during the winners’ stay in Mexico, etc. Contestants are asked to complete the following sentence in 25 words or less: BE THe Guest OF PEPE AND Tw Bausa Hore ConporaTion Ay Th Beaurirul Et PREeseDEnTe “| would like to win a ten day ‘Pepe’ Fiesta Vacation in Mexico because oe The contest is designed to win attention to your Pepe" playdate via sponsoring newspaper, TV or radio station. A colorful one-sheet poster (see “rough"’) is available for display at your theatre. Local theatre contests must be staged before September |, 1961, and promoted prizes should be awarded local winner. Complete contest details, rules, publicity and poster materials can be found in the special contest kit from the Exploitation Department, Columbia Pictures, 71! 5th Avenue, New York 22, N. Y. UNITED AIR LINES “GUESTSTARS” d ns ANEW EXO‘TEMENT IN SCREEN ENTERTAINMENT! 7Y -CANTINELAS EASTERN FLIES TO MEXICO writing direct to: Exploitation Department Columbia Pictures 711 Fifth Avenue, New York 22, N. Y. EASTERN AIRLINES WINDOW TRAVEL AGENCIES The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) is cooperating in the "Pepe campaign by sending its 1,500 member agencies throughout the country a special "Pepe" travel poster. Additionally, at the local level, ASTA members will welcome other display material and can be expected to cooperate with local theatres exhibiting "Pepe." For all showmen desirous of setting additional travel agency tie-ins, a limited quantity of the travel poster is available and may be obtained by UNITED AIRLINES! An important scene with a United Airlines carrier in Pepe" cues a United Airlines poster containing picture credits which is perfect for display at airports, ticket offices and all area travel agencies. United Airlines offices throughout the country have been notified of the tie-in and urged to cooperate with local Pepe’ showmen. Make your contact early and set up cooperative displays in their windows and the theatre lobby. A limited supply of the poster (shown at left, in rough") is available upon request from: Exploitation Department Columbia Pictures 711 Fifth Avenue, New York 22, N. Y. OTHER AIRLINE TIE-INS There are a number of airlines operating scheduled flights to Mexico from various parts of the country. They include Aeronaves de Mexico, Air France, Western, CMA, American, Guest, KLM, Braniff, Pan American and Eastern. Play up your "Fly to Mexico" theme by tie-ing in with any of the listed airlines which have air service to Mexico from your city. Use enlarged cut-outs of Pepe’ from posters, picture stills and full credits in your displays. Work the tie-in on a cooperative basis; display the airline's posters in the theatre lobby.