Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1942)

Page 18 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW April 11. 1942 See-New-York'Trip As Theatre Award How about those all-expense visits in New York? We've been getting no end of inquiries and they all ask, in substance, the same question. And — all the time time we thought we had made it very plain in the issue of April 4th! But — perhaps we overdone the job, so here it is again, very, very, brief. SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW has made arrangements with four of the modern hotels in the Times Square area of New York whereby we are able to offer all-expense stays of 2, 3, 4 or more days at "vest pocket" prices. These arrangements are available, without restriction, for use as contest awards in connection with theatre activity; for your personal accommodations if you come to the city; and for such friends or associates as you feel to be deserving of special consideration. Through SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW you are offered room, with private bath and radio; meals, either at the hotel or one evening at a famous night club; your choice of various sightseeing trips, boat rides, theatre exhibitions or other amusements sufficient in number and variety to guarantee every hour to be filled with entertainment. And the prices? You won't believe us, but here they are: For two days and one night, $4.25. For three days and two nights, $8.00. For four days and three nights, $10.75. The prices quoted are based on two persons to a room and subject to fifty cents extra per night if room is occupied by one person. The prices cover everything — no extras. Remember — this service and rates are available only through STR. Write us, addressing your request for further details: Special Service Dept., Showmen's Trade Review, 1501 Broadway, New York. Launching ^Ship Ahoy^ Minute Girls Tour to Stimulate Sales oF Bonds, Savings Stamps The Defense Savings Staff of the U. S. Treasury announced this week that, in conjunction with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it will launch a nation-wide "Ship Ahoy" Minute Girls Tour on April 13, to stimulate the sale of U. S. Bonds and Stamps. The idea was conceived by Howard Dietz, MGM vice-president in charge of publicity, and the tour will be supervised by William R. Ferguson, exploitation manager, with the cooperation of Carlton Dufifus, chief of motion pictures and special events, U. S. Treasury. The film company is contributing two of its starlets from the forthcoming Eleanor PowellRed Skelton musical picture, "Ship Ahoy," as well as all traveling expenses of the project. The girls are Jetsy Parker and Dorothy Schoemer. Miss Parker was the leading drum majorette in the 1939-40 Pasadena Tournament of Roses, while Miss Schoemer has been a featured entertainer in leading night clubs throughout the country. The starlets have set as their goal the sale of enough bonds and stamps to purchase a new destroyer. They will make oersonal appearances in hotels, factories, night clubs, department stores, restaurants, business organization and social, welfare and civic clubs. In addition to making appeals for bonds and stamps sales, they will autograph stamp albums. They will be received by State and local administrators of the Treasury's Bonds and Stamps staffs in addition to receiving official welcome from Governors and Mayors in the states and cities on their itinerary. During the tour, the girls will appear in the Promotes 'Dumbo' Window With the cooperation of the local outlet of the Walgreen Drug Co., Manager Dewanner Stellings of the Imperial Theatre, Charlotte, N. C, succeeded in planting a window display as part of his ca.mpaign on RKO-Disney's feature, "Dumbo." costumes they wear in scenes of "Ship Ahoy." They will make their debut, on April 13, at the Gridiron Dinner in St. Paul, Minn., before a gathering of more than 600 newspapermen. The rest of the itinerary to date follows : Apr. 14, Minneapolis ; Apr. IS, Madison, Wis.; Apr. 17-18, Beloit, Wis.; Apr. 20, Milwaukee ; Apr. 22-Z3, Chicago ; Apr. 24, Toledo ; Apr. 26, Cleveland; Apr. 28, Parkersburg and Wheeling, W. Va. ; Apr. 30, Bristol, Tenn. ; May 1, Johnson City, Tenn.; May 2, Chattanooga ; May 4, Augusta ; May 5, Savannah, Ga. ; May 6, Brunswick, Ga. ; May 7, Jacksonville, Fla. ; May 8, Macon, Ga. ; May 9, Atlanta; May 11, Greenville, S. C. ; May 12, Spartanburg, S. C. ; May 13, Columbia, S. C. ; May 14, Charlotte, N. C. ; May 16, Raleigh, N. C. ; May 18, Richmond, Va. ; May 19, Norfolk; May 20, Portsmouth, Va. ; May 21, Newport News ; May 23, Washington, D. C. ; May 25, Baltimore, Md. ; May 