Publix Opinion (Dec 20, 1929)

PHONE & WIRE BILLS CUT THIS WAY An effective means of economizing on telephone and telegram costs which, if adhered to, would mean the saving of many _ thousands of dollars to the entire: Publix Circuit, has been submitted to Vice President Sam Dembow, Jr., Chairman of the COST CONTROL COMMITTER, by Comptroller Fred L. Metzler. ¢ Mr. Metzler called attention to e the fact that, although economizing on words in telegrams, or telegrams themselves, might appear a comparatively trivial mat NU An example ‘of unnecessa-~ Iry waste in telegraphic messages is| ter, yet, wnen one = ees by multiplies this gers and dis-| Small amount by ‘\trict mana-| the number of gers who an-/| theatres in the Swered by telegraph the request of | added during the last two weeks of the December circuit and then multiplies this by 365 days a year, the figures begin to swell to tremendous propor Drive. ip a| tions. jease like SEUKTS this, a reply ‘With over 1,200 operations spread over the was unnecessary by tele ite: Zyventd United States,’’| certainly have| declared Mr. been adequate Metzler,” just ee week . one unnecessary the company | telegram from or $500. to each point means a loss equivalent to 2400 theatre admissions! “The telephone and telegram are convenient methods to transmit messages quickly. However, } don’t sacrifice dollars for conyenience; get value received! "Don’t telephone when a telegram will do. Carry on your business at the least possible cost. “Don’t telegraph when an air mail letter will do. Give thought to the element of time and you’ll find the less expensive method will do. “Don’t air mail letters when special delivery or regular mail will do. Think before you instruct your secretary. Get her thinking too. ; “Read carefully the types and comparative cost of Telegraph Messages in the adjacent columns. “Before you send a telegram think of the following: 1—Is a telegram necessary? 2—If so, then don’t do some of the things now found in telegrams. a—Don’t use unnecessary words. b—Don’t ask for reply by wire unless necessary. c—Don’t say ‘‘please’’ at the beginning of each thought. d—Don’t ‘‘stop’’ your telegram too much. You pay .for : |. : “stops.” to another branch of business with the idea of shifting costs. f—Don’t think the other fellow isn’t watching costs.} He will call you. g—Don’t use over 50 words ee Record No. Titles Shows) (Vagabond Lover) _ (Battle Of Paris) : MY FATE IS IN YOUR HAND LWIA READ TH PUBLIX OPINION, WEEK OF DECEMBER 20rn, 1929, ESE USEFUL ECONOMY TIPS! 2A ENA ~ e—Don’t send telegram collect | Siiliiiiitililll TM ME NEW PUBLIX DISC RELEASES 1066 P CAN’T WE BE FRIENDS (Little Show) Publix Ten SINGING IN THE BATHTUB (Show Of Publix Ten 1067P A LITTLE KISS EACH MORNING Jack Miller Orch.Dance LOVE MADE A GYPSY OUT OF ME.... eer eorecee ores reese eeoee se Sa. . 0 BR Night Messages and Night Letters is identical). eoecee TYPES AND COMPARATIVE COST OF TELEGRAPH MESSAGES A TELEGRAM is the most rapid and expensive form. It will be transmitted from its point of origin immediately and delivered at its destination promptly upon receipt. The charge is based upon a minimum of 10 words. A NIGHT MESSAGE is delivered at its destination about nine o’clock the following morning. The charge is based upon a minimum of 10 words. The cost runs from 20 to 50 per cent less than the Telegram. The Night Message service should be used for messages containing up! to about 17 words where an over night delivery is satisfactory; when such messages contain over’-17 words they should be sent as Night Letters. — A NIGHT LETTER will be delivered at its destination — about nine o’clock the following morning (the delivery of The charge is based upon a minimum of 50 words and costs the same as a ten-word telegram. When sending Night Letters to points reached by over night mail, it is well to consider that a special delivery letter. will serve the same purpose at about onequarter of the cost of a Night Letter. A DAY LETTER is usually delivered at its destination approximately three hours after it is filed with the telegraph company. The charge is based upon a minimum of 50 words and the cost is one and a half times the 10-word telegram rate. : Telegraph rates vary according to distance. The following table showing the cost of telegraph messages from New York to Cleveland, Chicago, Omaha, Denver and San Francisco should help to! clarify the above information. From N. Y. Telegram Nite Message. Nite Letter Day Letter each each each each add’l add’l to Sarl — wands as oar or yee ee oe “ie. shercat thereof : Cleveland | 48 | .035 | 36 | 012 | 48 | .09 | .72 | .15 Chicago ...| .60 | .035 | 42 | 012 | .60 | 12 | .90 | .18 Omaha ....|.72| .05 | 48 | .012 | .72 | .15 [1.08 | .22 Denver ...| .90 | .06 | 54 | .024 | .90 | .18 [1.35 | .27 San Fran. |1.20 | 085 | .60 | 024 [1.20 | .24 [1.80 | .36 Counting’ Words in Telegraphic Communications: Numbers if written numerically thus: 4734 count as a word for each digit or 4' words. If written forty-seven thirtyfour even though hyphenated, each digit counts as a separate word. Such numbers as eleven, twelve, twenty, etc., count as one word if spelled—if written numerically 11, 12, 20, etc., each digit counts as one word or two words for each of the above examples. It is safer to spell out the number and in most cases more economical, particularly with dates such as 11th, 15th, ete., as the affix is counted a word, 11th and 15th are counted as three words while they may be expressed as eleventh, fifteenth and counted as one. The word “stop” is in every instance counted and charged for. ‘ Signature: Do not, unless essential, sign both the name of the corporation and your own, as