Publix Opinion (Feb 16, 1929)

6 PUBLIX OPINION, WEEK OF FEBRUARY 16th, 1929 CENSORSHIP OF MOVIES SCORED An emphatic condemnation of all censorship generally, and censorship of movies in particularly, as “undemocratiie and un-American,” by a group of notables including eS ee oS agoroamce ae Walker, Dr. GET Parkes Cadman, THIS Representative RE-PRINTED | Loring M. Black, IN YOUR David Mark GrifNEWSfith and several PAPERS! authors, produ ——— cers and screen It’s Healthy for your Box Office! stars, marked one of the high lights of the fifth annual motion picture convention of the National Board of Review recently held at the Hotel Waldorf, New York. Charatterizing all censorship as medieval and criticisms against the movies on the ground of immorality and lack of good taste as baseless—“‘shown by the multitudes thronging to our theatres,” Mayor Walker declares that there would be no censorship of New York theatres either by official censors or reform groups’if he could prevent it. The Mayor’s address, which closed the convention at the Waldorf, was broadcast over a nation-wide radio chain. Mrs. Newton D. Chapman, chairman of the film committee of the D. A. R., objected to the censorship of the talkies* not only because it opposed the free speech guarantee of the Constitution, but also the progress and belief of the D. A. R. The National Board decided to wage a campaign against censorship in any form and particularly as put forth in the bill introduced by Representative Hudson. The resolution it adopted, and which is said to be the greatest resolution ever passed by an important body on the subject of censorship, follows: RESOLVED, that censorship of the motion picture, whenever and however proposed, whether benevolent or autocratically administered, is in fundamentsi eontradiction of the spirit of the democratic principles which underlie our theory of government and society. It is no exaggeration to claim that if the framers of the Constitution had been aware of tne potentialities of the motion picture, they would have recognized the wisdom of guaranteeing the freedom of the screen no less than the freedom of the press. For the mdétion picture, besides being the most characteristic entertainment medium of our age and times is, in the deepest sense, news-—the most immediate and intimate news of the kind of people we are—a reflection of our hopes and our ideals. In a free society, it is axiematic that the individual need accept no censorship except self-censorship, the discipline which the wise man exercises over himself. The motien picture, too, as an expression of ourselves, is in the long run self regulative, and no theory of ‘paternalism, however sophistieated or disguised, is fit to come between a sovereign people and the medium through which it re-experiences life. In that sense, any resolution against censorship must be considered perpetually in being as a Hving protest against an atavism which no democratic society can tolerate. of BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, with the advent of the sound picture, the principle of freedom of expression for which the motion picture has contended, can be applied with even greater force in so far as censorship of dialogue represents a direct invasion of the right o” free speech with which there can be no compromise, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Conference reaflirms its past resolutions setting forth its opposition to censorship while stating herewith its opposition to the bill to create Federal censorship of motion pictures introduced into the House of Representatives by Congressman Hudson, and BE 1T FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Conference be instructed to send eopies of this resolution to. the members of the United States Congress. 2 > > KILL THAT WORD ‘A-N-D’ in your ads, trailers and posters! Use Short punch sentences! Use lots of exclamation points to make breathless, enthusiastic, swift reactions! That word “AND” kills lots of good selling copy!! It slows copy down to a walk when it should spurt!! Kitt Tuat Worp “AND” tw Your Copy. —Publix Opinion, % > AUTO TIE UP FILLS HOUSE FOR 3 WEEKS / Manager Charles H. Amos of the Publix Tennessee Theatre, Knoxville, Tenn., and the Whippet Automobile Agency, worked a stunt whereby the New Year’s Eve show was a complete sell-out, and was also responsible for stimulating business during the three precediing weeks. At no cost to the theatre, a new Whippet sedan was given to the person holding the lucky numbered coupon which was drawn at the special New . Year Eve’s_ show. However, the theatre did stand the expense of the printing of the coupons which were given to patrons upon entering the theatre during the three weeks previous to the New Year’s Eve party. SONG BY RADIO HOOK-UP Manager -Robert Hicks of the Publix. Howard Theatre, Atlanta, Ga., put over a good stunt in the form of a radio hook-up in adver tising Fannie Brice in “My Man In the Henry Grady Hotel, music from “My Man” was played from set in lobby and broadcasted to each of the rooms. At the conclusion of each number, announéements were made concerning, the play and where it was being shown. This stunt was used several days in advance of play date and throughout the pictures’ engagement, Bes BROADCASTS THEME Picture Contest for “Circus” “The Circus,” Manager Homer Le Tempt, of the Publix Queen Theatre, Austin, Texas, inserted a part of a picture in eight separate ads, paid by local advertisers, to form a. full page cooperative ad with the theatre’s ad in the center. Contestants were required to clip each part out and assemble to make a complete picture of a famous movie star. The merchants domated five dollars as the first prize while all the theatre-had to furnish was a few tickets for the secondary prizes. In publicizing Charlie Chaplin in i/“WALL STREET” | HERE'S A 3-WAY | STAMPEDE AT INSTITUTIONAL RIALTO The predictions of all Paramount and Publix executives that the “Wolf of Wall Street” would smash all records