The Young Doctors (United Artists) (1961)

AMA Endorsement Provides Great Promotion Peg In an unprecedented action, The American Medical Association has officially endorsed a feature motion picture, “The Young Doctors.” Not only this, but the AMA was of continual assistance and support during the production. Technical authenticity during the filming, in three different hospitals, was insured by the official presence of the chief pathologist of St. Luke’s Hospital, in New York (see publicity story on page 8). Below is a reproduction of the letter, on AMA letterhead, commending and endorsing the picture. It should be enlarged for display in your lobby, out front and with all tie-ins, especially those suggested directly underneath. You should also mount these letters as you would proclamations, in cardboard frames (you can get them in quantity from any photography store) and present them to hospital officials, prominent doctors, newspaper editors, radio and television program directors and others who can give you either exposure or word-of-mouth. -—— ek oSeee ee American Medical Association 535 NORTH DEARBORN STREET + CHICAGO 10, ILLINOIS WHITEHALL 4-1800 June 13, 1961 | | Mr. Stuart Millar | Mr. Lawrence Turman | Millar-Turman Productions, Inc. | 1041 North Formosa Avenue | Hollywood 46, California | | Dear Messrs. Millar and Turman: In the opinion of the American Medical Association Physicians Advisory Committee on Television, Radio and Motion Pictures, THE YOUNG DOCTORS is an excellent portrayal of American medicine, almost unmatched in authenticity. Your cooperation with the medical profession in striving for the most accurate, and genuine presentation possible is to be highly commended. The Committee is pleased to give its approval to this motion picture. Sincerely, ~ nef Eygene F. HOffm -D. airman, Ameriéahi Medical Association Physicians Advisory | Committee on Television, Radio and Motion Pictures YD-EX-5 Available as 8 x 10 still from National Screen Magazine Layo ut: “The Young Doctors” received the rare tribute of a full page photo-and-text essay in the May 1961 issue of “MD,” which is a widely circulated medical newsmagazine. Stills and copy on the top medical personnel employed as technical advisors were used, in addition to notes on the production. Include blowups of this page with your displays, and use for mailers; use it, with the letter or endorsement, as a selling point when you go after merchant and community cooperation. Salute To The Doctor: Every community has a dedicated and respected medic. With the backing of a newspaper, radio or T'V station, sponsor a salute to your “most dedicated doctor.” Invite all local residents to submit choices for their Doctor-Of-The-Year and top the search off with either a feature story in the paper or appearances on radio and/or TV. Involve the Mayor and as many prominent officials as you can, a la “This Is Your Life,” and have a testimonial luncheon, dinner or party afterwards. Cooperating merchants should contribute the gifts and you can invite the doctor, his family and the group helping with this promo to be guests of honor opening night. Another angle is to have a group of bright, young doctors pay tribute to an older doctor’s experience. Pharmaceutical Houses: UA feldmen have already found pharmaceutical firms receptive to the idea of tieups with “Young Doctor” campaigns involving both the AMA endorsement and Salute-To-The-Doctor promos described directly above. Contact your local outlets for co-op ads in the dailies and also the medical trade papers (see extra mileage note at foot of this column) and for co-op mailers, broadsides and displays in windows and point-of-sale in drug-stores. Red Cross: Offer to cooperate with your Red Cross program, especially the blood bank drive. The sub-theme of the movie, an important one, concerns a blood transfusion and there are many stills in the exchange set depicting this dramatic scene in which Eddie Albert performs an “exchange transfusion” on a newborn infant. Note: This AMA endorsement is important and should he used as often as possible (but not to the exclusion of the other elements in your campaign). Be sure to contact the head of your city’s AMA, usually the Executive Secretary, and enlist his support and assistance. He should be aware of the endorsement and the “MD” spread, but show them to him to be certain and also invite him and members of his staff to a screening. He can help you get the cooperation and word-of-mouth of doctors, nurses and hospital staffs and he will have good contacts with the seience-and-health editors on the papers and at the stations. Film's Skating Sequence