Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1939)

NcnrDibcr 25, J939 S H O W M EN'S TRADE R E V 1 ]<: W racjc 11 IT HAS been some time since the last of the "Mr. and Mrs. Thin Man" series was released. But fans can again look forward I with eager expectations, for the latest in the mystery adventures, "Another Thin Man" lis now released. Not only the fans, but ; exhibitors, too, should be happy — exhibitors, lof course, because the picture offers the kind 'of selling angles that make it a pleasure to plan and execute a campaign. I Quite possibly you utilized some stunts and gags on the other "Thin Man" films that went over so well you want to use them again. Inasmuch as quite some time has elapsed between now and then, we see no reason why you should not repeat these stunts, provided 3'ou feel they are good enough to bear repetition. For your teaser campaign, we suggest you look over the catchlines in the ads in the press book, and also study the lines in the publicity section. There's a wealth of them, so that it should be an easy matter to concoct any number of clever teasers to keep the populace "on edge" until your playdate. This time a new member joins the cast — the couple's baby — which accounts for the title. You'll find mention made of him in the ads, and we shall deal with him in a few phases of our exploitation. If you can get one of those distortion mirrors, place it in the lobby. People entering or leaving the theatre will be invited to look at themselves in it, and upon doing so, will discover their images to be exceedingly tall and thin. A card on an easel at the Screenplay, Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett. Based on original story by Dashiell Hammett. Directed by W. S. Van Dyke II. Produced by Hunt Stromberg. sight of the display could bear a caption something like this: "It's fun to see yourself as a thin man or woman, but not nearly so laughable and exciting as seeing 'Another Thin Man,' etc." Outstanding stills from the picture should also be included in the display. Here's another stunt which should attract attention. Perhaps a spotlight or a stereopticon machine can be rigged up and focused at an angle on the lobby floor. Cutout figures of a tall and thin man and woman might be placed over the spotlight or in the projector and projected on the lobby floor, giving the effect of a shadow. Without any lettering, this should cause much curiosity among patrons. But if you wish to go further, you could have another projector projecting the title of the picture, turning on and off at regular intervals. The man on stilts can be revived again as a street stunt. He always attracts attention. To improve on the stunt, why not get AKOTHER 7MMAM And Another Opportunity for Showmen to Do Their Stuff With Livewire Exploitation a girl and another man to accompany him, the other man to be a little shorter and wearing a baby hood and an exaggerated baby dress? As for the woman, her costume should suggest pajamas or an outdoor playsuit, so that the trouser legs will cover the stilts down to her feet. Copy such as "Mr. and Mrs. Thin Man now have 'Another Thin Man' to share their adventures" should be used. You can have the threesome leading a terrier, representing Asta, if you wish. There's a still available from your exchange which shows the seven suspects Nick Charles (William Powell) and his wife (Myrna Loy) pursue in their efforts to solve the murder mystery. Thrill seekers will be attracted if you blow up this still and place it in the lobby. We might also suggest that you order a large supply of the stills, and cut out the pictures of the suspects, leaving their character names intact at the bottom of each portrait for identification purposes. Mix them up and distribute then. A notation on the back should inform the holder that if he succeeds in getting all seven suspects — Dorothy, Lois, Smitty, Freddie, "Diamond Black," Chauffeur and Dum-Dum — he can bring the seven pictures to the box office where they will be redeemed for free guest tickets to see the show. Instead of ordering a large number of stills you can, if you wish, get one still and have engravings made of the seven portraits on that still. Then several thousand handbills, each with an engraving and explanatory copy, Suggested below is a four-day confesf in which readers put adult thoughts into the mouth of Nick Charles, )r. You'll receive many amusing answers, the cleverest flips to receive top prizes. Winning lines should be like the samples in the balloons. could be distributed. Be sure you "hold down" the number of pictures of at least one of the suspects, otherwise the guest tickets will go quicker than you think. Let's play up the baby, for he is really the new, fresh angle in your selling campaign. Name almost any object you can that's associated wnth a youngster, and you can have a tieup on it. High chairs, bibs, tricycles, kiddie cars, go-carts, bassinets — there are stills in which these articles are featured. And there are more which we haven't mentioned. The wise exhibitor will order a full set of exploitation tie-up stills, and then go after the merchants. You ought to have practically every window on Main Street. If you haven't yet staged that stunt m which the first baby born after the engaf ement of a certain picture opens, receives a prize, you can certainly stage it now. Cooperation frorn the newspaper and from merchants is essential. There might be a provision that the baby, if a boy, be named Nick' Charles, or if a girl, Nicky Charlene, in order to be eligible for gifts. A local photographic studio would surely be happy to tie in on a contest for the best photos of a dad and his baby or a mother and her baby. Two stills, 1107-29 and 1107-72, showing Myrna and Bill in maternal and paternal poses with the baby of the film, could be used in illustrating tlie kind of photos desired. A young couple pushing a baby in a gocart and leading a dog resembling Asta, along the street, would serve well as street ballyhoo. Perhaps "dad" could carry a portable fireplug for the dog, and banners plugging the attraction could be fastened on the backs of the man and woman. Milk distributors should be contacted for tieups, using a cut of the baby in a cooperative ad. In the press book you can find out where to get milk bottle collars advertising the picture, to be placed on bottles of milk. Tliat illustration in the 24-sheet is also on a still which you can blow up to any size you wish for an attractive cut-out display in the lobby or on the marquee. Of course, you can use the figures in the poster, if the size is in accordance with your needs.