Green for Danger (United Artists) (1946)

BIG BROADWAy 'GREEN' OFF TO Many Winter Garden Records Broken Despite Heat Wave, Rain, Strong Opposish; All Crix Raved N EW YORK'S Winter Garden, through whose portals passed some of the world's greatest pictures, saw several of its records go by the board when "Green for Danger" opened there for its American preem and stayed on for a long run. Despite terrific heat wave, rain and strong opposition in other first-run houses, the crowds began to come on opening day—and kept right on coming. Two big factors for the picture's outstanding success were the unanimous critic raves and the unusual advertising campaign, details of which are elucidated elsewhere on this spread. Big radio campaign and two fashion shows put on in conjunction with the opening also helped greatly. FEMMES WOOED VIA STYLE SHOWS T WO fashion shows held in conjunction with the Broadway opening of "Green for Danger” helped focus feminine attention upon the opus both visually and over the air, and can be repeated locally! The first was arranged in co-operation with the nationally advertised Peggy Martin blouse. This company made up a complete line in every shade of green and called the result the "Green for Dan¬ ger” Blouses. These were modeled at the famous Latin Quarter Restaurant by girls from popular Broadway shows. Maggi McNellis and Herb Shel¬ ton, noted radio figures, emceed the proceedings, which were also broadcast over WJZ. Hundreds of window cards in Peggy Martin out¬ lets in Manhattan, the Bronx and Brooklyn, in¬ vited the public to attend the fashion show and the turnout was a terrific success. The cards were so designed that the invitation could be clipped off and after the show was over they became out-and- out "Green for Danger” plugs. A little later a similar deal was arranged with Andreana Classics, wherein a fashion show was held at popular Iceland Restaurant, with the pro¬ ceedings broadcast by Ella Mason over WHN. Both these distributors are national distributors and the chances are that there are local outlets in your trading area! See women’s apparel buyers; tell them what was done in New York, and—repeat locally! It was discovered early that the picture began to build through word-of-mouth and that's an angle well worth remembering in planning your own campaign. What started the word-of-mouth going was the critic acclaim—and that's something else well worth remembering. It would probably do you a lot of good if you can get the critics to see the picture before opening night and then use an ad like the one on the opposite page. Spectacular Front Front and lobby were simple—but highly effec¬ tive. As shown below, marguee was covered with huge title in brilliant green. Lobby displays con¬ sisted mainly of the Alastair Sim figure used on the cover of this Press Book, which proved to have considerable tease value. The quotes from New York and national critics were also used in the lobby in blowup form. Window Displays Other items which helped get the word-of-mouth going early were the posting of some 400 special window cards which hooked in with the fashion shows explained on this page; 150 window tieups on Broadway, Fifth Avenue and crosstown streets in the midtown section, based mainly on green color promotions; the releasing of a balloon bar¬ rage; and a merchant co-operation based on the expression "Follow the green line," a play on the signs in New York's subway shuttle system. BIG RADIO SKED PLUGGED PREEM O NE of the biggest radio campaigns ever placed behind a Broadway premiere helped get wtfrd about the "Green for Danger” opening around early and often. Not only were local facilities used, but national hookups were also included—mean¬ ing that your potential customers heard about it! The campaign began two weeks before the open¬ ing with a dramatization of the story over the Mutual Broadcasting System on the "Let’s Go to the Movies” program. This was followed by a similar show on the Robert Q. Lewis spot on the Columbia Broadcasting System. A few days later Leo Genn was interviewed over WOR by Martha Deane. This was followed, just before the opening, by reviews—all favorable and several in the rave class—by Barbara Welles, WOR; Charlotte Adams, WQXR; Dolores Craeg, WINS; Adele Hunt, WPAT; Daily Dilemmas, WOR; Bill Leonard, WCBS; Robin Morgan, WOR; Margaret Arlen, WCBS; Mona Fisher, WWRL; Lu’s Tips to Teens, WWRL; Maggi McNellis, WJZ, and Jim Fleming, WNBC. The fashion show introducing the "Green for Danger” blouse described elsewhere on this page was held just before one of the Maggi McNellis broadcasts and was plugged hard at the broadcast. In another commercial tieup Dolores Craeg gave away pairs of Wysteria hosiery, promoted by E3^1e Lion home office exploitation men, to persons who correctly answered her questions and in return for the stockings she gave the picture liberal plugs all week long. On'a similar deal "The Ladies’ Man” gave away green Andreana Classics inspired by "Green for Danger” to winners of the week-long contest he conducts over WOR. The picture came in for heavy plugs again when Ella Mason conducted a fashion show of the classics in the popular Iceland Restau¬ rant and later broadcast the proceedings over WHN. At press time for this book it was indicated that several big tieups with national hookups are in the offing for "Green for Danger.” This campaign is designed to carry word of the great show into every home in the land with a radio! If you want to make lobby panels similar to the quote panels of Sim on these and the following pages, you can do so by blow¬ ing up stills, which are available from the Press Book Editor. They are numbered IPL-III-P6A, -P7A, -P9A, -PI2A, -PI3A and -PI5A. ^ New York’s famed Winter Garden, which saw a thing or two in its day, saw some of the biggest crowds in its history on opening day of “Green for Danger.” Shot above, taken in early morning hours, shows how the spectacular was stressed. Page Four