Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1945)

20 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW May 5, 1945 MGM's Subsequent-Run Ads Aid Neighborhood Theatres Three sample ads shown here are in reduced size and have appeared in two column widthsa and about 7 inches deep in Chicago and other newspapers. The ad for "Mrs. Parkington"g indicates the usage of the blank space in the other two ads in which theatre names and starting dates of the pictures would normally appear. ^ An example of service to exhibitors where it really counts is the subsequent run advertisingprepared by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's home office advertising department for the benefit of exhibitors in neighborhood runs where such advertising may be used with greatest value. In giving a lift to pictures for which the first run ad and exploitation campaigns have longsince been finished MGM has been placing this type of advertising in Chicago suburbs particularly, where upwards of fifty theatres share in the advertising benefits, and occasionally in Detroit, where the infrequency of insertions has been more or less unavoidable due to the limits of newspaper space. Where bookings permit these ads have been inserted in Kansas City newspapers, too. Recently through its Philadelphia office MGM Ties Scout Salvage Drive With Tomorrow the World' Campaign Manager Michael Stranger, Loew's Theatre, White Plains, tied in his showing of "Tomorrow the World," ■w'hich has a Boy Scout angle, with the General Eisenhower Boy Scout Waste Paper Salvage Week, making his theatre the focal point of the drive in his locality. In cooperation with Charles A. Vunck, chairman of the City Boy Scouts Salvage Drive, arrangements were made to award Medals and Pins from the stage of the theatre "for meritorious service." A $25 war bond prize has been offered by the theatre to the Scout Troop bringing in the most paper during the entire drive which extends through April. In addition to newspaper announcements, school bulletin boards made room for notices about the drive and the picture and the local radio station featured it in its weekly quiz program. Stranger has devoted part of his limited lobby space to an exhibition of Boy Scout participation in the campaign and intends to maintain it throughout the drive, thus capitalizing on future picture exhibitions. did a subsequent run promotion in newspapers and by way of special heralds on "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" in the New Jersey territory. This subsequent run advertising policy of MGM's home office advertising department goes a long way to alleviate oft repeated complaints from exhibitors that the importance . and force of the excellent ad campaigns essayed for first run theatres often has been dissipated when the picture plays the subsequent run theatre anytime from 90 to 20 days after the first run. Reports from exhibitors compiled in Leaders of the Motion Picture Edition of Showmen's Trade Review also have mirrored requests from exhibitors' for aid, which is being given by MGM for its top productions whenever subsequent run booking arrangements make this procedure possible. Radio Stunt Aids 'Seeing You' Opening at Philadelphia For the opening of "I'll Be Seeing You" at the Fox Theatre in Philadelphia, Paul Morris, United Artists representative, and Elmer Pickard, manager of the Fox, set up a novel radio stunt in which five members of the armed forces made telephone calls to their families scattered in various parts of the country. A local radio station announced that telephones would be set up in the theatre lobby from which the three Soldiers, one Wac and a Sailor would talk to their families and that the station would broadcast the conversations. Newspapers were serviced with photos and stories of the human interest event. 'Burma' Aids WMC in Boston Paramount and Fenway theatres in Boston, in cooperation with the local War Manpower Commission, arranged a full window display on Warners' "Objective Burma" in the R. H. White Company store. Display showed some of the essential war materials made in New England, with cards urging people to "get a war job." Contest Springboard of Campaign on Tree' When PM devoted a full-page spread to a pigtail contest held by a children's society in New York, Hal Horne, director of publicityadvertising-exploitation, had 20th Century-Fox's press book department incorporate the basic idea into the campaign book for "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn." Clearance for reproduction of the page was obtained from PM and the stunt converted to an easily-worked contest focussed on Peggy Ann Garner, who wears pigtails in the film. A good example of how the stunt is working out first came from Bridgeport, where Loew's Poli, which took its cue from the press book on "Tree," garnered at least 1600 lines of publicity through stories and pictures in local Ijapers, with apparent results at the box-office. The theatre captured ISOO additional admissions through attendance on the part of families and friends of 500 youngsters who entered the pigtail contest. Stunt was worked by Lou Brown, New England publicity director of the Poli Circuit, Matt Saunders, manager of Loew's Poli, and Ralph Stitt of the exploitation department. The tie-in on the contest was with the Bridgeport Post, which ran details, plus pictures, for several days, with heavy credit for the picturization of the Betty Smith bestseller. Ryan Urges Warner Employes in Chicago Area to Foster Courtesy {Continued from Page 19) does no harm to smile and say 'good evening' even if it is raining. There is a tremendous asset in a pleasant smile, and the man behind that smile has a big advantage, especially in business. "Some employes are so naturally pleasant that the public finds real satisfaction in dealing with them, but there are some whose attitude is so irritating that patrons go out of their way to avoid them and suggest to their friends to do likewise. Most of us ignore the absurd slight to our intelligence, but it is only sensible to admit that we do have a strong tendency toward blinding ourselves to realities. That common fault to mankind in general has undoubtedly brought more serious trouble to both individuals and nations than any other thing. "In closing, I will quote Ralph Waldo Emerson : 'He who a thousand friends has never one to spare, and he who has one enemy will meet him everywhere'." Endorsement, Coloring Contest Aids 'Caballeros' in Pittsburgh An endorsement by the Better Film Division of the American Federation of Women's Clubs, was the result of a special screening held for officials of that organization for Walt Disney's "The Three Caballeros" in connection with the picture's showing at the Penn Theatre in Pittsburgh. The endorsement was mailed to the organization's list of 30,000 persons. A coloring contest, sponsored by the public schools, cooperative ads and window displays were other highlights of the campaign. Riester's 'Personal Endorsement' Helps Sell 'Roughly Speaking' George Riester, general manager for Doc Buckley Theatres, utilized the "personal endorsement" angle to good effect in his campaign on Warners' "Roughly Speaking" at the Capitol, Shamokin, Pa., and other houses. By playing up the family appeal of the picture, with his personal assurance that the customers would not be disappointed, he brought in considerably better than regular "A" business.