Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1939)

6TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE Page 41 ''Marine Circus" Offers Several Good Tieups Pete Smith's "iNlarine Circus" offers several opportunities for out of tlie ordinary stunts. It's the kind of short worthy of exploitation, too, so try to adapt some of these ideas to your local situation for better business when you plav this subject. The subject has a considerable value as educational material, since it shows species of fish which have seldom been photographed before. Ask teachers in biology classes m the local schools to announce the showing to their students and if possible, promote an essay contest based on the subject. The educational value of the subject can also be used to obtain tieups with the public library which could cooperate with you in the interests of its many volumes on ichthyology. For a ballyhoo, have a man attired in a deep sea diver's outfit walk through the streets bearing signs reading, "See what's in the sea"— wi'th the name of the subject and playdates. A lobby display can be arranged by having a local aquarium or pet shop furnish you with a large fish bowl stocked with various types of fish. You could offer prizes to whoever correctly identified all the different types. The same idea can be used as a window tieup with a local pet shop. Sound Truck Plays "Ferdinand" Records in Floyd's Big Campaign A sound truck playing "Ferdinand the Bull" records, ten store tie-ups on main street and radio hook-ins featured the elaborate campaign on "Ferdinand the Bull" engineered by Manager Joe Floyd of the Granada Theatre, Sioux Falls, S. D. Starting with a strong advance newspaper campaign, Floyd plugged all three recordings on stations KSOO-NBC and KELONBC. The Dime Store, Floral Company and a gas company were among the store tie-ins. The theatre art shop turned out numerous bulls for theatre-front and window display and for the sound truck, these running from four feet to fifteen feet high. The truck used the "Ferdinand" records. Floyd's campaign includes specially-made 24 sheets using three-fourths of the board for theatre-prepared copy and the remainder of the space given over to a six-sheet. Attaboy, Joe, that's the way to put over a short. Take heed, showmen. Contest Winner Sees Sights Loretta Palmer, zvinner of the IVarner-Vitaphone Philadelphia Talent Contest conducted by the Philadelphia Daily News, is shown here in her suite at the Hotel Piccadilly. She came to New York to take part in a Vitaphone short subject. Pointing out typical Manhattan sights to her is Roy Moulton, manager of the Piccadilly, while Mrs. Palmer, Loretta' s mother, also enjoys the view. Ferdinand's Shadow Box The neiv Nezvsreel Theatre in Radio City gives its short subjects some spectacular displays and here is one for Walt Disney's "Ferdinand the Bull''. He ogles his lanfuid eyes from a shadoz^.' bo.r effect poster. Timely Selling Hints On ''While America Sleeps'' Hailed as the short subject of the month in April, there is still enough widespread interest in the sensational espionage activities reported in the daily press to make your showing of "While America Sleeps", one of the Crime Does Not Pay series, an event of iraportance. It is a subject with a timely and vital message for every American, and it merits attention in your newspaper ads and in all other phases of your promotional activity. Get your newspaper editors to attend an advance screening, since the film offers fertile material for editorial writers. Even though they may have written about the spy situation before, this subject gives Ihem additional material for discussion. An advance screening should also be arranged for officials of the American Legion, Boy Scouts, D.A.R., etc. Seek their cooperation in announcing your showing over the local radio station, in public schools, and to their memberships. For a newspaper story of great local interest, also invite to the preview representatives of the Regular Army and the National Guard and any manufacturers who may supply any kind of military materials to the Government. A reporter could obtain their comments. The bands and bugle corps of patriotic organizations could participate in a parade to plug the film. Akin's Coif Short Campaign A campaign worthy of a feature was put on by Wally Akin in Abilene, Texas, for the golf short "Shooting for Par". First of all a tieup with the local countrj' club resulted in cards plugging the subject being handed to everv golfer. Window displays were arranged in all local sporting goods stores and a special setpiece and golf bag display was placed in the lobby in advance of the playdate. To cap the climax. Akin arranged a miniature putting green right in the theatre lobbv where there was plenty of action and excitement all of which helped enormously to sell the short. Utilize Travel Reels in "Around the World" Show Many theatres at various intervals have a cartoon show at which seven or eight of the year's outstanding animated subjects are presented to the children at a special matinee. Why couldn't a similar procedure be followed regarding the travel reels? While we realize there may not be strong interest in these as far as the kiddies are concerned, we do believe that junior and high school students would find much in such shows to improve their knowledge and help them in their studies. Then, too, there are the inmates of Orphans Homes and other institutions who seldom, if ever, get to know much of the world about them. What an excellent goodwill gesture it would be on your part to present an "Around the World" show for them some morning. For that matter, older inmates could also be invited. Students, of course, could be charged a nominal admission fee, but young and old inmates could be the guests of your newspaper or a local travel agency. Much extra publicity helpful to your theatre could easily result from such an undertaking. Looking over the list of releases, we find the following series available: Columbia — Columbia Tours; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer — Fitzpatrick Traveltalks; Paramount — Color Cruises; 20th Century-Fox — Magic Carpet of Movietone; United Artists — World Windows; Universal — Going Places; Vitaphone — Color Parades; States Rights — Screen Travelers. Because so many travel subjects are available, this stunt should be a comparatively easy one. Try it, and if the first "Around the World" matinee goes over big, which it certainly should provided you give it the proper advertising and exploitation, you will be eager to arrange many more for future dates. An Exploitable Short The California Bankers Association intends to circularize its 1250 members in the State on the advisability of tieing in with theatres playing "Money to Loan," a Crime Does Not Pay subject. This expose of the loan shark evil has plenty of selling possibilities for smart showmen. DeHaven Sells Featurettes Believing that manv featurettes can outsell the feature, A. Milo DeHaven, managing director of the Ambassador, Belmont and IV oodzvard-Grand theatres in Highland Park, Mich., has placed si.v billboards, like thc_ above, on current and coming short subjects in strategic spots around tozvn. He also arranged a zvindow display on zvashing machines in conjunction zvith 'MGM's short subject, "Men of Steel." Who savs it doesn't pay to sell short subjects F Here's evidence that it does.