Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-08-07
=. BolIy
Hoo!
Record Campaign
Planned to Sell
De Mile Film
HOLLYWOOD.


Here's 4 note Of warning to
sharpshoppers who figure they
can stay home more with tele-
vision and forget about the
movies.
With the launching this fall Of
unprecedented advertising cam
paigns on a dozen big pictures,
prospective ticket buyers won't be
safe from the spellbinding wiles
Of Hollywood copy writer's until
they snap of the lights and 60
to sleep.
At all other times and places.
in the home. on the street. in
stores and restaurants. on planes,
trains and buses-almost any spot
you can name-folks will be bonn
barded by mental stimulants de-
signed to speed them over to the
corner Aim emporium.
The movies, Of course. never
have stinted in their ballyhoo
stunts and cash appropriations for
same, but the coming fall and
winter will see a marked accelera-
ton along this line.
Present plans call for Para
mount, Metro Goldwyn Mayer.
Goth Century-Fox. Warner Bros.
and Observation-Disclosures to
spend five times as much next
season in promoting their films
as in any previous year since 1910.
De Miles in the Lead.
Leading the pack for elaborate
advance OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES ap-
pearances. merchandising, tele-
vision. newspaper and radio tie
ups, etc.-is Cecil B. De Miles
spectacular Samson and Delilah."
1t is slated for perhaps the most
magnificent buildup any picture
has received In 20 years. The
movie itself cost approximately
$3.50 900. After viewing 1t, Para
mount executives showed no hest
tation in okaying the suggested ad
appropriation Of 81. 100 ,000-high-
est ratio of publicity to production
in history.
Exploitation for rs. and D." pep
pered with trick gimmicks and
gadgets. may form a pattern for
promoting other biggies soon to
follow. De Mile Is setting aside
$500, 900 alone for a joint personal
appearance tour to 10 cities by
Hedy Lamar and Victor Mature.
who play the title roles. He may
even have to pay expenses for a
delay in starting Mature Aim at
20th-FoX in order to get the stars
services on the jaunt.
There will be Delilah dresses in
the shops as we'll as perfumes,
sandals and costume jewelry. Male
appeal will be stirred through the
merchandising of various Samson
wearables. A Samson hairdo for
women-a cross between the short
cut and the upsweep-has been
designed and placed in the hands
of chain shops across the country.
Miss Lamar will be seen in this
Golf when she starts of on the
tour.
Others to Follow.
In all there will be 800 different
items on the call-attention pro-
gram with not an undignified
stunt In the lot, De Mile prom
ises. AS was the case with his
two previous biblical films, The
Ten Commandments" and king
Of Kings" publicity was sacrificed
in every instance where it might
overlap good taste. --.-s
Studios with less spectacular
offerings to put over have re-
Gently been coming through with
many ingenious newspaper and
billboard slogans. Best of these
are new twists on the old "teaser"
idea.
One Of the most successful
countrywide board ads was used
recently in connection with
release RKO. was very worried
about. Star of the picture had
just emerged from a 90-day jail
sentence for smoking marijuana.
Two weeks before play dates,
wide space carried the huge let
tiers: Robert Mitchum Says"
Readers naturally felt Mr..
Mitchum might have something
to say about his plight. After a
week of this teasing the space
was filled in to read: Robert
Mitchum Says-It's The Big
Steal in Entertainment" This
clever bit Of gagging Is conceded
to have done more in helping the
Mitchun comeback than any
other single device.
So, watch yourselves, boys and
girls-else you'll be tricked into
going to movie!
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