Waterfront (Warner Bros.) (1939)

EASY EXPLOITATION TO PUT IN ACTION Search for local gal who looks, talks, and acts like zany Marie Wilson. Papers publish photographs and publicity on Marie, who is five feet 5 inches tall, has brown eyes and blonde hair. Winner makes stage and radio appearances, reeling off gag sentences for laughs. Is to be known as name (Marie Wilson) name. Receives ‘congratulatory telegram’ from Marie Wilson, Dennis Morgan, and Gloria Dickson, as well as other stars. Order your telegrams from Campaign Editor, 321 West 44th St., N. Y. C. CONTEST TO FIND LOCAL MARIE WILSON SHIP MODEL CONTEST A model ship building contest for boys between 10 and 18. Get co-operation of local merchants in awarding prizes. Arrange for display of best models in sporting goods houses but prize winner on display in theatre lobby. If possible, carry the contest through to an actual sailing regatta, in which the model ships are raced against each other, points given for beauty and grace. ESSAY WRITING FOR PRIZES Schools hold a prize essay contest for students who best answer such questions as; 'Where did word longshoreman come from, and what does it mean?’, ‘Why can a little tug pull a big ship?’, ‘What is a plimsole mark?’, 'How many miles in a knot?', 'What are pilot fees?', 'How many tides a day are there?’. Winners read essays on stage of theatre. Arrange tie-up prizes. ATMOSPHERIC FRONT Drape fish nets, ropes, block and tackle, and a few ‘bales’ of cargoes around your lobby to give it the proper 'WATERFRONT' appearance. And get a ships bell to toll atop the marquee with running lights on each side. MAN ON STREET Have roving reporter or radio commentator interview people on this query: ‘Is a man ever justified in taking the law into his own hands.’ Reporter explains that this situation arises in ‘Waterfront,’ playing at your theatre. He refers to the picture as an ‘eight-bell’ show, alluding to seagoing way of keeping time, but at the same ‘time, making a play of words on the rating ‘a four-bell’ show. TIP-OFF BOX Set up large box in lobby about a week in advance of opening with following copy: City officials want evidence to clean up WATERFRONT conditions. Will patrons of this theatre co-operate by depositing any information they have about unlawful conditions existing on our WATERFRONT. Thank you. LOADING CONTEST Stage a truck loading and unloading contest between local truckers, to tie-in with film's longshoreman angle, in front of theatre. Inform papers, and award tickets to winning teams. Get one of the winning truckers to relate some of his exciting experiences encountered while on the waterfront. Try to work in radio broadcast of prize presentations. HOUDEE RACE Houdees are the machines used to transport freight in and around waterfront yards. Arrange tie-up with local express companies for the houdees. Pretty gals pilot houdees in race staged near your theatre during showing of film. News coverage should land stories and photos in local papers. Houdees are driven up to theatre entrance. is unloaded in greatest quantities from incoming ships at U. S. ports? Other questions can be obtained in World QUIZ CONTEST Inquiring reporter covers town, awarding $1 prizes to those who can answer three questions about waterfront life. He presents them with card which must be delivered to your theatre for the cash. Free tickets offer can substitute for cash awards if desired by winners. Almanac or any other ready reference work. SCRIBES COVER WATERFRONT Student scribes visit local waterfront. Following the tour they write feature stories on what they saw and what their reactions were. The best stories are published in co-operating newspapers. Winning students receive passes to see your showing of Waterfront. -§6 CONTEST TO POPULARIZE NEW STAR Hold newcomer contest, in cooperation with newspapers, to build up Dennis Morgan, new screen discovery starred in 'Waterfront’. Contestants answer questions including: Star's name, first film appearance, latest role, where born, etc. Lead off first day with John Garfield, second day use Geraldine Fitzgerald. Third day for Jeffrey Lynn, and fourth, wind up with Dennis Morgan. Prizes awarded to persons getting highest correct scores. ACTION LOBBY DISPLAY Blow up these ‘action’ stills and display with 'see’ copy for a lobby and front, Still numbers are given with each line of copy. THERE'S A CARGO OF DYNAMITE ON THE WATERFRONT. SEE Bursting Passions Of Fighting, Hating Men! (Still W300). SEE Where Violence Is King, Terror Is Law! (Still W305). SEE Dangerous Women Whose Love Drives Men To Kill! (Still W32). SEE The Battlefront Of America's Bloodiest Harbor War! (Still W303). Now Playing At The Strand Theatre. NAUTICAL TERMS WIN DUCATS Language of the sea and waterfronts includes words rarely used by landlubbers. Sponsor a contest for the most complete compilation of sea terminology, such as: abaft, boom, caulk, draft, ebb, etc. List should make interesting lobby display. Those sending in longest list of words are credited and get passes to see Waterfront’ which abounds with longshore dialogue. NOVEL DANCE CONTEST There is a real jitterbug shagger's dance in the film. Stage contest, with dancers in sailor outfits, lending nautical air. For novel twist, hold heavyweight contest for dancers over a certain weight, another for contestants over a definite age, etc. Work out several novelty angles for everyone in audience. ARROWS POINT UP SHOW Cover the town with signs pointing the way to your theatre and heralding showing of film. Copy reads: THIS WAY TO WATERFRONT Strand Theatre, playdates. Get 'em up on roads leading to town, and all strategic points. STORE WINDOW EXHIBITS Mount photos of the romantic looking wharves of a dozen distant cities for store window exhibits around town. Include the New Orleans levees, Boston's fishing harbor, the Frisco Embarcadero and the picturesque San Diego piers. UNDERLINE STRIPS Comic strips similar to 'Don Winslow Of The Navy’ and 'Terry And The Pirates’ are good spots to underline with plug for your showing. Copy: ‘It's DYNAMITE! When they turn the WATERFRONT into the BATTLEFRONT of America's bloodiest harbor war!' Playdate and theatre. Questions asked include: What commodity does America ship in greatest amounts to other nations? What commodity RADIO ANGLE If you have an inland spot, arrange for radio time, telling audience about the important U. S. coastline, how great is the business of exportments, how much American goods is shipped on American freighters, and something about the mechanics of longshore work. Of course, this builds up to your showing of 'Waterfront.' Tell audience how film ties-in with current news stories about longshore and shipping strikes trouble.