Ballyhoo (1961)

Page scan 0001 from Ballyhoo

Record Details:

Title:
Ballyhoo
Date:
1961
Volume:
Time Out for Ticket Talk (1961, no date)
Leaf #:
0001
Language:
English
Collection:
Canada, Global Cinema, and Hollywood Studio System
Format:
Periodicals
Contributor:
Media History Digital Library, Greig Dymond in memory of David Dymond, Paul Moore and Jessica Whitehead
Coordinator:
Media History Digital Library
Description:

Ballyhoo

  • Ontario 'B' District Ballyhoo, editor: Dan Krendel (1952-55)
  • Profit Blitz for ‘Fitz’, editor: Dan Krendel (1955)
  • National Ballyhoo, editor: Dan Krendel (1956-57)
  • Time Out for Ticket Talk, editor: Norman Barker (1960-61)

Ballyhoo (1952-61) was published by Famous Players Canadian Corporation as a mimeographed internal sales and theatre managers’ newsletter. Editor, Dan Krendel, had been division manager of the Ontario ‘B’ District since 1942, and initially created Ballyhoo in 1952 to circulate weekly updates for a regional sales contest. Ontario ‘B’ District Ballyhoo continued until 1955 as a tool for sharing and incentivizing new sales techniques and publicity methods as the movie business declined in the face of television and the baby boom.

In Fall 1955, Profit Blitz for ‘Fitz’ was a nationwide sales contest, named for Famous Players’ president J. J. Fitzgibbons, honouring his 25th year as head of the business. Dan Krendel was made National Drive Captain and edited a weekly newsletter for the campaign.

From 1956 until at least 1957, National Ballyhoo was published weekly with Krendel as editor. He continued the style and content developed earlier for his Ontario ‘B’ District, but now extended vastly for a chain-wide coast to coast scale. Ballyhoo’s sharing promotional tools came at a time of contracting box office as television and automobile ownership became prevalent in the mid-1950s.

By 1960 until at least 1961, Time Out for Ticket Talk continued as a mimeographed newsletter, edited by Norman Barker of the head office publicity department. Time Out was compiled on a less ambitious scale than Ballyhoo. Compared to the earlier national compilation of local publicity gimmicks, Time Out often contained only a single memo or reproduced local story, and was often undated and only informally edited.

– Paul Moore, March 2024

Date Added:
April 11, 2024
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"NAMILTON:S COOKIE COIN KIDDIES SHOWS" This particular promotion has been successfully used two seasons at the Royal theatre, Truro, N.S., by Gerry Tipper, with the latest being the better version of the twoeesess The "Cookie Coin Kiddies Promotion" was a three-way tie-up with the Hamilton Biscuit Company of Pictou, N.S., Radio Station CKCL and the Royal theatre, both in Truro. For 30 consecutive weeks, the Hamilton Biscuit Company broadcasts a 15 minute radio program from the stage of the Royal theatre, from 2:15 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. The doors open at 1:15 p.m. and each child entering the theatre to each Hamilton show receives two "Cookie Coins." The Hamilton Cookie clock located in the lobby will ring at least three times during the hour, which entitles any child in the 1c by at that time to an additonal 25 "Cookie Coins." "Cookie Coins” are also given out by the Cookie Man, who is dressed up in a@ clown's suit, and makes an appearance on the streets of Truro prior to the show, and any child he approaches, who has a wrapper from any Hamilton's products on him, receives either a pen and pencil set o:20 "Cookie Coins." Now all the child has to do to become eligible for the ten prizes given away each week from the stage of the theatre is to mail or deliver in person, either to the radio station or to the theatre, a wrapper from Hamilton Products with his or her name and address, and state where Hamilton products are made. The entry box is located in the lobby at all times and kept under lock and key. All mail from the radio stetion is delivered to the theatre just prior to broadcast time, and placed in the draw box for that week. Five boys' and five girls' names are drawn each week and the child does not have to be at the theatre to win his prize but if he is there he receives ten more "Cookie Coins” in addition to the prize.