Kings Go Forth (United Artists) (1958)

EXPLOITATION Hit the high-spots with this "KINGS FOR A DAY” Contest! Frank Sinatra and Tony Curtis are the KINGS of the title who go forth to do battle in war—and for the love of Monique! The idea of this local contest is to find two ex-Gls who have gone forth to serve their families, their communities or their country AFTER the war. When these local KINGS are selected — give them the Kings For a Day treatment as spelled out in the stp-by-step plan at right. This can be made into a community-wide salute to two outstanding ex-Gls who have selflessly served the community. The manner of selection can be done in either of these ways: Newspaper or TV commentator sponsors search by inviting eligible participants to write in telling why they should be selected. Alternate procedure is to have prospective “kings” nominated by a friend or relative in the manner of a talent scout. Ten finalists can be selected for appearance on stage for selection of final two winners—or finalists appear on TV show for selection by studio audience or telephone vote. All references to the contest should note that the contest is inspired by Frank Sinatra and Tony Curtis in “Kings Go Forth.” 1. Set up a Contest Committee which should include: a Theatre representative; a TV and Radio station; a Newspaper editor or columnist; a Chamber of Commerce representative or other representative of local business groups; a major city government representative. 2. Distribute entry blanks thru local merchants, in your lobby and by publication in cooperating newspaper. Also have Contest “Queens” (pretty girls) distribute blanks. 3. Try to promote prizes from cooperating local merchants ... prizes should include (if possible) a name-brand suit, name-brand shoes, name-brand shirt, tie and hat. Also dinner at a fine restaurant, an overnight stay at a fine hotel with his room dedicated as ‘The Kings Suite,” photographs for publication, an entourage of “followers” to accompany him to the theatre on opening night when he is to be crowned, ete. 4. TV or radio station should present him immediately after his selection as KING .. . tie in with any paid spots you use... play music from the picture during the presentation . . . theatre should be in close contact with station cooperating with cross plugs on screen and in advertising. 5. The contest should be open to ex-GI’s only. A Hatful of Angles Using Title Word ‘King’ Capitalize on the current tendency to name “kings” in all activities of American life. For instance: 1. Work with local merchants, one in each line of goods, to join in a cooperative ad in which each takes space to advertise his wares under a main head which includes the whole title of the picture. Each merchant advertises himself as THE KING OF oy eater, (name of his general wares) Example: Stacy & Company . . . King of Hardware offers these specials today. Example of main head: KINGS GO FORTH to give you these special values: Build the entire co-op ad around your own theatre ad which takes the central place of the entire page. 2. Make a tieup with sports department of local newspaper to put on a contest in which they ask sports fans to name the local king in each branch of sports such as: a. batting, fielding, pitching baseball; b. scoring in basketball; c. kicking in football or touchdowns. 3. Tie in with local disk jockey to name the king of jazz (local). 4. Work with local industries to name their own particular kings such as: a. King of production; b. King of the shipping department; c. King of salesmen; d. Select king of retail salesmen amongst retail shops; e. King amongst gas station attendants, etc. 5. Work with high schools and colleges to put on a competition among various students to elect the specific kings of math, science, literature and languages. 6. Suggest to any of the local business clubs such as Lions, Kiwanis, Rotary, Optimists that they name the king of local citizens for deeds in forwarding the good name of the city. SAFETY POSTER CAMPAIGN Work with local Safety Council, Police Traffic Control Depts. and others interested in safety on the roads to utilize safety posters at strategic intersections carrying the message below: Kings Go Forth in safety . . . when they obey the lights; cross on green; save lives! Play it safe for entertainment! See KINGS GO FORTH at the Bijou Now! TRAVEL AGENCY TIEUP Since this picture has for its setting one of the most popular of all vacation spots, Monaco and the French Mediterranean, work with local Travel Agencies suggesting they use scene stills in their windows together with your playdate theatre credits and their own selling copy. PAGE 6 LOVE STORY LOCALE CONTEST Here is an intriguing contest that will find popularity among movie fans and help sell the great love story and romantic setting of the picture. Contest can be run either with newspaper cooperation or through lobby distributed blanks. Idea is to match these great love story films with their locales. Winners to be awarded locally promoted merchandise. Title Locale (a) Summertime (1) Rome (b) Three Coins in the (2) Venice Fountain (c) The Moon Is Blue (d) Gone With The Wind ‘4 (e) Pete Kelly’s Blues (5) Havana (f) The Big Boodle (6) New York City Answers: (a)—-2; (b)—1; (¢)—6; (d)—3; (e)—4; (f)—5 ) ) (3) Atlanta ) New Orleans ) | Select Two Ex-Gls Who Have Done Most For Your Town! Give Them the VIP Treatment! FOLLOW THIS STEP-BY-STEP. PLAN: 6. Newspaper publicizes the contest thru its columns, using scene cuts to supplement its own copy and entryblank publication. They might also put on a campaign in which they solicit advertising for a special “KINGS GO FORTH” section of the paper involving the cooperating merchants. Daily running stories with prominent candidates’ photos should be part of the promotion. 7. Merchants tie in with window displays, cooperative and tie-in advertising in addition to having a representative on the Contest Committee. 8. Chamber of Commerce provides active Chairman of the Contest Committee and aids in promoting the prizes, the hotel suite, the dinner, the crown, ete. 9. The Mayor or his representative lends the prestige of his office to provide city-wide cooperation and also crown the KINGS on opening day. 10. The Theatre provides active leadership in bringing all concerned together. Keeps the contest alive by displaying selected entrants photos in lobby. Display prizes in lobby with credit to donors. Distribute entry blanks. Carry announcement in ads. Emcee finals from theatre stage or in lobby. 11. Set up advance lobby display with 40 x 60 of picture as central art. WAR BRIDES PHONE HOME During the war many American Gls and Marines married French and Italian girls and brought them home to live here. In KINGS GO FORTH both Frank Sinatra and Tony Curtis become very much invoived with a French girl giving you a chance at extra publicity through the following stunt: Invite all French and Italian brides of American service men — Army, Navy, Marines — to be guests at a performance of KINGS GO FORTH. Select one in advance, either by lot or by choice, and have her telephone her folks or other relatives in Europe from your theatre. The basis of her conversation, after she gets through greeting them, should be to tell them that she is seeing the picture and telephoning her reactions from the theatre as a guest of the management. It is important that you alert the telephone company to the stunt so that they can cooperate with you for quick connection overseas. The actual telephone action from your theatre and the preliminary drawing should be good for a feature story and picture for local newspaper or tiein with a TV program. STARS FAN CLUB TIE-INS The three stars, Frank Sinatra, Tony Curtis and Natalie Wood, all have fan clubs throughout the country. By getting the cooperation of all three clubs you should be able to whoop up a great deal of attention for your show. Members could be asked to attend special showings, give awards or citations to their respective stars, be interviewed for newspapers and on radio, stage parades, and in general get three times as much publicity as one fan club working alone. SERVICE MEN'S WIVES Invite service men who met their wives overseas while they were in service. After they’ve seen the picture, have the wives interviewed either for newspaper or on radio keyed to the following two questions: “What did you think of Monique’s situation in the film?” and “What do you think of American men?” Pictures and background of the interviews should be printed or broadcast if possible.