Publix Opinion (Feb 14, 1930)

a a IS COMING! HOW WILL YOU SELL IT? DUNUNNNUDDOGHOUOOUORORURDRERERARAREEANEONGE FUSUOEHNNESOOUUOORERRRANAGGHOGEOOERERERERORE ‘VAGABOND KING’ FROUGULEAUNOOUOGUNAREOHONOQROUOOORNEE | Prepare For Profit Stampede: ee co PROGRAM TOP-HEAVY WITH TRAILERS IS SERIOUS MENACE A serious evil which, unless properly remedied, might result in alienation of patron interest in the theatre and eventual ly, eve Director of Advertising and Publicity. n the patronage itself, is pointed out by A. M. Botsford, | It is the tendency to $Oe-@+O+-OOe S++ OOo O-+O+OO O+O°9-08 S O° S O° GS O+ SO 2 PASS ALONG YOUR BRAINS —NOW! While all the showmen in Publix are busy planning to blast the world with Publix contribution to the maximum appreciation of Paramount’s masterpiece — ‘The Vaga fice officials are busy plan b a ed ol > Opininn The Official Voice of Publix Publix Theatres Corporation, Paramount Building, New York, Week of February 14th, 1930 MUST DEVELOP ESOURCES OF TRADE COMPLETE BUSINESS-SURVEY OF COMMUNITY FIRST STEP TO TOP BOX-OFFICE GROSSES Basing his conclusions upon a careful survey of the operat EE th ss wan) ‘VAGABOND KING’ IS COMING! HOW WILL YOU SELL IT? dal stand aia, ered over-burden theatre programs with trailers and other selling accessories which, unless they possess in themselves, distinct entertainment qualities, lessen the admission value of the show to a dangerous proportion. Some time ago, Mr. Botsford sent out a notice to all division ning’ the Second Quarter Profit Stampede which will offer $25,000 in cash prizes . to showmen. If you have any ideas on the ‘‘Stampede’’, write a spe Katz avers that the full resources of every Publix town are not yet being completely utilized. A careful check-up is now being instigated to make certain that every theatre gets its full measure of the potential busi ing conditions of all points throughout the circuit, President directors and managers, district managers, district and theatre advertising men, calling this matter of “trailers” to their at tention. The response which he has received from the field indicates that it is a subject which. merits much serious thought, inasmuch as various field executives have -expe rienced adverse audience reactions to this type of over-sell ing. “Our screens are our best sales men,” Talk Too Much writes District Manager Charles G. Branham, of Chattanooga, Tenn., in response to Mr. Botsford’s letter, ‘‘but like a lot of human salesmen, they often talk themselves out of an order by saying too much.” Mr. Branham tells of a conver (Continued on page Two) BO 0-O $0 +-O-O2-OOe -S-+O0-O-9O0-S-9 02 S202 SO GO S62 SO" A Message! Prints of the talking film e : e ; { address made by President t Sam Katz to theatre man¢ ; e ; ® i agers have been delivered to all district managers, who ¢ { will take the prints to thea{ ; tres in their respective dis* tricts, exhibit them and dis: cuss them later with the ; | managers. 4 Pamphlets containing the full printed text of the ? speech have been supplied $¢ also and personal copies will 3 be distributed after each ¢ showing of the film. The ¢ contents of these pamphlets, ; of course, is strictly con¢ fidential, and recipients are ; warned to keep them in ; ; their possession. ; 28 *-B 0-96 -O-O+-O-O-S-O*-S+6:-S OS +O°-B 0" SH +O" OO COST CONTROL IS INSURANCE ON PROFITS “The functioning of the Cost Control Committee,” declared Executive Vice-president Sam Dembow, Jr., in a recent report, “is a definite form of profit insurance for future business. It is making it possible for us not only to produce an increased volume of business, but to do so at a proportionate, anticipated cost. “In other words, in attaining our periodic quotas we are not losing sight of the fact that it is a net profit increase in returns, instead of only a eross increase, with which we are concerned. We must have every man spending Publix money ask himself constantly, ‘Am I getting a hundred percent return on every dollar? and ‘Do I know promptly how yesterday’s dollar was lost?” The Cost Control Committee works with just such definite principles in mind and is thus able to make its activity so very much worth while. It aims, first of all at getting for Publix 100 cents for every dollar expended. It is engaged, secondly, in finding the leaks that caused avoidable losses in the past so that it will be possible in the future to know immediately just how losses occur. Thirdly, and most important, it (Continued ion Page Two) i i : : : i i : : i ; : i ; cial delivery air-mail letter * to Publix Opinion, and we'll ¢ see that it gets consideration } by the Stampede