Publix Opinion (Jan 24, 1930)

i d : SEE ETT SDSL STE EO UEL f i i t i egg dS a Sa Ra ears Dan Si om laanbe cise i i a 4 SOUND SPECIAL GIVEN GALA WELCOME Realizing that the Publix Entertainment Special would be effective only in proportion to the glamour surrounding it and the public desire to see it, W. L. Whitehead, public relations representative for Florida, and Wallace Allen, division publicity director, staged a weleome when the Special reached Jacksonville that made the city ‘‘Special’’ conscious for two weeks. Prior to the arrival of the de luxe car, stories appeared in the newspapers to the effect that the Florida Theatre had been informed from New York that the car would arrive on New Year’s Day. When it arrived it was greeted by the Mayor and city officials and set out on a parade in which the Mayor and his staff joined. The local showrooms for all the automobile manufacturers in Jacksonville contributed the latest 1930 models and the procession assumed almost gigantic proportions. The finest feature of the welcome, however, was the series of newspaper ads run by the various automobile concerns welcoming the Special to Jacksonville. All of these ads carried pictures. of the car and either told about the parade or told where the sound wagon would be parked for display purposes. In addition a large local gasoline station furnished free oil and gas and ran ads with pictures of the Special telling about its contribution. The Special spent two weeks in the vicinity of the city playing at all large factories, schools, city institutions, and travelling to neighboring villages. Whoopee at Midnight in Home of Whoopee Tucson, Arizona, regarded in the East as the original home of ‘whoopee’, got its first introduction to midnight shows when Manager Roy P. Drachman of the Rialto Theatre gave the town “Gold Diggers. of Broadway” and “The Cocoanuts.” With the aid of the local radio station and friendly newspaper editors, he succeeded in making the innovation a popular and profitable one. THREE FREMONT THEATRES Control of the Wall and Empress Theatres of Fremont, Nebraska, has been acquired by Publix. Since the Fremont Theatre is one of the circuit, the number of Publix operated theatres in Fremont is now three. PUBLIX OPINION, WEEK OF JANUARY, 241u, 1930 your theatre. THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN 3 BANDITS CLUB VICTIM AS f tem ( Miss ‘‘Somebody,”’ who is in the ring in this picture, ‘Is entitled to two free passes to The Georgia Theater to see (Ruth Clatterton in “The Laughing Lady ” She may get . WHO'S THE GIRI, IN THE RING? her passes from The, Georgian City Editor. | An eight column strip was devoted to this newspaper exploitation played at the Georgia Theatre, Atlanta. You can repeat t pee “The Paper That Goes Hi « Here is another who happened to turn smiling fate into The Geojgian’s camera. So, now, all she has to do call on the Gity Editor of The Georgian and she will g! two free pi MAKING ATLANTANS LAUGH 8HE’S LUCKY, TOO. heater. ple b 8 to the Georg] tie-up on “The Laughing Lady” when it his stunt with your local paper when this picture plays A SMILE IN A CROWD. Again, here is more proof that it pays to smile. This young woman was standing in a crowd, and her bright smile attracted the is 0} focus of @ roving Georgian camera man. Perhaps if the other peog smiled they might have gotten free’ passes, too. after TUESDAY, JANUARY 7. 1930 if BATTLE) S85, S08 CANE eaJHE SILVER LINING “The Laughing Lady’Pat the Georgia Theait pePetil; so just identify your smiling pitture with a ring around it and come our, passes—Staff Photos. > De CCC . DOES IT SELL TICKETS? MMT 7 How good are your and exploitation stunts? you know they’re good? The large advertising agencies, specialists in advertising, employ people whose business it is to check the results of their work. They do it because poor advertising or exploitation is the greatest form of waste in money, energy, and brain power that modern business has to contend with. How does the theatre manager know just which of the thousand and one stunts at his command he ought to use? How can he tell whether a stunt successful in one town will be just as successful in another? How can he tell which store to use in a. window tie-up? Check the Results The good advertiser checks his results. He gets to know those which are most productive of ticket sales. He uses them in preference to the ones which sap his energy and give him nothing more than a scrap book. How can you check results? By box office figures. Many times, however, the attraction draws purely on its merit and not because of anything you may have done to sell it. Comparison of one ‘period against another may be misleading because such things as weather, industrial conditions in. the town, the opposition, etc. have much to do with box office figures. Kill Bad Stunts But contests, tie-ups, etc., often have as an adjunct, some activity publicity How do IN CASE YOU DIDN’T KNOW?! WHAT TO SELL MATERIALS 1. Theatre Ad Sales Program Policy Inventories Mailing Price Trailers 2. Lobby Seat Comfort Slides Panels Air Condition Marquee Sound . cage acne Sidewalk Theatre