Showmen's Trade Review (Jul-Sep 1942)

20 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW September 19, 1942 THE R. A. F. IN ACTION ! Distributed by ASTOR PICTURES (R. M. SAVINI, President) 130 WEST 46th STREET NEW YORK, N. Y. EXCHANGES EVERYWHERE Sales Ideas Plentiful On 'l Sweethearts^ {Continued from Page 18) ticket sale with a portion of the amount received from tickets they sell reverting to the relief fund. A special show on this might be in order. The picture is steeped in old Dutch customs and traditions and lends itself admirably to this type of cooperation. The stores in your community that sell Dutch Boy white lead and paint can be persuaded to give over their windows and may possibly help defray the cost of handbills on the angle of "clean-up and paint-up." If you can locate a native Dutch costume of the frilled variety with lace cap, etc., it would be good business to use a girl wearino the costume for a street ballyhoo or possibly a lobby attraction in advance of the showing. The prominence of lace in all of the costumes provide the possibility of tieup with local department store for a special sale of lace or at least a window devoted exclusively to the showing of lace with stills and appropriate copy prominently displayed. In one of the scenes Kathryn Grayson is shown packing Van Hefllin's bag and is interrupted while handling one of his freshly laundered shirts (still 1246-31). This could provide the basis of an excellent laundry tie-up with the possibility of newspaper advertising space using the still. All of the seven daughters are called by boys' names. Have the newspaper or radio station query their readers or listeners for girls bearing boys names to be guests of the station or paper on the first night of the picture. The marquee will prove mighty attractive if you have your artist make two or three immense windmills set on wooden standards with a greased bolt through the center to allow them to revolve. Flashing colored lights will further emphasize this self-animating display. The girls ride a four-seated bike in one scene. See if you can locate a similar vehicle in your town, or offer tickets to the owner of the oldest self-propelled vehicle. This should get plenty of newspaper space now that gas and tire rationing promises to send the whole country back to the old-time methods of transportation. A scene in the place of worship features the seven sisters singing in the church choir. It might be possible to interest some local choral society or perhaps the vocal teacher in the public schools to ofTer a program of choral music some night during the engagement. An optician's establishment is featured in the long shots of the celebration scene and two of the principals have trouble with their glasses. If there is a local advertising optician he will be glad to tie up his newspaper ads, using the illustration from the picture, and will certainly devote his window to advertising of the attraction. The wedding scene that is the climax is a natural on which to hinge a public wedding with the trimmings of gifts from local merchants, newspaper publicity, etc., that always makes it necessary to dust of? the SRO sign. Bicycles are the most prominent means of transportation in the festival scenes. Why not provide special parking for bikes and of¥er special prices for bike clubs attending in groups ? A sure fire ballyhoo for the opening day would be to recruit a gang of kids into a brush and bucket brigade and have them actually scrub the street in front of the theatre. During the operation have them display a big sign reading "we're cleaning up for 'Seven Sweethearts'." Contact Shops and Industries The recreation committees of shops and industries are always seeking ways of promoting funds for their organization. Why not set up a deal where you give a percentage of receipts for group attendance once or twice monthly? /