Publix Opinion (Feb 7, 1930)

IVNFANGOOUUONNNONUUUUEOO88H040U000080000001E ie SELL YOUR ‘SHORTS’ WITH ure psuatahi TUDUNTNUANNENOOOOUONAHENNEROGEQOUNE Svante E Vol. III ~D°Oe-D-2Oo-DOs S-Oe-O-+OsSSeS Gs-S+Se-S°Oe-S-OsSe Se HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW? MANAGERS—are you equipped to hold your jobs? Do you know ‘sound’? Test yourself. Turn to page 4 and see if you can pass the Sound Quiz. Remember the injunction of Mr. Katz—nothing but perfect sound will be tolerated ! *@e 2B+ O*-O10+OO: S+O°-O +0: -2-$B*-O-O+-S-°O:-S°OrOO: Se 27 MANAGERS PROMOTED IN LAST YEAR Striking corroboration of the Publix “Promotion From Within Policy’’ was furnished by David J. Chatkin, General Director of Theatre Management, at the opening meeting of the District Managers Sessions, when he announced that 27 district managers had been made in 1929, every one of them having been promoted from a theatre manager. This conformation to a policy well established in Publix is exemplified not only by the district managers but also by every level of man-power both above and below that grade. Among the division directors who were promoted from division managers during 1929 and 1930 are George Walsh, J. A. Koerpel and John Friedl. Among our partnerships, where Publix man-power policy has, for the most part, been adopted, Eddie Ruben, J. J. Rubens and Arthur Mayer have been similarly promoted. Among the division managers to be raised from district managers during the~past year are Cc. B. Stiff and Ralph Branton; Marty Mullin, elevated to a similar position from the Home Office; and Harry Goldberg and Morris Ruben from our partnerships. | ACE SHOWMEN : STUNNED BY ITS POWER A gathering of Paramount and Publix Home Office, Sales and Studio executives that in_ cluded nearly every Publix Division and District manager, advertising manager and book_ ing manager, saw a “working”’’‘print of “The Vagabond King” _ which was screened at midnight Tuesday, in New York. Unquestionably, it was the most thrilling private preview ever known in the industry. Despite the fact that studio _ experts have not yet cut it into its final form, the frequent in_ terruptions from _ applause, cheers, and shouts of approval by the assembled ace-showmen testified to the power of this attraction. Zone previews will follow within the next ten days. i “The Vagabond King” is : . magnificent love story—magnif ; icently unfolded in a mighty BY drama of such great and ex‘a citing power that it kept most of the pre-viewers in hud dled and eager discussion for _ hours afterward. Beside this the inspired Friml compositions provide vehicles for choral and orchestral climaxes that time and _ again swept the audience completely into the glamourous movement ofthe plot. Dennis King is by fara greater actor and a more compell ; : i i i i ; _ ing baritone, and a more beloved hero on the living screen, than he — ever was on the Ziegfeld stage. The lovely Jeanette MacDonald is a@warm and lovely heroine. Men and women of all ages will love _ them both. They’re plausible, and completely capable and most perfect in their roles. Newspaper critics unquestionably will ‘‘discover‘‘ anew that O. P. Heggie is (Continued on Page Two) iff A CHICAGO CONVENTION STARTS $25,000 CASH PRIZE CAMPAIGN PBivicion directors, diasion wi managers, district managers, district advertising managers, division and district bookers will gather in Chicago on March 3, 4 and 5, to launch the $25,000 Prize Second Quarter Profit Stampede. Vivian M. Moses, famed merchandising expert of the motion picture industry has been appointed to take charge of the planning and dissemination of Stampede Information and he will be introduced at the meeting. Messrs. Katz, Dembow, Chatkin, Botsford, Saal and A. J. Balaban will discuss various phases of the entertainment possibilities during the months of April, May and June. [Right now home office officials are arranging for twelve weeks of tremendous attractions, and removing as many obstacles as can be foreseen. The $25,000 in cash will be divided into amounts allocated for disposal among the theatre staffs of each district, as a special incentive to establish Publix greatest gross-profits during those months. il ee iii Ts HAAR ee een ee ee The a Voice of Publix 90 +-@-+0s-9-+B>-O-10+-O-+O+-O-10>-B+8+-O90!-O+0'-O-+0+-O-10+-O-0--O-+8:-O-0--S & at SAAL SUGGESTS); ATTENTION TO SHORTS Hurling the entire force of Home Office, Division and District bookers into the problem of properly booking, ‘spotting’ and exploiting all short subjects, William M. Saal, General Director of Film Buying and Booking, today provided some of the most practical assistance yet made available. “The entire -company is aware of the pledge made by Mr. Katz, in the matter of offering the best possible outlet and use of shorts. Carrying out his ideas, I have been in consultation with Mr. Chatkin and Mr. Botsford, who have issued definite instructions as to the handling of shorts in the respective phases of theatre management and theatre advertising. “Until now, the value and importance of short subjects, and required method of handling, has been woefully unappreciated. This was due either to xt attra Publix Theatres Corporation, Paramount Buil ding, New York, Week of February 7th, 1930 pwn’ Maintain Sound Perfection ! Fs seme LIVE LOBBY IDEA INVADES CIRCUIT! “VAGABOND KING PREVIEW TIPS D 10010-01010 10018-0101 00118 O19 0181S 0r Os NOTICE! All holiday trailers will henceforth be obtained directly from Boris Morros, Director of the Music Department, L. L. Edwards, of the Home Office Advertising Department, has announced. The holiday trailer service, for which Publix had contracts with National Screen, has been cancelled, effective January 25. In the event that any question might arise with the individual theatre managers regarding final holiday trailer service invoices from National Screen, the matter should be immediately referred to