Boy Meets Girl (Warner Bros.) (1938)

GENERAL EXPLOITATION SOMETHING TO LAUGH ABOUT: “Boy Meets Girl” has been acclaimed by critics as one of the outstanding laugh hits of the year. The following stunts are ‘oldies’ which you've used before, but which are always reliable for getting across the comedy angle. Think you can use some of these? LAUGH METER on top of boxoffice indicates various degrees of laughter. “Boy Meets Girl” appears at top of meter. Laugh record adds sound effect. FUNNIEST LAUGHER is awarded prize in your lobby. Announce through ads in local papers, heralds, and lobby bulletins. LAUGHING GAS DISPLAY in lobby with sign on tank reading: “If you want to laugh the blues away, take this laughing gas — or see ‘Boy Meets Girl’ — at this theatre beginning Friday.” “I LAUGHED MY HEAD OFF” at “Boy Meets Girl” reads sign on back of “headless” man who tours busy sectors of town. LAUGHING FOTOS of audience taken by candid camera fiends at performance of “Boy Meets Girl” are displayed in lobby and best shots awarded prizes. ADS IN 15 FAN MAGAZINES: Full page ads on “Boy Meets Girl” will appear in 15 big circulation fan magazines. Arrange to have local magazine dealers distribute them to customers with inserts announcing your playdates. Magazines carrying ads are: August and September issues of Modern Screen, Modern Movies, Movie Life, Movie Mirror, Motion Picture, Screen Book, Hollywood, Movie Story, Photoplay, Picture Play, Screenland, Silver Screen, Screen Guide, Screen Romances, Good Housekeeping (August only). HOW KIDS CAN BE “HAPPY”: Marie Wilson's baby in the picture —“Happy’’— is the cause of much of the hilarious activity in “Boy Meets Girl.” This calls for a “Most Beautiful Baby Contest” worked in cooperation with local paper. Parents submit photos to contest editor of paper. Readers are invited to vote for winning babies. Picture of local “Happy” is printed in paper and displayed in lobby with copy to tie in your show. TOWN’S MEETING PLACE: Every town has a prominent spot where young couples meet. New York has its Hotel Astor lobby, Philadelphia has its Wannamaker Eagle, Hollywood has its Brown Derby. Set up a large sign at your town’s meeting place with this copy: “This is where ‘Boy Meets Girl’.” [15] DATE BUREAU IN LOBBY: “Date Bureaus” are popular with youngsters throughout the country and provide good copy for newspaper publicity. Set up a “Boy Meets Girl Date Bureau” in your lobby week before picture opens. Boys and girls fill out cards giving their address, age, characteristics, hobbies, height, etc. Cards in girls’ box are mailed to addresses given on boys’ cards, and appointments are arranged so that a number of couples meet in your lobby at the same time. If properly handled, the ensuing ‘meetings’ should result in plenty of mirth and merriment for kids and spectators. THEY'RE TOGETHER AGAIN: Take every available means to exploit the return of Hollywood's most popular comedy team to the screen — Cagney and O’Brien. Use this copy on tackcards, poles, fences, and parking lots —“They’re Back In Action Again” — Also stencil sidewalks and whitewash empty store windows with this copy. Use on heralds and package inserts for stores and laundries; on banners, tire covers, trucks, etc., and along with lobby displays featuring large cutout heads of the two stars. CONTEST FOR ‘FAST TALKERS’: Contest was recently conducted over a national radio hook-up to find fastest-talking announcer. Both Cagney and O’Brien have reputations for being the screen's fastest talkers, making this contest angle a perfect tie-in. Contestants read from a prepared manuscript for a specified period of time — they are started and stopped by a timekeeper. Winners are judged for rapidity, diction, and clarity. TOWN’S PRETTIEST WAITRESS: Contest is run in cooperation with local newspaper. Contestants enter by clipping entry blank from cooperating paper. Paper also prints daily voting coupons which readers clip and deposit in lobby box. Line up restaurants to boost their waitresses with photos on menus and copy plugging contest and your show. FILM WAS SMASH STAGE HIT: On the stage, “Boy Meets Girl” played in 235 cities during its two year run. If your city was included in the tour, be sure to take advantage of this advance build-up by sending letters to patrons of the drama, dramatic club members, and groups sponsoring stage shows. Blow up quotes from the reviews local critics gave the stage play. Use this line: “Now 100 times funnier on the screen.” COLUMNISTS PLUG TITLE: Local columnists can cooperate by listing “people seen together” copy under heading “Boy Meets Girl.” Couple of free tickets will do trick.