Mystery Movie Continued...

April, 1949. It might have seemed like just another ordinary night in Kansas City. It was a brisk evening, and people were out on the town, participating in the usual activities-- shopping, nightclubs, and most importantly, moviegoing. But at the Paramount on Main Street, something very important was occuring...

Those who had read the movie ads in the paper perhaps saw the notice. "Come TONIGHT," the advertisement said. "See the Hollywood SNEAK PREVIEW of the 'Mystery Movie'!" A preview of a Hollywood film was no new concept. It had been done since the 1920s by producers in order to judge the public's reaction to a film. Perhaps it wasn't even all that uncommon in Kansas City-- after all, it is a major city in the country, and certainly had its share of theaters that could lend themselves to all sorts of experimental usage.

The scene was exactly as seen above. If one drove by and was sharp enough to catch the marquee, they were greeted by "SNEAK PREVIEW" emblazoned on it, and a banner that greeted attendees with "MYSTERY MOVIE" just above the doors to the lobby. People were buying their tickets in a steadfast fashion, waiting... anxious to find out what the movie was, and even more thrilled to give it a "dud" or a "go" with the little card and pencil they were handed out on the way into the theater.

The set-up had a new angle, though. M.D. Cohn, the manager, had worked a deal with Paramount, his home office, to sneak preview their new film, BRIDE OF VENGEANCE, with the Paramount's 1,900 seat auditorium as the location for the test. The Paramount, which was previously the Newman, was built in 1918 and had just been bought by Paramount a year or two previous.

Timing was perfect, as BRIDE was not yet scheduled for release, but was finished, and there was enough time to incorporate public reaction in merchandising plans that were then in preperation. The plan, which was apparently of Mr. Cohn's design, was a well-thought advertising blitz, which resulted in the advertisements placed in the papers, as well as blow-up of the advertisements in one-sheet form on the front of the building.

The screen attraction, EL PASO, with John Payne and Gail Russell, had normal matinee showtimes that ceased at 6:00 PM. Members of the last performance's audiences were welcome to stay for free during the 6:00 sneak preview. Two sneak previews followed at 8:00 PM and 10:00 PM.

However, in the lobby of the audience, a tape recorder picked up natural audience reactions to the film. These tapes were then transcribed on disc and sent to Paramount's ad execs. Everything was done to encourage honest opinions by telling them that the criticisms were for the distributor and producer of the picture. I'm sure there were probably stooges planted in the audiences as well.

The end result was an interesting one, which gives us a little idea of what that particular demographic liked-- there were 120 comment cards filled in. 98 of them were outstanding or good. 22 either thought the film was ok or was bad.