Publix Opinion (Jan 31, 1930)

SMUDEDEDADOCOROODDOEDORDRORGODRGORGOULE HnHTRE FEBRUARY — SHORT MONTH, LONG PROFITS! SENCOUNOQUROQHCQAEOQEGOUNEORAROEEOONO Vol. III ROAD SHOW SALES METHODS AND INCREASED ADMISSIONS, “POLICY FOR ‘VAGABOND KING’ sjeatcosannuaenadzeasacamnntaesaanonmannOIIAt9ass bd haNeOBHUPFOLAIBAIOED HU DAEDEROSSALEOUSI ADLER SOEDODBO HRD DRED ORINOPREOUCES , 3 . 4 : 6 e e * : 3 : : & z Lionenwtiin AWUOBEREGOEGEOTOEOWOREORDORGLEDEYALOEUEUODNEOEDWGOQUEFAGROSHL CROAUEUPEREDOOUDOUEDODOGUOGEGANURDTELSAEBOGRDOOROGSOGHDOROOONS OROMINDSOHIGDGDANBILOLRO HARI NOQOGHEREOONapHODeE DORRORDORE conan mnnrneiiarimuisiiniinuinnyininnl Publix Theatres Corporation, Paramount Building, New York, Week of January 31st, 1930 Road, show methods, with an increase over the customary popular movie prices, will be the policy for showing “The Vagabond King” at $1-top in thirty: of the largest Publix cities. In the next one hundred and fifty cities the selling method will be the same except that top prices will be 75 cents—also in excess of customary local prices for attractions. The picture will have its world premiere simultaneously on February 18 in Palm Beach and at the New York Criterion. Two weeks later, on March 7, it will open in about thirty key cities of Publix Theatres at $1.00 top admission. Two weeks after that it will open in one hundred and fifty cities at 75 cents top admission. The only deviation from customary two-a-day road show policy will be that the ‘‘Vagabond King,” in every case except New York and Palm Beach, will have continuous performances, which enables Publix to offer this big attraction at the prices stated, instead of at the customary road show $2.50 top. . The usual lavish and intense adyertising and selling campaigns that go with road-shows will go with ‘The Vagabond King.’’ However, instead of sending out special exploitation crews from New York, as has always been the case with road shows, Paramount pays the high compliment to Publix that (Continued on Page Two) ‘Burning Up’ Leads Series of Hit Pictures The predictions of Mr. Dembow in a former issue of Publix Opinion that ‘Burning Up’ would sizzle all box-office records were justified in the report of William M. Saal, General Director of Film Buying and Booking for Publix, who stated that this Paramount hit turned in unusual grosses last week. Other pictures designated by Mr. Saal as unusual money-getters last week were ‘‘Anna Christie’; “The Sky Hawk’’; ’ “‘No, No, Nanette’ and “Happy Days.” “Because the large houses have a superabundance of hit-pictures,”’ declared Mr. Saal, ‘‘the attractions listed above will, for the most part, play in smaller houses. Managers of these houses, therefore, are now forewarned that they are going to do extra business with these attractions. This extra business will be materially increased if special exploitation effort is made far enough in advance.” }o-O HOLIDAYS ° Start tapping your think tanks NOW for ways and means to exploit the three February holidays. See bound volume of PUBLIX OPINION for ideas and gags. Here are the big coin-days: 1. Lincoln’s Birthday, Feb. 12. 2. Valentine Day, Feb. 14. 3. Washington’s Birthday, Feb. 22. © °-S-+ © °OO 2SO D+ OoS$ Oe SO G1 O+ SOe SG +O+D O° SO° SO FE-OO+S20 O+O+-O+8°-S 10° OO" O1O+ S18: O20°-S 20" SO O°0 ee 16-©-10+-010+-©-0:-© 10+ 0+8--0-10-00-020: 010+ 610-057, CHANGING SILENT ORGANS FROM COSTLY LIABILITIES INTO ADVERTISING ASSETS With the advent of all-sound all-screen policies in the hun dreds of Publix Theatres, many expensive and valuable organs, representing an investment which runs into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, are standing idle. Not only this, but theatres are incurring maintenance charges on these instruments which represent a steadily rising cost, and in spite of ‘maintenance efforts, the organs, To remedy this unprofitable a suggestion for you to try. “Offer your pipe organ for programs to be broadcast from the theatre in the morning, before the theatre opens, or at night after your last performance, where union conditions permit,’ he says. “The theatre furnishes the instrument—lack of which is probably all that has prevented your local radio station from broadcasting organ music. The station should furnish the organist, perhaps through a local advertiser, and attend to the maintenance of the organ. The manager should insist on the privilege of collaborating on the programs, so that all the plugs desired on Paramount music may be obtained. Personal (Continued on Page Two) alll IANA ager’s Office. this calendar serves the purpose needs that help from you. emergency changes. HOI fj = It should be the source of many reminder-memos to specific departments and junior executives to assure the required check-ups. At the end of the year, it should be a fairly accurate skeletonized history of your operation—and therefore saved by you as one of the important records of your theatre. Any holidays of local or national significance that have been omitted, should be pencilled in—and at the same time a memo about same should go forward to Benj. H. Serkowich, Editor of Publix Opinion, so that same can be pencilled in on his calendar. Calendar will be PERFECT—due to YOUR HELP. The company Pencil-in your bookings, so you can make erasures to meet any If you need additional calendars, write to