Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1947)

SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, March I, 1947 19 SELLING THE PICTURE Passes Dropped from Sky Cox's 'Deception' Stunt One hundred passes for Warners' "Deception" were dropped from an airplane passing over a crowd of 25,000 persons attending the air show in Lexington, Ky., as a promotional stunt for the picture by Bob Cox, manager of Schine's Lexington Theatre. There was the usual mad scramble for the free ducats, bringing the showing to the attention of many thousands on the field. Cox was enlisted by the air field authorities to serve as announcer at the show which gave him a good opening to arrange for the stunt. The same plane that dropped the passes also scattered about 5,000 heralds over the crowd. Cox also arranged for the distribution of heralds to all of the several thousands autos parked about the field. Point of Sale Advertising to be Key of 20th-Fox 1947 Selling Campaigns Point of sale advertising will be the key to all 20th Century-Fox publicity and exploitation campaigns for 1947, Charles Schlaifer, advertising and publicity director, announced last week at the company's national sales conference in Xew York. Schlaifer explained to the sales managers that planned openings of pictures in key situations would be designed to have impact not only in the immediate area but in the entire nation. The experience gained from the campaign on "The Razor's Edge," beginning with the world premiere at the Roxy Theatre and subsequently carried on through the entire country, will be applied to every one of the 20 pictures to be JANUARYFEBRUARY INDEX JANUARY, 1947 Equipment and Maintenance Section Jan. 4, pp. E1-E27 Exploitation Campaign — by Pictures Bad Bascomb Jan. 25, p. 10 Badman's Territory, Jan. 11, p. 26; Jan. 18, p. 24 Big Sleep Jan. 4, p. 22 Blue Skies Jan. 25, p. 20 Centennial Summer, Jan. 4, p. 21; Jan. 18, p. 17 Courage of Lassie Jan. 4, p. 24 Falcon's Alibi Jan. 18, p. 16 Holiday in Mexico, Jan. 4, p. 25; Jan. 18, p. 21 I've Always Loved You .. .Jan. 18, p. 21 Joe Palooka, Champ, Jan. 4, p. 24; Jan. 11, p. 27 Jolson Story Jan. 25, p. 20 Lady Luck Jan. 11, p. 26 Man I Love, The Jan. 25, p. 22 Magnificent Doll Jan. 25, p. 21 Margie Jan. 11, pp. 26, 27 Mr. Ace Jan. 4, p. 25 My Dog Shep Jan. 18, p. 17 No Leave, No Love Jan. 11, p. 26 Nobody Lives Forever Jan. 4, p. 24 Rage in Heaven Jan. 24, pp. 24, 25 Razor's Edge Jan. 11, p. 23 Renegades Jan. 25, p. 21 Strange Woman Jan. 4, p. 22 Suspense Jan. 4, p. 21 Three Little Girls in Blue, Jan. 11, p. 23; Jan. 11. p. 27; Jan. 11, p. 24 The Time, the Place, the Girl, Jan. 18, p. 17 Till the Clouds Roll By Jan. 18, p. 17 Undercurrent, Jan. 4, p. 21; Jan. 25, p. 19 Verdict. .Jan. 4, pp. 21, 24; Jan. 18, p. 17 Exploitation Campaigns — by Stunts Freckle Contest Jan. 18, p. 24 Giant Post Card Stunt Jan. 4, p. 24 "Heart Test" Stunt Jan. 11, p. 26 Movie Quiz Radio Show.... Jan. 11, p. 28 Radio Tieup Jan. 25, p. 22 Street Snapshot Stunt Jan. 4, p. 24 Leading Showmanship Campaigns of 1947 The Jolson Story Jan. 18, p. 20 Money Dates Jan. 4, p. 25 Show Builder Jan. 4, p. 36 FEBRUARY, 1947 Brass Tacks of Theatre Management A Silver Anniversary Cavalcade, Feb. 15, p. 17 Causes & Effects of a "Slump". Feb. 1, p. 36 How Many Tickets Will Your Ad Sell, , Feb. 22, p. 13 Equipment and Maintenance Section, Feb. 1, pp. E1-E32 Exploitation Campaigns — by Pictures, Angel on My Shoulder Feb. 1, p. 21 Beast With Five Fingers, Feb. 8, p. 21; Feb. 22, p. 22 Blue Skies Feb. 15, p. 23 Bringing Up Father Feb. 15, p. 23 Canyon Passage Feb. 1, p. 17 Chase, The, Feb. 8, pp. 17, 21; Feb. 15, p. 25 Claudia & David Feb. 22, p. 21 Dark Mirror Feb. 8, p. 17 Holiday in Mexico Feb. 8, p. 21 Humoresque Feb. 22, p. 24 Lil Abner Feb. 1, p. 21 Margie Feb. 15, p. 26 Monsier Beaucaire Feb. 1, p. 17 Never Say Goodbye Feb. 22, p. 22 Night and Day Feb. 