The Brave Bulls (Columbia Pictures) (1951)

Exciting Showmanship Sells ‘The Brave Bulls’ “The Brave Bulls” is one of the greatest motion pictures you have ever played or ever will play in your theatre. In addition to an all-out advance-of-playdate campaign, give the film a gala opening night, in which society figures, civic and government dignitaries and other im portant localites attend. Borrow powerful searchlights from a nearby military post to light up the front of your theatre. Have the police de partment in attendance to handle crowds. Arrange for a radio or tele vision broadcast from your theatre. Make your opening night a night to remember! OPINION-MAKERS Invite newspaper editors and columnists, radio and television announcers and other opinion-makers of your town to special advance showings of “The Brave Bulls.” Use their quotes in your lobby, in newspaper advertisements and in printed material. TITLE DISPLAY Sell the magnificent scope of “The Brave Bulls” by spelling out the title with action stills. Use as many stills as are required to make the display as large as possible. Paint a border around each still mon tage to bring out each individual letter. Miroslava ® Let moviegoers "discover" an exciting new star in Miroslava, exciting blonde sensation of Mexican films who is introduced to American audiences in ''The Brave Bulls." @ The regular upright still set, available at National Screen Service, contains a number of photos of Miroslava which are "musts'' for movie pages, fashion windows, women's pages and for your lobby. illustrated below is an adaptation of Still No. 267. @ Ask movie editors and radio commen tators to call attention to Miroslava's debut in ''The Brave Bulls." PERSONAL MESSAGE Sell ““The Brave Bulls” as one of the most important motion pictures ever to play your theatre by mailing a special “letter from the manager” like the one below. The same message might be used in a lobby display and in heralds. Dear Patron: The long-awaited film, “The Brave Bulls,” will have its local premiere ........ arte: Ses ccers Theatre. Produced and directed by Robert Rossen, who made the 1949 best picture Academy Award winner, “The King’s Men,” the new Columbia picture is based upon Tom Lea’s memorable best-selling novel. It is a story of violent passion, of raw courage and of man’s need for a woman and woman’s need for a hero. “The Brave Bulls” is like nothing you’ve ever seen. No motion picture in my experience matches its splendor or surpasses its suspense. A tremendous cast was assembled for “The Brave Bulls.” Mel Ferrer plays the central role, that of Luis Bello, leading matador of Mexico, who forgets his harsh fears of death in the afternoon by having soft arms around him at night. “The Brave Bulls” introduces to American movie audiences that breath-taking blonde beauty of Mexican films, Miroslava. In addition to Anthony Quinn and the other featured players, “The Brave Bulls” is a drama involving thousands who thrill to courage on the white-hot earth of Mexico, as you will thrill to it on the screen. “The Brave Bulls” is a motion picture vast in scope, unmatched in its spectacle, spectacular in its daring. I know you will enjoy it. Sincerely, RAVE! Try to have the “RAVE” stand out in the title word “BRAVE” wherever it is used. On your marquee, overhead board or lobby electric displays, flicker the “RAVE” or arrange for the letters to flash on ten seconds before the rest of the title, and to remain lit ten seconds after the rest of the title has been darkened. On posters, underline the “RAVE” or paint it in a contrasting color. MATADOR Dress a man in full matador regalia and have him tour your town in advance of your engagement. A small sign on his back bears credits. Have the man stand out front on opening day. The ballyhoo will be considerably more attention-getting if the man can play Latin tunes on a guitar. Cut out the figures of Mel Ferrer and Miroslava from the six-sheet and mount it for an eftective and = inexpensive lobby standee. Add complete credits at the base. The cutout can also be used to great advantage atop your marquee. The same pose is available as Still No. Art 5, shown here in reverse. BULL'S HEAD See if you can locate a mounted bull’s head or simulation of one, suitable to be carried over a man’s head. Send him around town on opening day, with a credit sign on his back. Plant a gag photo of a pretty girl “killing” the bull—with credits. COMPARISON CONTEST Link “The Brave Bulls” with Robert Rossen’s 1949 best picture Academy Award-winning film, “All The King’s Men,” by conducting a newspaper or radio contest in which entrants write essays, in LOO words or less, comparing both pictures. Offer prizes for the best entries submitted. HERALD, TRAILER, STILLS The following showmanship “musts” are available for your campaign from National Screen Service: HERALD: A large-scale herald for a large scale production! See the special 11%” x 17”, four-page herald illustration on the back cover of this pressbook. TRAUULER: The matchless splendor, sus pense and romance of “The Brave Bulls” are. pre-sold to your patrons in this sensational trailer. Show it as early and as often as possible. STELELS: = |) set of 25 flat stills; 2) set of 25 uprights; 3) 11” x 14’* set of 15; 4) art set (photo reproductions of key art from the ads and posters); 5) publicity-exploitation set (stills used in publicity and exploitation campaigns). Page 5