Showmen's trade review (Jul-Sep 1942)

August 1, 1942 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW 19 r/iese Theatremen Won MGM Honor Roll Buttons The Winnah: Don H. Alldritt. Fox Tlieatre, Salinas, Kansas. For: His promotion of "The Bugle Sounds." (This is Mr. AUdritt's fourth citation.) Campaign Highlights: A special showing for 950 Kansas draftees was one of the campaign highlights. Also attending this screening were local officials of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The Winnah: L. Wiltrout, Orpheum, Connellsville, Pa. For: His promotion of "The Bugle Sounds." Campaign Highlights: An insignia identification contest was conducted with the cooperation of a local department store, with cash and guest tickets as prizes. A radio contest asking listeners to name Wallace Beery films was another highlight. On opening day a parade to the theatre and a concert in front of the house attracted a great deal of attention. The Winnah: Boyd Fry, Loew's Palace, Memphis. For: His campaign on "The Vanishing \'^irginian." Campaign Highlights: U. S. War Stamps and guest tickets were awarded as prizes in a radio contest asking listeners to make up lists of words using letters contained in the title. An advance screening was held for representatives of women's clubs, schools, the Better Films Council, and other organizations, and their comments used in an opening day ad. Special post cards were mailed to local attorneys emphasizing the special appeal of the attraction to the members of the Bar Association. Several thousand heralds were distributed through a tieup with a local laundry, and five thousand bumper strips were placed on local taxi cabs during the engagement. The Winnah: Robert Wanamaker, Liberty Theatre, Sharon, Pa. For: His promotion of "Joe Smith, American." (This is Mr. Wanamaker's second citation). Campaign Highlights: The film's showingtook on the significance of a civic event when the mayor proclaimed a "Joe Smith, American" Week. Boy Scouts paraded to the theatre on opening day, with the local Fife & Drum Corps providing the music. All local Joe Smiths were invited, by means Girls Give Kisses, Sell Stamps Talk about your manpower, womanpower is selling war stamps these days. In Springfield, III., during the engagement of Columbia's "They All Kissed the Bride," pretty girls were furnished by a local sorority to boost the sale of stamps. To each purchaser the girls gave a kiss — the candy kind. Number of stamps sold: $125 worth. of an ad, to be guests of the theatre. With the cooperation of the city's Airplane Club, a model plane contest was conducted, cash and guest tickets being awarded to winners. Thousands of blotters were inserted in pay envelopes at local munition plants. The Winnah: Don Alldritt, Fox Strand Theatre, Salina, Kansas. For: His promotion of "A Yank on the Burma Road." (This is Mr. AUdritt's fifth citation ) . Campaign Highlights: Alldritt had a photo of General Chiang Kai-shek in the lobby in advance and during the engagement. A stand was built around the photo, and China War relief workers were in the booth at all times. With the cooperation of local Selective Service officials, large announcements were posted at eacli of the draft boards. Local Chinese restaurants carried Burma Road Specials on their menus. Bumper strips were used by 2,500 cars throughout the city. A Laraine Day fashion window in the city's largest department store rounded out the highly effective campaign. Modern Treasure Hunt With War-Time Angles Held to Be Profitable The old reliable treasure hunt is enjoying favor and getting strong attention under a new name coined to fit the current tempos of the public mind. A few new angles are applied to the old formula with merchants solicited to participate in "A United Nation's Victory Tour." Each merchant is solicited to display some article generally associated with one of the 28 countries forming the line against the Axis and arrange for its display — with carded directions to the next clue, of course — at some place in his establishment. The clues are also part of full page cooperative ads that run in the newsI)aper carrying the editorial matter explaining the details of the contest. Prizes consist of promoted merchandise, for the most part, with an added cash award by the theatre for the best lines by successful tourists describing the appeal of a star or the expected entertainment value of the attraction which the stunt is used to exploit. If tlie town is large enough and you can persuade enough merchants to participate, you can set out a definite number of clues each day and run the tour over a period of time. In this case the merchants run their clue ads the day before tlieir store is added to the "Victory trail." If the town is small you may have to go for a 2 or 3-day teaser campaign and then run all of your clues at once except the instructions at the theatre — which is, of course, the final goal. The theatre instructions tell the successful tourists what to do in order to win the cash award. Be liberal in giving passes to the merchants for tourists solving the particular _ problem the store sets up as its handicap in the search for Victory. Pennock's Street Ballyhoo A "sandwich" boy with a wing-shaped sign covered the streets of La Junta, Colorado, to advertise "Keep 'Em Flying" for Manager Bob Pennock of the Fox Theatre. 'Burma Road' Sidewalk Display Machine guns, sand bags, riflles and other wartime paraphernalia were obtained by Manager Leo Raelson o." the Farrell Theatre, Ozone Park, L. I., for a sidewalk display on "A Yank on the Burma Road." Chinese and American flags, plus Chinese posters loaned by the United China Relief, added effectiveness to tlie pedestrian-stopping display. Tank Jockeys Go for Maureen Results of a recent quiz conducted among the soldiers of Fort Knox, Kentucky, as to their choice of company on a bond selling tour showed Maureen O'Hara of "Ten Gentlemen of West Point" to be most desired. Stunt was conducted by the Rialto, Louisville, in connection with the showing of the film. ENTERPRISING MANAGEMENT PREPARES WEST COAST THEATRE FOR ANY EMERGENCY ML Equipped to meet emergencies of ail kinds is Warners' Huntington Park theatre, Huntington Park, Calif. Under the direction of Willard Osborne, the theatre is frequently used for community mass meetings, and Red Cross-First Aid classes are conducted therein at regular periods. Examples of enterprising management in carrying out the policy and principles of a defense and preparedness program are shown above. Left: a section of the basement that has been equipped as an air raid shelter. Basement is considered adequate for public protection in case of an air raid. Center: employes get practical demonstration of first aid in theatre's First Aid Casualty Station. Right: part of emergency equipment located in strategic spots from basement to roof throughout the €00-seat house.