Ballyhoo (Dec 2, 1955)

Page scan 0005 from Ballyhoo

Record Details:

Title:
Ballyhoo
Date:
Dec 2, 1955
Volume:
Ballyhoo (Dec 2, 1955) Profit Blitz for 'Fitz'
Leaf #:
0005
Language:
English
Collection:
Canada, Global Cinema, and Hollywood Studio System
Format:
Periodicals
Contributor:
Media History Digital Library, Greig Dymond in memory of David Dymond, Paul Moore and Jessica Whitehead
Coordinator:
Media History Digital Library
Description:

Ballyhoo

  • Ontario 'B' District Ballyhoo, editor: Dan Krendel (1952-55)
  • Profit Blitz for ‘Fitz’, editor: Dan Krendel (1955)
  • National Ballyhoo, editor: Dan Krendel (1956-57)
  • Time Out for Ticket Talk, editor: Norman Barker (1960-61)

Ballyhoo (1952-61) was published by Famous Players Canadian Corporation as a mimeographed internal sales and theatre managers’ newsletter. Editor, Dan Krendel, had been division manager of the Ontario ‘B’ District since 1942, and initially created Ballyhoo in 1952 to circulate weekly updates for a regional sales contest. Ontario ‘B’ District Ballyhoo continued until 1955 as a tool for sharing and incentivizing new sales techniques and publicity methods as the movie business declined in the face of television and the baby boom.

In Fall 1955, Profit Blitz for ‘Fitz’ was a nationwide sales contest, named for Famous Players’ president J. J. Fitzgibbons, honouring his 25th year as head of the business. Dan Krendel was made National Drive Captain and edited a weekly newsletter for the campaign.

From 1956 until at least 1957, National Ballyhoo was published weekly with Krendel as editor. He continued the style and content developed earlier for his Ontario ‘B’ District, but now extended vastly for a chain-wide coast to coast scale. Ballyhoo’s sharing promotional tools came at a time of contracting box office as television and automobile ownership became prevalent in the mid-1950s.

By 1960 until at least 1961, Time Out for Ticket Talk continued as a mimeographed newsletter, edited by Norman Barker of the head office publicity department. Time Out was compiled on a less ambitious scale than Ballyhoo. Compared to the earlier national compilation of local publicity gimmicks, Time Out often contained only a single memo or reproduced local story, and was often undated and only informally edited.

– Paul Moore, March 2024

Date Added:
April 11, 2024
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$10, 000 anship PROFIT with show SEPT. Sth SERVE with showmanship TO DEC. 3rd SAVE with showmanship 1955 L with showmanship HONOURING 25 YEARS OF INSPIRED LEADERSHIP IN FAMOUS PLAYERS TEENERS! ADVISORY COUNCIL (cont'd. National Drive Captain DAN KRENDEL REGENT OSHAWA Al Hartshorn studied the manner in which this had been handled in some U.S. theatres ... made a couple of changes ..,. added many ideas of his own, and laid his plans right down to the very last detail, very carefully, before he made his move. He held dis cussions with the student council executive ... with P.T. groups ..,. with women press and radio representatives, Everyone he explained the deal to lined up solidly behind him and his teen-age project. Al slanted his campaign at the distaff side ... but darned if he was going to act as their Father-Confessor ... He was just plain terrified at the very thought ... So-o-o ... his wife Helen, over her protests, was drafted as counsellor ... and they went to work, A date for the opening meeting was set ... very attractive stationery printed ... and every girl in the two collegiates was mailed a personal invitation to become a member of the council ... some 500 of them. Al was a little worried, and told me he would settle fast for a total attendance of 50 ... and think he was doing very well. After all, why should the gals give up their Saturday morning for an unknown quantity? Well sir ... some 325 showed, Al opened the meeting, introduced their counsellor, and Helen took over. She explained the aims and objects of the council ... discussed in round-table style several past attractions, inviting comments from the audience ,.. and did she ever get them, The girls were thrilled to be asked their opinions. Then the guest of the morning was introduced ..., our very good friend Chet Friedman, and did he ever make a hit, Chet ran off half a dozen trailers of coming M.G.M. pics, did a terrific Public Relations pitch for the industry, and held a question-and-answer period in which everybody participated. Then ... a ten minute adjournment for Pepsi and doughnuts ... and Al comments that he has never seen a hungrier bunch of females in his life ... Helen took over again, drew for several lucky prizes ... nylons, pieces of jewellery etc., promoted for the occasion, and announced the proposed agendas for the next several meetings ... A prominent Toronto hair stylist ... A beauty counsellor from one of the prominent cosmetic firms ... A live fashion parade by Coles of California, etc. etc. The gals went wild. Chet handed out a couple of hundred autographed stills, and after a pitch by Al on student prices, and the coming Elmer shows, the meeting was