Publix Opinion (Dec 20, 1929)

| oo YOU HAVE THE presi n MERCHANDISE SELL IT! ° YOU HAVE THE MERCHANDISE SELL IT! eiditts | atta t. wore hil syY.. Theatres fy | The Official Voice of Publix Vol. Il | Publix Theatres Corporation, Paramount Build ing, ‘New York, Week of December 20th, 1929 | Oe ee te Ue ee ed Pee te ee eS a With the vigorous impetus given to the profit earning drive by the December campaign, and the superb alignment of money-getting product for January, the first month of 1930 should establish a high-earning mark to shoot at for the balance of the year. SAM DEMBOW, Jr., Executive Vice President, Publix Theatre Corp. “T eave no stone unturned to help Publix cnaintain the high standing it holds in the world of theatres.” | Publix Opinion Published by and for the Press Representatives and Managers of PUBLIX THEATRES CORPORATION A. M. Borsrorp, Dr. Advertising SAM KATZ, President Benjy. H. Serxowicu, Editor Contents Strictly Confidential GROTESQUE PHRASEMONGERS Pat phrase gabblers! Phrase-mongers!! Persons in show business, like in any other industry, are prone to accept the jargon and catch-phrase colloquialisms of their environment and glibly and lightly make use of them. There is nothing wrong with this, of course, unless these phrase-mongers and pat-phrase-gabblers substitute familiarity with the mere words, for skill and aptitude what the words represent. in the application of You are familiar with the individual who loosely and lightly talks ‘projection’ or ‘merchandising’ or ‘sound’ or ‘management’ or ‘publicity’ or ‘exploitation’ or ‘advertising.’ They know all of the familiar words and importantly use them on every occasion, to sell their hearers the idea that they also know their full import. But those who really know all of the practicalities and complexities of any or all of to these mouth filling phrases, are apt after shooting a few deft questions th ignorance of the speaker. In sucha ca those subjects that give rise to laugh up their sleeves at reveal the monumental se, phrase-mongering and pat-phrase-gabbling become a most grotesque practice. It then is very apt to trip up the individual who so his mouth and puts his foot in it. lightly and loosely opens IMAGINATION TICKLER T. R. Earl, Manager of the Paramount Theatre in Idaho Falls, Idaho, writes to the editor with reference to a catchline he saw in a local restaurant. He suggests an editorial on the subject. We think enough of his letter to reproduce it herewith, as the editorial: : “The writer has been very definitely impressed with a line appearing in the substance a local restaurant, which might be made into of a good editorial dissertation for PUBLIX OPINION... “With the very insistent demand particularly of of our business, and good Publix Showmen, for creative thinking, and for the ability to anticipate the ever changing problem of tomorrow, we find much room for thought in the line: “We Grow as Long as We’re Green 99 ! “A number of Publix Executives have visited this restaurant during the opening weeks and on each occasion when the line was observed it was given more than passing consideration.” BIGGER DOLLARS Changing economic conditions in the United States due to mass production merry American and volume distribution has resulted in the dollar of 1930 having considerably more buying power than it had in 1929 or 1928. : Mr. Katz points out the foregoing fact, which is the result of his ‘study of all the wealth of various information that is available to him. To showmen, this is an important bit of knowledge. going. Business It means that more money is available for theatrewill doubtless improve because of this fact and without any extra effort on the part of business-hunting showmen. Estimates by noted statisticians and economists in dicate that the buying power of the dollar is at greater than it has been in the last two years. least 20 per cent So you'll have to work harder to make an equitable showing on individual progress. _————— SOUND ‘TIPS From Publix Department of Sound and Projection. HARRY RUBIN, Director — SOUND BULLETIN No. 39 Dirty Socket Contacts ‘There are few places in your sound system where dirt can do more harm than on the spring contacts of your vacuum tube sockets. Noise in reproduction is one of the commonest troubles caused by this condition. In the event of irregular, ‘‘crackling’’ noises, it is well to examine all the socket contact springs, and clean those that look dirty with the red eraser on the back of your pencil. In general it is a good idea to go over these contacts with an eraser about once in two weeks. Take care to clean the eraser grit off thoroughly before replacing the tube. The 239-type tubes do not give this particular kind of trouble, due to the spiral spring construction of their socket contacts. All other type tubes, however, do, up to the largest. In the case of the larger tubes, especially when used as rectifiers, a dirty contact may have developed such heat, because of its resistance, as to partially