Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1942)

22 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW December 19, 1942 Display on Magazine Campaign This display, now on view a\ Radio City Music Hall, comprises ad pages from the national magazine campaign for MGM's "Random Harvest" in which each ad has been individualized to conform with the style of the periodical. Perhaps you received the brochure containing the pages. Weil, whether you did or not, it would be worth special effort to get the pages and arrange a lobby display along the lines of the one above. Cooperation of Navy Aids 'Navy' Sellins A rapid-fire campaign for "The Navy Comes Through" was staged by Manager Harry Ashton of the Uptown Theatre, Salt Lake City. As an opening gun, the Navy Recruiting office was recruited as an ally and a special screening arranged for officers and enlisted men. All expressed enthusiasm over the picture as an aid to recruiting activities and offered hearty cooperation. Next, the office of Civilian Recruiting Activities associated with the current Navy drive for enlistments was contacted and a joint meeting was held with the Navy Recruiting Office. This was presided over by Le Roy Simmons, promotion manager of the leading Salt Lake newspapers, which insured hearty newspaper cooperation. In addition to the newspaper publicity which included special art and much word-of-mouth advertising originating through the activities of the seventy-man Civilian committee, the Navy Recruiting Office assigned men to distribute two hundred special cards which were placed on lamp posts throughout the downtown business district and in choice window locations. Increased newspaper advertising, extra twentyfour sheets, several hundred paper snipes and additional radio tie-ups rounded out the campaign. Breall Stages Special Show for Portland's Scandinavian Colony There is a fairly large Scandinavian element in the population of Portland, Ore. So each year, Manager Frank Breall of the Oriental Theatre stages an all-Swedish program, featuring a full-length picture in addition' to short subjects. This year the Swedish Societies were contacted to conduct the ticket sale. The Society was given a percentage of the total gross for that night. Regular program was suspended on night of the attraction, and the Swedish films made up the bill. Care was exercised in choosing films that had English titles so that persons other than the Swedish element could attend and enjoy the performance. 'Pied Piper' is Sold Via Essay Contest For School Children A principal feature of the campaign on "Pied Piper" staged by Manager Edward May, Schine's Russell, Maysville, Ky., was an essay contest conducted in the city schools. The following is typical of the essays submitted in the competition. It was written by Norma Jean Ginn, and refutes the theory of many know-itall elders that boys and girls are too young to understand what most pictures are all about ! "If I were asked whom I admired most in 'The Pied Piper,' I believe I would say Monty Woolley who played the leading role as Mr. Hozmrd. I suppose I must admit that I looked at the humorous side of his situation. I liked the way he handled the predicament in which he found himself when he was burdened with the six children which were to be taken safely by him to England and from there sent to the Lfnited States. I thought the attitude he took toward the little Jewish girl, the little French boy, the little Dutch boy, and especially the little German girl, was magnificent. "His efforts to get out of occupied France were to be admired by anyone. Even though he had to play the part of a nursemaid and a halfwit, he finally came through. "The thing about him what impressed me most was his spirit toward the Gestapo. He proved to be the German's equal throughout the scene, and when finally he had gained the upper-hand, the way he handled the situation was wonderful. The particular incident to which I am referring occurred when the Gestapo had told Hozvard that he would let him go to England if he would take his little niece with him and send her to America with the other children. When the Gestapo threatened to harm the French girl, who had helped Hozmrd to the coast, if he breathed a word of their bargain to anyone, Hozvard threatened to tell the whole af¥air if the Gestapo should harm his friend. The enraged German e.xclaimed : 'Do you dare threaten me !' And the surprise came when Hozvard calmly said : 'Well, you threatened me, didn't you?' "Although I have written about Monty Woolley, I enjoyed the complete show and recommend it to everybody." Through the contest. May made it possible for students to pen their reactions to a sequence or character in the film, put them on their guard to analyze future productions. Personal announcements were made at all school assemblies, and a poster contest was conducted in the local high school. Newspaper came through with special readers. Authenticated Stunts Used by Showmen — You Can Use Them Too — To Your Benefit A iiiid-zvcst exhibitor zvho found himself short of film at the end of a season hit on the idea of staging a couple of "repertoire weeks," ostensibly at the demand of patrons. He set aside an entire zveek during zvhich he revived three of the better releases of pictures starring the one personality zinth the result that he not only succeeded in extricating himself from a bad product situation but managed to stack up a right siaable profit on the periods. The novelty of the idea makes it a natural for nczi'spapcr cooperation and it is easy enough to get three or more back releases of Abbott and Costello, Crosby and Lamour, etc., etc. Go in for ^a good sised ad to start off the attendance and put some real exploitation behind it to get the best returns. After all you'll be cutting dozvn your film bill considerably and can afford to spend a little additional money. Chief's Plane Lobby Display The Chief in Colorado Springs, Colo., used a plane display to attract attention to the run of Republic's "Flying Tigers." Shown in front of 3 red-plush backdrop, the colors of the plane were vivid, and the display in the lobby of this Westland Circuit deluxe house assisted in building an excellent gross for the week run. Borrows Midset Sub For 'Pacific' Display For the opening of "Across the Pacific" in San Francisco at the Fox Theatre, Manager Herman Kersken and Ad Director Phil Phillips made full use of the occasion — Navy Day — by arranging with the Navy Department and the Treasury Office to borrow the midget twoman submarine which the U. S. Navy captured "across the Pacific" last December. This Japanese submarine, it was learned, has started on a nation-wide tour as ain aid in selling war bonds, and thereby offers excellent opportunities to many theatres who have not played the Warner film or who plan to re-book it. At the San Francisco Fox, first theatre to exhibit the submarine, the display attracted large crowds and the keenest attention. In the same connection, it was arranged to have two boys inducted into the Navy on that day, with the induction taking place right in the Japanese submarine while on display in the theatre lobby. New Exploitation Service for 20th-Fox Branchmen, Salesmen Hal Horne, advertising and publicity director for 20th Century-Fox, has inaugurated a new exploitation service for all branch managers and salesmen who are now receiving a special folder in which to keep exploitation, advertising and publicity bulletins sent out weekly on every big feature. In this manner before trade showing dates each salesman will have on his desk all advertising and exploitation plans for the pictures he is currently selling. Mathilda's Wooden-Shoe Exhibit A really novel display, and one which attracted a great deal of attention, was the miniature wooden-shoe exhibit in the lobby of Loew's Norwich, arranged for "Seven Sweethearts" by Assistant Manager Mathilda Pysyk. They're Bound to See It If you paste a twenty-four sheet of that next big attraction on the lobby floor where patrons will have to pass over it to get into the theatre it'll bring in extra dough when that pictu.e plays. Try it sometime.