Publix Opinion (Jun 6, 1930)

ee ee eS i Oe a ee ee ee ee ay Pee, er ee eer <a a eS Ee eee Re ee ae en ee ee Se a Pen ‘Outlined below are a few sugZes PUBLIX OPINION, WEEK/OF JUNE 6ru, 1930 I j \ ‘SOUND’ INFORMATION EMERGENCY TROUBLE by DR. N. M. Director, Department of Scientific Research, Sound and Projection We are all interested in reducing to a minimum the time necessary to clear emergency troubles. tions which if followed will be of ecnsiderable assistance in this direction. The theatre manager’s first impulse when an emergency occurs which his projectionists can not handle, is to telephone the Service Engineer. However, before doing this he should have his projectionists note any abnormal meter readings and make a rapid inspection of the equipment to see if he can find. anything that does not look normal. A projectionist should accompany the manager when he calls the Service Engineer to answer any questions which may arise as to the behavior of the equipment. The Service Engineer will then be able to tell the projectionist what to do without the necessity for relaying his instructions. Obviously if the trouble can be cleared by this method the time required for the Engineer to reach the theatre will be saved. — It has often been found convenient to have one projectionist in the booth with his head. set available to take testing instructions from the projectionist on the telephone in the managers office in case the Service Engineer desires any simple tests made. The projectionists can usually communicate with each other by means of the house telephone. . In this way, the Service Engineer is often able to have the equipment tested step by step, visualizing the results as they are given him over the phone. From the results of these tests the Engineer can frequently direct the projectionists to the source of trouble. The very abbreviated schematic diagram reproduced herewith should be preserved to assist the projectionist, should the occasion arise, to follow the telephoned jynstructions of the Service Engineer more intelligently in locating trouble. The system shown is one very commonly used and the blocks, which represent various pieces of apparatus, are connected by two lines which represent the wires carrying the speech. A telephone callsuch as de scribed above, will also frequently enable the Service Engineer to determine what replacement parts are necessary, if any, and obtain them from Emergency Stock before leaving. Visualize for a moment an emergency trouble which might come up in the middle of the show, caused by the breakdown of some parts or pieces of apparatus which would have to be replaced from an HEmergency Stock. Should the Service En‘gineer report immediately to the theatre without receiving any indication of the nature of the trouble it is quite possible that HEAD-SET TEST Diagram shows where head-set may be attached in sound reproducer system in trying to locate trouble in an emergency. See article above for detailed explanation. ; NOTE: UNIVERSAL BASE MACHINE #1 valuable time will be lost if replacement parts are needed. This possibility would be removed if the Service Engineer could determine by phone from the projection room staff what is needed. could then bring any necessary replacements with him or arrange to have them at the theatre by the time he arrives. telephone but not until you can give the Service Engineer the information he needs to handle the matter with the least lost time. And after all, when the show is stopped, time is everything. BALLYHOO DISCS “Dangerous Nan McGrew”’ ‘Safety in Numbers” are ready for delivery in any quantity, according to HE. H. Kleinert of the Music Novelties department. are twelve inch discs, double sided, and will cost $1.50 each. They may be ordered direct from Kleinert. from her picture on the one disc, while the other features Buddy Rogers in numbers from his new in addition to selling talks about the pictures. UPON SUGGESTION OF SERVICE ENGINEER ONE WIRE MAY TEMPORARILY BE REMOVED FROM MARKED “X* AND HEADSET RECEIVER ATTACHED. SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF 2-SX-41 WESTERN ELECTRIC SOUND SYSTEM SHOWING SPEECH WIRING ONLY TO APPARATUS LA PORTE He In an emergency, reach for the AVAILABLE NOW The new ballyhoo records on and They Helen Kane sings two songs est film. The singing on both is A. M. Botsford stresses the value