Publix Opinion (Feb 14, 1930)

GREATEST FILM ALSO. GREATEST BARGAIN NEW YORK CITY, Feb. 14 —Huge volume outlet, provided by 1200 Publix theatres, with their millions of seats and numerous daily performances, has smashed the admission price to this year’s greatest road-show film from the usual $2.50 to slightly ——————«ee more than popular prices, every PLANT where except in THIS New York City TODAY and Palm Beach. in all your This unprece local papers! a road-show picpene ture. -which ~ is generally forecast as the peak in 1930’s film product may later be followed with other giant attractions. Adolph Zukor, president of Paramount Pictures, announced today that “The Vagabond King,’’ which has Dennis King, Jeanette MacDonald, O. P. Heggie and Lillian Roth in the principal roles, would be released thru Publix theatres instead of independently shown in “‘legit’”’ theatres at advanced prices. Mr. Zukor admits that Paramount thus gets a greater revenue from huge volume business, but on the other hand points out that the public gets the benefit of bargain prices. “The Vagabond King’’ is rated as the most costly production of the talking-picture era. It not only remains faithful to the Ziegfeld stage operetta in point of chorus, principals and supporting cast, but is amplified to greater glory because of the unlimited abilities of the recording-camera. The film is entirely in natural technicolors, and has all of Rudolph Friml’s ‘“‘Vagabond King” score and special compositions. Ludwig Berger, recent importation from Germany, where he is noted not only as a directorial genius associated with Max Reinhardt, but as a composer as well, was the director of the film version of ‘“‘The Vagabond King”’ for Paramount. The picture will have its world premiere February 19th, simultaneously in Palm Beach, Fla., and at the ‘Criterion’? in New York, at $2.50 admission. Hverywhere else in the United States the top admission price will be one dollar. RTT eC LL Ahem! HUIUUSATAAUEEAAAUAUALCLUAENEELUCUAAUOEUEEOEUAGEEUUAUUGEEGEUUORCOCUEEOEORESUCAUCROUORECUELEOEUORESUTE CREE NUE The following is an excerpt taken from District Manager H. Stickelmaier’s. letter, discussing results for the week ending Jan. 25, 1930. “General-Publix Opinion”: I find in my contact with the various managers a keen interest in the reading of Publix Opinion. This publication certainly uses its columns to excellent advantage. We consider the reading of Publix Opinion of such vital importance that in the meetings that are held in each city as I reach them Publix Opinion is ‘tread from cover to cover with emphasis placed on items of vital importance. Through this plan we hope to arouse further interest in the reading of Publix Opinion. It is by far the most valuable publication that we receive. It will give them food for mental development, it will take them out of the rut of just theatre management; and will bring to them ideas on which they can build box office grosses. PELL CC SUT SHORT TRANSFERRED Paul Short, formerly manager of the State Theatre, Chattanooga, has assumed management of the Victory Theatre, Tampa. M. Phillips replaced Short. dented policy on| PUBLIX OPINION, WEEK OF FEBRUARY 14th, 1930 HOME OFFICE D DEPARTMENTS Here is the twelfth of a series cy stories about Publix Office Department personalities who depend upon your effort, just as you depend upon theirs. To know and understand each other’s person alities and problems will lighten the burdens of everyone, and make our tasks enjoyable. an ‘important part of its space to For this reason, PUBLIX OPINION is devoting these brief biographical sketches. VIVIAN M. MOSES Executive In Charge of “Second Quarter Profit-Stampede” Vivian M. Moses is another one of the ever increasing army of Southerners to be found in all ranks of professional work in New York. He is a Carolinian, being a native of Sumter, South Carolina, and coming from a family both branches of which settled in the South before the American Revolutionary War. Moses was educated in rudimentary private and public schools and at South’ Carolina College, which has since become the University of South Carolina. While still at college he began to do newspaper work, first as college reporter for the Charleston News and Courier and correspondent for country weeklies. It was not surprising, therefore, that immediately after graduation he went to New York City—the goal of all young men aspiring to be journalists—and sought and immediately found work as a reporter. First on the staff of the New York American, and later on the Tribune and the Times, he passed several years in reportorial and editorial work, contributing meanwhile as a space writer and free lance to the Sun, the World, the Herald, the Brooklyn Eagle, and numerous weekly and monthly publications. Actwe Writing Career This early newspaper work was succeeded by a long period of years devoted almost exclusively to magazine work, during which time Moses served as an assistant or head editor on many publications, and contributed articles, verse and occasional fiction to many others. Much of his writing at this period concerned itself with the theatre and its people. Among the magazines which he served either as editor or as staff writer are included Cosmopolitan, Harper’s, Vogue, Good Housekeeping, Current Literature (now merged with The Literary Digest), People’s Magazine, an all-fiction publication which he started and conducted for several years, Hearst’s International, Harper's Bazaar, Woman’s Home Companion, Pictorial Review and others. He had contributed to many of the leading American magazines before he went to London, where he spent a year and a half just preceding