Publix Opinion (May 21, 1928)

“TALKING _ FILMS” if Tl Il Publix The THEATRES TO BE EQUIPPED AT ONCE FOR NEW PRODUCT fier nearly two years of exmental effort in the numerous es of developing talking-film, industry has finally accepted dea as a Successful one and reparing to take spectacular s in further refinements and WE GET BYRD SCOOP Paramount has contracted with Commander Byrd for the exclusive pictures of Byrd’s Antarctic expedition. Two Paramount camera| |men will accompany Byrd and| ; ‘ make a motion picture record of! een to roped the expedition. Just in what form were signed these pictures will be released, has last week| ot yet been determined. whereby Publix will imEM UP CATCHLINES! > AWE Nal ties y, JAZZ mediately begin installatidns of neces~Ssary equip"ment in at| 4 * least 200 theawith more to follow.It is eted that talking-movies will en in most of these theatres, re the end of the present year. /number of Publix theatres, hone is already operative, or been in the course of instalm for the last few weeks. } Use Film or Disk nder the new contracts, the pment will be of the kind that use both disk and film-soundprojectors, and the houses quipped with Vitaphone may he furnished with additional ment so that the sound-acPliment furnished by film ve used as well as the Vita€ disk arrangement. e film producing leaders of dustry in accepting the talkM, decided to adopt a unii tradename, and for this Ose “Movietone’’ has been ac4. This name heretofore has applied only to Fox newsreel Short subjects. but under the *s contracted for, it will ap: Movies made by Paramount, National, United Artists, oldwyn, and FBO as well. Word “Vitaphone” will re Expect Everything from the Minnesota Theatret We won’t disappoint you!! Publix brings you entertain| ment that only the resources of ' an internationally organized institution could make possible! NEXT WEEK! A stage show | so huge and ‘splendid it will | stagger your imagination!! EXACTLY as presented in the best theatres in New York, Chicago, Boston, Detroit, St. Louis! Cast, scenery, costumes intact! A host of beauties, singers, dancers, comics and stars!! And ALL at POPULAR Prices! ALL OF THIS GENIUS WORKS FOR YOU! In the production of Publix stage shows for the Olympia Theatre, the genius and skill of the world is commanded. JOHN MURRAY ANDERSON,. producer of “Greenwich Village Follies,’ “Music Box Revue” and many other Broad' €xclusively the trade-word oy ae gives you a show a : nth! ein Me? Brothers product, OR ANK C AMERI Ay who 500 brought the world of fun-seekOy Pe ene. Paraers to the theatres of Chicago Mt research sounds and effor eight years with his magidivision predicts that within cal beauties at the Chicago, Maths nearly all of the 20.000| Tivoli and Uptown Theatres, eiectute theatres in Amer-| gives you one show a month!! “™ be equipped for soundBORIS PETROFF, creator Q ADuhlix B. “AL Te i of jazz, operatic, musical and bed in six sh ei Fy aad ballet spectacles for Paris, lew talking-film will be| Berlin, London, Petrograd, and % three ways at first. New York, creates shows for “8,” such as rail i you! b airplanes, ete. will be on, |. JACK PARTINGTON, who ‘Will also be used as “spots’| discovered Paul Ash and win Pictures. Dialog and| launched the new-idea stage re also follow. shows, and a hide tudio Probl stages” gives you his genius! Ugh the Dhentias elei H. BURNSIDE, whose Sof the! problem have been Hippodrome spectacle shows Sstully worked out by scien-| and laugh-riots shook the “and engineers, the idea has| world, now produces shows exieee umberfections from the, clusively for you thru Publix! Peer film production. CHARLES NIGGEMEYER, 4 Audience reaction wili| femous musical and dramatic Authorities declare that| show producer and discoverer Toblems are presented, of many film and stage stars for dialog or song have| produces shows for you! Proved failures in cases WILL J. HARRIS, songWas desired to have an writing stage star, is another Screen favorite seem great genius whose stage k, or Dlay an instru-| shows please you! Tticular star could The World of Talent and May be over-| Beauty Answers Publix Theaher thru suc-| tres stage call! NO OTHER # or thru] THEATRES IN THE || WORLD HAVE SUCH AN }| | ORGANIZATION! a ED THEATRE VIGILANCE FOR “TALKIES” Opininn atres Corporation, Paramount Building, New York, Week of May 2lst, 1928. IBLIX SIGNS _TALKING | YOU-AND TALKING FILMS! 