A Natural For Merchant Tie-Ups And Sport Fans The romance between Ben Gazzara and Ina Balin blossoms at a skating rink, and provides an excellent peg for your leading merchant tieup. Use the stills illustrated at the right to make blowups for ice-skating rink displays (to sell your dating crowd) and use them also for window and point-of-sale displays in all stores selling sports equipment (skates, ski-pants, bulky knit sweaters, ear muffs, scarves, mittens and other accessories) . Champion Button: Still YD-EX-2 shows Olympic Figure Skating Champ Dick Button coaching Miss Balin. Mr. Button, who appears briefly in the film, as an intern, was technical advisor for this skating sequence which plays an important part ia the story. His stature in the sports world will swing extra weight for you with both the merchants and the sports editors, and should get you extra exposure. Photo Layout: Try to use these stills as a set in all displays and especially when you service the newspapers. They can be dropped in front of the camera, like telops—if used on TV—to tell the story. The script calls for Miss Balin, playing a nurse, to have an ice-skating date with Ben Gazzara, an otherwise solemn young doctor, who frequently falls on his dignity, and she skates rings around him. Stunts Around Town! Set a promo with one of your newspapers ts find the youngest doctor in town, then give him the VIP treatment. He will probably be an intern at one of the hospitals, so you can tie this in with Dick Clark’s role. Also get cooperation of the hospital’s officials and AMA executives. Print a series of cards with red circular spot in the middle and copy reading: If this spot appears blue, see your doctor; if it looks red, go to The Bijou Theatre to see "The Young Doctors." Dress a pretty girl as a nurse and have her distribute the cards at intersections and other busy places around town as well as in your lobby the week before your engagement. You can make the above bally a lucky-number stunt by printing numbers on the cards and making them available only at stores in one food chain, drug store chain (doctor angle) or at a shopping center or department store. Post a board in your lobby with the winning numbers and admit the winners as guests of “The Young Doctors.” The same pretty “nurse” can personally deliver screening invitations to newspaper, radio and television personnel, bringing with her the AMA endorsement (far left). Dress a young man as a doctor, with gown, stethoscope and mask and place him on various corners. A sign held by the pretty “nurse” reads: Would You Dare Trust Your Life To Him? See "The Young Doctors" Now. Bijou. SRS Deere YD-ART-5 YD-ART-4 YD-ART-2 YD-EX-| Order by number from National Screen Exchange YD-EX-2 YD-EX-3 YD-EX-4 Doctor’ Up Your Lobby Set up displays and exhibits in your lobby, or at your food and playgrounc areas if you operate a drive-in, which give your patrons and passers-by something to do as well as to see. Here are some suggestions: Telephones: Place a sign prominently with copy: Is There A Doctor In The House? Please Pick Up This Phone. On a table beneath ii place one or more house-phones (which will tempt non-doctors) connectec to a recording which says: There was a call for you, doctor. "The Young Doctors'' are coming to this theatre next week and it's important thai you see them. Record should conclude with credits and playdate. A woman’: voice is best. Peep Box: Set up a “microscope” through which people wil see still YD-ART-2 and copy reading "The Young Doctors" Will Be Here (playdate). Nu rS@: Station a nurse, real if possible, to explain the function o: medical apparatus you can borrow from a hospital A M A: Include the AMA endorsement (left) and any local quotes anc honors you can garner. Magazine Layouts: Newsweek had already printed a fea: ture on “The Young Doctors” (issue of September 4.) when we went to press and there is also the “MD” layout described at left. By the time you receive this pressbook there will have been other national magazine breaks as well as Sunday supplements. Use them to make a display for your theatrefront. Door Pa nels: Use either ad mat 301, 402 or still YD-ART-6 to make your own dramatic door panels. They will sell the excitement and romance angles to passers-by and can be best set off with an overhead banner reading "The Young Doctors" Are Coming! With No Masks To Hide Behind. Sound: Send for the FREE lobby spot and use it with all displays and in your auditorium during food and picture breaks. ART STILLS Use for special ads, lobby displays and all tie ins. Order by number from National Screen Exchange YD-ART-7 YD-ART-6 PAGE 1 1