Paramount Punch (1930)

PARAMOUNT PUNCH. ""WAITING OA PARAMOUNT’*^ “ THE GRAND OLD ROCK OF SHOW BUSINESS \ (Reprinted from “The Hollywood Reporter”.) the back page of this publication yesterday. Paramount ran an ad. directing attention to “The Grand Old Rock of Show Business”, placing itself in that classification. And whether you believe it or not, in the present situation of business, as it pertains to show business, the company must be granted that rating. Why — ? For the start of the new season Paramount is the only company in the picture that will have BIG SHOWS to sell. After La^jor Day, and continuing for the next six or eight weeks. Paramount will give exhibitors Harold Lloyd’s “Movie Crazy”, the Marx Brothers’ “Horse Feathers”, Chevalier in “Love Me To-night”, Tallulah Bankhead and Gary Cooper m “The Devil and the Deep”, Dietrich in “The Blonde Venus”, “Farewell to Arms”, the new Lubitsch picture, and De Mille’s “The Sign of the Cross”. What other company has made such preparations, spent the money, and to all appearances, come through with such attractions? We . talked to several of the division managers of Fox West Coast who were here in convention last week. They came down to Los Angeles to find out and they told us: “Paramount got the start and the rest of the companies are going to sit back anJ see what happens to the Paramount product.” That’s just it. Almost every company is sitting back, waiting to see what happens. Will the customers come to the theatre, to view the Paramount group — certainly a money group? If they do, if the other companies see the least return to normal, that will determine their future moves. If the box-office flops further into the red (and it may), then all the pictures waiting on the shelf for fall release would be so much lost money. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, and Mr. Exhibitor, the old saying that was an axiom years ago, “As Paramount goes. So goes the entire industry,” will be back in play for the first twelve weeks of the new picture year. That product will be the “Grand Old Rock of Show Business.” The New 1 932 PARAMOUNT PUNCH Vol, 6.— No. 2. Aug, 24, 1932 Reg Kelly — Editor. Published every Wednesday by Paramount Film Service Limited, Head Office, Sydney, Australia, in the interests of the Paramount organisation in Australia, New Zealand and the Far East. Dedicated to the fighting Sales Campaign for Paramount Week, and the rest of 1932. CONTENTS ARE STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL. W. ). CLARK, Managing Director. ECONOMY. (By jAMES A. SSXSMITH.) j^otwithstandmg our efforts to bring every expense down to an absolute minimum, I am convinced that there are still many economies which can be introduced without any loss of efficiency. As an example, comparisons show very little decrease in such expenses as longdistance telephone calls, and telegrams, whereas on inquiry, we have found many instances where, by a little forethought, a letter would have avoided the necessity for the use of either. The time has come when we are no longer content to appeal for co-operation in the matter of economy. We DEMAND It in the interests of the Company, and therefore in the interests of its employees. This vital matter should receive careful thought, and each Branch Manager should make it a religion to study at least once every week, the expenses for the previous week, in order to see whether any item, however small, could have been avoided or reduced. This does not mean, however, that he should have thoughtlessly approved of any expense in the first instance, as the time to query an item, is before, not after it has become an expense. Remember also, that the avoiddance of Bad Debts is a way of reducing expenses, as over the past few years this expense has resulted in considerable loss to our business. I stress in particular that we are anxious to receive any suggestions regarding economies whether applicable to Head Office or any of the Branches. What's going to haopen in Australia in NOVEMBER? THERE’S PLENTY OF PUNCH I N THE BLUE RIBBON BUNCH.