Publix Opinion (Dec 22, 1928)

ss ee hw Make Bare Your Staff Reads ALL of Publix Opinion Vol. Il PUBLIX MAN i 2 Publix The Official Voice of Publix "NEW MANAGERIAL LIST SHOWS ~ GREAT INDIVIDUAL PROGRESS Marking the greatest parade of personal progress ever ~ made by individuals in any industry, complete details of the widespread re-allocation of Publix managerial man power, planned at the recent Atlantic City convention, are announced today in this issue of Publix Opinion by David J. Chatkin, General Director of Theatre Management for Publix Theatres. The outstanding change from the former method of operation is that every theatre in each town comes under one supervision. This was, in a large measure, due to the count_ less new and complicated problems, peculiar to each locality and requiring. intensive application to small territories, re _ divisions. been appointed Director of the business brought about by the perfection of the talking pictures: The complete new list of managerial assignments is given on pages 2 and 3 of this issue. As announced in the former issue of Publix Opinion, the _ entire area of Publix Opera_ tion has been divided into two Milton H. Feld has Theatre Management of Divi sion “A,” and Louis A. Schnei der Director of Theatre Management of Division “B.” J. J. _ Fitzgibbons was officially appointed Director of Theatre Management of New England. These appointments were ef : fective December 1st. The following groups of towns, headed by Division and District _ Managers, comprise Mr. Feld’s Di vision: EASTERN DIVISION, ‘John J. Friedl, York Office: New Haven, Boston, Division Manager, New _ Buffalo, Rochester and Toledo. _ TEXAS DIVISION, Barry Burke, _ Division Manager, J. O. Cherry, District Manager, Palace Theatre _ Bidg., Dallas, Tex.: Dallas, Hous _ ton and San Antonio. _ DENVER DIVISION, C. C. Perry, _ District Manager, Denver Theatre _ Kansas Bldg., Denver, Colo.: Denver and City. MIDLAND DIVISION, E. A. Smith, Division Manager, Finkelstein & _ Ruben, 17 N. 6th St., Minneapolis, _ Minn.: Minneapolis, St. Paul, Du luth, Des Moines and Omaha. Ralph Branton has been appoint ed District Manager of the Twin Cities. Mr, Anson is City Manager of Duluth. Harry David will be the Resident Supervisor of Des Moines and Omaha. Mr. Feld will have physical supervision of the New York theatres, which include Rialto, Rivoli and Paramount, New York, and the Brooklyn-Paramount. In addition to this Mr. Feld will contact with all operations handling unit s West Coast, hows, which includes — Skouras if groups of towns, Division and District prise Mr. Schneider’s ON. -C.B.. Stiff; Worth Theatre, ustin, Ft. Worth ON, Chas. E. sulting particularly, from the constantly changing nature of Opens na Sasseen, District Manager, Capitol Theatre Bldg., Oklahoma City, Okla.: Chickasha, Enid, Ft. Smith and Oklahoma City. COLORADO DIVISION, District Manager, no appointment: Colorado Springs, Greeley and Pueblo. INDIANA DIVISION, W-B. Lloyd, District Manager, 162 N. State St., Chieago, Ill.; South Bend-and F. & M.—lIndiana. GEORGIA DIVISION, M. S. Hill, District Manager, 169. Peachtree St., Atlanta, Ga.: Augusta, Columbia, Macon and Montgomery. CAROLINA DIVISION, Harry Hardy, District Manager, Alhambra Theatre Bldg., Charlotte, N. C.: Anderson, Asheville, Charlotte, Greenville, Johnson City and Spartanburg. ATLANTA DIVISION, W. C. Patterson, District Manager, 169 Peachtree St., Atlanta Ga.: Atlanta, Birmingham, Anniston, Chattanooga, Knoxville and Jackson. FLORIDA DIVISION, F. H. Dowler, Jr., Division Manager, Jesse L. Clark, District Manager, Florida Theatre Bldg., Jacksonville, Fla.: Jacksonville, Cocoa, Daytona, Palm Beach, West Palm Beach and Lake Worth; Miami, W. E. Drumbar; Lakeland, St. Petersburg and Tampa, J. B. Carroll, Tampa Theatre Bldg., Tampa, Fla. COOPER, New York City—Oklahoma City, Lincoln and St. Joseph. A. H. BLANK, Harry David, Division Manager, 300 Commonwealth Bldg., Des Moines, Iowa: Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Newton, Rock Island, Sioux City, Waterloo and Moline. Mr. Schneider will establish a contact with Publix-Sparks, PublixSparks-Saenger and Arthur Lucas as well as Mr. Cooper. “We believe that this new arrangement is going to help each and every man in our organization do a bigger and better job than he has ever done before,” declared Mr. Chatkin, “due to the fact that his contact will not only-be much closer, but that the outstanding efforts will receive more recognition, and by the reverse of this, more help will be given those who are apparently in need of it. “We shall expect Mr. Feld and Mr. Schneider to receive the greatest measure of cooperation it is possible for every manager to give, as this kind of a job will warrant every bit of it, and will make every-| bodys’ task easier. : “J shall_personally watch, with a ereat deal of interest, every manager’s individual efforts, as In @IVing Mr. Feld and Mr. Schneider your whole-hearted support it will at the same time reflect itself in the Theatre Management Department as a whole.” H Sie Merry Christmas YY SZ ae saue ss Ga Vii and a a7 Happy New Year La from hay Everybody in Publix Sh Everybody in Publix Uli gw ss OL a TTITTT TTL LLL Li hh ltl bdddd