Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1939)

6 T H ANNIVERSARY ISSUE Page 35 Include Beauty Pageant In Your Summer Selling JULY 3rd IDAHO ADMITTED TO THE UNION, 1890. Theatres in that state should observe the day as a gala occasion with flags flying, etc. In other words, they'll start celebrating Independence Day a day early. 4th INDEPENDENCE DAY. See story on the opposite page for STR's suggestions on how to observe this occasion. FIRST ROAD TEST OF AN AUTO, 1894. This would be a good time to make a tieup with a local automobile dealer for a parade, a giveaway of a car in your theatre or a ballyhoo with his cooperation. 7th AIR MAIL SERVICE started New York to California, 1929. The tenth anniversary of this occasion is something to shout especially if you happen to be playing an airplane picture. A display of airmail stamps in the lobby would be a good bet, especially if you can get some of the older ones contributed by local philatelists. 8th BLOODHOUNDS MADE LEGAL AGENTS, 1911. Use this angle on any mystery picture which has tracking dogs in it. It might also be a good bet to tie up this event to any short about dogs. Seven Firms to Sponsor Toys and Novelties on "Gulliver's Travels" With production well under way on its first feature-length Technicolor cartoon, Max Fleischer's forthcoming "Gulliver's Travels" at his new studios in Miami, Lou Diamond, head of Paramount's licensee department on this feature, announced the signing of contracts with seven leading organizations which will sponsor toys and novelties based on the characters to appear in this cartoon production. Contracts have been closed with the following seven organizations: Saalfield Publishing Co. of Akron, O., for books; Sun Rubber Co. of Barberton, O., for rubber dolls; Ideal Novelty and Toy Co., on composition dolls, segmented dolls and toys both in wood and composition, cable dolls and also stuffed goods; American Miniature Co.; Norwich Knitting Co.; Cramer-Tobias-Mayer, Inc., advertising agency; and Ira G. Katz on children's hats. In addition to the above, manufacturers deals are now being negotiated by Harry Roj'ster, assisting Diamond, with other toy and novelty organizations, "Gulliver's Travels", a screen adaptation of the famous Jonathan Swift story, is scheduled for release during the Christmas holidays. Martin Has Classics Played On Piano in Lobby to Sell "Sonata" What he described as creating a great deal of "ripe" attention was a lobby stunt effected by Dave Martin when he was manager of the Fox Bruin Theatre in Los Angeles. Alartin is now at the Paramount in Hollywood. The stunt consisted of having a piano in the lobby, with Dave's assistant, Al Libby, evidently "tickling the ivories" with classical selections. The piano, of bleached walnut, and the lamps sitting on top of it, were promoted gratis, even to the hauling. Two 250-watt spotlights with blue gelatin provided illumination. And we almost forgot to provide readers with the name of the film on which this stunt was used. It was "Moonlight Sonata" in which Ignace Jan Paderewski has the featured role. THIS summer beauty contests will be staged in all parts of the nation. Some of them will be state events, others national and still others international. Leading up to these, however, will be numerous local pageants for selections of the towns' most beautiful girls. We can assure you that the big contests, such as the Atlantic City Bathing Beauty Pageant, will be elaborate and never-to-be-forgotten affairs. In all probability you will be informed from different sources of other pageants to which you can send local beauty winners. Arrangements will be made to take care of these girls, to see that they are properly chaperoned, and above all, to see that they are accorded such a good time that even the losers will be glad for the opportunity they had of participating. What concerns you most of all, however, is your own local elimination contest. To insure the success of a beauty pageant, you must have the newspaper as a co-sponsor. Only in this way can you get the publicity which is so essential to the affair's success. And, of course, you'll have to tie up with merchants for prizes. Your judges must be men and women prominent in civic affairs, so that prestige will be added. Stories announcing your beauty pageant should run three or four weeks before it starts, and continuously thereafter until it is completely over. These stories can be built up from day to day by listing additional prizes, featuring photographs of the entrants, etc. When it gets under way, there'll be no difficulty in finding feature story material. Arrange for spot announcements over your local radio station. Cooperating merchants should give over windows to elaborate displays of the prizes, together with photographs of the entrants. Besides the newspaper stories and announcements, heralds should be made up for distribution to girls in stores, office buildings and factories. A trailer should be screened every day for several weeks in advance. When the finalists have been selected, get the merchants to tie in on cooperative newspaper ads in which prizes and photos are featured. Get a truck out on the streets to ballyhoo the event. Make up window cards and posters and see that they are prominently posted around town and in surrounding communities. In exchange for a flash announcement on the screen or a card in the lobby, you can probably get a local photographer to take pictures of the entrants free of charge. The photographer might even contribute one of the prizes in exchange for the extra business he'll get. Lists of prizes, photographs of entrants and other details of the contest should be prominently displayed in your lobby. Banquet for Winner The winning beauty and her maid of honor (the runner-up) should be tendered a banquet by one of the civic clubs. Or, you can make it a city-wide affair with all civic clubs sending representatives. We pause for a moment here to remind you that the judging of all contestants, up to the selection of the winner, should be held on your stage. Let's say there are forty girls entered. At the first judging, ten are eliminated ; next week, ten more are out, etc. On the last week, only ten girls remain, one of which will become Miss (name of your city). Let the winner be feted at parties and banquets, such as the one described in the preceding paragraph. Have photos taken of her at various functions, of her visiting department stores and being fitted for costumes she has won as prizes for her selection. If you send her as your town's representative to a state or national beauty contest, give her a rousing send-off at the station by having a band present, city officials on hand, photographers clicking away, etc. Whether or not you send the winner of your beauty pageant to a national contest is entirely up to you ; the important thing is that a local beauty contest stimulates business, builds up goodwill. It's a great summer tonic for your theatre and for your community. Why not plan to stage one this summer? You Can Promote Newspaper and Merchant Cooperation Here are some excellent examples of newspaper and merchant cooperation in staging a local beauty pageant. Culled from tear-sheets of a contest in Wilmington, Del., a fezv seasons back as put on by Arthur A. Cohn, then manager of the Star Theatre, they give you a good hint as to just what you can do'. At the left is a feature »tory and photos showing the beauty queen leaving the theatre and receiving the scroll officially declaring her victory. In the center is a cooperative ad, zvhile at the right is a front-page photo taken after the victor has been crowned by her maid of honor.