Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1946)

14 152 Theatres, 19 Circuits In ^Quentiii^ Premieres A record total of 152 theatres, involving 19 circuits, participated in the New England premiere this week of RKO Radio's "San Quentin." With the Boston Theatre in Boston as the spearhead, other circuits opening the film simultaneously included M & P (Paramount), RKO, Warners, Western Massachusetts, Schine, Fieber & Shea, Maine & New Hampshire, Interstate (Boston), Ralph Snider, E. M. Loew, Andrew Tegu, Fabian Theatres, Kallet Circuit, Dipson Theatres, Nathan Yamins, Harry Zeitz, Joseph Mathieu and the Berinstein Brothers. Appearing in person in connection with the area premieres were Lawrence Tierney, star of "San Quentin," Barbara Hale and Bill Williams, RKO contract players, and Mike Mazurki, Dewey Robinson and George E. Stone. Aiding in assuring the success of the affair was the entire RKO northeastern division under Gus Schaefer and including Ross Cropper, Elmer Lux, Barney Pitkin and Max Westebbe, plus a number of RKO field representatives. Koretc Princess Pat in Monogram Film Tieups Koret of California photographed June Preisser and Noel Neill for its second big nationwide tieup on Monogram's Teen-Agers series. Cooperative effort on "High School Hero" was so effective that Koret bounced back with even bigger magazine campaign for "Vacation Days," soon to be released. In addition to magazines used in previous campaign, Koret will use Charm and a large group of garment trade magazines. Princess Pat cosmetics, which has also used Miss Preisser in its Liptone advertising, also photographed her in color last week for a renewal on the same campaign, plus an additional campaign on rouge. Ads will hit Harper's Bazaar and other class fashion magazines. SWAMPED WITH REPLIES. Manager Leo Rosen of Warners' Strand, Albany, N. Y., is literally snowed under as Sally Richardson of the Times-Union delivers replies from the newspaper's readers who were challenged to guess the identities of the two stars of Warners' "The Verdict." Eyes of the stars provided the only clue. Replies included 46 telegrams, 250 specials and over 11.000 letters. Revives 'Siring' Sfunf One of the most effective gags used to exploit any picture in a long time was the "string" stunt used by manager Dick Peffley of the Paramount, Fremont, Ohio, on "The Big Sleep." On entering the theatre during the week prior to the film's showing each patron was given a length of string to keep. Then in the middle of the newsreel a trailer told audiences, "As you entered the theatre you were given a string. Please take the string from your purse or pocket. (Pause) Now tie this string around your finger to remind you to see 'The Big Sleep' starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, etc." One-City Campaign Set For 'Arch of Triumph' A one-city exploitation campaign in New York on behalf of "Arch of Triumph" has been efTected by Enterprise with the Aquatogs Company. The campaign, which begins in March, will include full-page ads in color (where reproduction permits) in all metropolitan newspapers as well as in 15 "slick" magazines, car cards in all intra-city transit lines and commuter trains, and extensive radio spot announcements tieing in with department store campaigns three weeks prior to the New York premiere of the film. The entire campaign will be tested for consumer penetration by the advertising agency placing the space and used as a basis for similar campaigns in 11 other large cities in advance of their playdates. 'Red House', the Post In National Tieup A national tieup has been ararnged by United Artists with the Saturday Evening Post on Sol Lesser's "The Red House" whereby the magazine will feature a scene still and copy on the picture in its national ads running in 26 key cities throughout the country. Special advertising in the amusement sections of newspapers in smaller communities is also being planned by the Post. Lon McCallister, who has a co-starring role with Edward G. Robinson in the picture, will be featured in special publicity by the Post's promotion department. Stanley Lambert Named Filmack Ad Director Appointment of Stanley Lambert as advertising director of the Filmack Corporation was announced this week by Sales Manager Irving Mack. Lambert will be in charge of the comliany's advertising department, which is being enlarged to handle both special trailers and the forthcoming prevuc trailer service. Lambert, well known in midwest theatre circles, comes to Filmack from the Alexander h'ilm Company of Colorado Springs. He was also formerly associated with Warner Theatres in Chicago and Wisconsin. Harold Perlinan, editor of the Mlmack pui)lication, "Inspiration," will continue in that capacity. SHDWMENS TRA.-^E REVIEW, December 7, 1946 Benefit Premiere Opens ^U' Cincinnati Showcase The opening of the new Keith's Theatre in Cincinnati on Thanksgiving Day as a new Universal first-run showcase assumed the proportions of a major civic event spearheaded, as it was, by a special benefit premiere on Thanksgiving Eve for the Cincinnati effort on behalf of the War Nurses' Memorial Fund. Ginger Rogers, star of "Magnificent Doll," the Jack H. Skirball-Bruce Manning production with which the house was opened, appeared in person heading a group of actors and entertainers present for the benefit show. Miss Rogers presented the check, which represented the contributions obtained through the benefit, to the committee headed by Roger H. Ferger, publisher of the Cincinnati Enquirer, chairman of the Ohio State committee for the fundraising campaign. The Nurses' Fund benefit and the formal opening of the theatre as a Universal showcase, the company's first outside of New York where it has a long-term lease on the Winter Garden Theatre, was given an extensive promotion campaign with Universal representatives from New York, including Al Horwitz and Charles Simonelli, participating. Newspaper advertising in the Cincinnati papers starting more than a week in advance, heralded the theatre's reopening and announced the opening film. "Everything is new but the name," said one of the ads. No tickets were sold for the benefit but receipts for contributions of $5, $10, $15 or more to the Nurses' Memorial were exchanged for seats for the performance at the city's Hospitality House on Fountain Square. Renovation of the theatre was rushed to completion for the opening. The Cincinnati and Ohio effort on behalf of the War Nurses' Memorial Fund was part of a national effort to raise $2,500,000 for a recreation building in Washington dedicated to nurses who served in the Armed Forces of World War II. There was extensive newspaper coverage of Miss Rogers' appearance, including editorials. FEMININE INTEREST. Fashion windows on Paramount's "Blue Skies" are declared to be arousing feminine interest in the Technicolor musical. Such a display is that shown above, one of three used at the R. H. White department store in Boston. The tieup was arranged by Arnold Van Leer, Paramount representative in that city.