Publix Opinion (Mar 28, 1930)

PUBLIX OPINION, WEEK OF MARCH 281, 1930 CONVENTION ENTHUSIASM SATURATES PUBLIX WITH FRESH ENERGY AND VIGOR Powerful results from the eect Chicago convention are filtering through the entire Publix organization. Post-convention divisional and district group meetings have spread in a most gratifying manner, all of the information and inspiration that originated in the Chicago session, saturating the operation of every theatre in the Publix circuit. No similar convention in the show business has ever had such widespread and far-reaching influence. The mass of organizational facts and policies, set forth at the Drake Hotel sessions by Home Office executives and department heads, was carried away and made effective within ten days, by the divisional and district leaders to every point, a survey by Publix Opinion reveals. Miniature Conventions As the first step in this breaking-down process, divisional directors called miniature conventions in their separate territories, where the information collected at Chicago was passed along. Those who attended the Chicago convention innoculated their associates back home with all of the renewed spirit and inspiration they had received. Not only the details of plans for the great Second Quarter Profit Drive, but scores of institutional and “policy’’ facts have been thus disseminated, fulfilling the de ' mand expressed in the message of Mr. Katz for a better general knowledge and familiarity with the organization, its personnel and its scheme of operation. In Milton H. Feld’s division, three of such post-convention sessions have been held. The regular weekly meetings of the New York theatre managers, with Feld presiding, have served to acquaint those in the metropolitan area with the high lights of the three day conference in Chicago. Great Enthusiasm At Feld’s direction, C. C. Perry presided at a district meeting in Rochester, N. Y., called for a similar purpose, while Louis J. Finske held meetings in Denver and in Kansas City. Subsequent reports indicated tremendous enthusiasm as well as immediate and definite benefits. A. L. Mayer presided at a lively conference in Omaha on March 17, attended by his district men and all theatre manager from Nebraska and Iowa. He and the district leaders gave a complete report of the Drake hotel meetings and the text of the various Chicago speeches, as reported in Publix Opinion, were taken up and discussed. As in other divisions, the men from the field were delighted by the wealth of information conveyed in this matter and evinced unbounded eagerness and zeal in planning to apply new principles to their operations. In the division of J. J.. Fitzgibbons, spirited and inspirational group sessions were staged in Portland, Maine; Springfield, Mass., and Boston. Fortnightly conferences regularly are held at these points, but none have ever been as intensive and productive of results as these at which the Chicago convention material was available. Energies Freshened Division directors say that the Drake hotel convention was like a stone of information and encouragement cast into the pond of Publix activity. Its ripples have spread steadily in all directions, inundating the entire personnel of the organization with fresh energy, stimulating it to keener effort and equipping it for a more intelligent and active administration of individual duty. There is not a theatre in the circuit but has directly felt the influence. In hundred of instances managers have devoted city and even theatre meetings to a consideration of these same matters. ) © Oe-O-Oe-O-+ Oe-O-0 Oe OBB 0 Oe-S-OeO82 OOS Oe SO SOS A Sock Silence Trailer @ The Home ne Office Advertising Department has arranged with Max Fleischer, creator of Paramount’s popular laugh cartoons, to prepare a special cartoon trailer in sound advocating silence. The cartoon represents a group of people in a theatre with a fellow gabbing in the row behind. One of the patrons in front puts a nickel in a slot, upon which a huge bladder comes out and socks the gabber on the head. The now appeased patron remarks: ‘‘Now go on with the show.”’ This humorous and effective trailer will be available to all theatres at a moderate price. Full information will be furnished upon its completion. GINGER ROGERS, STAN SMITH ON RADIO Ginger Rogers, one of Broadway’s favorite daughters and now a motion picture player, and Stanley Smith, screen leading man, head the list of entertainers on the Paramount Publix radio hour which is to be put on the air Saturday night, April 5, at 10 o’clock E.S.T. over the national network of the Columbia Broadcasting System. Both of the talented young players are working at the Paramount New York studio in important roles in the screen version of “Queen High” now being produced at Long Island. Their contribution to the program, which will come from station WABC, New York, will be vocal solos and duets, presenting songs they sing in the motion picture, and other ‘selections. The balance of the hour will consist of musical novelties and tuneful dance music, with such popular radio entertainers appearing as David Mendoza and the Paramount, orchestra; Paul Ash heading his noted stage show; Jesse Crawford, organist; Paul Small, tenor and Harriet Lee, soprano. SILENT STUNTS FOR LIVE LOBBY With a small lobby which does not permit audible attractions, Manager H. A. Booth of the Saenger, Texarkana, Texas, is faced with the problem of devising live lobby stunts which will not interfere with the program in the auditorium. On “Street of Chance,’ he placed an atmospheric booth in the lobby three days in advance, with an attractive girl as attendant. Placards invited patrons to cut a deck of cards; those cutting the ace of hearts would be given guest tickets to the picture. 