Dixie Theatre and Strand Theatre [Staunton, Virginia] Campaign Booklets

The Dixie Theatre and Strand Theatre [Staunton, Virginia] Campaign Booklets, 1950-1954, comprise seven promotional booklets created by Frank K. Shaffer, manager of Staunton, Virginia's Dixie and Strand Theatres. The purpose of the booklets was to document via printed ephemera, newspaper clippings, marketing materials, advertisements, and photographs a discrete film campaign that took place at the theatres. As such, each booklet documents a separate movie campaign or promotional event. Movie campaigns included midnight showings of Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone (December 24, 1950); Saturday morning showings of The Prince and the Pauper, The Yearling, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (summer 1952); a double feature of the Marx Brothers' Duck Soup and Animal Crackers (November 1950); and Bride of the Gorilla (December 1951). Other promotions included a Lionel train giveaway and a double feature program. One booklet titled "Public Relations" documented various "community 'good will' incidents" in which Frank Shaffer and/or his theatre was involved. Those events included a soap box derby, babysitter plan, collaboration with the Staunton-Augusta Jaycees, and a church twilight softball league.