Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1944)

December 30, 1044 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW 17 Circus-Like Campaign Sells 'Jungle Woman Constructive showmanship through qualitative angles proved its merit in drawing patronage to Universal's "Jungle Woman" at the Ritz Theatre in Midland, Tex., under the management of Elmer Adams, Jr. Residents were startled the day before the picture opened to see a boy literally walking inside a barrel. But their expressions changed into smiling acceptance when they read the copy on the barrel : "I sold my clothes to see 'Jungle Woman'." Adams began his campaign three weeks in advance of playdate by placing a mammoth setpiece in the lobby, which carried a flashy cut of Jungle Woman with proper copy, still of the star, title and the date. Subsequently, this was moved to a downtown show window. Radio, exploitation was punctuated on a special kiddie program using extra spots combining sound effects denoting a tom-tom, the roar of a lion and other jungle noises. This was followed by the announcer's dialogue. A false front covering the entire theatre front was set up. This was painted in vivid color with the addition of leaves, vines and twigs tacked to the background. A large bust of the Jungle Woman was placed on the head banner surrounded by a ferocious tiger and a slick black panther. Large cut-out letters were used for the title and the star. The side panels and center board were trimmed in the same manner as the top piece and decked with stills and llxl4s. An added dominant note was the use of bumper strips on taxis with the title, theatre and playdate accentuated. A fillip was furnished by three extra ads in addition to the four customary advertisements of the theatre, with one ad specified for position on the kiddies' funny page. Editors of the local newspapers were receptive to copy on "Jungle Woman." Race Track Tieup Successful Promotion for 'Home in Indiana' Through a tieup with the Vancouver race track, Ivor Ackery, manager of the Orpheum, successfully promoted 20th-Fox's "Home in Indiana." Vancouver sports editors gave the production wide publicity in their by-line columns. Leading turf publications carried plugs. Loudspeakers at the race-track boosted the film, with theatre and playdates mentioned, for a week in advance. A large sign was erected in front of the grandstand. A special "Home in Indiana" handicap, with a pretty girl presenting the winning jockey with a trophy on behalf of the Orpheum, broke the sports pages of all papers. Result : outstanding attendance at this 3000-seat house — VA. Jive talk made up the marquee copy used in Louisville at the Mary Anderson Theatre by Manager Cliff Beuchel to advertise Warners' "Janie." Idea: to interest the younger set. Music Utilized For 'Village' Campaign Music was utilized effectively by Manager Fax Duncan of the Fifth Avenue Theatre, Seattle, to put over a campaign to stimulate interest in 20th-Fox's "Greenwich Village." All local radio stations were utilized to broadcast musical • numbers from the picture by orchestras or from recordings. "Old Time Dances," a local program, also assisted with frequent plugs. Organists at the two large skating rinks featured "Greenwich Village" numbers over public address systems. The Crescent Ballroom designated an evening as "Greenwich Village Night," with the band plugging Carmen Miranda songs. The Trianon Ballroom, city's largest, went to town on the hit tunes. Size 40x60 photo enlargements were placed at various spots in the hall and were seen by thousands. Local distributor of Decca records arranged for all his dealers to put in special Carmen Miranda windows. The Adams News Co. cooperated by placing banners on the sides of their 12 trucks. Manager Duncan pointed out that the general plan of the campaign, with appropriate changes, can be adapted to almost any musical picture. Mark Twain Books for Tieup Mark Twain books were used to good advantage by Harold DeGraw, manager of Schine's Oneonta, Oneonta, N. Y., when "Adventures of Mark Twain" played his theatre. DeGraw had a book tieup with the Oneonta Department Store and arranged for a display of Mark Twain books at the public library with a 'large tieup card. He also had the Award of Merit Scroll from the Mark Twain Memorial Commission prominently displayed in his lobby. Measuring 45 feet in length and eight feet high at the most, this colorful setpiece was placed In the lobby of the RKO Palace Theatre, Cleveland, by Manager Norman Wrobel to apprise patrons of the New Year's Eve premiere of Samuel Goldwyn's RKO Radio release, "The Princess and the Pirate." According to Wrobel, the display has been on view for almost a month and draws attention from patrons. Meyers and Johnson Blanket Campaign Is Booster for 'Years' The efficiency of a blanket compaign for "Impatient Years" by Myron Meyers, manager of the Malco Theatre, Memphis, Tenn., and Elliott Johnson, advertising manager, proved itself in quantitative results through qualitative purposes. The over-all campaign began approximately six weeks in advance, with the poster angle embracing two 30 X 24s on panels, while 30 24s were placed on the leading streets 2 weeks ahead, and 200 block 3-sheets one week in advance. An all-important decorative motif on the exterior of the theatre was furnished in a 40 x 60 display four weeks in advance, and two 40 x 60 displays were set in the lobby, one four weeks ahead and the other three weeks prior to the playdate. A fortnight before the opening, additional lobby displays measuring 5 x 40 feet overhead in colors and five 30 x 40 panels composed of stills and picture copy display added tone to the front of the lobby. Radio transcriptions were used on four Memphis radio stations, WMPS, WREC, WMC, and WHBQ. These started Sunday before the opening and ran through the current Saturday. The picture was also plugged on "Movie News," a program heard Saturday afternoons over WHBQ. The Malco Theatre has an additional asset in a daily program as a sustaining feature, and the picture was given minute-and-a-half plugs daily on this popular medium during, the run. Still another radio plug for the film was contributed by station WMBS over which Malco has a 30-minute piano music program on Saturdai^s. An 1100-line co-op newspaper ad campaign was used besides the theatre's regular newspaper advertising campaign, which is considered in the "heavy" classification. Other assets from the newspaper angle were inspired by Mike AIcGee, amusement editor of the Commercial Appeal, who plugged the picture in his Sunday column before the opening with the comment that it was "even better than Columbia's 'More the Merrier'." George Bugbee ran special art in the Press-Scimitar on opening day. Twenty-five Columbia's streamliners were placed in downtown store windows. The streamliner is a 9^ x 28 black-and-white photographic streamlined display card featuring three highlight scenes from the picture with theatre copy and opening date inserted at the top. Equipped with an easel-back, they attracted incalculable box-office attention with passers-by, particularly with t'ne window-shopping element. A special trailer ran two weeks in advance of the opening. It was subsequently moved to the Strand where it ran during the engagement. The Strand's lobby also had a one-sheet display during the film's run. A large sound truck, with 6-sheets posted on each side and theatre copy and 3-sheets posted on the rear, was used one day in advance of the opening and for three days during the run. The truck was driven to all defense plants in the Memphis area and on downtown streets day and night. The go-getting team of Meyers and Johnson did not overlook the Memphis Labor Review with a circulation of 12,000 w^eekly, running^ a story and an ad in it. In Bluejacket, official publication of the Memphis U. S. Air Technical Training Center, with some 16,000 weekly readers, art and a story on the picture found ready space. Attractive window displays were furnished by the Leonard Studio on Main Street, opposite the Claridge Hotel, and Link's Studio, also on A^ain Street. A 6-foot display was placed in the main lobby of the Parkview Hotel, one of Memphis' best residential hotels.