Publix Opinion (Dec 13, 1929)

\ 58 PUBLIX OPINION, WEEK OF DECEMBER 13rn, 1929 wa PLAYUP YOUR LOCAL NEWS | EVENTS Scores of Publix showmen,‘taking the PUBLIX OPINION tip, have located a local movie cameraman, and have steamed him up to the point where he solicits a local merchant to pay for necessary footage of local news events which are shown on Publix local screens. The merchant gets a camouflaged “credit” title-frame only, and the theatre has a hot local attraction, without working or paying for it. It’s a great gag for football _ ‘games, picnics, or any other event where big crowds are in atten_ dance on some activity. Local _ manufacturers and stores who ' want to make a straight adver_ tising film can only get it exhibit ed one-performance-only by you if they'll guarantee a performance _ sellout for some weak-night final _ performance. But the credit-line in a newsreel shot, of course, is shown at all performances pro viding the news event is a big enough drawing card. Je It’s being done in many Publix _ theatres, and the sponsors even go so far as to pay for big news paper ads; calling attention to their public benefaction. These ads include selling-talk on the feature picture, etc. FARO NEL’ ONE OF MONTH’S 10 BEST FILMS », __ An unusual honor has just fallen to Christie Talking Plays. Photoplay Magazine this month picked a Christie two _ reeler, _ “Faro Nell,” as one of the ten best pictures of the month. This 4s the first time in history that _ ashort subject has won this distinction. During the month, Photoplay reviewed about forty feature productions besides’ this Christie subject; the other nine best pictures of the month were: “The Trespasser’’ “The Love Parade’”’ “Sunny Side Up’’ “They Had to See Paris’’ “The Lady Lies’’ _ “Footlights and Fools” a “Blackmail”’ “Disraeli’’ “Young Nowheres’’ _ Liberty Magazine this week picked this same Christie subject as the best short film of the “month. This is the first time that Liberty Magazine has even men' tioned a short subject: in their _ weekly movie reviews by Frederick James Smith. The respective reviews on this Christie subject from Photoplay and Liberty were as follows: ' “It takes something hot in the way of a two-reel talking comedy to break into this fast company of best pictures, and this Louise Fazenda howl is the bright baby. “Faro Nell’ is a scream—an airtight, perfectly acted burlesque of he old-time Western thriller. Louise, in long yellow curls, is a ‘panic. This is just what we've long wanted—a two reel talkie we could bellow at.’ oy _ —Photoplay _ “The Best of the month is the ‘Ohristic burlesque on Western melodramas, “Faro Nell,’’ starring touise Fazenda. Watch for this funny two-reel talking comedy.” a —Liberty ] \NOTHER BOISE THEATRE A _ The Menmar Amusement Com Dany, a realty subsidiary of Publix, has leased the Strand Theatre in se, Idaho and will start operaig it on December 15, 1929. The Strand, a sound house with sealting capacity of 600, is the md Publix theatre in that town ie) other is the Pinney. Me HN Er IIIT “To effectively sell the merchandise of the theatre, you MUST campaign several weeks in advance of your playdate, so that you will have created a strong public demand for it when you are ready to make delivery—A. M. BOTSFORD, General Director of Advertising and Publicity. 1. New Year’s Day Today —| 8. Theatre Anniversaries (ManHoliday Prices and Schedules. ual No. 1048, May 18, 1929). 2. Check up on your competi-| 9. tors to see what they do that stitutional story in your local you ought to do. papers. ; 3. HELP to stop the waste in} 10. What are you doing to tie good, repeatable ideas. Tell ticket-selling into mid-winter ’em TODAY to PUBLIX school graduations? OPINION (the official ‘voice’| 11. Announce next month’s bookand ‘idea exchange’ for Pubings, in news story, trailer, lix Theatres everywhere). poster and ads. Do this every 4. Don’t let your MONDAY month. BUSINESS turn into ‘blue’| 14. Check up on your sound ef-/ or ‘red’. Systematize activfects every performance! ities! 15. You have the merchandise. 5. Are you building SUNDAY SELL IT! matinee Business? (See| 16. What are you planning for PUBLIX OPINION, Vol. III, re-opening of new mid-year Nos. 10, 12). school term? 6. National Thrift Week (Janad-copy, etc.? uary 17th-23rd). Stress bar-| 17. Refer to back-file of PUBLIX gain, matinees and ‘‘earlyOPINION for hunches. bird, shows”. Bank tie-up on| 18. Monthly fire-drill. thrift accounts. chief to pose for newspaper 7. Do you give your projectionphotographs and reporters. ist a typewritten copy of|19. Buiding Sunday matinee “Sound Tips’? (See current | business ? (See issues and bound volume of OPINION, Vol. III, Nos, 10, PUBLIX OPINION for entire 12). series.) 20. Lincoln’s Birthday is Febru xg LU FORECAST FOR JANUARY! STUDY IT TODAY!! Herewith is the front page of the Special 1930 Forecast calendar being prepared by PUBLIX OPINION. . Doubtless some of the items listed fit your needs. ' Or perhaps you can add some more thoughts to the list. Study it, and do SOMETHING. In a few more days, your theatre will receive from “PUBLIX OPINION,” the complete calendar itself. It will have, in handy, eye-catching form, the week-by-week-reminders you want. When you get it, check it over, and add a list of your own. research work to compile it for you, and now it’s up to you to improve it, so that future annual issues of this calendar will be more comprehensive, and serviceable. Plant a theatre or circuit in-| Appropriate Get fire PUBLIX Your Editor put in a terrific amount of He ary 12th. Stunts? Tie-ups? Copy slant? Parades? Decorations? ‘Trailers? Ads? Contests? Program, unit? Order your monthly supplies. Washington’s’ Birthday is February 22nd. Holiday prices? Holiday schedule? Special tie-ups? Special adcopy? Pay your monthly bills promptly to get cash discounts. Re-check your pass list to remove deadwood. Send your WEEKLY reports in on TIME. Plant an institutional story ad—trailer—poster. Valentine’s Day is February 4th. Any ticket-selling exploitation, ad-copy, tie-ups? Make SURE your staff reads ALL of ‘“PUBLIX OPINION”’. Anticipate LOCAL and NATIONAL holidays and other significant events 30 days in advance! Decorate your theatre front with flags! 