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the full treatment for a good advance story. Copy in the press book on THE ROBE or in
the HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE press book, if that is to be your premiere
attraction, will give you plenty of material for this type of story. The Palace Theatre in
Albany used this idea to get a half page spread with story and picture in the
Knickerbocker Press.
6. Make the premiere performance the biggest event ever staged at your theatre. Climax
your pre-selling drive with appropriate fanfare. Have the mayor, civic officials, business
and society leaders as guests. Use searchlights, bands, etc. to create an atmosphere of
excitement around the theatre. (See press books on THE ROBE and HOW TO MARRY
A MILLIONAIRE for more explicit details.)
7. After the opening, get comments from patrons, etc., and work in a story on the reaction
of the public on the picture and the new medium.
All of this build-up will add to the prestige or your theatre and make it the most important
entertainment center in your community. Always keep uppermost in your publicity that this
is the most important event that has happened in the motion picture industry in 27 years,
since the movies found voice.

USE SPECIAL EVENTS TO SELL CINEMASCOPE

Here are a few suggestions on how to make your opening unusual.

1. Proclamation by the Mayor-designating the week of your ROBE opening as
CINEMASCOPE week.
2. Arrange CINEMASCOPE discussion programs for schools and clubs. Don’t be blushing
violet when it comes to TALKING about CINEMASCOPE. Supply speakers for these
occasions. In the Fox Midwest Theatre in Wichita for example, it was found that one of
the operators could and would make talks at schools. He was able to answer some of
the technical questions and made a very effective missionary for this new system. Other
members of the theatre’s staff also can be used for this purpose.
3. Open house for patrons. This was used most successfully to create public opinion for
CINEMASCOPE in several Midwest Theatres. The theatre designated an open house
afternoon prior to the premiere of THE ROBE and patrons were escorted in groups
backstage where they saw the horns and the size of the screen. The manager explained
to the patrons how the new system worked.
4. Hold an advance press luncheon, to indoctrinate writers and editors with the scientific
nature of CINEMASCOPE, as well as the new values it gives to motion pictures, and
gives them a sounder basis for appreciation of what they will see when THE ROBE is
presented in this new process.
5. Page 10 of THE ROBE press book outlines in detail many other means of creating
public opinion on CINEMASCOPE and stereophonic sound.

SPECIAL LOBBY AND THEATRE FRONT DISPLAYS

Your theatre lobby and front should reflect the importance of the coming of the new era in
motion pictures. To this end, follow the pattern suggested in THE ROBE press book for
lobby decorations, dressing of your house staff, music and audience comment, etc. In this
connection, one West Coast Theatre managers made an attractive and unusual lobby
display by trimming stills in the shape of the CINEMASCOPE screen.

The use of door panels illustrated on Page 38 of THE ROBE press book and the special
accessories in deluxe fluorescent satin, such as valances and streamers as illustrated on