Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1939)

.l/^ril I?. S 11 ( ) W M h: N ' S T K A I) !•. K \ 1 !■: W /'aye 27 what arc you going to do with your lobby? Got any stunts worked up? Have you arraui^ed any special displays?" "Not yet," replied Smith, "but I've a few ideas in iny head. Did >-ou sec that ail on page five in the press book in which the title is surroundeil by stills showing some of the most thrilling moments in "'riic Stor\of Alexander Graham Bell"? Well, Fjii thinking of making a lol)b\' display, not cx;u-il\ like that, but somewhat on that order. And as for a lobby stunt, I was wondering how it would be to have a telephone on a stand, with a large card beside it reading, 'If it wasn't for the telephone, you wouldn't be able to hear the important message we have for j-ou when you lift the receiver.' Instead of the card, 1 could have a pretty girl make the statement. Then, from the olfice, my assistant could make a short and snapp> sales talk on the picture. Come to think of it, I might have a recording made, .so that all the attendant here would have to ilo would be to play the record whenever the light flashed on indicating that someone had lifted the receiver." "Smith, you're doing all right" put in Jones. "Go ahead and tell me some more about what you're going to do in the way of selling this picture." Full-Page Pictorial Feature "Well, I'm going to see if I can 'crash' the paper with that full-page pictorial feature. I think the ed.'ll go for it in a big way. But just in case he doesn't, I think it would be a wise investment if we paid for it as an ad. Or I can make a giant broadside of it, and use the front and back, when folded, for institutional copy and possibly a tie-up ad or two. Wait a minute while I mark down the order number of the mat — SPA — there, I've got it. Oh yes, somethingelse I thought of. How would it be to use a giant telephone in the lobby, or mount one on a truck for street ballyhoo?" Jones coughed, then replied: "You've forgotten what I told you just a few minutes ago. We want to get across the thrilling story, the dramatic romance, the emotional power. In other words, we want 'em to know it's a great picture. Now we can't very well do that and go 'mechanical' on 'em at the same time, can we? You won't need a big cut-out telephone for street ballyhoo to impress on your patrons' minds the fact that 'The Story of Alexander Graham Bell' symbolizes the tradition of America. Say! There's another angle for Your editor should be a push-over for this pictorial-story feature, but just in case he isn't, you can make it part of your regular program or as a throwaway. You can get the stills, blow them up. and make an effective lobby or window display. t/^LEXANDER. GHAHAMBELL IX)N LOHF.TTA IIEMtV AMECHE • YOUNG • FONDA Chntlcs Cobom-Gfiic LMkhon-SpriiiK Bjinslon SiUy Btonc ■ Polly Ann Youni; ■ CeoriiuinaYDunic Here's An Outstanding Layout Although all the ads have definite appeal for all classes of people, we believe the one reproduced above to be the most outstanding. With a minimum of copy, it conveys more by virtue of illustraiion and the "letter" than would be possible otherwise. Plan your ad budget to include it. you. Now's the time to hit 'em with that Americanism spirit, what with the world in a turmoil." "That speech Bell made at the greatest crisis in his life would look all right reproduced in the lounge or foyer, along with a blowup of Don Ameche in the sketch created by Norman Rockwell. I think I'll use it," Smith said. "Don't forget the book tieup," cautioned Jones. "Grosset & Dunlap have printed a special edition of 'Alexander Graham Bell' to retail for $1. You ought to be able to get displays in all the bookshops, plus the book departments of drug stores and department stores. And by the way, maybe you can get in a plug on the picture either before or after the Chase & Sanborn broadcast on Sunday night. Don Ameche's the star, you know. Let's see now; is there anything else? I know something I almost forgot. In the story, Loretta Young is deaf. Luckily, your theatre has facilities for the hard-of-hearing, but even if it didn't, you could contact your local hard-of-hearing society on the premise that the girl Bell loved was deaf, and that her deafness gave him the inspiration for his great achievement. It's simply a matter of winning goodwill for your house, and 1 iliink you ought to make the contacts." "I'll do that," Smith assured Jones, "and 1 want to rig up an effective front, too. Tell nie what you think of these arrangements: There's a swcdl illustration on the 24-sheet which I could cut out, mount and place atop the niar<|uee. If you've got a press book there, you can easily see what I mean. Then I plan to select some of the l)est stills —those representing great moments in the picture — and place them along the front just above the box office and doors. You know — it's something like the idea I had for the lobby display. Also, J think I'll have the artist make cut-out telephones to be suspended from the marquee. I'll use 'telephones' as the background motif for my regular lobby frames. Nothing 'mechanical' about that, is there?" "Certainly not," Jones replied. "When I said 'mechanical' I meant not to go into the intricacies of the telephone. For that matter, you can take the directory and pick out a few numbers at random each day. You can list these either on a board in the lobby or in your ads, explaining that if a person's number is there, he's entitled to guest tickets to see the picture. If you can get some directories, maybe you can make heralds out of the pages by imprinting your announcement over the regular type in red ink. You might designate as your guests to see the picture those whose numbers, when the digits are added together, reach a certain total. For example, if you make the winning total 12, a subscriber whose number is 4314 would be eligible. Likewise, one whose number is 1434, 3144, etc. Then you, could place cards in phone booths and yo|i could personally phone your patrons that — |" Strong, Effective Campaign "Say, Jones," interrupted Smith, "before you go on, will you tell me whether you're paying for this call at that end, or whether I have to stand the charge here? If you're paying for it, then go ahead. Otherwise, maybe we'd better stop. I'm pretty sure I've got a strong and effective campaign mapped out." District Manager Jones couldn't help but chuckle. Then he said: "This call will be charged to the theatre. But that's no reason for you to worry. If you do the things we've been talking about, and add some other good ideas that may pop into your head between now and when the picture opens, I'm almost sure you'll find this conversation was worth many times over the amount it's costing you. Besides — ■ and remember this — if it hadn't been for Alexander Graham Bell, we couldn't have mapped out this campaign together. We should be thankful. So long." GREAT MOMENTS DARRYL F. ZANUCK'S Production of "The Story of ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL" A Cosmopolilon produclion for 20lh Century-fox. with DON AMECHf lORETTA fGUNG one nENRv FONDA ENCOURAGEMENT: "When are you going to start work on it, Mr. Bell?" With these simple words the woman he loved crystallized the genius of the man who dreamed of spanning continents with the human voice DESPAIR: "The telephone? An air castle! It isn't worth my happiness to try and make a copper wire talk! I'm in love and I want to get married!" But, with Watson, Bell struggled on despite all privation until the great secret was discovered. THE TELEPHONE: Accidentally spilling acid and burning a hole in his pants. Bell shouted for help: "Mr, Watson! Come here! I want you!" Watson miraculously heard him through a wire and the telephone was a fact! GREAT LOVE: "Don't say a word. Don't move. All my life I want to remember this moment just as it is—!" In Mabel Hubbard's love Bell foilnd the strength, faith and courage to achieve his dream -America's most thrilling story!