Showmen's Trade Review (1945)

SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW October 20, 1945 Tried-and-Proved Stunts Can Again J3e Profitably Utilized Showmen who worry and fret in their efforts to devise some new exploitation stunt should take comfort in the fact that many of the old ones can be revived with profitable results. With the fall season now underway, it might be well to pull some of those valuable chestnuts out of the fire and utilize them again. Without going into detail, the brief form of the ideas listed here should be enough to recall the stunts to your mind so that you can put them to practical use. Check up on your neighborhood stores. Are you using the grocers' wrapping paper and bags to imprint playdates Is there an advertisement of yours on the paper napkins used in the neighborhood food and ice cream soda fountains? Does the local dress shop management have a good supply of star stills with which to dress up the windows? Have you made a deal with the local stores for a weekly "Country Store Night?" You should get that going soon, and maybe arrange to get a special trailer made up on this stunt. It's one of the best cooperative stunts we know of, and insures you all the windows and display stuff the neighborhood stores can get together for you. Contests Are Good Bets Contests, of any sort, even if only partially successful, are good bets for theatres. Simple forms of contests usually get some neighborhood store to donate a prize for an essay contest, with the use of your screen and programs, etc., for the announcement of the essay, and the awarding of the prize from your stage. For example, a pet shop donates a puppy for the best letter on "Why I Want a Dog for a Pet." A local book store Would promote a "Best Review of the Week" contest. In other words, each type of store can get a contest suited for its business, with your theatre cashing in on all of them. In addition to these, there are always the old favorites : the baby contest ; the best dressed girl contest (dressed with clothing purchased from local stores only) ; hobby contest and pet shows ; the best recipe contests, etc. There are hundreds of variations that have been tried and proved. Just start thinking about them, and the ones that will best suit you are sure to be recalled to your mind. Then again, it is always a good idea about this time of the year to sort of check up on your civic tieups. Are you going to run a special showing of some outstanding picture for the local women's club? Can you get together a group of educational shorts to show once a month for the school children in cooperation with the school department? Have you ever thought of letting the local Parent-Teacher's Association hold their monthly meetings in your theatre on a morning, at which time you could screen some interesting shorts and a couple of trailers of coming attractions? These all help to get good-will. Perhaps your local police and fire departments are having a bit of trouble raising funds for their organizations. If so, you have the chance to work with them in getting up a minstrel show, to run one or two nights, with a percentage of the receipts going to the organizations. Stunts are old because they have been tried and proved many times ; that's only logical. Therefore, they're always worth another try. That Krrapes Title MGM's "Our Vines Have Tender Grapes" was subjected to all sorts of title variations during its first-run engagement in Columbus, O. Some of the variations: "Our Vines Have Tender Leaves," "Our Vines Have Tender Shoots," "Our Grapes Are Sweet" and "Our Grapes Are Tender." But the climax came when a woman patron, probably harassed by visions of Bacchanalian orgies inspired by the "grapes" title, called and asked in a solicitous voice: "Is this picture suitable for children?" 'Nights' Campaign Puts Capital in the Mood The Warner staff, Harry Anger, George McMillan, Frank LaFalce and Bill Ewing, had Washington strictly Arabian Nights for the opening of Columbia's "A Thousand and One Nights" at the Earle Theatre. Working chiefly on tieups (there were five individual types, covering a multitude of shops), the Warner staff succeeded in blanketing the city with eye-catching displays of the picture. The Max Factor display won a complete window in a prominent shop in the downtown area, plus twentyfive 11x14 counter cards, prominently displayed throughout the store. Royal Crown Cola, in addition to supplying all dealers with counter cards announcing the opening, covered the sides of delivery trucks with full length banners crediting the picture and the playdate. The tieup with the local Nedick Stores won counter displays in all of the shops, each carrying proper credits to the picture and playdate. Brentanos gave a full window to the film, featuring books dealing with the Arabian Nights. One of the better downtown florists decorated his window around an Adele Jergens display, with numerous stills from the production. Here again, full credit went to the Earle. Three library displays were effected, one in the main branch, which consisted of a lobby display and attractive credit cards on the main desk, and two with neighborhood branches. These were similar in composition. NOVEL 'WONDER MAN' CURTAIN 'TRAILER.' Utilizing bromide, handcolored enlargements, each of a Goldwyn Girl, Manager Jerry Bloedow of the RKO Orpheum, Des Moines, arranged this novel stage "trailer" for use in advance of the showing of "Wonder Man," RKO Radio release. A compoboard banner was placed across the top of the curtain which was suspended just in front of the traveler. Showmen can duplicate this effective stunt. Radio, Papers, Cards, Banners Publicize 'Gl Joe' in Toledo "The Story of GI Joe," Lester Cowan-United Artists release, was ushered into Loew's Valentine in Toledo with a pre-campaign buildup which included radio spot announcements, newspapers, window cards and banners. Manager Teschner used advance ads in the Toledo Times and the Blade, also the Union Journal. Radio spots broke, over stations WTOL and WSPD in a three-dayc campaign through the opening. A special screening was arranged for the American Legion critics, service men, etc., resulting in wide advance publicity. Buckeye News trucks carried banners starting two days ahead of play-date,,for continous coverage throughout Toledo. Displays and bookmarks were distributed in Lamson's, LaSalle and Koch, Hirsch's and Lion's, all book stores. One hundred and fifty special window cards boosting the engagement of the picture were used in the downtown and outlying areas of Toledo.