of this new type of ballyhoo discs in connection with radio use. They have definite entertainment value and should be welcomed by stations presenting record programs. Uses Trick Zep Model As Plug For “Lost Zeppelin”’ Exploiting ‘‘The Lost Zeppelin,” Manager Ted Emerson of the Strand, Des Moines, used a miniature Zeppelin mysteriously suspended in a shadow box, in his outer lobby. used to plug the ‘‘Mighty Monarch of the Air,’’ was furnished by a Majestic radio dealer. Also used: to good effect by the Brooklyn Paramount, it may be procured through radio dealers or the Grigsby Grunow Co., Chicago. Tie-up Nets Distribution Of One Million Pluggers Milt Lévy of the Chicago exploitation staff procured distribution of a plugger in all April electric light bills in Chicago, a circulation of over one million. One side ecarried ‘‘Paramount on Parade” ad, other a Philco ad. Cost of printing was split three ways, between Publix-B. & K., Philco, and the} Edison Co., which also distributes Philcos. TERMINALS No. 1, rue Meyerbeer Paris. was previously stationed in Berlin. Display, ordinarily | FOREIGN DEPT. ANNOUNCES PROMOTIONS — The roster of Paramount Publix promotions grows to more impressive proportions with the announcement of changes in the Foreign Department that indicate the beginning of a concentrated effort to more fully exploit the foreign market. Gus J. Schaefer, formerly gen eral sales manager for central Europe and the Baltics is elevated to the position of General Man ager of distribution for Continen tal Europe with headquarters at He The new general manager of France, Belgium, Switzerland and Egypt is D. Souhami, formerly Managing Director of Italy. A. Aboaf, formerly manager of distribution in Italy, is now General Manager of Italy with headquarters in Rome. Austria, Poland, and the Baltics form_ one unit under District Manager BH. J. Lipow, who will operate out of Vienna. Lipow was special field representative in the territory he now manages. A. Ullman, until now. manager of the Paramount Theatre in Paris, has been appointed General Manager of all Paramount theatres in France and Belgium. Know WM. R. ENGLEHART William R. Englehart, manager of the Somerton, Somerton, Arizona, and t he _ Lyric, Yuma, is a native of Denver. He attended grammar and high school __ there, then spent two years at the Colorado Business College in Boulder. Upon leavingschool Englehart became window display man for the Morey Mercantile Co. in Denver, but gave this up to go to Los Angeles, where -he joined a road company of ‘‘ Chin Chin’’ as Wm. R. Englehart 2 song and | dance man. Musical comedy stock in Denver followed, and for the next few years Englehart traveled with various road attractions, playing in musical comedy, tab shows and dramatic stock. From 1925 to 1927 he managed the Zaza Theatre, Denver, and in October, 1927, joined Rickards & Nace. He was appointed. manager of the Somerton in July, 1929, and when sound was installed at the Lyric, Yuma, was also given supervision over that house. LAWRENCE P. WEAVER Lawrence P. Weaver, manager of the Rialto Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona, started his theatrical ca‘reer at the age of 15 as a projectio nist, while yet in high school, working for Pacific Southwest Theatres in San Diego, California, Contin uing as a projectiionist, Weaver entered the employ of the Rickards and Nace theatrical enterprises in 1926, at Yuma, Arizona. ‘He was | later transferred to as Lawrence P. Weaver at the Orpheum Theatre. When the Rickards & Nace theatres merged with Publix, Weaver was appointed manager of the Rialto Theatre in Phoenix, his present assignment. MANAGERS’ Question 1. Under normal conditions should box office sales be stopped at any time? Answer “1. No.