Topper Returns (United Artists) (1941)

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m prises for funniest “ghost stories ” Basing it on the gay angle of “The Little Girl Who Wasn’t There,” offer guest tickets or small cash prizes for the best ghost story submitted by readers to your newspaper in a daily contest extending over a period of time. This contest should be handled and publicized in the breezy manner with the emphasis on fun rather than on seriousness in ghost stories. You might run it under the general heading of “Topper Returns—to the little girl who wasn’t there.” Features of this kind, involving contributions from readers, are always popular and circulation building stunts for newspapers. Your local editor should go for it, and, of course, it carries plenty of show-selling for your picture. SELL LAUGH-THRILLS IN YOUR LOBBY There’s smart showmanship in a lobby promotion which ties together the “thrill” and comedy angles in “Topper Returns”—a combination theme that’s the basis for your campaign! Using stills Nos. P52, P42 and to get over the horror touch, add a catch-line (plus proper art work for the lettering) along these lines: “TOPPER’S BACK—IN A CHILLER DILLER! With his ectoplasmic playmate ... he makes a mirthquake out of a mystery . . . and a madhouse out of a murder . . . trying to find out who done it to who!” Set this promotion up as a smooth thrill-comedy stunt — and watch it register smartly in your lobby and for your audiences. FANS—WRITE A CAPTION FOR TOPPER Get the fans competing for the funniest caption to this ectoplasm cartoon by artist Rodney DeSarro. This is a familiar type of contest which is guaranteed to stir wide interest from the amateur humorists, and the amus¬ ing cartoon gets across neatly the laugh-generating power of this goofy and glamorous Hal Roach comedy. A few pairs of ducats to the winners will be sufficient to carry the stunt. Order the cartoon on Mat No. 43B, 30c; Cut—50c. SPOT ANNOUNCEMENT COPY Give your campaign on “Topper Returns” plenty of play through the extensive radio audience—with the series of catchy, smoothly-designed spot announcements below! Copy included herewith catches all top campaign angles—and your radio campaign on the show warrants immediate attention. Where possible, tie in with merchants in your situation who have sponsored shows of local origin. The spot announcements follow: PRIZE FOR THE BEST “HAUNT” (75-WORD ANNOUNCEMENT) - “Topper’s back, and he’s got a new glamour ghost! You’ll see him make a mirth- quake out of a mystery and a madhouse out of a murder, when you see Topper return to v find the little girl who wasn’t there! You won’t want to miss Joan Blondell, Roland Young, Billie Burke, Eddie ‘Rochester’ Anderson, Patsy Kelly and Carole Landis in ‘Topper Re¬ turns’ starting .... at the .... Theatre. It’s a chiller-diller with a million laughs!” (100-WORD ANNOUNCEMENT) “Movie Fans—here’s number one on the list of what you’ve been waiting for! It’s Topper—back again with a new glamour ghost, back again in a joyous mess of girl- trouble, back again—with a shapely, curvaceous ectoplastic playmate! And, to top it all, with a great fun-loving, fun-making cast, including Joan Blondell, Roland Young, Billie Burke, Eddie ‘Rochester’ Anderson, Patsy Kelly, Carole Landis and Dennis O’Keefe. You’re — going to have fun when you see ‘Topper Returns,’ produced by Hal Roach, directed by Roy * del Ruth, and based on the hilarious Thorne Smith characters! See it at the .... Theatre, beginning .... !” (50-WORD ANNOUNCEMENT) It’s movie entertainment with a capital ‘T’! It’s ‘Topper Returns’! It’s the little man you saw before back again in ectoplasmic ecstacy! See your local newspaper for details on the star-studded, fun-making cast, and don’t miss ‘TOPPER RETURNS,’ beginning .... at the .... Theatre!” (50-WORD ANNOUNCEMENT) “ ‘Who done it to who?’ That’s the question that’s got Topper in a stew. And all in all, z it’s ‘Topper Returns’—back again as a super-snooper with an ectoplasmic playmate! See Joan Blondell, Roland Young, Billie Burke and Eddie ‘Rochester’ Anderson, plus a great supporting cast, in Hal Roach’s ‘Topper Returns’—beginning .... at the .... Theatre! Don’t miss him!” try this nwnuteur night stunt for your theutre stuye If Amateur Night is a feature at your theatre, here’s a stunt that will provide lots of merriment and will get in a boost for “Topper Returns” that customers are bound to remember. Announce in advance to the amateur contestants that the week’s prize will be awarded to the amateur per¬ former who stages funniest ghostly haunt — that is, who with ghostly pantomime and sound puts on the most amusing imitation of a ghost working at his trade. You are sure to dig up enough talented youngsters who can really go to town and make this a uniquely funny event in your theatre. And, of course, you won’t neglect to tie it in with the fact that “Topper Returns” is to be shown at your theatre — the greatest of all the ‘‘Topper”' comedies. Page Five