Evening star., 1942-08-29

The last two charges are true
but ballyhoo rolls on nevertheless.
The publicity boys and girls of
Movietown are still in there punch
ing.
For instance: Columbia has a pic
ture called Talk of the Town" So
some genius and his typewriter
cooked up the idea. of holding the
premiere in Ophir, Colo. Why? Be-
cause Ophir has just two inhabitants,
and therefore that's the very small
est town in the land that can talk to
itself. OF course the smallest town,
South Bend, Ark, with one inhabi-
tant, wouldn't do. Nobody to hear.
Out at M-G-M is picture called
Seven Sweethearts" So the brain
trust went into a huddle and came
out with the idea of premiering the
picture In the seven most romantic
cities in America. And how would
they decide which cities are the
most romantic? Why, the cities
issuing the most marriage licenses
during the first six months OF this
year--based on population.
- Going Down East. IS
Paramount has a picture called
Palm Beach Story" It's locale is
New York and Palm Beach. But
openings In both places are old hat.
Because Rudy Vallee makes his
debut as a character actor In this
film. 1t was decided to premiere 1t
in Westbrook, Me, where Rudy used
to jerk sodas in his dads drug store.
Everything went fine. Rudy was to
go back and jerk sodas for palpitat-
Ing Maine damosels on the day OF
opening. Then the drug store burned
down!
Hollywood ballyhoo, which largely
concerns itself with previews and
premieres, in order to get In the
money at the box office. has engi-
neered some real dillies in the past.
Pictures have been shown on liners
at sea, on airplanes. in the strato-
sphere. In wine cellars, breweries.
at race tracks, almost everywhere
but IN a telephone booth. How did
they miss that one on Alexander
Graham Bell?
Spectacular Openings.
These premieres have ranged from
the "Hells Angels" spectacle in Los
Angeles, with hundreds Of huge arcs
lighting the sky, scores of planes in
the air and Howard Hughes money
flowing like oil, to the Gold Is
Where You Find It" Warner pre-
miere In the frontier town of Wea-
verville, Calf, where the theater
was so small they had to move out
the coal stove to make q spot for the
stars to sit down.
The first ballyhoo trip was the
biggest and gaudiest. In the depths
OF the depression, amid closing
banks and financial ruin, Warmers
took the Forty second street special,
glittering, tinseled, star-packed
train. with a Malibu- Beach sand
f1oored observation car from Holly
wood to New York. Try to get a
train like that today! When Tom
Mix rode his horse Tony out of the
Grand Central Station on that trip,
police reserves in New York were
called out to battle crowds.
Second longest ballyhoo excursion
was Cecil B. De Miles Union Pa
ciflc trek, an ancient train that
rambled at the amazing speed Of 80
miles per hour from the Pacific
Coast to Omaha. The old master
finally got impatient and sent for
a streamlined engine to hike 'em
along a bit.
Trips to Dodge City, Virginia City,
Chicago, Detroit, Phoenix and all
way stations have spotlighted new
pictures since the Forty-second
street special made film exploita-
tion history.
Gave Jalopy Away.
Some ingenious stunts have been
devised for Hollywood openings
Gene Fowler once rolled up to the
| Egyptian Theater in a $40 talopy
which steamed and groaned every
foot OF the way. Descending In
style, he waved airily to the uni.
formed doorman and said:
Take 1t away. It's yours"
Prize hoax was perpetrated when
Los Angeles tailor, who was the
spittin' image Of Prof. Albert Elm
stein, went to an opening in q
rented town car and Second -hane
dress suit. He was given the homage
OF royalty with tremendous pub.
licity. All the morning paper.
blushed deep red when an after.
noon paper tipped them on out loud
Patriotic Motive.
Another hoax, which the audienc,
resented TO the extent of almost
tearing w the theater, was the tint
Greta Carlo was introduced will
. flourish at the premiere OF on.
Of her pictures--and wallace Beer,
stepped out in feminine toggery
That one backflred.
With the war and the tire short
! age. the ballyhoo boys may be handi