Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1944)

24 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW December 2, 1944 Showmanship, From Studio the Pictures, Reaches a Under a tutelage that has been marked by shrewd showmanship from studio to selling of each picture, Deanna Durbin, "discovery" of 1936, has grown in artistic stature from the talented girl with a golden voice in a series of roles from those of a youngster to a heavy dramatic part ("Christmas Holiday," left) to her first out-andout musical, "Can't Help Singing" (top), with an original score by Jerome Kern and a spectacular production filmed in Technicolor. Details of the advertising and exploitation campaign now swinging into high gear in the interests of "Can't Help Singing" throw a revealing light on the whole complicated business of showmanship as developed in the motion picture industry. Universal's latest picture starring Deanna Durbin is the fifteenth vehicle for the young veteran singer-actress who became a star overnight in her first feature and whose career has successfully bridged that gulf (the transition from girlish age and screen roles to mature young womanhood) which had proved a pitfall for many of her predecessors. As a matter of fact, the production and advertising values marshalled for the new Durbin vehicle, have directed the attention of a leading theatre-executive showman to factors which may become the basis of a projected public-relations activity in connection with showings of the picture at his theatres, thus calling public attention to the achievements of the film industry in developing talents of specially gifted artists and in creating entertainment forms of constantly increasing quality and appeal. Consistent Program of Personality 'Buildup' The production treatment and exploitation program for "Can't Help Singing" climax a series of progressive crescendoes in what undoubtedly is one of the industry's most interesting case histories of showmanship applied to a star personality. Deanna Durbin's record of popularity tells its own story of the star's gifts both in the vocal and acting arts for which she has been so widely acclaimed. The showmanship brains and energy that have been exercised in story selection, casting, producing and exploiting the pictures are matters with which the film trade in general is not entirely acquainted. The inside story of Universal's shrewd showmanship, from studio to advertising of the completed pictures, discloses the fact that even when presented with a box-office "natural," which Deanna Durbin proved to be when she climbed into the star galaxy in her initial screen effort, motion picture men must apply the most precise calculation to the handling of star material in order to realize the fullest potential for their artists as well as for themselves and their exhibitor customers. It was — still is — obvious that a star had fortuitously fallen into Universal's talent pool when Deanna Durbin was signed as a substitute for a role originally assigned to another player. However, the story behind this record of screen success reveals that the company added design to whatever happy accident occurred when the Durbin girl was signed to a contract, by means of a calculated course of precise development to advance the interests of the star and the company producing and distributing her pictures. The familiar record shows that Miss Durbin now has made fifteen pictures, as follows : 1936, "Three Smart Girls" ; 1937, "100 Men and a Girl"; 1938, "Mad Abouf Music" and "That Certain Age" ; 1939, "Three Smart Girls Grow Up" and "First Love"; 1940, "It's a Date" and "Spring Parade"; 1941, "Nice Girl ?" and "It Started With Eve" ; 1943, "The Amazing Mrs. Holiday," "Her's to Hold" and "His Butler's Sister"; 1944, "Christmas Holiday" and the soon-to-be-released "Can't Help Singing." So much for the familiar record. Behind it, however, is the story of the care, judgment and foresight exercised in conforming all elements of production and exploitation to such exacting demands as the sensitivity of the young star's large and loyal fan following ; the developing talents of Miss Durbin ; the Illustrated are typical examples of the selling theme that will be featured by Universal in exploiting the new Deanna Durbin starring vehicle through the medium of a campaign that will represent a scope and expenditure which will be more than double that of any previous advertising effort essayed by the company. The campaign employs general magazine, fan magazine, newspaper, radio and billboard displays for which costs break down approximately as follows: magazines, $125,000; newspapers, including cooperative, $100,000; radio, $60,000; special publicity, including cooperative deals, $40,000. These figures will be increased to cover extra efforts in connection with special events during key-runs of "Can't Help Singing." >■ ..JOBtRT p^isi; m\ TAMIROIf « I Above, reproduction of the 24-sheet.