¥fall available reserve space inside the theatre has been filled with patrons waiting for seats, the box office sale should continue and _ ticket holders be lined up on the side walk in such a position as to be most conveniently accessible to the theatre entrance without interfering with city ordinances. The stopping of ticket sales means a slowing up of fills and refills when seats are available. In order to get waiting patrons into seats in order to catch the beginning or as near the beginning of the performance as possible, for their own convenience and for the benefit of their presence at this time on our subsequent spills and con __“MEET THE BOYS! YOUR ORGANIZATIO BLANCHE L. HATTON Miss Blanche L Hatton, able manager of ‘the Mission Theatre in Albu: querque, New } Mexico, _ hails from Attica, . Indiana. She attended the Attica schools and the Indiana State Normal School in Terre Haute, working as , cashier in var4) ious Attica theatres while still in high school. _ After finishing her teachers’ course, Miss Hatton resolved not to teach school, and continued her work as eashier, work‘ing in the cost accountBlanche L.. Hatton ing depart ment of an Attica industrial plant in the daytime. In 1920 she accepted the managership of the Lebanon, Ind., theatres. With a change of ownership in January 1924, Miss Hatton went to Alburquerque, Becoming manager of the Ideal Theatre there. Miss /Hatton remained in this capacity as the theatre passed into the hands of the Dent interests, and finally Publix, when it was remodeled and renamed the Mission. FRANK E. DRACHMAN Frank E. Drachman, manager of the Opera House in Tucson, Arizona, has been the manager of that theatre since he was eighteen. He comes from a theatrieal family, his father, E. Drachman, having been one of the partners in the Broadway and Rialto Theatre Companies, nucleus of Publix interests in Tucson. Born in Tue son, § Drachman received his grammar and high school education in the Frank E. Drachman public schools : there, later at ' tending the University of Arizona for one year. While at the University he became a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. \ Immediately after leaving college in 1926, Drachman became manager of the Opera House, continuing in_ this capacity up to and following its affiliation with Publix. Front House Operation The question appearing below is designed as a selfquiz for ali anxious to improve their standing in showmanship through self-education. those things you do not know. Don’t lose out through indolence—the motion picture industry is progressing too rapidly for stick-in-the-muds! SELF QUIZ! Get information on sequent refills, it is necessary to have them as near ready to pass in to the auditorium as possible. Oftentimes patrons who have to wait in the ticket line will walk away rather than wait their turn to buy tickets. This is true particularly when the line is not moving. If we can sell them tickets . without delay they are usually content to wait until such a time as seats are available. NAUTICAL DISPLAY “True to the Navy’’ was heralded at the Michigan, Detroit, with. a lobby .display of model ocean liners, battleships, and $50,000 worth of motor boats. Models were obtained from steamship lines and similar sources. . Entire display was insured for $200,000, which made another story in the city press. Art Schmidt’s staff handled it. JOHN D. PAXTON John D. Paxton, City Manager super vising the Palace, Ellanay and Wigwam Theatres in. El Paso, Texas, has been in the motion. picture business since 1909, when he owned and operated t he Theatorium Theatre in Paris, .Texas, £°O P28. 15x months. ' Disposing of / this house, Paxton went with Paris Theatres, Inc., and for ten years operated’ theatres in Paris, Corsicana, Ennis and Sherman, Texas. Association with Dent Theatres of Texas, Inc., followed, and after an assignment as City Manager in Paris, Paxton was transferred to El Paso in September, 1926, as City Manager of the Palace, Ellanay, Wigwam, Texas Grand and Unique Theatres. When these theatres became Publix operations in October, 1929. Paxton continued in his capacity of city manager. T. M. HERVEY T. M. Hervey, manager of the Wigwam Theatre in El Paso, Texas, left school in Indianapolis at the age of 17 to work as office boy in a brokerage firm. | By the time he was 25 he had opened a brokerage _ office there on his own account. Leaving Indianapolis in 19038, Hervey went to Amarillo, Texas, again going into the brokerage _ business. In 1905 he transferred his office to El Paso, continuing there until 1913. In that year Hervey made a connection with Davis Bros. & Fulkerson, managing the Bijou, El Paso. In 1915 he purchased the Unique, operating it until 1923, when he sold out to the Dent interests. He built and opened the American, again selling out to Dent in 1927, but remaining with the firm as manager of the Wigwam and American: He continued as manae of the former upon affiliation with ublix. John D. Paxton T. M. Hervey