The fundamental principles of Balaban & Katz theatre management (1926)

THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF The VWanager and VYCanagement ITH full appreciation of the fact that any organisation V V exhibits and demonstrates the characteristics and ability of the manager, we will discuss briefly the manager with the idea of pointing out our conception of the ideal type. You have been selected because you have measured up to our ideal of a manager to a sufficient degree to warrant our confidence in the belief that through constant effort and intelligent application you may perfect yourself in other qualities outlined here which you may not now possess, at least to the degree we feel you should. Like all those connected with a theatre organisation, personal appearance is very important. It does not require physical beauty, but rather a clean, manly, and wholesome presence. Physical sise has little weight in the matter of selection though the bearing and carriage of the individual is highly important. Character, ability, and the prospect for future development are the other important items for careful consideration. With reference to character we want men on our staff who are self-reliant, self-controlled, ambitious, and guided by a keen sense of justice in all their transactions. We expect our managers at all times to be guided and actuated in every contact by the ideals of true, red-blooded men. We expect them to have such qualities as loyalty, integrity, patriotism, and tenacity in adhering to our ideals and standards of organisation. In short, we expect that all those connected with the management of our theatres be right at heart. This briefly explains to a degree our qualification of good character. Ability is primarily dependent upon training, past experience, and study. By training we have reference to an individual's education, home environment, and the circumstances of his earlier hi BALABAN fe? KAT2 THEATRE MANAGEMENT