L. L. Edwards, Home Office, who will mail one to PUBLIX theatres ONLY. Only enough were printed to meet PUBLIX requirements—therefore requests from any other sources will automatically be disregarded. il ini nn unplayed, steadily deteriorate. condition, D. J. Chatkin makes CHECKER—CHESS CHAMPS IN LIVE LOBBY STUNT In accordance with the “‘live lobby’’ ideas suggested by Mr. Katz in a past issue of Publix Opinion, Walter Immerman, Division Director in charge of the Detroit District, and David Lipton, of the Publix-Kunsky Advertising and Publicity Department, Detroit Mich., are making arrangements (Continued on Page Two) HUNTER YOU — And The REMINDER CALENDAR! It’s designed, so you can lay it flat on your desk or hang it up. It should be in every manager’s office, and in every Advertising Man Thus, if that is expected, NEXT YEAR’S WU Sill ie PLAN MAINTENANCE SURVE ‘jusauany » | EXECUTIVES MAKE INSPECTION — ~ Ez FEBRUARY — SHORT MONTH, LONG PROFITS! No. 21. rae TOUR OF CIRCUIT TO ADJUST YEAR'S IMPROVEMENT BUDGET A comprehensive checkup of all Publix theatre property needing attention, ordered by Sam Dembow, Jr., Executive Vice President, will be undertaken immediately by the department of maintenance and construction under the direction of Eugene Zukor. This is being done to properly prepare a budget for the next year and to determine the ments are to be undertaken. Three groups of executives order in which certain improve will tour the circuit, personally inspecting all houses that are not satisfactory to the managerial department and on which it is felt money ought to be spent. The information gathered will be carefully analyzed and improve MR. KATZ FINDS PHRASE. FITS SHOWMEN A phrase contained in a letter from District Manager Guy Martin of Publix-Great States attracted the eye of President Katz and resulted in a discussion that occupied Mr. Katz’ executive cabinet for a considerable length of time last week. “Merchants of Entertainment’ was the phrase that Mr. Katz read with a great deal of satisfaction. “This is exactly the description that fits everyone in the ranks of Publix showmen, no matter what his assignment,’’ declared Mr. Katz. ‘Primarily, our function is to sell entertainment in all of its phases and contributing factors. When we call a Publix showmen a ‘merchant of entertainment’ we have said everything that can be said. The term is all-inclusive and all-comprehensive. ‘‘The usher who delivers a good job, the booker who properly sets up a program, the manager who. properly operates his theatre, or the advertising man who properly sells the whole to the public, each and every one is a ‘merchant of entertainment.’ “T like’the phrase tremendously, and I congratulate Mr. Martin for it. I hope that it will sink deeply and permanently into the consciousness of every-one in the company.”’ ‘CONDEMNED,’ BIG DRAW AT RIVOLI The popularity of Ronald Colman was again strikingly evidenced when ‘‘Condemned,’’ romantic, thrill-packed love story of Devil’s Island, opened at the Rivoli, New York, yesterday at popular prices after an extended $2 run. The newspaper reviews and word of mouth advertising previously earned by this picture drew tremendous crowds to see the great screen lover, supported by Ann Harding and a splendid cast. It’s a box-office push-over. ments will be graded according to urgency and desirability. The work of improvement will then be undertaken on a large scale, doing away with the necessity of having to consider individual — complaints. ae At the beginning of the week, B. B. Buchanan, Director of Construction, left to inspect the Saenger circuit with Division Manager George Walsh, operating | He will fol out of New Orleans. low this with J. J. Friedl’s Division, covering Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and North and South Carolina. He will then go on to the division under L. E. Schneider traveling through the states: of Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Akansas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. Last Sunday, J. H. Elder, Director of Maintenance, left for the northwest on a tour of A. L. Mayer’s division. He will then cover the Finkelstein and Rubin circuit. The third group, under Eugene Zukor and Morris Greenberg Supervisor of the Construction, Maintenance and Research De (Continued on Page Two). SO © O+SO 0-S-:O+-B-+O°-O+O-S-OeB+ G'-S0+ S O° SO O60 ° 1930's Best! Such was the irresistible emotional wallop of Paramount’s “Seven Days Leave,’’ which opened at the New York Paramount. last Friday, that on the following day (January 25th, 1930) practically every metropolitan critic emphatically prophesied it would wundoubtedly be the finest picture in 1930. To earn the title of ‘1930’s best’’ as early as Jan. 25th of the new year is an accomplishment of which any picture might be proud. : Praise of the New York critics was directed at the exceptionally excellent cast headed by Gary Cooper and Beryl Mercer, the magnificent. direction of Richard Wallace, and the poignant wistfulness of the story by Sir James Barrie. It’s a winner in any town if it’s sold properly. BBO OD OeD0 Oe B Ge-SG+ G+ Go-Go D0 GoD BoD 9G DG o-D He D G0 Ho-G Ge SGD Se DG DP Oe Bo Ge-G9Bs-D 0B Oe eet eer ee eee ee Oe ee ee et ee) 0-9 BO °-B-B2-O-Os-O-Oe-O+Oe-B--GO:-H-OeB+ Os-G9Os-S-+O2-@ 1G. WINTER te a diel PTA SN OR SSM SARS PASTE oS Sn TSO eS