Committee. ~<B-1Oe-S-0Oe-S-2Bs-O-O +--+ O2-B-O*-G-Oe-O-8G+ O*-G 8+ G8: OG: : : i i : : bond King’’—many home of; é ; ‘ t ® : : i t 4 DISTRICT MANAGERS GAIN BENEFITS FROM SESSION With the first District Managers’ Session rapidly drawing to a close, Messrs. Dembow, Chatkin, Botsford and other Home Office executives expressed their extreme gratification with the results of the meetings and commended the enthusiasm and zeal with which the district managers threw themselves into the work, Working late in the night, and devoting every possible minute of their time to acquiring and assimilating the vast amount of organizational information doled out to them in concentrated form by the various department heads, the twelve field executives have equipped themselves with a fund (Continued on page Two) ADOLPH ZUKOR GOES TO COAST Adolph Zukor, president of Paramount Famous-Lasky Corporation, entrained for the coast on February 10. He will return to New York six weeks later, after yacationing for two weeks. Final Warning ! If you haven’t already made up the December Drive Scrapbook and forwarded it as requested Several times by Messrs. Chatkin and Botsford, do it this week. Next week Publix Opinion will be compelled to turn in a list of those who ignored the request. If you haven’t already received your Bound Volume of Publix Opinion, have your District Manager okay your request, and address it to L. L. Edwards, Home Office. Ditto for the Daily Forecast Calendar. These two articles are only for Publix theatre House Managers and Advertising Managers and Executives. They cannot be sent to anyone else for numerous apparent reasons—chief of which is that only enough were printed to meet the needs of Publix showmen. Cover this at once! !! You can’t put it off any longer— and you won’t be told again! ! ness in the town where it is located. “In a number of instances,” declared Mr. Katz, “we are only skimming the surface of all the business which rightfully belongs to and can be obtained for our theatres. That condition will be force fully remedied at once. No business can thrive if its foundations rest only upon the outer surface of available resources. It must be firmly imbedded upon rock bottom, and its roots must extend to every source of nourishment to be found. “Routine business methods cannot be tolerated in Publix. They are dangerous in any industry, and particularly so in show business, which depends so much upon catering to the varying whims and tastes of an _ entertainmentseeking public. This is true more than ever at the present time, when the revolutionary day-to-day changes of our industries are constantly expanding the theatre’s selling field, and opening up new avenues of income that were previously ignored. The industry is moving, constantly on the go, and we must move with it. Contact Local Clubs “The advent of the _ talkies, bringing the most renowned artists of the world to the living screen, has slowly but steadily encouraged the interest and patronage of many who, heretofore, have made it a pose to scoff at the motion picture’”’ continued Mr. Katz, ‘“‘With.them have come thousands of moderately educated people who follow these leaders with the idea of being counted among them. What ef (Continued on page Two) PLANT ‘VAGABOND KING’ MUSIC FOR CONTINUOUS RADIO USE! | “Why haven't you loaded up your local radio station with the tunes from The Vagabond King?”’ is today’s burning question from A. M. Botsford, Director of Advertising and Publicity for Publix. “The time to get the music Vagabond King’ before the public. is General of ‘The now—as far in advance of the playdate as possible,’ Mr. Botsford advises. “Get up a list of local radio advertisers, and directors of local radio hourprograms, as well as the station director. Call each one on the phone, or see them. They’re overlooking the biggest bet in radio if they miss the chance to be the first local influence to seize the advance larize the the film. tip on this huge topic of local public attention. They’re doing themselves a big favor if they keep their ‘‘hour”’ loaded with ‘Vagabond King’ Music. “The real benefit of musical exploitation is its value as an advance seat-sale medium. Don’t wait until the film popularizes the songs. Make the songs popu daily. film. before the local playdate of ‘Every radio station in every Publix town, starting immediately, ought to be broadcasting the music several times It’s one of your most valuable publicity mediums, and its effect is continuously beneficial, with only the initial effort required!” Adc a fe i A ay a t | ! ‘ 1 fi) it i hy ‘Ag me eS a th i Fe peat SRL A WSO EE ee A Se RIT