Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1941)

Page 14 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW October 25, 1941 There should be a great deal of local interest in your engagement of "Sundown" ; first, of course, because it ran as a serial in The Saturday Evening Post and therefore was read by over a million people. Add to this the millions who have read the story in book form, and you can safely assume that a large waiting audience will be on hand to see the picture. In the second place, even to those who have not read the story, "Sundown" should have strong appeal, particularly if showmen stress its romance, action and adventure — entertainment elements that have always proven popular with moviegoers. To capitalize on the magazine serialization of the Barre Lyndon story, you should contact your local Saturday Evening Post distributor to insert heralds announcing your showing in copies of the publication a week or two in advance. Don't forget the book, either. You can undoubtedly promote a number of good window displays by contacting book stores, circulating libraries, department stores and other book outlets. NATIONAL TIEUPS PLENTIFUL National tieups on "Sundown Fashions" feature bags, jewelry, gloves, shoes, hats, costume flowers and belts. By contacting the manufacturers of these items well in advance, by ordering the Gene Tierney fashion stills, and finally by getting in touch with local merchants, you can start the ball rolling toward a number of good window displays. Women will be interested in the fashions, while men will be attracted by the loveliness of Gene Tierney. Therefore, this is one case in particular, where fashion tieups should be an essential part of your promotion. Jergens have been running a Jergens Lotion ad tieing in the "Sundown" with their product in several national magazines with a total circulation of over six million. Thus you have your cue to get drug stores, department stores and other Jergens outlets to make up window displays. SIX-DAY TRAITOR' CONTEST One of the six men in the picture is a traitor. There is available a mat with a picture of each of them with an inset picture of Gene Tierney in each as well. Under each picture is a descriptive caption of one of the six traitors. You can use these in your news Sell Its Adventure, Romance,Here are a Variety of Angles paper either all at once or as a six day contest. They would also be good on the pages of your house organ about three weeks in advance, using two a week. Offer prizes for those who correctly guess the identity of the traitor and explain their reasons for picking him as the culprit. TRY THE 'HABARI' ANGLE A most interesting feature of the picture is the employment of "Habari." This is the native grapevine by which things become known before they occur, and intelligence is conveyed from one tribe to another by methods unknown to the white man. Under the heading, "Have you Habari?", run a newspaper contest based on readers' experiences. Nearly everyone at some time has known or done something through some strange forboding that some event was about to take place. Best letters describing experiences of this kind could be rewarded with prizes of cash, or guest tickets. STUNTS UTILIZING TITLE The title can be easily used in selling. One idea would be to offer prizes to whoever can make the greatest number of words out of it. This will stimulate interest in the title and prepare the way for other stunts. For instance, you possibly sell your newspaper on the idea of having a "Sundown Edition." Some papers may already have an edition known as the Sundown or Sunset edition. Get special art, "ears" on the front page, etc. Your own exploitation will have put the title over and the circulation manager, Shown below are three of the teaser ads on Walter Wanger's United Artists release, "Sundown." They'll grab the spotlight on any page. From the Saturday Evening Post story "Sundown" and screenplay by Barre Lyndon. Directed by Henry Hathaway. Produced by Walter Wanger. a man who is generally on his toes, will see the value of the stunt. If you can't do it any other way, have stickers made to put on the "ears" of the paper. Tieups can be made with stores to offer special "Sundown Bargains." At the exact minute of sundown bargains should be put on sale. The special prices should last only a certain time. Tie up all of the articles with the picture, using some of the glamor art on Gene Tierney, if possible. Another stunt you can use on the title would be to stage the opening of the picture exactly at sundown. Have a special observance of the occasion by asking stores and business establishments to close at that hour — and advertise their closing by the words "We are closing at sundown — to see the most thrilling adventure picture of the year, "Sundown'." Try to get civic officials to proclaim the day a holiday after sundown. The radio can be used to put over the title by having a special series of programs at sundown. A Sundown Hour would be an excellent promotion for a radio station and would probably materially aid in your promotion as well. Try to get the newspapers to carry the word "Sundown" in the time listings for local radio stations. DISPLAY "THRILL" BOARD An excellent way to impress your patrons with the picture's thrills is to place a "thrill" display in the lobby, using stills 305, 17, 49, 303 and 195-P with appropriate "thrill" copy. Copy for this purpose, by the way, will be found in the exploitation section of the press book. If you screen the picture and can set a definite time for each "thrill situation," you can modify the thrill board idea by creating a display showing the time of some of the picture's big moments. TIE IN WITH SCHOOLS The locale of the picture is the frontier between Kenya Colony, a British possession in East Africa and Italian Somaliland, conquered by the British a few months ago. Arrange with school officials to tie in your showing with classes in history and geography. You can use the novel itself as the basis for exploitation through English classes. Put a map of Africa in the lobby with the locale of the picture marked with pins. YOUR FRONT AND MARQUEE The atmosphere of "Sundown" can be imparted out in front by transforming the box office into sort of a stockade, with a couple of palm trees as part of the decorations. Use lots of stills, being sure to distribute dramatic situations, thrills, action and romance evenly in your displays. A large blowup of Gene Tierney should be on view. The 24-sheet, either alone or combined with the Tierney head in the 6-sheet, can be utilized by your house artist in creating a marquee display that will command attention.