8, p. 17 No Leave, No Love Feb. 1, p. 20 Nora Prentiss Feb. 15, p. 23 Our Hearts Were Young & Gay, Feb. 8, p. 21 Razor's Edge Feb. 8, p. 20 Renegades Feb. 1, p. 21 Secret Heart Feb. 22, p. 21 Sinbad the Sailor Feb. 15, p. 23 Song of the South Feb. 8, p. 21 The Time, The Place, The Girl, Feb. 15, p. 25 Three Wise Fools Feb. 1, p. 18 Two Guys From Milwaukee. Feb. 15, p. 26 Undercurrent Feb. 22, p. 24 Verdict, The Feb. 1, p. 20 Exploitation Campaigns — by Stunts Alert Showmanship Hints... Feb. 1, p. 18 "Double" Contest Feb. 22, p. 24 "Screen Test" Stunt Feb. 1, p. 21 Radio Tieup Feb. 15, p. 26 Leading Showmanship Campaigns of 1947 Duel in the Sun Feb. 8, p. 16 The Yearling Feb. 15, p. 24 Money Dates for March Feb. 1, p. 22 Show Builder Feb. 1, p. 39 Theatre Management Articles Correct Factors Causing Drop in Patronage Feb. 8, p. 23 Marquee Maintenance Can Save Electricity Costs Feb. 22, p. 13 released this year, Schlaifer pointed out. "We have completed all our plans for every picture on this year's schedule up to and including 'Forever Amber' and 'Captain from Castile'," Schlaifer said. "Finished advertising layouts are ready now on releases from March through October including such productions as 'Alexander's Ragtime Band,' 'The Late George Apley,' 'Carnival in Costa Rica,' 'The Ghost and Mrs. Muir,' 'The Homestretch,' 'Moss Rose,' 'Miracle on 34th Street,' 'Bob, Son of Battle,' 'Kiss of Death,' 'Nightmare Alley,' 'I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now,' 'The Walls of Jericho,' 'Snake Pit' and 'Mother Wore Tights.' "While our plans are complete now they are flexible enough so that we can add to them new ideas and new thoughts as we approach the release of each picture. With this long range planning we have been able to step up the effectiveness of each campaign to a greater degree than ever before attained." The publicity campaign on each picture begins at its very inception and is carried on intensively by Harry Brand and his studio publicity-advertising department, it was explained. These campaigns are started by Brand in many instances more than a year in advance of release date and are diligently sustained during that time, with careful coordination between the studio and the home office. Pictures must be protected all along the line to insure maximum box office returns, Schlaifer emphasized, and it is necessary for the advertising and exploitation forces to know every situation in the United States so that no matter in what theatre a picture plays it can be properly exploited. To this end, the periodic trips into the field for conferences with exhibitors and advertising men, which Schlaifer started last year, will be continued this year. The first of these trips will be made early in March and will cover the southern territory. On this two weeks' tour Schlaifer will be accompanied by several members of his advertising and publicity staff. This trip will be followed by other excursions into different territories and it is planned to continue this contact with the field at regular intervals in order to keep pace with changing conditions. To further implement a closer contact with the field, the company's zone exploitation men also will be brought together from time to time to discuss greater concentration of 20th-Fox advertising in local areas and to make the point of sale advertising more effective. Smelling Salts Stunt For Warners' 'Beast' In advance of the opening of Warners' "The Beast With Five Fingers," the Melba Theatre, Dallas, one of the Interstate Circuit houses operated by Karl Hoblitzelle and Bob O'Donnell, distributed several thousand small envelopes containing salt and stamped in bold red letters : "Smelling salts for your convenience when you see the super-horror super hit 'Beast With Five Fingers' starting Sunday at the Melba Theatre." The stunt created a lot of good-humored talk and proved effective.