Showmen's Trade Review (Jul-Sep 1945)

18 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW July 7, 1945 Yvonne De Carlo Measurements Contest Tops 'Salome' Campaign in Washington The window of a prominent Washington, D. C, florist was the scene for this attractive showcard sign on Universal's "Salome, Where She Danced" when that film played RKO Keith's. A contest for girls in wliich the physical measurements of contestants were to be evaluated in comparison with those of Yvonne De Carlo, was the highlight of the extensive exploitation campaign essayed by Manager Sol Sorkin, RKO Keith's Theatre, Washington, for his showing of "Salome, Where She Danced." A local radio station sponsored the contest, announcing details several times daily for two weeks preceding the picture's showing and all the city's nwspapers published details and photos of the star. Two weeks in advance 2000 teaser cards were inserted in packages by a local laundry which followed up its cooperative effort by inserting 2000 photos of Yvonne De Carlo in shirt bosoms the week before the picture opened at Keith's. A jewelry store dressed its most important window with a 16x60-inch photo enlargement of the star and in addition, donated a piece of jewelry as one of the contest prizes. The jewelry store also operates a photographic studio and its services were donated to photograph the contest winner. An unusual window display was placed in a prominent florist's shop. The display featured a colored enlargement of De Carlo and a placard gave details of the contest. Several other window displays were obtained for the contest in the city. Throwaways were distributed in night clubs, bars, restaurants, hotels, etc. Search for Screen Salome, Now In Sixth Month, Continues "You Have a Chance at Stardom" will be the caption of the poster to be placed in every RKO theatre lobby, inviting candidates for the Salome role in Frank Ross' production of "The Robe." Search for a Salome is now in its sixth month. More than 30,000 girls from the United States, Canada and Mexico have applied. Producer Ross and Director Alervyn LeRoy are still looking for the ideal girl to portray Salome. Posters will be illustrated with a color reproduction of the painting of Salome by Ensign Jay Robinson, for which Ross paid a $500 prize in a nation-wide art competition. Tieup Ads on 'Burma' Planted In Three Toronto Newspapers Tied in with the Toronto opening of Warners' "Objective Burma" at the Imperial Theatre, the Canadian distributors for Motorola radios arranged to run 500-line ads in all three Toronto newspapers. Ads featured Errol Flynn, star of the picture, and Motorola's Handie-Talkie combat radio which plays an important role in jungle fighting. 'Junior Miss' Fashion Tieup Arranged by 20th Century-Fox A tieup of great potential value to theatres which will play 20th Century-Fox's "Junior Miss," was completed recently with the Metro Department Store Service. In its July issue, distributed now, the, service will feature a fashion advertising layout of 'teen-age attire built around photos of Peggy Ann Garner, star of the picture, and headlined, "Junior Miss" Fashions. To extract fullest benefit from the promotion, the 20th-Fox exploitation department under Rodney Bush will service 1000 exhibitors with the Metro layout proof, together with a list of the Metro clients in 400 cities and complete instructions on how to hook in with a local store. It is pointed out by 20th that any store, using its own "Junior Miss" Fashions from its own available stock, can take advantage of the tieup. Japanese Money Herald Reproductions of Japanese money used in the Philippines and printed on green stock were distributed as heralds with copy on reverse side, in connection with the engagement of RKO Radio's "Back to Bataan," by Earl Hubbard at the 20th Century Theatre, Buffalo. 'Captain Eddie' vjets Cosmopolitan Boost Strong promotional backing will be given 20th Century-Fox's "Captain Eddie" by Cosmopolitan in connection with that magazine's two part story, "Captain Eddie," by Bob Considine, a biography of Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker, on whose life the film is based. The story will run in the July and August issues. In its promotion of its own story by Considine and the picture starring Fred Mac Murray, the magazine will use full-page ads and distribute over 100,000 posters for newsstands and delivery trucks in hundreds of cities. Cosmopolitan's drive will be launched this month and is expected to reach full strength in August. During July, the magazine will place full-page ads in almost 70 large-city newspapers from coast to coast, with a circulation of 13 million, heralding the beginning of its twopart story and giving prominent "Captain Eddie" picture credits. Concurrently, containing elements similar to ■those in the ads, tens of thousands of 22x28 posters will go up on more than 50,000 newsstands throughout the country, backing up the newsstand display of the magazine itself, which will carry the title on its cover. In August, a second ad will be placed in the same newspapers as the first, and another poster will replace the July display on newsstands and trucks. The magazine will participate in the celebration attending the world premiere of "Captain Eddie" at the Ohio Theatre, Columbus, on August 1st, by saluting the picture with full-page ads in the Columbus Citizen and the Dispatch. In addition, arrangements are being made for the posting of 3000 "Captain Eddie" posters throughout Columbus in advance of the premiere. The Columbus ads will undergo appropriate changes for the New York engagement at the Roxy, beginning August 8. More Area Premieres Set For 'Back to Bataan' S. Barret McCormick, RKO Radio director of advertising and publicity, RKO Radio Pictures, announced last week that plans have been completed for additional dates in the series of area premieres on "Back to Bataan." Following its opening in the New England area, spearheaded by a Hollywood premiere at the RKO Keith Memorial Theatre, Boston, "Back to Bataan" had its next area premiere July 4 at the Palace, Cincinnati ; Keith, Dayton and Emboyd, Ft. Wayne, plus 39 dates in the Cincinnati territory and 34 in the Indianapolis area. Anthony Quinn, Fely Franquelli and "Ducky" Louie, all featured in the film, made personal appearances. Dave Cantor, RKO Radio western field supervisor, left last week to make advance preparations for the area premieres of "Back to Bataan" to be held at the Golden Gate, San Francisco, and Hill St. and Pantages Theatres in Los Angeles on July 18 and 19. He will also set up advance preparations for a July 31 premiere of the picture at the Paramount in Seattle and the Orpheum in Portland. Brooklyn Tieup Aids 'Cottage' The RKO Albee Theatre received some gratis newspaper advertising for its engagement of RKO Radio's "The Enchanted Cottage" through a tieup with the Ben Tucker Fur Salon. Latter emporium ran two-column ads reading "Thanks RKO for the privilege of seeing 'The Enchanted Cottage,' etc." and featuring an "Enchanted Persian Lamb" inspired by the film. Store paid for both ad and 20 tickets as giveaways.