when first shown at the Rialto Theatre, New York, more than materialized when 85,000 people jammed the Broadway theatre, which seats only 1,904, during the first week and rolled up a box office score which surpassed by far any previous record in the entire history of the theatre. Indications of the tremendous avalanche were felt the moment the doors opened Saturday morning. By noon, sucha crowd had accumulated before the doors as to seriously impede the traffic on the street. The stampede continued all day and, for the midnight show, a thirty minute wait was announced on the sidewalk. All preceding records for a single day’s business were broken that Saturday and continued to be broken all through the week. An outstanding feature of the showing was the spontaneous reattion of the audience to the picture and, particularly, to Bancroft’s laugh. This laugh was so contagious that it spread to the audience andthe entire house rocked with laughter in accompaniment. This was particularly true at the end of the picture when Bancroft’s final chuckle sent the audience into a gale of merriment which continued, amidst loud bursts of applause, after the picture had ended. Too much praisecannot be given to Manager Robert Weitman’s expertly ushers, commanded by Chief Usher Donald Deely, for the capable way in which the enormous crowd, prevaiing from the moment the doors were opened until they were closed, was handled. Despite the fact that the throngs were so dense as. to completely bend one of the heavy brass rails at the rear of the auditorium, there was no disorder or confusion of any kind, the regular procedure of filling and sfilling the house taking place with orderly regularity. The entire STORY FORYOU No reserved seats, and one price for any seat in the house, but with price changes varying with the time of day or day of week, will be the policy in effect for the new Toledo-Paramount Theatre, newest world wonder; theatre of the famous Publix chain, which opens at Adams and Huron streets at noon Saturday, February 14th, according to Managing Director Sidney Dannenberg, who has been here for several days, getting ready ) for the opening. “The success of our de luxe theatres,” Mr. Dannenberg declared, “is predicated upon our policy of believing that one person is as good as another. If we had feserved seats, at higher prices, it would make us assume the position of social arbiters for the community, which is a position we are not competent to assume. Our company has found it profitable and eminently satisfactory to ‘glorify the people’ and we bend Levery energy to do just that. “The reason our highest prices are at night and on Saturday and Sunday and holidays, is because the | largest crowds come on those days, in such numbers that we cannot accommodate them. To make an inducement to theatregoers who could come mornings, or weekday afternoons if they would, we make the special bargain prices, which are based on the relative pressure of traffic into the theatre. “We have found that the lower we can make our prices, the more business we can do. So you will Re-write this institutional story to &t your local needs. Use it on the screen, in ads, and as a news story. trained staff of efficient| find us constantly adding to the quality and quantity of our shows, to induce evenly distributed patron volume. As we accomplish that by earning public confidence and good will, we are automatically able to lower prices. Our international organization of talent scouts, producers and experts, as well as our huge buying power, makes it possible for us to give the public shows for less than a dollar, that would cost a single theatre operating alone, at least four times as ;much to merely produce.” personnel of the theatre, from! Manager Weitman to the page. boy, was on the floor all day long, barely stopping to eat, and the pérfect functioning of the theatre machine under such swollen and abnormal conditions speaks well for the efficacy of the famous “Publix Service.” A ONE-SHEET EYE-CATCHER YOU CAN USE THIS IN THREE | WAYS, TOO Preferred seats in the new Toledo-Paramount Theatre which opens February 16th at Adams and Huron Streets, will be in the balcony, and the higher the better, Re-write this | % cc ordin g to to fit your thea. | Willye Stahl, tre and plant it music director as a news story in your papers if you can, also write a screen trailer and permanent institational poster from its thought. for the theatre. “Thepublic is accustomed te believe that main floor seats, or loges, are the best. This cus: tom is a survival of the days of theatre building when acoustical perfection Was unheard of. Also the main floor seats were for the folks who wanted to ‘be looked at’ amid luxurious sur| roundings, _ “As & matter of fact, the accoustical perfection in the new Toledo The balcony has exactly the same lavish luxury and comfort, the seats jare the same all over the ho se, }and the wise theatregoers of ro. |ledo will prefer the balcony seats ;on their second and future visits, because sound travels upward, and the best effect of our sight and sound shows will be had from the balcony,” Paramount extends to every seat, | R “ge Man, Sv Gam Blower. front of em barker in pe Hey-Rubir the hay-shake fields, from I four Soa of gab ballyhoo pr exploitation f ture. After aj hooer was do licity boys worke tween both town played day and The usual m proved adequate,” the line, “The Ma ton Sills,” worked tively. Outdoor & other eye-catcher good returns. Distinctive featu Man” campaign w with four in City) Warner Bros. Fan ad. Window tieand music stores } jtidings. Ushers on off time goin phone directory coming of the newspaper editors small towns with passes to b tation of marke old time Serke is made for x paper got 2 opening and on opening. publicity Announcem the picture: of all local Jew than usual ply section of thin four weeks be the picture ee On the very 8 nepin Avenue mneapolis, | erected in ff where. a ile down, A the fence car mders , “Fannie Brice showing at +3