Beauty y Animated Location Cut-all 3. Outdoor Distinctive Program Adhesives Parades Organ Sign Cloth Billboards Schedules Type Ballyhoo Staff Photo Engravings Dist. Matter Slogan Electrotypes 4Cooperative Distinctive Services Mats Merchants 2. Program Stereos Clubs : 1. Overture Slu Libraries 2. News a Societies 3. Organ Motors Officials, Ete. 4. Specialties Signs 5. Newspaper Coop. 5. Feature Light Coop. Pages 6. Short Subjects MEDIA Contests Information on Above:1. Within Theatre Trade Papers Screen 6. Newspaper Ad Fan Magazines Slide Display Press Sheets Trailer Directory Specials 7. Amusement Page Publix Manual _ Stage Reviews Screenings Contests Fan Gossip H. O. Letters Previews Letters Publix Opinion Heralds Letters, etc. AUC on the part of the public. A record of such replies can always be kept for purposes of comparison. And when stunts don’t draw, throw them out of your repertory. Don’t clutter your files with dead material and don’t spend so much time checking your work that you have no time for anything else. But make an effort to learn just what is best and save yourself a lot of waste in the future. The man who can determine just what is best is almost as good as the man who originates stunts. Tell PUBLIX OPINION how you check your results and we'll pass it on to the circuit with all respect for the man who is clever enough to introduce into his business the practice of specialists. RADIOVUE DRAWS AT BOSTON ‘MET’ The Publix ‘‘Metropolitan Thea-_ tre, Boston, Mass., is reporting marked success with its series of radio broadcasts in conjunction with the Boston Herald and Traveller. The scheme is the same one used by the Brooklyn Paramount, outlined in the PUBLIX OPINION of January 10, 1930. The entertainment lasts from 10:30 to 11 p. m. and is broadcast from the stage of the “Met’’ in full view of the audience. Prominent mention of the theatre and attraction was given in both the above mentioned papers for the first broadcast. This feature costs the theatre nothing. : Chaplin Film Draws Early Morning Trade | Stimulating early morning business, the Rialto, New York, preceded its first show with “A Day’s Pleasure,’ Charlie Chaplin picture. The box office opened at the usual time, and after a single showing of the old Chaplin picture, which had a non-syne musical accompaniment, the usual schedule featuring ‘The Virginian’’ was followed out. So successful has the innovation proven, according to Manager Steve Barutio, that another Chaplin picture, ‘‘Shoulder Arms,”’ has been booked to accompany “The Street of Chance,’’ Paramount picture with William Powell, soon to open at the Rialto. THEATRE RADIO CONTEST The promotion of a radio contest by Manager S. S. Holland helped to increase attendance at the Publix Rialto, Brockton, Mass. A radio, donated by a local distributor, was given to the person receiving the greatest number of votes. These votes were only obtainable by attending the theatre. HEADS FILM BOARD J. B. Dugger, Paramount, has been elected to serve as head of the Film Board at Dallas until next September, filling the place of P. K. Johnston. Grubel [Theatres Are Purchased by Publix Four theatres in Missouri and Kansas, with a combined seating capacity of approximately 7,000, were taken over by. Publix recently, as a result of a deal closed with the Grubel Circuit of St. Louis. The four theatres, each called the ‘‘Electriec’’ are in Kansas City, Kansas; St. Joseph, Springfield and Joplin, Mo. The ‘“‘Hlectric’ in Kansas City is the largest of the lot with a seating capacity 6f 1900. It is in an excellent location, being the only centrally located downtown theatre in town. A comparatively new theatre, it is modernly equipped in every respect and has a full stage, dressing rooms, etc. The ‘Electric’, St. Joseph, is a recently remodeled theatre with 1600 seats in a 100 per cent location. It is a balcony type house with a cooling system and all modern contrivances. The Springfield theatre is situated on the square in the heart of the city and has a seating capacity of 1650. With the exception of the St. Joseph Theatre, which will be operated by Cooper, these theatres are in Mr. Feld’s division. . AUTOGRAPH STUNT CLICKS! THE NEWS AND OBSERVER, RALEIGH, N. C., fand Governor Gardner. Lower left, Capt. Lepo, proudly clutching the, football, autographed sce : 3 | GOVERNOR PRESENTS FOOTBALL Semen ‘Aboye is Governor Gardner, who raved record low temperature yes‘terday to attend the South CarolinaState game, as he presented Captain John Lepo, leader of State College’s Wolfpack, with an autographed. football immediately preteding the gama. Reading from left to right: Dr. E. C. Brooks, president of State College Capt. Lepo, Head Coach Gus Tebell, A football, autographed by pretty Nancy Carroll and presented to the captain of the state college team at Raleigh, N. C., by the governor of the state, copped this much newspaper space, which helped exploit the showing of “Sweetie” at the Publix Palace theatre there. by the winsome Nancy Carroll, right, who appears in a football picture, “Sweetie”? at the Palace Theatre all this week. Yesterday’s game was Capt. Lepo’s last at State College.