It's in the Bag! (United Artists) (1945)

WITH LAUGHS! You can arrange an unusual stunt with a local bookshop, to mutual advantage. A week or ten days before your playdate, help the shop arrange a complete window display of murder mysteries, preferably the ones with a comedy angle. Make up a window card, using a blow-up of the Fred Allen still shown here (Still No. 90) and complete billing. As a caption tor this window card, use the one above — "IT'S MURDER — WITH LAUGHS!" In connection with this display announce a con¬ test along the following lines: Old Yon Ever Have A Hair - Raising Experience That Was Good For a Langh? Write and tell us about it, limiting your answer to 150 words. It must he an experience that petri¬ fied you at the time, but which sounded hilarious when you told about it afterward. The writers of the six most amusing answers will each receive — free—a copy of one of the latest popular mystery books (courtesy . Book Shop) and a pair of tickets to see ‘^It’s In The Bag” at the . Theatre. Answers must be in by . Bring your answers to this shop or mail them to . Judges’ decisions will be final! ou could, no doubt, arrange to have the bookshop handle the replies and do the judging. It would give them plenty of publicity, tool b 6 Here's an extra-special gag tor a window in the busiest shop¬ ping section in town. Have a large head of Allen made of papier-mache and rig it up in such a manner that it pops out of a bag, somewhat like a jack-in-the-box. See that complete billing and playdates are lettered right on the bag or on a placard right beneath it. This is bound to stop every passerby. Or, cardboard cutouts of the star and all the leading players in the picture (Allen, Benny, Vallee, Ameche, Moore, Colonna, Benchley, Bendix and Binnie Barnes) can be made and placed in suitcases, traveling bags, hand bags, etc., in the window of a shop featuring such articles. They can all be arranged so that it will appear as though they are popping from the bags. Be sure the title, billing and your playdates are distinctly readable below the cutouts. ----—☆ V % IMPRllVT Paper Bags The most obvious and one of the best gags for "It's In The Bag" is the imprinting of paper bags with your )icture message. You'll get wide, guaranteed circu- ition by lining up grocery stores, department stores, ime stores, etc., and arranging with them to print the tie, cast and playdate of "It's In The Bag" on a supply • merchandise bags sufficient for the week or ten days efore the opening of the picture. it is not convenient tor you to work this gag in the anner suggested above, you could have stickers printed advertising the picture and make ar¬ rangements with any of the shops mentioned above to paste them on all bags or packages leaving their establish¬ ments. -☆ PAPER BAG Salvage Drive To get all the kids in your neighborhood to help in the present paper shortage crisis and at the same time spread the word of the engagement of "It's In The Bag" at your theatre, send the boys and girls into action collecting used paper bags. Instruct them to carefully remove food or merchandise con¬ tained in all bags brought into their homes, smooth them out and fold them neatly, and keep them all together. At a matinee which is usually the one chiefly for kids (Saturday afternoon, most likely) place a large container in your lobby (In view of the street) with copy along these lines printed on the front of it: COME ON, KIDS! THERE’S A PAPER SHORTAGE BUT “IT’S IN THE BAG” IF YOU DO YOUR BIT! SAVE ALL PAPER BAGS! To all the youngsters bringing a certain number of bags, say ten or more, give half-price admission to see "It's In The Bag." A considerable collection would be worth a pair of free tickets. Plug this stunt through newspaper advertising, announcements on your screen, or throwaways. No doubt your local paper would take pictures of the kids piling up their collections. Mtere*s A Cranud Gatherer! Department stores or specialty shops usually welcome ideas that will draw attention to their windows. Arrange with one of them to put in his window a large, transparent bag filled with peanuts. Tie the bag securely at the top and attach a large placard^ in the form of a tag, on which is printed the complete billing, etc., of "It's In The Bag." Alongside the bag place a large window card on which are scene stills from the picture, or photographs of the stars and featured players, also the announcement that each one of the ten people who guess closest to the number of peanuts in the bag will receive a pair of guest tickets to the show. This is an obvious stunt, but still one that will attract plenty of attention! Page Thirteen