Publix Opinion (Dec 13, 1929)

st ONLY 18 MORE DAYS TO MAKE DECEMBER OUR GREATEST MONTH! {ANNQAN0GSURBA00B00B8UE000000000880808800NBER<= el. III UTES Se TILL LLL LLL LLL | Final Christmas Tips — Page 3! UVVUUOUUUUQUUOAUUUOEEENUOUUVUAUOUOUUUUCAUOEUEELRAEUU LUAU UCT UULUCUUU CUE TUTE eta SYPNUESDUQUNDEODESSSOVENOSDOGOOUOEDUGOURUDOROUGDOODSOSEROGOSODQONRNQUOUOQEVOU0ERUDEUEO0BONORUDEOQ0N000000 000000000000 000TU0 E00 PUEUOULTESOEUPTEEUS DET EEP IEEE eee SAUTORDROROGUROREUROGROGERDRCEREORUNE Publix Theatres ie Paramount Building, New York, Week of December 13th, 1929 = ONLY 18 MORE DAYS TO MAKE DECEMBER OUR GREATEST MONTH! THIM0NN00U0NSEUASUORO0RSS0000000800000000000005= No. 14 CUUNUANOUNAUNOUGEDUNOUNOEQUDOUNENUNNGGS NEW COSTCONTROL COMMITTEE ENCOURAGES SENSII “COLLECT AND CO-ORDINATE BRAINPOWER OF CIRCUIT Recently, Mr. Katz, at a meeting of his executive cabinet, di“tected every member thereof to set aside definite hours each week for creative thinking in connection with the company generally, and his individual department particularly. He inaugurated in his own office, a “New Thought Basket,” into which will flow the best mental efforts of the cabinet membership. __Indoing this, Mr. Katz has set an example for every operation within Publix, which should eagerly be seized upon, and explicitly followed. There is no reason in the world why every theatre manager cannot inaugurate exactly the same system in his own the PUBLIX ON RAMPAGE AS DECEMBER PROFITS RISE atre. Similarly, there is no _ reason why every district manager cannot inaugurate the same plan so that the best creative effort of theatres in his district, will flow into his horizon. District managers would do the same in presenting their ideas to division directors, and since all division directors have membership in Mr. Katz’ Executive Cabinet, Mr. Katz would thus get ‘the brainpower”’ of the cir cuit, in a broken-up manner that could easily and quickly be _. digested by him. Mr. Katz is a busy man, with demands upon his time and thoughis that do not face the rest of us. With men of experience and training in this business standing be‘tween each operation and himself, ‘somewhere along the line, any worthy thought or idea is bound to find its proper level. In this connection, Your Hditor calls attention to the fact that many “ideas’’ which occur to a person ‘for the first time,’ and are original with that person, might still be ‘‘old stuff’? to a (Continued on Page Two) Idea to Enhance Campaign Vigor A good idea from Executive Vice-President Sam Dembow, Jt, is being hailed with delight by Publix showmen. By Mr. Dembow’s direction, all pre mieres of pictures in the Publix | itcuit hereafter will be indelily registered upon the contiousness of the local management of the theatre’ playing ame, by telegraphic advice rom Mr. Saal. An exceptionally igorous and intelligent ticket ng campaign will be exRied. foreover, this campaign will mounted with particular {in a special individual book, and rushed to the Office, with the local andiser’s explanatory rendvice, etc. It will then Pontinued on Page Two) LM nnn p a January 3 Jinx -Week While you’re holding the fort and fighting the slump enemy in December — the good news filters thru that past experience proves that the first week in January is usually a weak-sister. So after you've gotten your breath following your SPECIAL NEW YEAR’S EVE MIDNIGHT SHOW, and have slept off its| effects, shoot a few attention-bombs that will bring customers to your theatre during the week starting January 3. Let Judging by the box office reports from various points in the circuit, and the tear sheets, campaign reports and ballyhoo samples pouring into the office of PUBLIX OPINION, the legions of Publix have risen like one man and are fighting tooth and nail against the annual December bugaboo which, so far, has been knocked for a distinct loss _ dhe preadcast anon the water by PUBLIX OPINION in the form of exploitation sug 'gestions, stunts and tip-offs for the December Drive, have come back amply buttered. For, nearly every suggestion that this publication has made, no matter how/difficult it may | have appeared, has come back to us as an accomplished act. Evidently, the boys in the field are on their toes and not letting a single bet go by. Once again we repeat the ad(Continued on Page Three) TIIMMMIInmInm M nn That Last Smash! On New Year’s Eve, | crowds are. Have ten minutes from Xmas to New Year’s day. some good local talent. No reserved seats. night, Dec. 31, too. SUMMIT AA For a final, smashing, money-getting effort on your DECEMBER DRIVE, present a SPECIAL NEW YEAR'S EVE MIDNIGHT PERFORMANCE in your theatre. mission, but put on a show that is worth the money. Do it with local talent, but get GOOD talent! everybody wants to go where the The thousands who don’t want to spend a lot of money