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Chain Theater Control <^> ^> <^ <^> <^> 357
ally large investment among many financial interests are some of the reasons advanced in substantiation of this belief.
An opinion held by some persons actually connected with theater operation is that chains are economically sound and desirable as long as they are comprised almost entirely of de luxe and large first-run houses. In other words, these persons believe that the national producer-controlled chains should dispose of a majority of their small and subsequentrun houses.
The Publix Theaters Corporation was the first circuit to make drastic changes as a means of meeting existing conditions. The company, first of all, took steps to alleviate most of the burdensome clerical duties that theater managers had been forced to perform. Under the new policy, managers were to become fixtures locally. They were to concentrate all thought upon seeing that proper pictures were shown in the right houses on appropriate days. There was to be more individual responsibility and more latitude in the exercise of ingenuity than had theretofore been granted.
It was intended that institutional selling should not be overemphasized and that overstandardization should be checked. The securing of the proper type of personnel would be considered first at all times. In selecting managers, the company planned to avoid misfits. Thus, a man having de luxe theater training would not be assigned to a low-price, subsequent-run house, and vice versa.
A complete change in the buying and booking department was also effected. During the period of rapid expansion following 1927, it was necessary to combine the two departments. In acquiring theaters, the company had been forced to assume the contracts for from 100 to 2,000 unplayed pictures with each circuit. Consequently, instead of being free to negotiate for the best pictures available, the company's film buyer spent a large part of his time disposing of thousands of dollars' worth of unplayed product. With the change in the policy of booking and buying, the theater