Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1949)

SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, December 31, 1949 21 TWO 'PORTS' CAMPAIGN PARADE. As part of the campaign for the recent world premiere of Eagle Lion's "Port of New York" at the Pilgrim Theatre in Boston, Miss Port of New York (Bernice Temple) and Miss Port of Boston (Linda Daye), took part in a mammoth parade arranged by American Theatres' Paul Levi. Adapt Boston Premiere Campaign For ^Port of New York^ Key Runs The promotion campaign which led Eagle Lion's "Port of New York" to record-breaking holdover business in its world premiere at the Pilgrim in Boston is to be used as a pattern in all future key engagements, with full details made available to theatres in an 11 -page brochure that supplements the regular press book. Under the direction of Eagle Lion Ad-PubExploitation Manager Leon Brandt the bow of the narcotics-smuggling drama was executed by Paul Levi, advertising director of American Theatres, and Eagle Lion Exploitation Manager Lige O'Brien and Exploiteers Joe Mansfield and Milt Overman. Deciding upon a title-selling basis, the showmen first set up "Miss Port of New York" and "Miss Port of Boston" contests, the Nev\' York model chosen in citywide competition being dispatched via U. S. Customs cutter to the Hub City as the guest of her counter-part there. With her she took a print of the picture, a screening of which was held on board a large ship with officials of the Port of Boston, the Coast Guard and the U. S. Customs Office and representatives of the press and radio in attendance. "Miss Port of New York" proceeded to 20 radio and many press interviews in Boston, and on Thanksgiving Day joined "Miss Port of Boston" in a three-hour parade of ship-floats, sound-trucks and bannered cars through the main sections of the city. The "ship" from which the girls threw candy kisses to Bostonians was later launched on a herald-distributing land voyage to New York City. Also on a personal appearance tour, which included 14 radio shows, was Yul Brynner, one of the "heavies" in the film. Mass distributions included a "wanted" herald featuring Brynner's face and distributed to the Thanksgiving Day crowd at White Stadium ; dope capsules ("This is the straight dope — see 'Port of New York'," etc.) ; and cards tacked to lampposts and parking meters and hung on 8,000 downtown store doorknobs (21 stores tied in their Thanksgiving window displays with the film). The Customs people provided the ad and publicity writers with highly quotable commendations of the picture. Newspaper publicity breaks, as well as the already partially enumerated radio plugs, were tremendous. What other word when they cover three weeks and appear in every paper in town ? What really has Eagle Lion — and Boston — talking, however, is the Post's use in its holiday issue of five separate publicity stories. This "Port" looks like a happy haven. Kid With a Toad Free Four days in advance of the "Ichabod and Mr. Toad," playdate, Loren Parker of the Liberty, Cumberland, Ky., ran a line in his newspaper ads that the first 25 kids coming to the box-office with a toad would be admitted free. Taps All Outlets For Double Bill No publicity outlets were left untapped in exploiting Eagle Lion's double bill of "Trapped" and "Down Memory Lane" at Warners' Strand in Akron, Ohio, through the united efforts of Manager Millard Oakes and EL Exploiteer Sid Newman. liaving two pictures to promote, they had two different sales appeals — the drama and action of "Trapped" and the music, nostalgic appeal and big star names of the past in "Down Memory Lane." There were two barrels to their exploitation gun — but they kept the barrels together' so that whichever had the most shot, there were some left in the second barrel for the other picture. The .\kron Beacon Journal came through with a classified ad page contest in which names of Akron residents appeared here and there in the columns, plus liberal art and story breaks. It also had a large display box on both pictures in which residents whose names appeared in the ad columns were invited to identify themselves and receive tickets to see both films. Akron's largest five and ten, Scott's, supplied thousands of lollipops for distribution around town and in the store, each attached to a card reading : "Don't be a sucker for the phony money racket — See 'Trapped' and 'Down Memory Lane'," etc. The Army recruiting service posted on its large display easels about town this copy : "Are you 'Trapped' without a career? Join the Army . . ." with film, theatre and playdate credits. The YMCA and the YWC-^ displayed posters and stills for both pictures and two radio stations played "Memory Lane" songs with full credits. Polsky's department sttore lent its main window for a display of the Robert Lewis Taylor biography of "W. C. Fields." YOUR U-l BRANCH MAHAGER