debalalebladedabslcdadatedebuededidahihelshilebistestelas heletiheddstchetahsiehsdlehalehiheriielin “IF THIS WERE MY THEATRE!" A few weeks ago Mr. Katz received:a personal letter from a theatre manager, violating the canons of organizational routine. The letter started out by confessing that the writer was “going over the heads of everybody to tell his story.” He made the point that he was on a par with the owners, in that he felt that his career was at stake, since the owners’ stake of profit and loss controlled his rise or fall. On this premise he based his letter. He wrote it sanely, temperately, and graphically. He unbosomed himself completely about his theatre. He believed that his immediate chiefs were so busy with more important affairs that he and his theatre were being lost -in the shuffle. | ~ So he wrote a letter, the keynote of which was: “Tf this were my theatre.” He analyzed it from beginning to end; pointed out its faults and virtues; its requirements and prospects for more profitable operation. He evinced a tolerant attitude toward his organizational chiefs who stood between himself and the decisions that he wanted made for the benefit of his ideas of prosperous operation. His main issue was: “If THIS were MY Theatre!” The letter was read by Mr. Katz to his Home Office Executive Cabinet, and it elicited the approval of everyone who heard it. Even those over whose heads the epistle soared, approved. They approved, and so did Mr. Katz, because the letter . was written without the spirit of mischief or malice, and was honest and open-and-above-board. It was clear and concise. As a result, Mr. Katz announces that the theatye for which the plea was made, now has all of the recommendations in actual operation. And the writer became the bone of contention in a dozen conferences between executives who wanted him for important work in other fields where advancement was commensurate with his initiative, ability, imagination, spirit and loyalty to himself and his firm. i, : gs an fi CiTt11 Publix Theatres Corporation, Paramount Building, New York, Week of December 22nd, 1928. POWER R at Sabo beens 00 USSUEN RDOOODOUNS Da DE RER ETS ORTEE EN UNS TeSanT SEN STEERTTUSUTDEOESSENSSREOD TESTSSUTE 2 OU RST HENNTRANTS DOERSD SRS EONSTTAETSSOTSETESSTOS ONE RERETSA FORD ENE TNTHRNGS LO NTTO OE ESHA TERE SEAOSIONTOATITUS HOSS OSHS ISO NA REN ASOTASRCUR Make Sure Your Staff Reads ALL of Publix Opinion ee ed ced lahat No. 41 E-ALLOCATED EASTMAN IS NOW PUBLIX THEATRE The famous Eastman Theatre, built several years ago by George Eastman, millionaire manufacturer of Eastman Kodaks, and presented by him to the University’ of Rochester, Rochester, N. Y., passed into the control of Publix Theatres Corporation Monday, Dec. 17th, under the terms of a ten-year lease. Two other Rochester theatres, the Re‘gent and the Piccadilly, were included in the lease. The lease, signed by Mr. Sam Katz and Raymond N. Bail, comptroller of the university, stipulates that twenty days shall be reserved each year for concerts and three days each spring for the presentation of grand opera by the Metropolitan Opera Co. In addition, it has been agreed that the Eastman Theatre shall be available mornings for community events such as university and high school graduation exercises, union Thanksgiving services and Memorial Day observances.. The Eastman Theatre Orchestra of eighty pieces and the Eastman Theatre Company ‘which provides the stage presentations will be retained intact until the expiration of their respective contracts. The constant developments in the moving picture industry made it impossible for the university to run the theatre at a profit, inasmuch as the concentrated energies of specialized experts are required -in that industry today. This was the reason given by the university for leasing the theatres to Publix. The Eastman Theatre was considered, at the time of its completion, as one of the most beautiful theatre buildings in the world and still remains one of-the fine show places of America. Its acquisition by Publix marks the addition of one more link te the chain of magnificent theatres for which the organization is world-famous. MANAGERS ATTENTION! The calibre of the men selected for training at the next session of The Managers’ Training School depends very much upen the cooperation of men in the field. Theatre managers are requested to bring the school to the attention of men in their communities who are qualified and duly interested. Every manager has received publicity material to be placed with local newspapers and application forms carrying full information concerning the next session of The Managers’ School. The next group selected for training will include many men now in the employ of Publix who will be brought to New York on a scholarship basis because their record with the Company and their qualifications have merited them this opportunity. However, the class will NOT be limited to such men, If every manager would do his utmost to promote -interest in the school wherever in his community such promotion will get results, many likely applicants could be considered for selection. For-more applications or information concerning the school, communicate with Jack Barry.