The Professionals (Columbia Pictures) (1968)

REACH YOUR TOWN’S PROFESSIONALS WITH A ‘PROFESSIONALS’ PROMOTION! The picture's title, ''The Professionals", offers a tremendous opportunity for community-wide promotion in as many fields as there are professionals" ... merchandising, beauty, music, jewelry, sports, etc. Use a phrase like "Take a Tip From ‘The Professionals''"’ or " 'The Professionals' are Here to Serve You!" In the film, ''The Professionals" are Burt Lancaster, as an expert in the handling of explosives; Lee Marvin, as a master machine gunner and firearms expert; Robert Ryan, as a man capable of handling horses in all situations; Woody Strode, as a deadly archer and roper able to follow a trail across a trackless desert. They are employed by Ralph Bellamy to rescue his wife, Claudia Cardinale, from Mexican bandit leader Jack Palance. This "Take a Tip from ‘The Professionals’ "' approach can lead to major tie-ups with local merchants and organization who offer the public the services of experts. The idea would prove very effective for de Sell The Stars! partment stores in publicizing the ''pros'' in charge of their various departments. In a similar manner, banks could suggest their professionals for financial advice, travel bureaus their professionals for information on trips or cruises, schools might have athletic coaches talk to youngsters, etc. The opportunities are almost limitless. Wherever possible, window displays should feature portraits of "The Professionals’ of the store, plus credits. Newspaper, radio and television advertising (and news coverage!) could include mentions of film, theatre and playdate as well. On opening day, via their own organizations, invite "The Professionals of Yourtown" to see ''The Professionals,"" and arrange for photo and news coverage at the theatre, tape recordings of their comments after seeing the picture, special bannered cars to transport them to and from the showing, and tape recordings of their comments for later radio/TV and advertising use. Claudia Cardinale The stars in ''The Professionals,"' rate individual and collective promotion in your campaign. Try for the following: e Have a disc jockey ask passersby to name the pictures in which Burt Lancaster and Lee Marvin won Academy Awards. Those correctly answering "Elmer Gantry" and "Cat Ballou," to win guest tickets. e A newspaper contest can ask readers to identify films in which Burt Lancaster appeared by the roles he portrayed. Among them might be: An Army sergeant, "From Here to Eternity;" A prison lifer, “Bird Man of Alcatraz": a revivalist, ''Elmer Gantry"; an aerialist, "Trapeze"; a French resistance fighter, "The Train." e Stage a local hunt for a Claudia Cardinale look-alike with photos of entrants posted in the lobby under a portrait of the star. Give promoted prizes and guest tickets to winner and runners-up. e Robert Ryan, Jack Palance and Ralph Bellamy may also be publicized via previous films contests. Search and Rescue In ''The Professionals" four soldiers of fortune are engaged in the search for, and rescue of, a captured woman. Work a contest through a newspaper, radio or TV station in which residents send in letters telling of important searches they have had to make, what was involved in each case, the difficulties they overcame and how successful they were. The best letters can be awarded ticket prizes, promoted merchandise, etc. Wanted Poster Feature one of the still portraits of Claudia Cardinale on a "Reward" poster, offering 150,000 pesos for her safe return. Copy under the poster can be along the following lines: "Wanted! Claudia Cardinale. For Additional Information, See, etc." Soundtrack Album Colgem Records has reproduced the music from "'The Professionals" on a sound track album to be distributed nationally by RCA. The music was composed and conducted by Academy Award-winner Maurice Jarre. sarees anata P ALND DEE ED RR EE DEERE Plans for a cooperative—and comprehensive —promotion should be made with the local RCA distributor as early as possible in your campaign. Go after deejay contacts, music store displays, lobby plays, presentation of album to local libraries, VIP's, media personalities, etc. SELLING AIDS RADIO INTERVIEWS: Described on next page! TV TRAILERS: TY spots in color that capture the excitement and adventure of "The Professionals"! Order direct from National Screen Service. plus TWO 20-SECOND TV SPOTS, in black-and-white for news and sportscasts, keyed to the idea "What's a Professional?"' Also from National Screen Service. RADIO SPOTS: Aimed to fit every broadcast need, these radio spots plug the stars and story of "The Professionals" in a way to make people remember, and want-to-see! All open-end for announcer to add theatre credits. Order them early, and use them often, from National Screen Service. TELOPS: Information about telops—style and price—may be obtained direct from: QQ Title Card Co., 247 West 46th Street, N. Y., N. Y. 10036. NATIONAL FLAG DISPLAY: 3 pr. Streamer, $21.50; De Luxe Sectional Valance, $2.15 per running foot —minimum length, 10 feet; Usher Badges, 50c; 9' x 12' Flags for wall banners, single-faced, $145. Order from National Screen Service. Page 8 Internationally-famed beauty Claudia Cardinale is almost completely ''unglamorized"' in ''The Professionals,’ a challenging characterization that will appeal to her millions of fans. Try the following: e Have a deejay sponsor a postcard write-in contest on glamorous vs. unglam orous roles for Miss Cardinale, with guest admissions for the best replies. e Find the town's look-alike for Miss Cardinale, with suitable promoted prizes. e Check your files for other photos of the star for a lobby board with stills as she appears in "The Professionals." ¢ Claudia Cardinale's initials, C. C., may become as famous as M. M., Marilyn Monroe, or B. B., Brigitte Bardot. Offer guest ticket prizes in a radio contest to listeners submitting names of other stars whose name initials are the same. Arms Angles Bandoleers, filled with rifle cartridges, are important equipment carried by ''The Professionals." Featured in the advertising for the picture, they can be the basis for an interesting contest. Get several such bandoleers and fill them with cartridges and display in a store window or as part of a foyer exhibit. Contestants are to guess the number of cartridges carried by ''The Professionals,"" with guest ticket prizes to those sending in closest estimates. Stunt may also be worked with bullets and a Stetson, of course, and an adaptation is a rope ("guess how long"). Another idea would be to borrow a hunting rifle, with telescopic sight, from a local store and fasten it to a stanchion in the lobby. Have it aimed so that patrons looking through the sight will see a poster for the film hanging in a distant window. Rifle must, of course, be unloaded and rendered inoperative before using. One of ''The Professionals" is an expert with bow and arrow. If there's local archery club in your town, have them stage demonstrations in the lobby or nearby park, with their target a poster for the picture. "The Professionals" is set in 1916, when the machine gun was still a new weapon. Lee Marvin uses it in the film, and other weapons of the period, and earlier, also are shown in action. Arrange for a display of old weapons —borrowed from a collector, a museum or a local gun shop—used by ''The Professionals."