Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1949)

SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, December 24. 1949 Plan 'Mrs. Mike' US-Canada Debuts Plans are under way at United Artists for an "across the board and border" premiere of "Mrs. Mike," which will make its bow in midJanuary in Boston, birthplace of the original Mrs. Mike, and simultaneously in the sister cities of the U. S. and Canada all the length of the 3,000-mile border. Included in the "across the border" premieres will be Montreal, Toronto, Regina, London and Ottawa, with plans crystallizing for similar festivities in Vancouver, Winnipeg and Quebec. Premiere cities on the American side will include Boston, Buffalo, Dayton, Cleveland, Toledo, Detroit and Chicago, with Milwaukee. Minneapolis. Duluth. Spokane and Seattle still pending. In addition, "Mrs. Mike" will premiere "across the board" in mid-January in Kansas City, New Orleans, Atlanta, Providence, Syracuse, Columbus, Washington, ^lemphis, St. Louis, Akron, Harrisburg, Reading, Wilmington, Pittsburgh. Nashville, Richmond. Louisville. Canton and many other cities. U-l to Premiere 3 Films in January L'niversal-International will mark the start of 1950 with "World Premiere Month," featuring the premieres of "Borderline," "South Sea Sinner" and "Woman in Hiding." "Borderline" opens at the Paramount and Webber theatres in Denver on Jan. 24, and the Utah in Salt Lake City on Jan. 26, to launch several Colorado and Utah territorial openings. World premiere of "South Sea Sinner" at the Missouri in St. Louis on Jan. 12 and the 50 day-and-date openings are being tied-in with a homecoming celebration for Shelley Winters, star of the film, who will be on hand for interviews, personal appearances and a round of civic events. "Woman in Hiding" will bow at the Lafayette theatre in Buffalo on Jan. 7, climaxing an extensive promotion campaign. Ornstein Gets Santa Claus Standees in Schools A neat and inexpensive method of creating goodwill for his theatres — and incidentally also for himself — has been found by President Eddie I. Ornstein of the Ornstein Theatres, headquartering in Marengo, Ind. He succeeded in having large cut-out standees of Santa Claus placed in the corridors of schools in the cities where the circuit has theatres. Each cut-out figure of St. Nick is captioned with names of the theatre owners and of the local manager, name of the house, plus a "Merrj' Christmas" greeting. The stunt has gone over big with the school children and has created much favorable comment by their parents and the townspeople in general. — LOU. Mezzanine 'Side Show' Is 'Task Force' Plug Manager James Hardiman of the Odeon Theatre, London, Ont., arranged a "side show" on the mezzanine, consisting of a 16-mm. film, "The Navy Flies," which he screened without extra charge every night during the engagement of "Task Force." The side-show film was produced for the Royal Canadian Navy Fleet Air Arm and hence tied in well with the theme of "Task Force," as did the lobby exhibit of naval arms and equipment.— TOR. SANTA GOLDWYN. Producer Samuel Goldwyn played Santa Claus this week to some 2,400 underprivileged children of Los Angeles at a two-day "My Foolish Heart Christmas Present Party" at the United Artists Theatre. There were presents for every child attending, and a forty-foot Christmas tree. Goldwyn was assisted by Pat DeCicco, operating head of the United Artists Theatre Circuit in California, and the circuit's Community Service department. THE NEW PRESS BOOKS You would expect Danny Kaye to dominate the ads on "The Inspector General," and he does, although in some of the layouts in the Warner Bros, press book he gets some eye-catching feminine assistance from Barbara Bates in some mighty fetching poses. Kaye is seen cavorting in his "general" costume, whether dancing or apparently swinging through the air, while Miss Bates is seen at a window in most of the ads. Some of the catchlines: "Never Such Danny Kaye-pers!" — "There'll Be Laughter to the Rafters!" — "Everything Is Fine and Danny! Here's the Dandiest, Laughiest, Song-and-Danciest Delight Ever from Warner Bros." The Kaye figure in the 24-sheet will make an excellent cutout for the marquee. It's difficult to heed the advice in the MGM press book cover ' ad on "Tension." The top catchline warns: "Stay Awav From Her, Sucker, Or You'll Wake Up Dead!" And all one has to stay away from is a curvaceous miss (Audrey Totter), sitting in a sort of negligee with legs crossed. That ad should get plenty of attention and sell tickets. As a matter of fact, it looks as though most of the ads will get attention, for Audrey is in nearly every one of 'em in one eye-catching pose or another. As for the catchlines (as though any would be necessary, what with Audrey to grab and hold the eye), this one seems to stand out: "In Every Two-Timing Kiss You Will Feel Tension — In Every Thrilling Minute of This Exciting Story." A page is devoted to exploitation stunts that appear to be practical and productive, and the 24-sheet is the make-em-want-to-see-the-picture kind. That goes for the other posters and accessories, too. O'Dwyer Chairman Of Premiere Committee Mayor William O'Dwyer will be chairman of the committee sponsoring the American premiere of "Dream No Alore," a new feature from Israel, at the Ambassador Theatre on Jan. 5. Formation of a committee of notables has already begun. 15 State to Sponsor ^Montana^ Debut First motion picture premiere ever to be held in Montana will take place Jan. 10 at the Marlow Theatre in Helena when Warner Bros.' Technicolor "Montana" has its opening with the official resources of . the state concentrated on the event. Mort Blumenstock, Warners' ad and publicity vice-president, has concluded a series of conferences with Governor John W. Bonner and leading state officials regarding plans for the Montana Bonanza W^orld Premiere and the statewide series of special events which will be conducted in connection with the opening. Prior to his departure for the company's studio in Burbank, Calif., where he was to confer with studio executives, Blumenstock announced in Helena the appointment of Bill Steege, former Fox Theatres official and Montana's pioneer showman, as general chairman of the ^lontana Bonanza World Premiere. Governor Bonner was host last Saturday evening at a special screening of "Montana" for all heads of state departments, newspaper executives, radio and wire service representatives. The premiere is being made an official activity of the state, with Al Erickson, Montana publicity director, and General Chairman Steege cooperating on the planning. Prince of Foxes' Bows As Hospital Benefit With the United Hospital Fund as the beneficiary, the American premiere of 20th-Fox's "Prince of Foxes" was held Thursday evening in New York at the Roxy Theatre. One of the gala aft'airs of the holiday season, the premiere was attended by social and political leaders, and screen, radio and screen stars. Plans for the event, and the sale of tickets, were handled through a United Hospital Fund committee. A highlight of the ceremonies in front of the theatre was a concert of Italian songs by the 50-voice Italian Folklore Societj'. Special tiers were built near the lobby entrance, and the group, wearing ancestral or authentic copies of Italian costumes, entertained "sidewalk superintendents" before the celebrities arrived. Song Plugger in Audience Helps 'Doll' Campaign An idea that ^lanager Joe Burns of the Glove. Gloversville, N. Y., had to promote his showing of "Oh, You Beautiful Doll," greatly stimulated audience interest in his next feature. , He stationed a song-plugger in the audience a week in advance and had three songs from the picture rendered, with an old-time piano player furnishing the accompaniment, with slides giving the words of the songs so the audience could join in. A spotlight was turned upon the songplugger in the auditorium. The song-plugger and slides were later used before an audience of 300 at a community center party. 'Duplicate' Window Stunt To promote "Oh, You Beautiful Doll." Manager Ray Helson of the Seneca. Salamanca. N. Y.. tried out the "duplicate" window display in the window of a tie-in drug store. Any person spotting a duplicate of an article in the window was accorded a pass to see the film.