22. 23. 24. NWA A GOOD FOR CHRISTMAS TOO! The three Thanksgiving stunts, stories and mats of which are shown below, are going to be used for Christmas, too. No. 1 is a “Tin Can Matinee” staged by Manager T. .R. Earl of the Paramount Theatre, Idaho Falls, Idaho. Tying in with the Salvation Army, and the local newspaper, Manager Earl held a matinee between 1 and3 p. m., at which the admission was a “tin can—or something for someone’s Thanksgiving Dinner.” On the morning of the matinee, a Salvation Army captain took the place of the doorman and accepted any monetary donations offered. In a town of 12,000, three hundred contributions were received containing over 1,000 articles of food. No. 2 is an editorial in the Charlotte Observer, which climaxed a gale of publicity on the “Potato Matinee” held by Manager Sam Hammond of the Publix Alhambra Theatre, Charlotte, N. C. Thirtyfive bushels, of potatoes received in this manner, were displayed) in the lobby and later given to an orphange. The same stunt will be used for Christmas substituting an apple and orange for the potato. No. 3 is the ad carried by the Salisbury Evening Post on the “Potato Matinee” held by Manager A. C. Kincey of the Publix-Saenger Victory Theatre, Salisbury, N. C. As a result of this tie-up, Manager Kincey got 30 inches on the amusement page Sunday, 30 inches each day through Wednesday (no paper Thursday) and a publicity story Friday on the number of potatoes received and turned over to the Salvation Army. ‘ apge Sweet or Irif One Large S : 5— y FOR THE LAR : 9 ed Over J Verntoes Received Wi I A ao to the Ntedy 1 This Coupon an See a Under 12 Years of Age 19 "0 ving Serial “KING OF THE K AN—WALTER MILLER. vicroRY THEATRE 2TH 0 i ov. AT 10 will be Ad “FRIDAY. MORNING, TO gee tach Babli. roe Foss Coasts Fare io see snd Be 10 S 1 8 9 ere NAAT A TAT AAA i PUBLIX STARTS|PARAMOUNT 10 OFFICE BLDG. CAMPAIGN © Publix Real Estate Department has instituted a campaign among its office building managers throughout the South and Southeast to stimulate leasing of space and collections. Five cash prizes will be awarded to the men mak .|ing the best showing during the campaign, which extends from Dec. 1st to Feb. Ist. The prizes are: $25 first prize for leasing the greatest amount of floor space; $10, second prize; $25 first prize for making the best improvement in collections; $10, second prize; $10 first prize for the best lobby card. In connection with the last mentioned prize, theatre managers are urged to co-operate with the real estate. representatives in every way, particularly in having their Art Departments make attractive posters to be used in the lobbies of buildings. Not only is it the duty of theatre managers to aid the activities of their company in their particular community as much as possible but, in helping the Real Estate Department secure desirable tenants for theatre buildings and those adjacent to it, they are enhancing ‘the value of their own theatre lo cation and thus increasing their box-office possibilities. KENT SAILS SATURDAY Sidney R. Kent, who sails Saturday for a survey of conditions in Europe in behalf of Paramount, FLOWER SHOW A flower show arranged by a local florist gave Manager Conner of the-Tower Theatre of Chicago some newspaper publicity and an opportunity to place 64 cards in florists’ windows in the Hyde Park, ‘Woodlawn and Jackson Highland Districts. OFFER FINEST PRODUCT (Continued from page 1) rade’, ‘Sweetie’ and ‘The Virginian’, we promise eleven new pictures to be worked into the spring group which will be the finest we have ever turned out. ‘Kor example, we offer two Westerns featuring Gary Cooper and Eugene Pallette, following on! the heels of that great success, ‘The Virginian’. Secondly, we will make two Jack Oakie productions, ‘Marco Himself’ and another, yet to be released. This young man is one of the most ‘ popular players on the screen today. “In addition to these four, we offer the greatest musical revue of them all, ‘Paramount On Parade’, ‘The Return of Fu Manchu’, ‘Young | Man of Manhattan’ to be made at the Paramount Long Island studio with Richard Arlen and Claudette Colbert; ‘The Benson.Murder Case’, a big feature with William Powell; Helen Kane in ‘“‘Dangerous Man McGrew’; ‘The River Inn,’ with Helen Morgan and Charles Ruggles; and Hal Skelly in ‘Men Are Like That’.”’ Saturday morning the entire convention saw an advance trailer of “‘The Vagabond King,’’ now being filmed in Hollywood, and will be abroad six or eight weeks.|the members were later taken to the Criterion to see a screening of “The Love Parade.’’ Convening again Saturday afternoon, the meeting was addressed by Mr. Katz who pledged the cooperation of the theatre department in every respect. G. B. J. Frawley handled the details of the convention and took care of guests in an entertainment line between sessions.