Pressbooks (Horror, Sci Fi, Fantasy)

Here's the large format theater herald to hawk Frankenstein 1970. Baron Frankenstein, desperate for money to complete his experiments, allows a film crew to follow him for a documentary. Running out of spare parts, he puts the arm on the film crew, so to speak. In this iteration of monster creation, Frankenstein uses an atomic reactor to power the creature. The story is good and with a bit more pizazz, money, and color, this could have been more of a Hammerlike endeavor.

From Professor Kinema's archives comes this ominous copy of the Mr. Sardonicus pressbook. Lots of promotional material here, all laid out on one large sheet of glossy paper that folds to a nice petite mailing size for sending to theaters. The Punishment Poll was another gimmick William Castle used to get those butts in seats. We know there weren't two different endings shot for this movie, right? Mr. Sardonicus wasn't going to get off that easy now was he? Thanks to the Professor, here are some scene stills to entice you even more to see this one.

Comic Reader version: Download Mr Sardonicus

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Mr. Sardonicus (1961) PressbookRead More »

Jack Armstrong, The All-American Boy, had been on the radio for 14 years by the time Sam Katzman brought him to the screen in this 15 chapter serial. Once again, an evil mastermind is determined to use his death ray on the innocent. If nothing else, the serials taught us that it takes just one person to make a lot of trouble for the rest of us. And that death rays were cool weapons as long as you were not in the line of fire. Oh, and pretty easy to make, apparently. This pressbook has one of my favorite promotional gimmicks: the coloring page! One important note, too: Jack Armstrong may be rather silly, now that times have changed, but the character promoted a healthy wonder for science and cultures as part of being a well-rounded individual. An animated pilot for Jack Armstrong was done by Hanna-Barbera, but due to rights issues, that project eventually turned into Johnny Quest. (Check out the Johnny Quest FAQ at http://www.classicjq.com/info/JQFAQ.aspx.)

Download the comic reader version: Download Jack Armstrong The All American Boy

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Jack Armstrong (1947) PressbookRead More »

From the deep archives of Professor Kinema comes this Mr. Sardonicus Punishment Poll card. While the images are large, the card is small. Really small. You can easily fit it in the palm of your hand with room to spare. But size has nothing to do with coolness, and this card is cool. The thumbs up or down, depending on how you hold up the card, glows in the dark. Another one of William Castle’s clever audience participation gimmicks, movie goers would choose which way the thumb pointed–mercy or no mercy–during Mr. Castle’s prompting at the film’s end. Which would you have chosen?

Cat People is the movie that proves B movies can be awesome. "It all takes place in a wickedly enchanted 1942 New York City, where a leopard screams at night in the Central Park Zoo (“like a woman,” says Irena). Seventy-two years after its shoot, Cat People still seems chillingly alive, a dark, sleek feline of a film, purring with Lewton’s two pet fetish fears—cats, and being touched" from The Very Witching Time of Night: Dark Alleys of Classic Horror Cinema by Gregory William Mank. 

Comics Reader version: Download Cat People

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Cat People (1942) PressbookRead More »

This is the original release pressbook for Cinderella (1950).  It is noted as Campaign Book A because it was accompanied by Campaign Book B, which contained a record-making amount of merchandizing. I will post Book B, shortly. This one, with 20 pages of promotional goodness, is pretty amazing all by itself. Disney was incredible at tie-ins merchandising for all of their animated movies. After Pinocchio (too dark), Bambi (too real), and Fantasia (too cerebral) didn't do well at the box office, putting Disney in the red, Cinderella (just right with its struggling local girl makes good story) saved the day. 

Version for your comics reader: Download Cinderella Pressbook

There are more pressbooks to try on for size, From Zombos' Closet!

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Cinderella (1950) PressbookRead More »

Digging deep into the closet, I found this promotional brochure from Turner International for the animated Wizard of Oz (1990) television series. It is a simple pop-up when you open it, but eye-catching, nonetheless. I am a big fan of pop-up books (and who isn't?). In this animated version (and there were actually quite a few animated versions), Dorothy returns to OZ and kicks it up with old and new friends (and enemies).

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The Wizard of Oz Animated (1990)
Promo BrochureRead More »

I caught House of Wax 3D during the 1971 re-release in theaters. While I love both the original Lionel Atwill and Fay Wray Mystery of the Wax Museum and this Vincent Price remake,  with both having excellent directors, Price just makes it all the more fun along with the 3D effects. That voice of his is so mellifluous while his character is at his most dangerous, it's all quite disarming and alarming at the same time. Charles Bronson's brutish handyman provides the best and most surprising 3D effect ever done too. Now this should be re-released again in theaters, for sure. What's really eye-popping in this pressbook are the theater lobby and poster displays to sell the 3D.

Version for your comics reader app: Download House of Wax 3D

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House of Wax 3D (1953) PressbookRead More »

At 32 pages, and 15 x 12.5 inches in format, this is quite a pressbook for promoting The Cat and the Canary horror comedy with Paulette Goddard and Bob Hope. The amount of articles, poster art, newspaper ads, and promo gimmicks is astounding. There's a Cat (the villain) mask, cast teaser board, lobby displays, ready to run newspaper adverts, pre-publicity for Paulette Goddard, great poster art, and what's really cool, the shout-outs to classic horror stars.

Comic reader format: Download The Cat and the Canary

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The Cat and the Canary (1939) PressbookRead More »

This bit of campaign promotion came with the Cat and the Canary pressbook. El-Wyn, a magician, was the first to realize that putting in seance-related spookiness into a regular magic show, done after hours, would generate buzz and bucks. In 1929, his Midnight Spook Party captured audiences looking for chills and fun. Spook Shows lasted for decades until television and horror hosts took the buzz to the boob tube. Cardone (read my review), a contemporary magician, is keeping the tradition alive.