26, York, Pa. ; ' May 27, Reading; May 28, Harrisburg; May 29, Philadelphia; May 30, Atlantic City; June 1, Trenton, N. J. Appearances in New York and New England will follow. HELPFUL HINTS (Ed. Note: This is one oj a series of timely and valuable letters prepared by Charles H. Ryan for inayiagers of Warner Chicago Theatres. His advice could readily apply to theatres everywhere. Therefore, we suggest you clip and save these "Helpful Hints" as they appear from time to time. ) Merit Plain packages many times contain the best things. The contents of the package is what counts. The most beautiful woman may be the meanest. The worst crook may be handsome. You can't tell how smart a man is by the size of his head . . . the hardness of a man's muscles does not prove he is a good workman. The thing that counts is what we do. A human being is much like a watch. His works prove his worth. Put the works of a dollar watch in a fine gold case and its still a dollar watch . . . worth no more than its works. The real worth of a man is measured by something more than the visible results of his labor. Ambition, character, loyalty are hidden tools that help us do better work. We all do our best work when our hearts are filled with courage, helpfulness and determination to accomplish that which we set out to do. Then our works will deserve to be in a case of solid gold 1 Woodward's 'Valley of the Sun' Campaign Features Street Ballyhoo An eye-catching street ballyhoo arranged through a tieup with the Cadillac Company highlighted the "Valley of the Sun" campaign put over by Manager John Woodward of the Weller Theatre, Zanesville, 0. A new Cadillac car was employed to cover the downtown streets of the city five days in advance of the playdate carrying the following copy on orange cards with red and black letters on both sides and rear panel : "For Sale ! Cheap ! Must Raise Money to See Clarence Budington Kelland's 'Valley of the Sun' at the Weller Theatre." Another phase of Woodward's campaign included a three-day coloring contest sponsored by the Zanesville Signal and Times-Recorder, with daily stories and sketches appearing in the news section of the papers. Ten dollars in cash and autographed photos of Lucille Ball and James Craig were awarded as prizes. A candid camera stunt was arranged through a tieup with the Gorsuch Pharmacy in which a cameraman and his assistant covered downtown streets on the opening day, with persons having their pictures taken and spotted in the store's window receiving guest tickets to see "Valley_ of the Sun." To complete his comprehensive campaign. Woodward arranged for a novel book ballyhoo stunt in which a giant book on wheels was pushed around the downtown section on opening day with copy crediting the attraction, theatre and playdate. Rock Rapids Married Couples Check on Themselves Via Quiz The quiz angle was utilized by Manager Roy H. Metcalfe of the Rapids Theatre, Rock Rapids, Iowa, as part of his campaign on "Married Bachelor." At the entrance to the theatre Metcalfe set up_ a display on which were placed stacks of quiz sheets. A sign at the top carried this copy : "Just a minute, husband and wife. Take one of these quiz sheets. They're fun." Along the bottom this copy was visible : "Note. Men beware ! Don't get married until you have seen 'Married Bachelor.' If you are married and would like to live like a bachelor, force your wife to come with you to see 'Married Bachelor'." The mimeographed quiz sheets contained ten questions for men and ten for women. Each question was to be answered either "yes" or "no."_ At the bottom of the sheet the husband or wife could find his or her rating. Husbands, however, who had a score below sixty were urged to "see the manager of the Rapids Theatre, and he will give you a free ticket which will be good for the entire engagement of 'Married Bachelor'." Suddith Uses Slang Herald In Campaign on 'Ball of Fire' Manager Bradley Suddith of the Ritz Theatre, Memphis, Tenn., used a number of the slang expressions in "Ball of Fire" as copy for a unique herald. Suddith utilized a film can for another novel stunt. He placed the can in the lobby with a card carrying copy as follows : "This film can contains a Ball of Fire that will be opened on — ." Playdate and credits followed. Real Records Draw Attention More than average interest from passersby was attracted by a board Manager Bob Cottom displayed recently in front of the Nile Theatre, Bakersfield. Displaying two real recordings from "The Chocolate Soldier" — an outgrowth of a tieup Cottom made with a local music shop — the board not only sold the music but plugged the picture as well.