melt the solder tip of the tube prong. In this case, after the dirty contact has been cleaned, the tip of the prong should be filed down smooth with a fine file; but if this cannot be done, or if doing it will make that prong appreciably shorter than the others, the tube should be discarded. The bottoms of the prongs of your tubes need exactly the same attention and treatment, as to dirt, as the spring contacts in your sockets. Telephone and Fashion Window Tie-Up is Novel A combination telephone window and living model dress exhibit was used in selling “The Virginian’ by manager H. D. Grove of the Fort Theatre, Rock Island, Ill. Two telephone girls were placed in an elaborately decorated window of a dress shop. From this window the girls called every resident of Rock Island and told them the picture name and playdate. Every half hour, the girls changed dresses, giving the storeowner an opportunity to display his wares. Large crowds in front of the window watched the girls and of course read the advertising matter for ‘The Virginian”’ which was in the window. 22 NN AT YOUR NEW YORK THEATRES e WEEK OF DEC. 20 THEATRE PICTURE rd ETUC Rivoli, The Taming of the Shrew B’klyn Paramount, é The Kibitzer JIAO UU Criterion ($2), The Love Parade Sal URNA SpA FILE THIS! IT WILL HELP PLAN PROGRAMS Watch Publix Opinion for this service in every issue! Watch the trade papers for it, tool! LENGTH OF Record e Subject No, Sunny Side Up—13 reels (AT) Show of Shows—15 reels (AT) (AT) Hell’s Heroes—8 _ reels Navy Blues—9 reels (AT). Vagabond Lover—8 reels Dance Hall—7 reels (AT) Condemned—10 reels (AT). (AT)—AIl Talking (AT) FEATURES Make Fox Warner Universal FootRunn’g. age Time 10,900 121 min. 129 min. 68 min. 76 min. 66 min. 66 min. 86 min. eoe LENGTH OF TALKING SHORTS PARAMOUNT Kibitzer (Trailer) Mountain Melodies Wanderlust ‘Wee Bit O’ News No. 39.. Stimulation Always Faithful Music Shop Church Festival Great Gobs Skirt Shy ‘Madhouse ee EDUCA IONAL COLUMBIA Screen Snapshots No. 8 INDEPENDENT Gypsy Love Call (Radiotone) TIFFANY Voice of Hollywood Land O’ Lee Length of Synchronous Shorts PUBLIX Chauson Russe Overture (Rubinoff Trailer).. 500. Length of Non-Synchronous Shorts PARAMOUNT News No. 37 Review No. 45 ; Review No. 46. ..ccccccesssve Sipe rap ase ay SIS PLP Pere A book review contest wa Prize Contest Helps With “The Virginian” A prize contest on “The Virginian’” enabled J. R. Mendenhall of the Publix Pinney Theatre, Boise, Idaho, to effect tie-ups with the English Department of the local high school and with the conservative newspaper of the town. staged with the high school students participating and the head of the English department, the head of the history department, the state librarian, and the head © of the largest bookstore in town acting as judges. The two wir ning reviews were published in the paper with theatre name and feature mentioned in the lead. <o9-:0-0-:0-0-:0>-0--0:0:0:0-:0+0-10+O-10+-0-100.0-20+ 0105-101 2100106010508 OO O10 O18 OOOO O18 Ow ‘ INDEX Page Col. MERCHANDISING December Drive Final Effort Made Waterville Co-op Spread... Shop Early Poster : Dorchester Xmas Herald.. Postmasters Grateful .... Bidddford Xmas Herald.... Cummings’ Xmas Poem.... Paramount Toy Display... January Sales Drive Retaining Jan. Profit Peak Midnight Show Display... Line-up Selling Aids Special Pictures ' Seven Days Leave by Russell Holman Vagabond King They Had to See Paris.... Paris The Virginian Sweetie Welcome Danger Love Doctor Saturday Night Kid Special Stunts Exploitation Hunches Sell Pictures, Not Names.. Star Contest in Utah Kids’ Vegetable Matinee. . Kankakee Midnight Premiere Novel Lobby Stunts Phileo Radio Tie-up Another Trailer Hunch.... Boston Record-of-Week Club Boy Scout Tie-up : Using Department Store Talent Sound Car Gets Space Special School Tie-up Another Publix Parade.... 9 Office Talent Sells Pictures 10 5 “4-5 5 4-5 1 O20 -©0-0-1 00-O-1 0-0-0010 +-O-10+0-20-18 O-20+0 0+-O10' O02 OO OO O08 S10" OOPS 109 OOo OD Page Col. Eye-Catching Press Copy.. 3-4 New Show World Contest. Sound Stories Cop Space.. Newspaper Theatre Party.. Editorial on Sound Train.. 11 MUSIC Radio Hour Best on Air... 1 Publix Dise Releases 5 Music Novelties Acclaimed. 6 Love Parade Songs Published 7 Paramount Music Notes... 8 Radio Program for Dec. 21. 9 PROJECTION ROOM ADVICE Sound Tips 12 GENERAL INFORMATION Publix to Push Paramount Shorts New Policy on Passes Prize Winners in December Drive Must Preview Trailers Paramount Ready With Wide Film Students Consider Displays. No Wisecracks at Previews Phone & Wire Economy Dee AP Be i of Printing: ©..... eeu Lasky Promises Shorts.... No Smoking in Mezzanines Meet the Boys Theodore C. Young’s Biography Editorials At New York Theatres.... Length of Features 12 GENERAL NEWS Instruction Course Planned for District Managers... 1 Variety’s Pass Comment... 1 “The Virginian” Opens.... 3 Press Agent Stuff Norfleet Joins Publix OG e-O-<6 0-0-0 -O-1OeB08 2-B82-0 D-+0+-O-1OeO8*-B 0 OOOO S00" S18 OOS Oe O-08 5S 6 HeBE GOD