Publix Opinion (Dec 6, 1929)

> SUNDIORRRRUUTRUOTRAULURCTRR ORO TLORB ORO RU RRR RREE iJ ] om ; < PTTL LLL i i ae 7 : GR . " political economy. } Did YOU? greatest year by making December its greatest month! EXTRA! artatast TUNNNGOUOOOOUNEQOOOGUNNANOORQUEONOG Vol. III | PL Publix Theatres Corporation, Paramount Building, New York, Week of December 6th, 1929 4 Ee z : Pro cA) 0HUSAUSEUOAUSOUNOUNGHEOHNOUNGUNOUROUUOREBHQE: lets finish Publ’ =) Read Kmas Hints on Page 35° |: {ts frsh Puls making December its greatest month! EXTRA! TT No. 13 SHONGUNAAUORBRERRUSOOQRRROGEERRAEANES EAT HOOVER-PROGRAM | 0 MAKE 1930 BOOM YEAR | At the threshold of a new year, with the mightiest economic and industrial forces of the nation now fully mobilized by President Herbert Hoover for the start of a directed program of intense national development, a prosperity era for the United States stands assured for 1930 which doubtless will carry on for several years to come. Instead of the “Gloom Year” which pessimistic oracles foresaw in the recent PASS EVIL UNDER SCRUTINY, SWEEPING REFORM DEMANDED Growing recklessness in the matter of issuing passes to Publix theatres has resulted in sharp orders to everyone connected with every theatre, to cut all “pass” effort to bare minimum. If that figure cannot then be satisfactorily justified, it will be cut again. DECEMBER DRIVE WORKS ~ UPTO A SMASH CLIMAX atres corporation, looking thru the eyes of 1,200 prin “cipal theatres located in nearly every community in the country, is directing the attention of his entire organiza ‘tion to it as the greatest “Boom Year’ America has ever known. (Por the first time in the history of civilization, a "government chief executive has been able to co-ordinate the forces of wealth-creation and organize them into a sectionalized program of prosperity bringing economic “activity,” says Mr. Katz. “Practically every industrial “organization in the United States is participating with the forces of city, state and national government, under “the direction of President Herbert Hoover.” In the foregoing epitome of the national outlook for the new year, and doubtless for several years to come, the opnion of Mr. Katz is echoed by every noted economic authority or student of Cites Hoover Record In pointing out to his organization the optimistic indications of “acontinuous prosperity for every section of the country, Mr. Katz recalls to mind the performance record President Hoover made “during and after the chaos of the World War. " Mr. Hoover has the habit of successfully completing anything he undertakes,” declares Mr. Katz. “He has definitely undertaken the direction of the problems involving sectional development of Tyational resources. This automatically provides for increase of national wealth, national employment, and consequently national The man who brought order out of the chaos of war stock-market crash, Sam Katz, president of Publix ‘The With reports of pre-Christmas campaigns pouring in fast and furious and the contagion spreading like wild-fire all over the circuit, the huge DECEMBER PROFIT-DRIVE is rapidly working up to a smashing climax as the first few days of December are left behind. Neyer, in the history of Publix, has a movement been undertaken with such vigor and almost frenzied enthusiasm. From the highest ranking Home Office executives prosperity. : sara all the way down the (line, ‘wrecked Europe is now at the helm of an enterprise less difficult (Continued on Page Three) to guide. q “The stock-market crash has no more to do with American prosperity than did the Florida boom deflation of a few years ago. Its only mark is a warning against ' the evil of speculation. Real ' business is as sound as the rock of Gibraltar because it _ rests upon the practical needs and genuine demands of the (Continued on Page Two) DDL VVnerere rere veve Ere rE ree “It is needless to explain to anyone in Publix,” declared Mr. Katz, ‘‘that this does not mean the Northerners are going to stand idly by and take a licking from this opposition. We all know that one of' the outstanding causes of Publix leadership in the industry has been its dogged refusal to be beaten by any form of opposition} no matter how formidable. The present December Profit-Drive is Danville, Il. Nov. 30, 1929 “We have succeeded in $ putting over cooperative % ‘Shop and Send Before De* cember 15’ pages with local ) merchants, as you suggested / in PUBLIX OPINION, week * of November 22. First page ) starts tomorrow, will mail ’ tear sheet.” the most recent proof of that. | (signed) Thomas P. Ronan note Z proof, which has already Leonard C. Worley passed into history, is the con-, PERCE EGRGROGTTGRGES | Version of the notoriously slack PGA GUTUAG UA AUT UA TTT, ‘SOUTHERNERS’ TO HELP ‘NORTHERNERS’ COMBAT WEATHER OPPOSITION With the grim opposition of bad weather, snow storms and excessive cold spells beginning to loom up in the northern sections of Publix operation, President Sam Katz has issued a call for. all Southern showmen, for whom these set-backs do not now exist, to come to the aid of their northern brothers-in-arms. hot weather season into one of the peak box-office periods of the year, by the installation of refrig (Continued on Page Four) cTTrr ett ttt tt ee oY INDEX of the important material contained in this issue, properly classified, will be found on page 12. XMAS DRIVE BOOKINGS HAILED! A flood of enthusiastic and -\grateful letters received by Wil liam M. Saal, Director of Film Buying and Booking, from theatre managers all over the circuit bears eloquent testimony to the widespread appreciation of the Booking Department’s phenomenal efforts in providing each theatre with a series of sure-fire boxoffice magnets for the December Drive. “If I had an Aladdin’s lamp,”’ writes one grateful manager, ‘what better product can I wish for than—’’ and he enumerates his pictures. Another manager writes that “‘such marvellous attractions really inspire one to bend every effort to ring up tremendous weeks on every one of them.” These are only a few comments selected at random from the formidable batch of letters which keep continually pouring into the Booking Department. Publix Booking Department went into this December Drive in dead earnest, from Mr. Saal and his executive associates to. the individual bookers. Division and District bookers kept in constant touch with theatre managers, writing them about their product, and keeping the enthusiasm red hot on the December Drive. Mr. Katz, in conjunction with Messrs. Dembow, Chatkin, Botsford, and all Division Directors, is conducting a careful research into the pass-records of every theatre for the last six months. For the last three months, each theatre operation has been under special scrutiny. As a result, a sweeping reform for the entire circuit is already under way. In New York, where political, studio, distribution, and. journalistic exploitation activity is centered to its largest degree, the pass situation reached the point where it was the ‘straw’’ that broke the camel’s back. It was an expensive “straw,” as well as a growing nuisance. Greater New York has already cut down its pass distribution to a figure that is only ten per cent of what it was-a month ago. Wails and complaints are being ignored. Only newspaper critics, writers, first-magnitude officials, and first magnitude-industrial personages, are on the pass list (Continued on Page Five) EXTRA!! EXTRA!! As we go to press, Mr. Katz notifies us that the first four days of December this year, show a definite increase over last year, for the whole circuit, with weather-conditions, bookings,, etc., favoring last year. He credits this showing entirely to your enthusiasm and intelligent driving force in the DECEMBER DRIVE FOR 31-CONTINUOUS DAYS OF PROFIT. See ee ee Our Greatest Month in | MORE DAYS TO COMPLETE YOUR 10 IN DECEMBER! Our Greatest Year! 0% DELIVERY OF THOSE 31-CONTINUOUS PROFIT DAYS Sarees ean Sis i co eet ne ca eee ee eg ee esha pontine Seam ye t see st