The Professionals (Columbia Pictures) (1968)

Go Mexico! Mexico, the locale for the action in "The Professionals,'' should be used for promoting the picture via contests, stunts and local exploitation. Here are some ideas which should prove interesting: e Have a deejay's representative walk through town, with his general whereabouts revealed each day by the radio personality, asking passersby if they can name those United States which border Mexico. People who correctly name California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas should be awarded guest tickets. e Go after local travel bureaus for window displays of picture stills and art urging vacations in Mexico. Borrow available Mexican posters for theatre display. e Any restaurant in town featuring Mexican dishes? Get their cooperation via window displays and the offer of a Mexican dinner to winners of a contest. Ask for a special recipe to be planted in your paper: "Tortilla por 'The Professionals.’ '' Perhaps a combination moviedinner deal can be arranged, and advertised? e Have a deejay feature Mexican music on a special program in honor of the picture's opening. He could work a contest in this respect, awarding guest tickets to the first listeners naming the different tunes. e You may be able to locate a number of Mexican jumping beans in local novelty stores. If available, have them in a lobby exhibit, with a credit card. e Have a local store provide a quantity of canned chile. Place it in an electric casserole in the theatre foyer and serve sample quantities on soda crackers. e Contact a local florist for samples of cacti for a special display, some of them to be awarded as prizes to lucky ticket holders, contest winners, etc. Have other cacti featured in florist windows, with a picture poster, plus theatre mention. For ‘Professionals’ The professional people in your city—doctors, dentists, etc.,—usually take a specific day off during the week. Arrange, via a mailing, a publicity notice or through their organizations, for them to see "The Professionals” on their day off, with attention called to a special service—seating arrangements will be such that they can be summoned in emergency. ‘PROFESSIONALS ACCESSORIES e 24 SHEET e SIX SHEET e THREE SHEET e ONE SHEET e INSERT CARD e 22 x 28 e SLIDE e EIGHT II x 14's e TRAILER e TEASER TRAILER « UTILITY MAT e 40 x 60, 24 x 60, 24x82, 30x40 e¢ TV TRAILERS e SPORTS TY TRAILERS « RADIO SPOTS e STILL SETS (Color and B/W—Color, for lobby and store displays; B/W stills for newspaper planting) Order All Accessories From National Screen USE THE BOOK TO SELL FILM! "The Professionals,’ based on Frank O'Rourke's best-selling novel, "A Mule For the Marquesa," has been published as a soft-cover edition by Avon and distributed nationally. As soon as playdate has been set, contact the Avon distributor in your area and plan a cooperative book-picture campaign. e Make up a quantity of book marks, using a one column ad, and distribute in libraries, inserts in the books, as package stuffers, in schools, etc. Place a merchant's ad on back to share printing costs. e Post pages from the book on a lobby 40 x 60 with ribbons leading to stills from the picture depicting the described action. e Award copies of the book as prizes in contests. e Rubber stamp picture credits on separated pages of the book and distribute around town. e Present copies of the book to news media personalities and VIP's. Bravery Theme Four men brave death in ''The Professionals," offering an opportunity for promoting your playdate and the picture via a "Bravery" theme. Here are some ideas to be used in your situation. e Have a deejay representative ask passersby: "What Was the Bravest Act You Ever Witnessed?" e Check newspapers for localites who have won medals for bravery and invite as guests of honor opening night. Arrange press coverage. e A good subject for a panel discussion on radio or TV could be: "What Is Bravery?" With credits, of course, for the picture and theatre. Word-Building Provide a quantity of guest tickets for a newspaper to award as prizes in a wordbuilding contest. Readers sending in postcards containing the greatest number of words — four or more letters — made from the word ''Professionals,'’ to be declared winners. Newspaper can plug the contest for a week in advance of opening, reporting the totals of the contest leaders and the eventual winners, with credits, of course, to the picture and your playdate. Follow Trail The men in "The Professionals" are expert trackers who follow almost invisible trails across the desert, a fact that can cue an town. Set up a Hare and Hounds race between two high school teams, with the starting point at the theatre and leading a course through town to a secret destination. The Hares are to leave chalk mark arrows on sidewalks indicating direction, false trails, etc. If Hounds catch Hares before they reach their goal, they win. with Burt Lancaster! Claudia Cardinale! Ralph Bellamy! Lee Marvin = Woody Strode (joint interview)! Available on a 12" LP disc. One side carries open-end interviews, with scripts for use by local commentator; flip side carries complete interviews, with commentator! These interviews are by Dick Strout, nationally famed for his lively radio program, and are being aired on almost 850 stations via Strout's "Hollywood Pro files’ program! Check with the radio stations in your territory. If the interviews have been broadcast, arrange for re-broadcasting, with your credits. If they have not been broadcast, and station wants to use an interview disc, order it FREE direct from: Dick Strout, Inc., P. O. Box 907 Beverly Hills, Calif.