Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1949)

12 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, Oct&ber 8, 1949 REAL AFRICAN ATMOSPHERE was effected for the showing of RKO Radio's "Savage Splendor" at the Million Dollar Theatre in Los Angeles. Crowds gather in front of the theatre (above) to watch the "natives" go through one of their dances. 20th-Fox Goes Beyond Nation, Plans ^Prince of Foxes^ Global Premieres Time was when a premiere in Hollywood was something to hear about and marvel at, but seen by few. Then someone decided that if it could be done in Hollywood, why not New York? And so Hollywood and New York became premiere cities. But despite all the hoopla and bright lights and cele^brities and all that sore of thing, you couldn't impress the greatest number of people with the importance of a premiere if you confined it to Hollywood and iNew York. So other large cities came into the orbit — Chicago, St. Louis, Atlanta, Miami, etc. That was ringing-in more people, but it still wasn't enough. Why not have simultaneous premieres, with the picture bowing in two or more cities at a time? No sooner said than done, and it was successful. More people were reached — but couldn't even more be reached? Yes, they could — through area premieres and saturation premieres and penetration premieres in which pictures were set to open simultaneously in certain territories, with hundreds of theatres taking part in day-and-date openings branching out from principal cities as the hubs IMPRESSIVE DISPLAY. This special lobby display for MGM's "The Barkleys of Broadway" was set up at Loew's State, Providence, by Manager Maurice Druker. Note how Druker also incorporates a plug for the MGM Cartoon, "The Little Orphan," into the exhibit. of activities. Stars and other celebrities came on from Hollywood to make the occasions even more glamorous and impressive and to attract more people. Had Nothing on Them More people? Yes, more and more people were linding out what a premiere was really like. Hollywood and New York had nothing on them. You could maybe even live in Hidebound, Mont, (don't look that up) and become just as familiar with premiere procedure as did the folks who inhabit the territory around Hollywood or New York. The Hollywood klieg-light affairs were being brought to the masses. Now it looks as though the premiere boys are out to tackle the world. For 20th Century-Fox announced last week that "Prince of Foxes" will have — not a one-city premiere, not an area premiere, not a saturation premiere, not a "cluster" premiere — ^but a ten-nation global premiere with fifteen of the major cities of the world opening the picture in November, running day-and-date with the film's domestic premiere at the Roxy in New York. The theatres and cities are all lined up, too : Luxor, Buenos Aires ; Rex Cine, Anvers, Belgium ; Eldorado or Eden, Charleroi, Belgium ; Liege Palace, Liege, Belgium, Palacio, Rio de Janeiro; Bolivar, Quito, Ecuador; Cairo Palace, Cairo; Odeon, London; Roxy, Hong Kong; and the Central Caracas, Venezuela. In addition, the picture will open in Australia ; Bogota, Colombia ; Call, Colombia ; and in Paris at theatres yet to be designated. Each city involved in the mass premiere will give the picture a lavish celebration. The mass launching is scheduled during the first two weeks of November following large-scale advertising, publicity and exploitation campaigns in each country. There you have it — a global premiere. Future possibility: a planets premiere with openings taking place simultaneously on Earth, Saturn, Mars, Venus, Neptune, etc. Stars (the Hollywood kind) would attend via specially chartered and bannered rocket ships. Showing for Handicapped Manager Morris Rosenthal of Loew's Poli, New Haven, Conn., screened "The Stratton Story" for physically handicapped persons in the area, admitting them free. — HFD. ^Abandoned^Bows In Detroit as Aid for Hospital Fund Under sponsorship of the Detroit Times for the benefit of the Salvation Army's Booth Memorial Hospital Fund, Universal-International's "Abandoned" had its world premiere Thursday evening at the Downtown Theatre, Detroit, with Gale Storm, star, and Meg Randall, featured player of the film, aiding in the promotional campaign and making personal appearances at the theatre. As part of the promotional activities, radio station WXYZ carried a half-hour roundtable discussion of the black market baby racket, with the program going over the American Broadcasting Company's 10-station Michigan network two nights before the premiere. The Detroit Times conducted a Premiere Queen contest, with the winner receiving valuable merchandise prizes and a vacation trip. There was extensive radio coverage of the premiere. Advance campaign was handled by Ben Katz, U-I midwest advertising and publicity representative, and Harold Butchin, special U-I field representative. Charles Simonelli, U-I executive in charge of national exploitation, aided in the windup of the campaign which started four weeks ago with a special screening for the Governor of Michigan. Oxford to Distribute 'Fame' in America American distribution rights to "Fame Is the Spur," British film version of the novel by Howard Spring, have been acquired by Oxford Films, Vice-President Edward L. Lingsley announced last week. Arrangements are being made for a November premiere in New York. Cleric Plugs 'Boundaries' A special showing of "Lost Boundaries" for women's clubs, business men and clergymen resulted in a Methodist clergyman recommending the picture from his pulpit and giving to Manager Bill Straub of the Colonia, Norwich, N. Y., the names of a number of persons to whom he could write. NO DUMMY is Leonard Tuttle, manager of the St. Albans Theatre in St. Albans, N. Y., for tieing in his "Fall Parade of Hits" with that "autumnal madness," football. Tuttle's titles are an impressive list that made it well worth his while to seek the merchant cooperation that made this lobby display possible.