All-Disney Bills Taking Off

RKO's Terry Turner Takes Snow White Over The Top

RKO may have been on a slide by 1952, but they still had Terry Turner. He was merchandising genius behind socko King Kong bring-back in summer of that year, having shown in Spring what forward-think sales acumen could do for another oldie, Disney's Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs. Magic elixir as deftly applied by Turner was television, spot ads on home tubes swelling attendance beyond dreams of showmen who figured relics for half, if that, fill of seats. Now came Turner to show how Snow White and Kong could pack housing and smack down even first-runs. Motion Picture Daily cited early numbers for the Disney that were but ten percent below hit that was Cinderella two years before.  Blizzards didn't keep them away. The February test tipped Turner to bigger grossing he'd do once weather warmed up. These ads are for Cleveland's Snow White run, begun April 1952 and running most of that month. Note "Happy" the dwarf as lobby guest ("Meet and Greet") on opening Saturday, plus fresh perk that was The Olympic Elk, fourth in the acclaimed series of True-Life Adventures from Disney. These featurettes were enhance to many, if not most, Disney bills through the 50's, a major induce for adults to sit in rather than just dropping Junior off. Mastered by now was concept of "All-Disney Programs" to clear deck of inappropriate support shorts or features. Theatres booking Disney could occupy all of hours with his proven stuff rather than possible stiffs RKO might send for back-up. Reward was lush, Snow White doing best domestic rentals ($1.7 million) since 1937-38 dates that sent records upward.