the World War editing Nash’s Magazine. Returning to New York he joined the editorial staff of the New York Times, on which he served for more than two years during the War. | Associated With Goldwyn Vivian Moses’ entrance into the field of motion pictures came through an association with the old Goldwyn Company, on whose scenario staff he served as a writer for some time. This was followed by a period rich in experience covering many phases of picture production and distribution work, and embracing two years’ service as director of publicity and advertising for the now defunct but then highly success ful Select Pictures Corporation, under the tutelage of Arthur B02 O° Oe SO S-2B2-S-1O-S-OS-9 Oe OOo OO SOs OOo So Plug These Songs My Love Parade—(Love Parade) Dream Lover — (Love Parade) Nobody’s Using It Now— (Love Parade) Sweeter Than (Sweetie) > : : : t : ) Sweet — ; I Have To Have You — ‘ ¢ } : t : ¢ (Pointed Heels) Only A Rose — (Vagabond King) (Vagabond. Song Of The Vagabonds— (Vagabond King) Vagabond King Waltz — (Vagabond King) In My Little Hope Chest— (Honey) Sing You Sinners— (Honey) ~B-$O°-OO°-O-+O2-O-2 BeDO +-O-9 Oe GOe-D9 Oo-O-2 G0 -B-9O-O-2Oe-S 9O2-SOe OS 9° S O° SO O8S ©@2-O-2Be-O-Oe-D-2Os-S-9OeSO s-G-0Bs-S-G*-D-O-B-0Oe-B-2Os-O-08o-S “LIVE” LOBBY IN MEXICAN SPIRIT Swinging into step in the “live lobby’’ parade, L. H. Dally, one of Chicago-Publix District managers, reports that the Tower theatre staff there arranged one on the “Romance of the Rio Grande” that not only reflected the atmosphere of the feature but furnished in addition some pleasing entertainment, The lobby was dressed up with real sand and cactus plants to represent a Mexican locale, and two girls in Spanish costume played a piano and sang. Mexican hut was also built in lobby. Kane, its General Manager. Following this, Moses served in an important executive capacity with Fox Film Corporation for eight years, working directly un der William Fox and W. R. Sheehan. ‘With the title of Publicity and Advertising Director, he built up and had charge of a staff, the duties of which were far-reaching, and the activities of which invaded many provinces not covered by the department’s title. Not only were all publicity and advertising campaigns—and these were of great importance, this being the upbuilding period of the Fox corporation—carried out under his direction, but practically all the Fox Broadway presentations, and all road shows, were supervised by him, many stars were launched, many special campaigns put over, including the introduction of Movietone. His activities included an advertising campaign in England, which Fox sent him to London to direct, and many other special and important undertakings. At this time, Moses spent several periods in the Fox West Coast studios in touch with production and production problems. At Paramount Studio In February, 1928, Moses was sent to Hollywood by Paramount to take charge of the Story Department at Paramount’s West Coast..studios. This position he fille jith conspicuous success, hav played a large part in the seléction of an unusually high number of stories which were secured and produced by Paramount and which have _ been played throughout the Publix circuit. Last September he was sent to the Home Office, and Mr. Sam Dembow, Jr., Executive VicePresident, made Moses a member of the Publix family, feeling that the rich and varied experience which he had accumulated in the several fields of literary and mo equipped him for usefulness in the Publix organization. Moses, in addition to his thorough training as a newspaper and magazine writer and editor, has had close contact and long experience with the sales, box-office, and public-relation end of motion pictures, as well as with the literary, story-selection and production end. In addition to this, he has done quite a little high-class work in the realm of commercial advertising and adver tising promotion. tion picture endeavor peculiarly 7 PUBLIX OPINION TRAILER IDEA EXCHANGE = Trailers are the most effective medium for screen advertising. bt But the excellence of trailers dea pends on the ideas and copy they contain. And some people are more bolt resourceful than others when it comes to preparing home made screen messages. For this reason, Publix Opinion, in extending its service to the men in the field, will serve as an idea ae exchange for trailer stunts and i copy to a degree greater than in the past. But we must have your help to make this innovation successful! By express direction of A. M. Botsford, Director of Advertising. Exploitation and Publicity, every manager who has devised a successful trailer, whether sound or silent, is to send a record of it to Publix Opinion. One frame from each sequence is to be cut out of the negative reel, developed as photographic prints, and sent to us properly numbered. An example of how they will be treated is found in the picture below in which is reproduced several frames from a self made trailer on ‘‘Taming of the shrew” sent to us by Jack Roth, City Manager of Des Moines, Iowa. WRITES COLUMN Miss Corinne Robinson, director of publicity for the Regal Theatre, Chicago, writes a column several times a week on the activities of the theatre for The Chicago Defender, a local paper. She has an opportunity not only to plug attractions at the house, i but also to plug Paramount pica tures and stars in general. HOME MADE! Several frames of a home made trailer prepared by Jack Roth, City Manager of Des Moines. Have you any good ones that are home made? Publix Opinion will reproduce them for the benefit of everybody—if yowll send them in according to the instructions in the story above.