Beyond Ballyhoo: Motion Picture Promotion and Gimmicks [Library Binding]

Mark Thomas McGee (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0899504353 | ISBN-13: 978-0899504353 | Publication Date: August 1989

William Castle, for instance, was a master promoter. In one scheme involving The Tingler, Vincent Price warns in the movie that "the only way to stop the monster is to scream. That's the signal to the projectionist to throw the switch. Under ten or twelve seats were some electric motors, war surplus things that Castle got a bargain on. The motors vibrated the seat, in the hope of scaring a scream out of someone. Just in case it didn't Castle planted someone in the audience to get the screams rolling." This book is about flamboyant promotion, the con artist side of the movie world-everything the ballyhoo boys did to separate the customer from the price of a movie ticket-Emergo, HypnoVista, 3-D, Wide Screen, Cinemagic, Duo-Vision, Dynamation, Smell-O-Vision, plenty more. Supporting the text are 107 photos and illustrations, some never-before-published, and a filmography.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"a book to be brought out whenever we begin to think of the 20th century as one of good taste" -- Book Report

"excellent" -- Big Reel

About the Author

Mark Thomas McGee of Duarte, California, is also the author of Faster and Furiouser (1996, $45), Roger Corman (1988, now in paperback, $20) and The Rock and Roll Movie Encyclopedia of the 1950s (1990, now in paperback, $25). He has also written several books about the unstable world of low-budget filmmaking. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Library Binding: 253 pages
• Publisher: McFarland & Company (August 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0899504353
• ISBN-13: 978-0899504353
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,118,912 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.