the second name will be charged for by the Telegraph Company. For example: (a) Publix Theatres Corporation (b) J. B. G. Henry : (c) Publix Theatres Corporation Additional charge J. B. G. Henry for four words. Do not send telegrams late in the afternoon to nearby points unless you are reasonably sure that delivery will be made during business hours. Send Night Telegrams instead in cases where the length of the telegram approximates fifteen words, otherwise send Night Letters. Telegrams to the far West may, of course, be sent late in the afternoon as there is a difference of three hours in time between New York and the Pacific Coast. If a telegraph message is not marked to show the class of service desired, the telegraph companies treat it as a telegram though the message contains 50 words or more and the text indicates that Night Letter service is satisfactory. The higher rate is charged even when the message is not delivered until the following morning. It is well therefore, to use the designation Telegram, Night Message, Night Letter or Day Letter. \ —No Cost —No Cost on Day or Nite letter unless necessary. Hach additional 10 words or fraction thereof costs plenty. h—Don’t include formal salutations such as ‘‘Regards.”’ POWDER-PUFFS rete ane 3 written legend which read: “Bon Pance-Voe. 2|Jour, See You In ‘PARIS’ Soon! ture. Jack Miller Orch.Dance-Voc. COCO ULCUUUC CUCU CULL ecco Dance-Voc. Dance-Voc. Paramounteers Paramounteers has Brainerd, Minnesota opened. nrerly the Park. ALLA TT SELL ‘PARIS’ WITH NNUOUUUUUUTUUAT HU lie So that every woman who powdered her nose might read—and they all do that—, Manager Oscar Davis of the Publix-Balaban and Katz “Adams,” Chicago, Ill., had all the mirrors of his theatre adorned with a neat, white, hand Irene Bordoni,” to plug that picEven the men, who take a fleeting glance when they pass the mirrors, read the selling message. 1068P TURN ON THE HEAT (Sunnyside Up) Paramounteers Dance-Voc. PICCOLO PETE ..... erate ere Sar wet Paramounteers Dance-Voc. THEAT 1069 P I HAVE TO HAVE YOU (Pointed Heels Paramounteers Dance-Voc. RE RE-OPENS AIN’CHA (Pointed Heels).........ceeees Paramounteers Dance-Voc. a ; 1070 P WHEN I’M HOUSEKEEPOING FOR YOU The Publix Paramount Theatre, reThis theatre was for ~ SELLING “SEVEN DAYS LEAVE” By Russell Holman, Advertising Manager, Paramount Pictures Gary Cooper’s first starring picture. Based on J. M. Barrie’s “The Old Lady Shows Her Medals”. Motion Picture News says, “Certainly one of the outstanding pictures of the year”. A daringly different subject very well handled. One of the greatest picture performances of all times by Beryl Mercer, legitimate stage star, playing Gary’s mother. After you get them in they’ll love this picture and they’ll tell others to come. Word-of-mouth after the opening should be big. Ee, ; But here’s the problem: No man-and-girl romance of the conventional sort. It’s the story of renegade soldier and the unknown London charwoman who adopts him as her son, who changes him from a would-be deserter to a hero who goes to his death over the top with a smile. The part recalls somewhat the Cooper of “Shopworn Angel”. Same director, Richard Wallace. Selling it? : Forget the story in your‘advance stuff. Sell Cooper. Sell the big hit he scored in “Virginian.” Remind them he was a soldier in “Shopworn Angel” and he’s a soldier again in this show and how great he looks in kilts as a brave “lady from hell” in the Scottish Black Watch. Say, “Girls, Gary Cooper’s Here on Seven Days Leave. Come and Meet Him!” Or “The Talkies’ New He-Man Hero—Gary Cooper.” Or “You’ve been pulling for Paramount to make Cooper a star. Now you’ve got your wish. And he’s marvelous.” In other words, personalize Cooper and cash in on the drag that he has with dames—and with men too, because men prefer him to a bushel of pretty-boy stars. “The Ladies’ Idol Whom Men Like”. : Sell the fact that “Seven Days Leave” is “daringly different,” “startling surprise hit of the season” and copy along that line that doesn’t tell what the story is about. As near as I believe it’s wise to describe the story in advance would be: “He came to paradise after two years of hell. He could have his choice of beautiful girls. And he picked a poor, unknown old lady. Why? Come and see.” I wouldn’t play up Barrie. Or “Peter Pan” and “A Kiss for Cinderella”, Barrie’s previous filmed efforts. Go after “Seven Days Leave”. It’s a swell picture and worth putting over. They'll thank you for getting them in to see it. Get a good opening day and you’ve won. MULL AT es Newspaper Contributes $1,000 to Star Contest How much the star identifica ‘tion contest as outlined in the New Show World manual means to newspapers, is well brought out by the experience of the Publix Theatres in Salt Lake City, Utah. The contest had been planned for December but because of pre-holi day activities and additional advertising, the newspaper asked that the contest be postponed to January at the same time offering $1000 in cash prizes in addition to those being offered by the merchants. : ‘This is in addition to newspaper space and publicity. According to word from Ralph E. Crabill the ~ contest will be postponed in accordance with the wishes of the newspaper. FOR THE NEEDY! Manager Roy Brown of the State Theatre, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, landed plenty of good will newspaper publicity when he pui on a Thanksgiving vegetable matinee for children. The theatre was jammed with kiddies who had raided the family larder the night before. The photographs below show the attendance at the theatre and the edibles left at the box-office. All the food’ was distributed to the needy by local charity organizations.