4 The Talking Picture is here! 4 It’s the new and sensational development *% in the theatre. ® It affects the future of everyone! ) Very little is generally known about it as ‘tyet, except by the scientists and engineers who “developed it, and the few showmen who have ad opportunity to closely observe tests of arious kinds. Pte raya ey Le a = ae ieall forth new technique in ‘authorship, actang, music, distribution—and presentation to whe public. * A new epoch in the history of the industry is commencing. e Mere job-holders will wait until someone €ommands them to know something about falking pictures. Ambitious seekers of personal advancement will voraciously look for every scrap ind morsel of information as it develops and y obtainable. i alt is hoped that no mere job-holders are on the Publix roll. It is taken for granted that we are all secking personal advancement in Publix in the only manner possible—earning recognition by acquiring Whowledge and ability above the requirements of {He present job. The progress of Publix indicates Publix offers countless opportunities for per@onal advancement, but these opportunities will be @nultiplied many times by the possibilities in talking @ictures. Cah “Publix Opinion” will endeavor to keep abreast the development. Watch your “Publix Opinion” carefully. Read thoroly. File it for future reference. Read the trade papers carefully. “Variety” anounces that it has instructed its army of correspondnts and reporters to get all of the news of the talkers,” and is making a specialty of it. Doubtless wthe other trade papers are or will show similar enskerprise. When the day arrives for you to contact “talkingIm,’’ be prepared by being abreast of the times. Just as the talking films will undoubtedly develop a new kind of authorship, directors and screen jstars, so will it develop a new kind of theatre operastor. Alert and wise projectionists, stage technicians, electricians, actors, and musicians will win advance; ment. House Managers and Merchandising Managers ' who try to visualize the whole new scheme, will be ' the new leaders among theatre operators. & HERES Ds! | ON“TALKIES” q of talking pictures is not so much Al soft. Bl Aa al a the “TALKING FLL MS" va eC a ene OF yt Ge No. 25 FILMS WALSH TIPS | | MANAGERS | “Eternal vigilance is the price of increased grosses due to the talking movie,” declares George Walsh, successful owner-manayer of the 1b “Strand” Theatre in Yonkers, N..Y., which has consistently been registering successfully as a box office winner. Mr. Walsh is one Publix executive who has had valuable experience with the new form of entertainment, and what he has to Say on the subject is therefore of keen interest to those who will soon he facing the same problems he has already solved. “In the first place, the success + = in the advertising and publicity as in its actual presentation to the public,” said Mr. Walsh to Publix Opinion. | “Of course it is important that };you intensively campaign your 1 opening, and base it on ‘See And 1 Hear your favorite stars of sereen i and stage’——-and it is important i “| to keep it up. f ; Needs Close Watch ; “However, once the ‘talkies’ start in the theatre, the manager and all of his assistants have a brand new and difficult job cut ,out for them. “They must attend EVERY perI formanee, and with signal-buzzer in hand warn the projectionists when sound-volume is too loud or “Bad sound projection, which invariably means either poor synchronization or error in sound volume, will chase your patrons right out of the theatre. They’ll yell ‘Fake,’ and keep hundreds of other patrons away. “It is not possible to plot out a chart for the projectionist and tell , ‘him to follow it, because the Beh variation of crowds in the theatre ; affects ‘the sound-volume. When the theatre is half empty, the sound has to be reduced. When it fills up, it has to be increased. The projectionist cannot watch everything, so he must get proper signals. Smart Operators “Another thine is to assure yourself that you have projectionists of high intelligence. If your projectionists are not enthusiastically in favor of their jobs, — either because they’re regular fellows, or because you are——then you must get projectionists who will feel that way. Responsibility for success or failure rests upon the projection booth more than anywhere else.” The “Strand’’ has’ only 1344 seats, with a split-week policy. Recently Loews opened a big new de luxe theatre, close by, and this divided the first run product. # However, Mr. Walsh had his ‘ ‘talkies’ on the way, and when the opposition came, even when he played Ciass ‘B’ and ‘Cc’ pittures, his grosses remained above the figure established in the days preBia ceding the opening of the new Far house. ven during Holy Week, ; the theatre maintained its regular satisfactory box-office take. Divides Credit “IT don't want to take all of the Hi credit for tnyself,” -Mr. Walsh Beas cae at modestly says. Bill Saal, of the shee 8 Bs Home Office, is entitled to the He ae lions share of it. He books. my ileal }programs, and gets service and (Continued on. page 2) Seer end