Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1945)

March 24, 1945 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW 21 Live Dog Exhibit Aid For 'My Pal Wolf A campaign which became the "talk" of Minneapolis was projected recently in conjunction with the showing of "My Pal Wolf" at the Gopher Theatre under the management of Lar:ry Stewart in cooperation with Don Alexander of the advertising department of the Minnesota Amusement Company. The pattern of the exploitation seems fundamental and should warrant usage elsewhere with or without changes, as the circumstances may warrant. The initial step taken by the management was a special screening for the reviewers two weeks in advance. This was followed by "planting" diversified stories in IS school papers approximately a week in advance. The reviewers' comments appeared in the Minneapolis Star Journal and Times. One of the highlights which attracted an unusual amount of interest was inspired by a contest in cooperation with Cedric Adams' (CBS correspondent) column in the Star Journal in which any boy or girl under the age of 16 could win a three-month-old Shepherd puppy, by writing in an answer to "Why I Want a Pal Like Wolf." Replies flooded the source of inquiry from Minnesota, some from North and South Dakota as well as Wisconsin. The winner was presented with the puppy on the stage of the Gopher on the last night of the showing. Work on the lobby phase of the campaign consisted of set pieces and blowups from the picture as the background for a live dog display ; while on the opening day the lobby featured two German Shepherds, valued at $30,000, which in turn was played up on the screen and in the newspapers. Special police guard on duty during the display created extensive interest. Ad Budget of $35,000 to Usher in 'Colonel Blimp' American Blimp American premiere of "Colonel Blimp" will be ushered into Brandt's Gotham Theatre, New York, on March 29 with an initial ad budget of $35,000, Barry Buchanan, United Artists director of advertising and publicity, announced last week. The greater portion of the appropriation, Buchanan revealed, will be utilized on newspaper space. In addition, other picture merchandising channels will be effectively brought into play for this opening, such as radio, outdoor posting and supplementary advertising. The New York campaign will act as a barometer for the preparation of similar or additional campaigns aimed to assist exhibitors on the picture's engagement throughout the country. Guizar Personal Appearance Tied In With 'Brazil' in Galveston J. D. Hillhouse, manager of the State Theatre in Galveston, Texas, took advantage of the personal appearance of Tito Guizar at the City Auditorium, to tie in his booking of Republic's musical, "Brazil," in which Guizar is starred with Virginia Bruce. Hillhouse enlisted the cooperation of the Mexican consul for the tieup. The City Auditorium displayed a poster heralding "The Singing Idol of All the Americas, Tito Guizar in 'Brazil','' in its lobby to herald the "in person" and "on screen" engagement. FINE STREET BALLYHOO. This attention compslling street ballyhoo made the rounds of Worcester, Mass., recently to exploit "Sweet and LowDown" at Manager Robert R. Portle's Loew Poll Elm Street Theatre in that city. Musicians played tunes popularly associated with Benny Goodman as well as music from the 20th Century-Fox picture. Additional features of the campaign included promoted radio announcements, eight music shop window displays, fashion and beauty shop windows and the citywide distribution of pictorial cards. $1 Million Buildup for 'On Stage Everybody' Following the March 28 broadcast, "On Stage Everybody" leaves the Blue Network to go into screen production at the Universal studios April 16. For the two last shows (March 21 and March 28), ten winning players selected from more than 3000 professional entertainers, will appear before the Blue microphones. During the past 26 weeks on the air, "On Stage Everybody" was a direct tieup for exploiting the title of the film to be made at Universal, and represents a million dollar buildup which Universal intends to back up with the best talent on the lot, plus guest stars, to surround the ten players selected from the air show. The picture is scheduled for midsummer release, and will receive intensive local radio promotion in key runs. Lou Goldberg, who conceived and arranged the deal between Universal and the Blue Network, produced the air show, and will be associate producer on the film. 'Co-Pilof' Sets Record Holding over at the Rialto for an additional three days beyond the originally scheduled three weeks in Macon. Ga., Warners' "God Is My Co-Pilot" set another unequaled record justifying the extensive advance campaign and gala world premiere given the picture. Usual first-run engagement for a picture in Macon is limited to three days. Previous long-run records were set by "This Is the Army" and "Yankee Doodle Dandy," both running a week and three days. Notables to Attend Cagney Film Premiere Preparations are underway for the world premiere of William Cagney's "Blood on the Sun," which has been selected by the San Francisco Press Club for showing to an unprecedented blue-ribbon audience of notables from 44 nations scheduled to be present in the Golden Gate City for the World Security Conference late in April. The rare honor went to the film, costarring James Cagney and Sylvia Sidney, because of its timely subject matter with its warning against a recurrence of a Tanaka-style plot, it was stated. The picture will be shown at the United Artists Theatre in San Francisco under the sponsorship of the Press Club sometime during the week of May 1, at the height of the Conference's discussion of the Pacific War and other matters affecting world peace. Selection of "Blood on the Sun" for the World Security Conference Premiere was made by a San Francisco Press Club Committee consisting of Sidney Mackin, Ronald Wagoner, Mortimer Donoghue and Joseph T. Rucker, and was approved at a special meeting presided over by Richard L. Chase, president, and members of the Board of Directors, including Wagoner, Rucker, William F. Leiser, John D. Hanley, Ted Huggins, Wilson O'Brien, Lawrence E. Davies, Ralph Brunton and Merriel E. Cooley. Charles Daggett, director of publicity and advertising for William Cagney Productions, and George Glass, independent publicist representing the company on a client basis, conferred with the press leaders in setting the premiere, all proceeds of which will go the Press Club. Thereafter the film will start its regular run at the United Artists Theatre. Audience for the premiere will be chosen from distinguished journalists, statesmen and observers, radio commentators, magazines writers and visitors. Cagney and Miss Sidney are to be guests of honor at a fete given by the Press Club preceding the showing and at the premiere, but it is doubtful if any other Hollywood personalities will be invited because of the extreme shortage of hotel accommodations expected in the city during the Conference. The William Cagney office has announced that the advertising campaign for "Blood on the Sun" will be doubled nationally, because of the importance of the premiere. Faust Leads Films' Anniversary Celebration Campaign in Phoenix The recent 50th Anniversary of the motion picture industry was made the occasion of smart institutional showmanship by the managers of all of the film theatres in Phoenix, Arizona, through the leadership of Warren Faust, manager of the Fox. Faust conceived the idea of a SOth Anniversary campaign in which the theatres of the city would cooperate and bought 3 columns of advertising in a local newspaper announcing the event. The signature cuts of each of the 11 theatres appeared in the ad which sold films' greatest virtue : romance. At his own theatre, Faust bolstered the event by an attractive and interesting lobby piece displaying stars and scenes from hit films of earlier days up to the present time. The front flew a marquee valance heralding the anniversary celebration.