Publix Opinion (Feb 21, 1930)

SURGUUUDONDODEUDEOODETOLTRS TY }2— MR. KATZ 0 AGAINS CM HITE ULE ULL SSE NQU AERTS Teese vats aeons All New York Thrilled by Vagabond King Opening! Sanna ee SSUUVEPORURUAUEEONSONDOEUONEUUETOEONOUEOEEEDZ, PARAMOUNT-FAMOUS-LASKY DIRECTORS VOTE TO CHANGE NAME TO PARAMOUNT-PUBLIX Change in the corporate title of the company to ParamountPublix Corporation was recommended this week by the Board of Directors of the Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation. The recommendation will come up for approval before the annual meeting of the stockholders April 15. Officials of the company have considered for some time changing its name to one that would be more descriptive of _all phases of the company’s activity. Such change, it was reasoned, not only would be more enlightening to the gen eral public, but also would have a salutary psychological effect on the organization it‘self, in that it would foster and _ promote that close cooperation _ Mr. affairs. which is essential to proper operation of the company as a whole. By including the name Publix in the title greater advantage is taken of the company’s theatre holdings and the good will which the Publix organization has built up throughout the country; and this in itself is expected to unite in even closer effort the forces of production, distribution and exhibition. Cabinet Organized To further the movement: for greater cooperation, Adolph Zukor, president, has organized a cabinet which will represent all of the major departments in the entire organization. This cabinet will meet every Tuesday. afternoon in Zukor’s office to take up policies and problems affecting vhe company as a whole. Thus all departments will Have a voice in deciding the company’s In addition the meetings are expected to give each department greater recognition of the other departments’ problems, and at the same time focus the best thought and effort of all branches _ of the company on each question as it arises. Mr. Zukor Comments Pending the stockholders’. approval of the change in the corporate name, plans are being made 4 to take care of the obvious re _ vision in titles, trade marks, etc., which a new name _ involves. Notice of such changes naturally _ will not be sent out until after _ the stockholders have voted, and all members of the organization _ should be guided accordingly. _. Before leaving for Hollywood Mr. _ change, said: Zukor, in discussing the “We look on this as a definite _ forward step in our progress, and we feel that in this closer union of all our forces there will be greater obligation and greater opportunities for every one in our organization.” ig | porter. Publix Buys Complete — Mid-West Circuit Control Publix has acquired complete control of the Indiana-Ohio Theatre Corporation through the purchase of the fifty per cent partnership rights until recently in the hands of the original owners. About twenty theatres are involved in the deal. Maintenance Tour Finds Progress in Sound Reporting considerable progress in every district, Eugene Zukor head of the departments’ of Maintenance and Construction, told President Katz at his cabinet meeting last week of the recent tour of heads of his department in the interest of improved sound projection in each theatre. Mr. Zukor explained methods of | expediting activity on all requests for sound improvement or emergency, requirements. Mr. Katz questioned whether some managers knew perfect or imperfect sound when they heard it. He suggested that showmen, get in touch with as many sound theatres as possible in their vicinity, to learn as much as possible from the operations of others. Projectionists who are intelligently handling their machines in a showmanlike manner, are getting excellent results. ‘VAGABOND KING’ PREMIERE STARTS WORLD TYPHOON OF TICKET-SELLING TALK Electrifying visiting newspaper paper critics: local newspaper men and Home Office executives assembled Wednesday night at the Criterion Theatre, New York, for the premiere of “The Vagabond King,” the wild cheers and applause of an astounded audience released a world typhoon of ticket-selling talk never before heard of in the annals of show business. By wire, syndicated newsletter, telephone, radio telephoto and every other imaginable means of news communications, the sensational story flashed to all corners of the world. “Another mile-stone has been reached in motionpicture history!” cried one re“A great cinema masterpiece was born on .Broadway.” “The all-technicolor, all talking, and all singing Paramount dynamic musical romance, “The Vagabond King,” tips the peak of perfection in color and sound reproduction!’ chorused the rest of the shock proof news-writers. Broadway’s first nighters could feel in the air that something unusual was happening. The spontaneous and repeated exclamations of wonder at the sheer beauty of the production, the constant inter ruptions by an almost frenetic ap-| plause, the thundering cheers at the last fade-out—all this clearly signalized a box-office magnet which will soon start a nation (Continued on page Two) OVERTURE READY “VAGABOND KING’ Prints of the ‘“Vagabond King” film overture, a musical prologue are now ready, announces Boris Morros, General Music Director, and may be procured through district bookers. For ‘‘Vagabond King’”’ music arrangements for pit and stage orchestras, and ‘‘Vagabond King’? organ solo, contact directly with Mr. Morros. o Poa ee ae Important! : The meeting of division and district managers, advertising managers and bookers, scheduled for Chicago, -on March 3, has been postponed until March 10, to avoid conflict with the openings of “The Vagabond ‘King”’ at various points on the circuit. The big second quarter Profit Stampede will be officially launched during this three-day session which will be attended by all Home office department heads. \ : 90° D9 Oe-O+ 0-9 O0-O-20-O-0O0-@-+Oe-@-1O1-O-1O+O° O-O-O?-O-1O-O-Or-@-Or O © £0 e-O-9OeO08 e-O-9 6-902 -O0B+-O 1G -G 1 B1-O9 02 O18:-O 1B B 18+ O 08 10 °-O-Be-S-+O--O-+G-O-1 8-96 °-S+O +--+ O+-B-+O +--+ O:-@ 80-0 MARCH OFFERS BOX OFFICE WINNERS -A box office boon to Publix showmen which has three optimistic angles is presented by William M. Saal, Director of Film Buying and Booking, in giving PUBLIX OPINION his ‘‘list of best bets in March.”’ Those showmen who are worried about meeting their first quarter box office quotas, which fell off in many places due to bad-weather conditions, as well as those showmen who are anxious to’ get off to a good start in the fight against the Lenten period slump, will find | good news in this list. Also, for a great many Publix theatres, this list of pictures which are available for March will also be available for April, which starts off the second quarter Profit Stampede. “T want everybody to know that when I endorse and get behind:a picture, I mean everything I say, and I want everyone to take my words at their full value. Therefore everyoone is safe in unserservedly putting every ounce of effort behind. these pictures.”’ ‘“‘“Honey’’—A story greater than its great cast. Similar but unbelievably better than ‘‘Sweetie’’. “Sarah and Son’’—The outstanding dramatic triumph of the year. Will prove a sensation and a clean (Continued on page Two) SOME LENTEN POLICIES Asked by PUBLIX OPINION for for circuit help in overcoming the box office slump during the Lenten period, William M. Saal, General Director of Film Buying and Booking, urges showmen to concentrate as intensively and work as np eeney as they did during the December slump period. ‘“Re-adapt the December campaign and add as many units of promotional and pes idea effort as you possibly can,”’ said Mr. Saal. “Make no tie-ups of any nature that suggest a religious atmosphere. I have no faith in the drawing power of re-issues of pictures like ‘“‘The White Sister’, I believe that extra pressure on current and ‘‘Noah’s Ark’’. product will be the best means the Lenten period.’’ “Ten Commandments”, of overcoming the obstacles of MUTE SUPEEPEETELLERYOOREEUORDOHOOROBOOORODEOBEDENG EZ: = Extra Sales = = Extra Sales = = Pressure To = )BLIX) = Pressure To = = Beat Lenten = = ey = BeatLenten = = Opposition! S = Opposition! = SANUUAGAEEETLCEOTAADAUAHOOAAEOHAO HO HANH = AE UEEUEAUELEOUAGTENUODUOODUODNODEDUBDIAUSIS ; Mo) LIT Publix Theatres Corporation, Paramount Building, New York, Week of February 21st, 1930 No. 24 INTENSIVE FIGHT UAL LENTEN SLUMP! ‘SALES EFFORTS :| AIMED AT NEW PATRONAGE With the fast approaching Lenten season looming dangerously close on the horizon, President Sam Katz called for a circuit-wide display of concentrated brain-effort to com| Bat this annual box-office menace. “One of the main factors which has contributed to the success of Publix,’ declared Mr. Katz, “has been our ability to consistently lick any opposition which beset us. We licked the . | weather slump, both in summer and winter; we.licked the pre‘Christmas slump. I see no reason why we should not be able to do the same thing with the Lenten slump. On the contrary, I feel certain that we can and will do it. “In ‘oine. so, however, there is one thing which cannot be stressed too strongly. In its role as a community entertainment center, Publix thas always scrupulously and impartially respected the various religious creeds of its patrons. The Lenten season, unlike the other box-office set-backs, is a distinctly religious period, during which time representatives of certain re 1 ‘(Continued on Page Two) Mr. Katz Outlines Future Plans of Company With the group of visiting field executives from the recent District Managers’ Home Office Session in attendance, President Katz, at his last cabinet meeting, outlined some of the future plans of Paramount and Publix. “TI believe that it will not be: | very long,’ said Mr. Katz, “‘before‘| we will have three times our pres— ent number of division directors.. We need this number right now,,. and I will be happy indeed whem .|the needed manpower can be pro moted from the ranks of the Dis‘| trict Managers. District Manager as a candidate I look upon every for one of these jobs, who is offer |ing his daily performance as the ‘|reason for his expectancy. We want no thin-skinned people in || Publix, and I hope we have none. “Only' to the extent that each ||of us believes that each man is the greatest man possible for the | post to which he is assigned, and |only to the extent that we act |on that faith, can we expect in dividual progress.’’