2OeD-9 0-H Oo OO D0 OeDO e-D-0 Oe DO D9 Oe SO e OOo S Oe S 0Oe-O9G0-SOoSG 0-B1 Oe-H-0Oe-H-B0-OOeOOo S GeO Or-@ 1B e-B-2 0-0 Oe-D9 O-O-2 O2-D-2Oe-S-O*-D-2O-S-9O2-S-Oe-S G2 -SOe-S-2O+-DO:-S + Os-D + O:-G-0G0-G-0G0-G-0Be-G-2O0-O-2Ge-G-2BeGe @ So e : i i : i i : : : : : ‘ HOPE CHEST! A Hope Chest—and Nancy Carroll, star of Paramount's new musical comedy, “Honey,” And right here should be something ike “many a masculine chest is filled with the hope of seeing Nancy in this attire,” but just let it go—it may not be a good gag, anyway. The chest is a wee Cedar. Remember the tie up! PHOTOS OF STARS AID MUSIC SALES “There’s money for your theatre in music sales if you want to go after it,’’ states Robert Weitman, manager of the Brooklyn Paramount. Weitman’s music booth grossed nearly six hundred dollars last week, with a net profit of almost half the amount. He recommends as a method of boosting sales of this profitable by-product the plan of giving away stills of favorite stars or popular local personal ities, with each purchase. Every effort is bent to make the Brooklyn music booth one of the liveliest spots in the theatre. On breaks, an accordionist and clarinetist who act as lobby en jtertainers work near the booth in ‘conjunction with a singing usher. A miniature marquee floods the music vender with light at all times. Ladies Club Breaks Into Verse to Thank Theatre The institutional value of good will resulting from co-operation with local bodies is brought out by the following letter sent to the Lineoln Theatre, Decatur, Il., by the Macon County Home Bureau. Dear Sirs: — Thank you very much for your loyal assistance in making the Macon County Home Bureau Carnival on February 13 and 14 a success. Everyone enjoyed the Carnival and the financial returns were good. This was made possible by | the splendid co-operation of our Commercial friends. Our Home Bureau Carnival was a success And we owe a lot to you. We appreciate all you did to help, We thank you, we most heartily do, We are, oh, so very grateful Four hundred women strong; We'll surely boost a lot for you, Knowing that we can’t go wrong. It takes a lot of co-operation Yo put anything over the top. Without your able assistance Our fete would have been a ‘flop.’ Advance Bookings Good for Newspaper Story Manager E. A. Booth of the Saenger, Texarkana, Texas, maintains so constant and friendly a contact with local papers that when he receives his advance bookings it’s good for a column story. Emphasizing the fact that Texarkana receives pictures simultaneously with the larger eastern cities, Booth planted a story on his March, April and May bookings in the form of an interview. POSITIONS CHANGED Managers of the Paramount and Orpheum Theatres, Ogden, Utah, have been switched, J. D. Marpole going from the Orpheum to the Paramount and R. C. Glasmann to the Orpheum. Music Sales Pressure For Paramount’s ‘Honey’ Morris Press of the Music Sales department clipped the following quotation from the advance list and order blank sent to all dealers by the Domino Record Company: “Sing You Sinners and My Little Hope Chest, two of the biggest songs from the Paramount supermusical production HONEY, featuring Nancy Carroll, Lillian, Roth and Skeets Gallagher. Sing You Sinners as done in the picture will prove to be the sensation of the year. This number is getting the greatest plugging of any song in any picture released so far. Get on the band wagon and go over the top with this big hit.’’ Closed theatres include the Rivoli in San Antonio, Texas, and the Grand in Marshall, Texas. The latter was destroyed by fire on March 9. NEBRASKA, 10WA ASSIGNMENTS ANNOUNCED Territories of the men promoted to Division and District Managerships in Arthur L. Mayer’s division have been announced by D. J. Chatkin, General Director of Theatre Management. E. R. Cummings will function as Division Manager for Nebraska, in charge of three districts. Under him, Charles M. Pincus, formerly Omaha City Manager, will act as District Manager for Omaha and Council Bluffs. Lea Richmond continues as District Manager over Beatrice, Grand Island, Hastings, Fairbury, Kearney and North Platte. Appointment of a District Manager for a new district, embracing Fremont, Norfolk and Columbus, Nebraska, and Sioux City and Missouri Valley, Iowa, is forthcoming from Mr. Chatkin. Nate Frudenfeld, as Division Manager for Iowa, will also supervise three districts. Jack Roth, formerly manager of the Para mount, Des Moines, is District Manager for Des Moines and Newton. District Manager H. D. Grove, formerly Rock Island City Manager, is in charge of operations in Rock Island and Moline, Ill., and Davenport, Iowa. A. G. Stolte was advanced from the managership of the Paramount, Waterloo, to the post of District Manager for Cedar Rapids, Waterloo and Marshalltown. Electric Expert Gives Tips on Economy The importance of using lamps of the proper voltage was impressed upon Managers Training School students attending the Edison Lighting Institute last week, by A. D. Bell, General Electric lighting engineer. Mr. Bell pointed out the fact that altho a power company might deliver 110, 115 or 120 volts to the theatre, inability of the theatre’s wiring circuit to carry the loads to which it is subjected may effect a drop of several volts in delivering the current to outlets, particularly in the older theatres. “‘A drop of one per cent in voltage,” said Mr. Bell ‘‘causes a three per cent decrease in lamp efficiency with three per cent less illumination as a result. This ratio is constant, and if your voltage drops ten per cent your lighting system will produce thirty per cent less light. You will not .obtain the amount of light for which you are paying, and your impulse on noting dim spots will be to put in lamps of higher wattage, running your costs still higher,’ As a remedy, Mr. Bell suggested outlet voltage tests, which may be made with a socket voltmeter procurable from any light and power company. Voltmeters are now available which will record average voltages delivered over a period of hours, noting all fluctuations, and denoting the proper voltage of lamp required for maximum efficiency. Radio Demonstration Brings Full Page Ad W. B. Shuttee, manager of the Granada, Boise, Idaho, arranged a tie-up with two local firms handling Majestic radios and received a full page ad in the Monday.evening edition of Boise’s leading paper at no cost. Shuttee’s contribution was a demonstration of Majestic tone, using a radio on the stage which relayed a popular program to the audience. The Theatre and current attraction were tied into the page ad so forcefully that receipts broke the theatre’s Monday night record.