Spellbound trailer (24/Aug/1945)
The following is a transcript of a document dated 24/Aug/1945 and details suggestions from Paul MacNamara to Alfred Hitchcock about the trailer for "Spellbound".
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Transcript
VANGUARD FILMS, INC.
CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA
Inter-Office Communication
TO MR. HITCHCOCK DATE August 24, 1945
FROM PAUL MacNAMARA
SUBJECT SPELLBOUND TRAILER
The trailer on "Spellbound," seems to me, could be much more
ingenious.
I have talked to Selznick regarding the idea of making a new
one and making it about you.
He agrees and thinks it would be a good idea.
Roughly, my idea was that you would discuss on the screen in
lecture fashion the fact that everyone is a potential murder-
er, etc., etc.
There might be direct questions that you would ask the aud-
ience -- "do you know that the person next to you might be a
potential murderer" -- "do you know that in your own mind you,
too, might be a murderer," etc., etc.
Other emotions might be touched on in which audience partici-
pation would be included (including some laughs), "some of you
are holding hands," etc., etc.
However, no clips of the picture would be used except in which
your voice would be the sound and your explanation as to why
it was handled that way would be that every bit of the picture
"Spellbound" was so important to the plot that it was decided
not to show to audiences anywhere any part of the picture in a
piece-meal state. (The use of the clips in this fashion, how-
ever, would show the stars).
Perhaps the thing should be presented as a short rather than
as a trailer.
Undoubtedly, Dr. Romm might be able to provide us with some
questions that would be helpful in the preparation of a
script.
In any case, I think that there is a basically good idea here
and with the proper development we might be able to work out a
sensational advance salesman for the picture "Spellbound."
What do you think?
PM
PM:eh