on a cafe party, want to go to a show. of ‘Hot Community Singing,’ led by someone who knows how—a local personality. mayor or some other gent of personality who likes to be a good fellow before big crowds, would LOVE to be your FREE master of ceremonies, and introduce a few good kid-acts. Get some paper hats and a few hundred noise-maker-toys to give away. You can get them cheap in quantities. ADVERTISE your midnight show on your screen—in special SCHOCKER POSTERS, and in your daily newspaper. ads Don’t try to stage an elaborate stage show, or you'll encounter all the difficulties, that production entails. can hire an expert to do it for you for $25 who will also hustle Usually a woman who runs a kids’ dancing school can do it great, and can get the kids to promote their parents into furnishing appropriate costumes. If you have to have an alibi, which you don’t, as a last resort, you can offer 5% of your gross profits (don’t advertise the amount or percentage) to a local charity. Publix theatres are staging midnight shows. First come, first served. Clear the house at 11 o’clock. By the way, you can get holiday prices all day and Charge double ad Maybe the Maybe you Hundreds of You can do it too. Piece ce & ET SPEND ‘MR, DEMBOW JW INAUGURATES SANE SCHEME TO OBVIATE FRENZIED ECONOMY DRIVE Publix personnel is Mecdne the oe the newest organizational in novation today, as revealed by an announcement from Execu tive-Vice President Sam Dembow, Jr., who has inaugurated the effective operation of a encourage sensible ‘Spending. _ PARAMOUNT T OFFER FINEST PRODUCT Presided over by Sidney R. Kent and with Division Managers John Clark and George J. Schaefer, in charge, the annual convention of Paramount district and branch managers was brought to a close last Saturday after a twa day session in the Roosevelt Hotel, New York. Addressed by Mr. Zukor, Mr. Kent, Mr. Lasky; Mr. Katz, and others, more than 50 members of the distribution department and home office executives listened to discussions on the sales policy for the coming six months and also to an outline of the new pictures to be released in the Spring group. In his talk, Mr. Zukor predicted a brilliant future for ParamountPublix. “Never was the outlook for record grosses in the theatres | so favorable,’’ he said. “And never has Paramount’s production organization lined up so fine a group of outstanding pictures as will be released during the coming months. Never have Paramount’s relations with the trade and the public been so happy as now. Never have I been more optimistic about the future of all branches of the motion picture business than I am today.”’ Folowing Mr. Kent’s introductory message on the first day of the convention, Jesse L. Lasky, first vice president in charge of production, spoke in detail about the product for the next six months. “In co-operation with the theatre and sales. departments, and after a study of outstanding box-office successes for the first period of the year, we are able, because of the tremendous changes in the manner of making pictures, to re-arrange and adjust our coming schedule to give the maximum in box-office value. “Taking our cue from such outstanding parcels of entertainment as ‘The Love Pa (Continued on Page Seven) “costeontrol committee,” designed to committee, with Mr. pa as” its chairman, 45° Sas of the following Home Office executives: PAUL RAIBOURN, Departmental salary costs. ETZLER, Traveling expenses, telegram and telephone costs, etc. L.J. LUDWIG, Unabe sorbed overhead, warehouse expense, payroll increases and additions. Be ak GOWTHORPE, Petty cash, supplies, miscellaneous. JOSEPH WALSH, Maintenance items, postage. In addition to the foregoing, department heads will have ex(Continued on Page Two) PUBLIX ROCKS BROADWAY! Three of the four Publix theatres on Broadway broke house records on the week ending Dec. 6, and were the storm centers of this busy thoroughfare to which all ticket-buyers seemed destined. They are: 1. Rivoli—‘Taming ot the Shrew.’’ This picture topped the previous house record, held by Fairbanks in “Man in The Iron Mask’”’ by $236. 2. Rialto — ‘*Trespasser.” Broke the fourth week’s recdérd of that ‘‘House of Hits.’’ 8. Criterion — “Love Parade.”’ Knocked this house’s weekly record into~a cocked hat the first “six days. “Variety” says: “This attraction is easily No. 1 in any call for $2 talkers.”’ The Paramount, Publix’ fourth house on Broadway, rolled up a big gross on the second week of “Saturday Night Kid’’ which, together with the tremendous first week of the same picture almost averaged a record for that huge theatre, too. = rsteegeec Tee stsececccceseeeeres epecceeaue PE 8 8S OOS Oe 6 OS SS OSE SS SE SSS SSSSSE OSS U SOO EES OS OS OG OS SS OSS SESS ESE Se See eee eeSeseuESeescusseouucaue SUUEESVSSSEE SSE SS eeenesy BBaSSaesn' SASHISSSGSSSaSaSnaSSODEAw |