Mr. Edwards, who will make the necessary adjustments. © O10010° 0-0-0 ©0100 O10 S10 OOO O18 10+O 20-010: 010-00 O10:-010-0-10: > 19D 2-<B-2Oe-B-Be-O-22-D-Oe--oOe-O-Oe-O-2Bo 2Oo-O-Ge-O-2Os-O-Oe-O-0B+-@-1Os-@-09+-@ 1 8i-@-18:-O-16>-@© e ©@°-B-2Oe-O-Oo-O-0Oe-DOeOO °-S-28*-S-9O°-SBs-O°Be-O98e-O08:-S DISTRICT HEADS IN SESSION AT HOME OFFICE Qualifying it as one of the most constructive moves that Publix has made in recent months, Mr. Sam Dembow, Jr., Executive Vice-President of READ lack of time, or|Publix, opened the District MR. SAAL’S| Pressure of other) Managers Session Monday PROPOSED'| i™portant mat-|morning by welcoming the REMEDIES | ‘ers on the a field executives, in the name of of bookers, vertisers and managers. However, from now on, a weekly meeting of district managers, district advertising men, and district bookers will be held, commencing immediately, for the specific purpose of properly booking, advertising and spotting short subjects. | “The Home Office can only assist in this matter. The actual work must be done locally. There are now too many examples in Publix Theatres, where the line of least resistance is the rule. In such theatres, a feature, a newsreel and a comedy constitute the only entertainment fare. Even these, according to Mr. Botsford are not thoroughly or skillfully advertised. Now that a district advertising manager and a district booker is available in each zone to assist the district managers, Mr. Chatkin and Mr. Botsford and myself are agreed that no excuse will be accepted for failure to properly appreciate and get maximum value from all available shorts product. “A great many splendid short subjects are now available, including vaudeville acts, song reels, talking cartoons, color subjects in sound, slapstick comedies, and refined comedies. Division and district bookers have been instructed by me to stay in constant communication with district advertising men and district managers so that I may be assured that the available shorts product is not only being used, but is being used in (Continued on Page Two) ON PAGE 2 Mr. Katz, to the Home Office and in stressing the importance of the course which has been laid out for them. “The two most. constructive moves made in the past few months,’’ declared Mr. Dembow, “were the Cost Control Committee and this District Managers Session. The rapid growth of our company in the past year, during which nearly 600 new theatres were acquired, necessitated a corresponding growth in man-power. As a result, almost 30 theatre managers have been promoted to district managers. If these men occasionally made mistakes, the fault was that-they had not been properly trained. It was to offset this difficulty that Mr. Chatkin suggested this series of meetings for district managers and delegated Mr. Barry to lay out the program.,”’ Suggestions Sought To illustrate the importance attached to this plan by the Home Office, Mr. Dembow said that the company was willing to undergo the great risk of taking these field executives away from their operations because it was satisfied that whatever loss might be incurred, would eventually be more than made up by disseminating this valuable information to the field. Mr. Katz was particularly interested in this program, Mr. Dembow declared, and he suggested that, at the completion of the (Continued on Page Six) ORAEGONUENOUGENOENOENOEGENOEN SELL YOUR ‘SHORTS’ WITH | INTELLIGENCE! | No. 22 IVERSION FOR HOLD-OUTS AID GROSS Lobbies ance tt lively by live talent are luring additional patronage to all Publix theatres throughout the circuit in which these new ideas of exploitation and entertainment are being given a trial: — Brooklyn, Boston, Toledo, Chicago, Kansas City, Min neapolis, and many other cities report that the scheme of enlivening lobbies, as advocated by Mr. Katz, is proving a consistent builder of grosses. It not only entertains patrons in the holdout line and frequently affords opportunity to exploit coming product, but it actually sells tickets by attracting customers to the theatre and making “talk.” A girl band was used successfully in Toledo, and duos and trios of singers may be heard in Chicago lobbies. A pretty girl art student from a school in Minneap| olis agreed to make lightning sketches:in the theatre lobby there for a very reasonable weekly sum. She is introduced from the stage by the band leader, and makes a lightning sketch of him while he is making the introduction. Patrons watch for her in the lobby later. Brooklyn is Awake Brooklyn, to facetious Manhattan Islanders is known as the Sleepy City. No one, however, is found asleep in the Brooklyn Paramount. The wideawake methods of the staff make certain that patrons are kept wideawake at times. At the Brooklyn Paramount, Lobby Entertainment is one of the most important considerations in keeping — business to the high level it has enjoyed since its inaugural program a little more than a year ago. Patrons of the Brooklyn Paramount start seeing a show as soon as they purchase a ticket. In the outside lobby is a talking machine (Continued on Page Two) OOo 9-9 SOOD 9G 0-O-1O+-D-2O1-O-O-OG+ BG HO OB | WANTED!!! 266 So that 1200 other Publix theatres can get the benefit of your brains and ingenuity, Mr. Katz wants you to write a special weekly letter to Publix Opinion, enclosing photos, telling what you are doing about enlivening your lobbies. This refers to both “live”? talent in your lobbies to amuse “holdouts’” and standees, and it also refers ~ to your method of enticing patrons with colorful “front”? and lobby posters that sell future attractions. Do this immediately to prove that you’re not a ‘“dead’’ operator, and that you’re willing to give others the benefit of your experience. 0 9-O-2Bs-OOe BB+ D200 OOOO OOO O1-B-0 00 -B-+Or-B-20-O-+ 00-820 @-100-O-18+0-100 $OPD 28-918 O18 8-01-18 O 19S 18-1 O-B181-O11-O1 OO 028-928-8188 ; ©@e-B-°O+-SOe-O-+O2-B-+O+-O-O0-O + O2-S1G89-O19*-S-982-O8?SH