Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1944)

November 18, 1944 trade: review 9 Write-Lettcrs Tieup Set on 'Very Thought' A nationwide exploitation tieup on Warners' "The Very Thought of You" whereby war plant workers are asked to give fifteen minutes of their lunch hour to writing letters to men and women in service, has been launched at the Hyatt Bearings Co. plant of General Motors in Harrison, N. J. At a given time, the Army mail call is played over the loudspeaker system, followed by a rendition of the film's title song, which also serves as background music throughout the session. In the Hyatt plant, a returned veteran addressed the workers, suggesting that they pause in their lunch hour to write a letter to a service man. The mail squad then tours the plant to pick up the letters. Meanwhile, "The Very Thought of You" continued to be the subject of several interesting and effective tieups as more, playdates got under way following the west coast "Overall Premiere" last week {STR, November 11, p. 30). Highlight of the campaign for the film's engagement at the Great Lakes Theatre, Buffalo, was a stunt arranged with the Irvin Parachute Corp. whereby a board reading "The Very Thought of You s-p-e-e-d-s production" was erected in the plant, on v^^hich the workers pinned up their favorite pictures of sweethearts in the service alongside stills of the picture's leading players. A local department store, Oppenheim-Collins, devoted a window display to the picture, using photos of defense workers along with scene stills, and another full window display based on Dennis Morgan and Eleanor Parker was set up by Hengerer, another Buffalo store. A cooperative ad published in all local newspapers showed Morgan instructing his son how to handle a Winchester rifle. Amateur Vocalists Given Free Tickets in 'Lights On' Stunt "When the Lights Go On Again" was exploited by the song of the same name when it played the Bijou, New Haven, and Strand, Waterbury. Displays were placed in 5 & 10-Cent store windows in both cities. Two hundred jumbo cards tied in with the Presidential election: "Elected . . . When the Lights Go On Again . . . Winning Candidate for Entertainment." A male singer, accompanied by a girl piano player, toured the night spots on Friday and Saturday preceding the opening, and gave free tickets to patrons singing a chorus of the song. Newspaper advertising was doubled and special feature stories planted. PRC was represented by Harry N. Blair, eastern ad-publicity manager. Campaign was conducted by Harry F. Shaw, division manager. New England Theatres ; Lou Brown, publicity manager; Bill Brown, manager of the Bijou, and Paul Klinger, manager of the Strand. Award Tickets for Civic Work R. F. Hannahan, manager of Schine's Strand Theatre, Carthage, N. Y., has a tieup with the American Legion Auxiliary, whereby they award 30 or 40 tickets a week to children who do essential civic work, such as collecting salvage. Tickets are purchased outright by the American Legion Auxiliary. This colorful and attention-getting lobby display on Universal's "The Climax" was used in advance of the engagement of the film in Buffalo by Publicity Director Bill Brereton of the Lafayette Theatre. Minus date tag, display could be moved to front. Shaffer's House Filled By Rural Style Show A winter coat style show which filled his theatre on an off-night was staged by Willis Shaffer, manager of the Fox Liberty, Marysville, Kan. Event was arranged through the J. C. Penney Store, which paid for the advertising and donated a free coat as an attendance prize. Chief draw of the trailer and lobby copy, advertising the event, was the offer. Coats were modeled on the stage by local women and girls. . All types and age-styles were shown, from juveniles to stylish stouts. Culmination of the stage show was the selection of the winner of the free coat. Manager of the Penney Store was so pleased with the stunt and its direct sales' response that he recommended a similar tieup throughout the entire J. C. Penney chain. Shaffer was commended highly by the Fox Midwest Circuit, which pointed out that he had not been cramped in development of showmanly ideas by the comparatively small size of his town and the fact it has no daily newspaper. MGM Lists Winners In 20th Anniversary Exploitation Contest The top twenty winners, as well as the sixtyseven receiving honorable mention for the best campaigns staged during the week of June 22-28 in MGM's 20th Anniversary Celebration exploitation contest, were announced last week by W. R. Ferguson, the company's manager of exploitation. Each of the top twenty will receive a testimonial plaque embellished with his name, theatre and town, in presentation ceremonies to be held this month in the winners' home towns. Those receiving honorable mention will receive special awards in recognition of their efforts. The twenty plaque winners, chosen from among hundreds of entries, are (some have since been re-assigned to other locations) : Brock Whitlock, Loew's Colonial, Reading, Pa. ; Harold Turner, Loit, Lafayette, La. ; Eddie Forester, Des Moines, Des Moines, la. ; H. H. Birmingham, Fox-Palace, Milwaukee, Wis. ; Charles B. Taylor, Shea's Buffalo, Buffalo, N. Y. ; Grace Fischer, Maryland, Cumberland, Md. ; J. C. Hunter, Ritz, Tulsa, Okla. ; Sam Oilman, Loew's Regent, Harrisburg, Pa. ; Jack Foxe, Loew's Richmond, Richmond, Va. ; Arnold C. Coffey, Carolina, Hickory, N. C. ; Mae Quirk, Victoria, Mt. Carmel, Pa. ; Jack Matlack, United Artists, Portland, Ore. ; Kenny Mead, Main, Pueblo, Colo. ; Don George, Don, Alexandria, La. ; Joe Cole, World, Kearney, Neb. ; Dave Thomas, Centre, Salt Lake City ; O. J. Ratto, Loew's Palace, Washington, D. C. ; Rodney Toups, Loew's State, New Orleans, La. ; Harry Bosel, Fox-Wisconsin, Milwaukee ; Gene Kilburg, Fox-Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wis. Winners of honorable mention awards include : Matt Saunders, Loew's Poli, Bridgeport, Conn. ; William Aiken, Loew's Grand, Atlanta, Ga. ; Charles Zinn, State, Minneapolis ; Kenneth Taylor, Orpheum, Okmulgee, Okla. ; Louis Guidetti, State, Charleroi, Pa. : Lige Brien, Enright, Pittsburgh ; Howard Zulauf, Esquire, St. Louis ; Jay Wooten, Fox, Hutchison, Kan. ; Hi Peskay, Egyptian, Los Angeles ; Jack Jordan, Am ' {Continued on Page 13) IDOWNTOWNI You needn't stay ^onK 'or piectio-i results! ELECTION RETUif^S TONIGHT direct from fh© wires of the Btue ne*w&rK— -(n ail BALABAN & KATZ THEaTERS Bsirai Scoop.' CH!C460 THE/m tofe&yJ See and K«ar Returns by TELEVISiOi Dircci from Balcban & KqH sfaJion W6KB m co-9pera{ioB wKh TWo Chicago Sun tote Shows ToBt^fit i« All Batofafea & tiati LOOP Thoolers SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME? Election returns via television were a theatre attraction at the B&K Chicago Theatre, Chicago. Above, how the feature was played up in newspaper advertising, and, right, the lobby crowds seeing and hearing the results. At television receiver, operating the dial, is A. M. Brolly, chief engineer of B Cr K Television Station WBKB. Standing at right of receiver is Manager William B. Holden of the Chicago. While most other theatres were without television facilities, few Indeed were those that did not, In one way or another, provide frequent information on election returns.