Publix Opinion (Jun 13, 1930)

tions and their exploitation for NEW NATIONAL STARS AND PICTURES TO BE _ PART OF COUNTRY WIDE AD CAMPAIGN STARTING AUGUST Keeping in step with the Greater New Show World of produc the 1930-31 season, Paramount Publix has joined in a new national tie-up with the Philadelphia _ Storage Battery Co., manufacturers of Philco Radios, that will _ transcend in both quantity and quality anything that has been done fm on “The Love Parade,’ “Street of Chance,” “The Vagabond _ King” or “Paramount on Parade” during the past few months. _ ' Each month, starting with an _ August release, one of the big special Paramount Pictures will receive the benefits of this gigan tic advertising tie-up, on which every one of our theatre managers and publicity representa his fullest extent with the local _ Philco dealers. Those who took full advantage of the hook-up in _ the past are well aware of the big , publicity to be derived from it and _ the moment the others start climb ing aboard, they’ll realize that in‘ creased box office returns are sure to result from the proper kind of _ contact with the Philco exploiteers. a4 National Campaigns @ National magazine ads, 24 _ sheet posters, window displays, _hewspaper ads, etc. — all these are to be provided Philco dealers by the factory organization, and all will exploit some Para, mount star and_ production. _ These will be ineffectual, however, unless the theatre management and the dealer get together with a definite, well laid out, business like local cam_ paign. _ The first picture selected for the new season’s tie-up: series is “AN YBODY’S WAR,” starring Moran > and Mack, with Charley Mack fea tured in the Philco magazine. ads, posters, etc. Every effort is being } made to have the posters ready and _ distributed in time for the earliest _ bookings of this ace attraction, but _ in case they should miss at any pre; release key point, the local dealers are ready to cooperate, as they are in any event, on the distribution of ? yrotos, heralds, with window dis _ plays, newspaper ads, contests, etc. Dealers’ Cooperate The Philco jobbers, are holding dealers’ meetings all over the United States and Canada at the _ present time, and they are impres' sing these dealers with the fact that they are overlooking a real bet if they do not tie up tight with their local Paramount Publix Thea_ tres on “Anybody’s War,” and the other pictures to follow. Week be| fore last Philco held its national convention of distributors, branch managers and salesmen, and this gathering was addressed by Leon _J. Bamberger, representing Paramount Publix. He reports that the _ enthusiasm for the tie-up is at an ) exceedingly high pitch. | As heretofore, the press sheet on “Anybody’s War,” and for the tie up pictures to follow, will be re' plete with cooperative exploitation suggestions, as will our Showman’s Manual. Similar suggestions will be put out by Philco in special broadsides and in their house organ. In these publications will be illustrated the posters, newspaper ) ads, etc. The illustrations will fol _ low the same trend as on the previ ous tie-ups, viz.: showing the star’s picture distorted and undistorted and with copy reading something like this: CHARLEY MACK of Moran & “oS Maeks “Two Black Crows” in “ANYBODY’S WAR” No Blur on PHILCO Balanced Unit Radio with Tone Control * Our deal with the Philco organization and the tremendous amount of money they are spending nationally makes it a moral obligation _on the part of every theatre mana ee ee cig ee aia he va tives is expected to cooperate to | ger or publicist to tie up with Philco exclusively wherever and whenever a radio tie-up is desired, whether on these special pictures selected or any other, except in such rare instances as it is impossible to secure any cooperation from the local dealer. Support Philco Just because some other dealer offers a little more is no reason why a tie-up should be taken away from a Philco dealer. The situation should be viewed nationally as well as locally. Other theatre circuits have their own radio affiliations. While Paramount Publix is in no way financially interested in the Philco radio, these people have demonstrated such a splendid spirit of cooperation in the past that a close bond of friendship now exists between the two organizations, and it may be well to point out at this time that in working hand in hand with Philco we are working with what is probably the most progressive outfit in the radio industry. They have a line of new models which it has been reported just about ‘‘stole the show” at the Radio Manufacturers Trade Exhibition in Atlantic City last week. They also have formed an ‘alliance with the Transitone Company for the equipping of automobiles with radio, and herein lies added opportunity for exploitation. Radio Plugs Philco dealers everywhere are subscribing to a new local broadcasting service. Programs are recorded in New York on dises which are then put on the air from local stations together with such announcements as may be desired by the dealer, and if you have a tie-up with them, you no doubt can arrange to share in these announcements when you play “Anybody’s War” and succeeding tie-up pictures. You probably already know the Philco dealer or dealers of your community. If not, we advise you to get acquainted at once and start working out definite plans together for the exploitation of “Anybody’s War.” Put down on paper exactly what you are to do and exactly what the dealer is to do—what you are going to pay for and what he is to pay for. Don’t leave everything to him or carry the load yourself. This tie-up calls for real’ team work. Most dealers however are not-showmen, and they depend on you for ideas. Let ’em have them! Probably the best tieups with Philco to date have been on the Pacific Coast. Let’s see if we can’t ballyhoo just as well all over the country. Exton Finds Exploitation _ Possibilities in Stage Unit With Toledo News-Bee cooperation, William Exton of the Paramount publicity staff plugged ‘Puttin’ on the Dog,” Publix unit, by offering guest tickets to. kids bringing dogs to stage entrance. Tickets were half-sheets, and walking posters. Paper and local newsreel covered mob of kids, and parade followed. Picture of Doris Roche, in unit, with copy telling what she’d do if she lost her dog, made up a 8 col. 16-inch co-op on want-ads. PUBLIX OPINION, WEEK OF JUNE 13tx, 1930 PHILCO TIE-UP READY! 6 a ¢ °Oe-BO°O02 D9 Be-O-2Os-S-° Oe OO0S92 G02 OO°SO" O° 6° DO THIS NOW! i ; é Get the Mayor of your : city to appoint a commit! tee of prominent citizens }+ to sign a set of congratu+ latory resolutions to Adj miral Byrd. The mayor } to head the committee. ; Furnish copies of the res¢ olution to the newspapers ? of your city, on the day } after Byrd arrives. © ; Then make a great phoj tographic enlargement of } the resolution — or the ¢ clipping from the newst paper—and you'll have a } marvelous lobby display ; item. : Send the original to ? Emanuel Cohen, Editor of $ Paramount Sound News. }¢ Mr. Cohen will take the j hundreds of these resolu} tions that are received, ; make a big bundle of ¢ them, and perhaps get ; Mayor Walker to present $ them to Admiral Byrd. It ¢ might make a good naj tional newsreel-shot that ; way. 3 © O0-@-9Oe-@Oe-O-9 Oe B-0 O1-G-° Oe OOsOB G9 Oe-SGe OOS Oe 17 Theatres Under Construction for Company Following are Paramount Publix theatres under construction at the present time. All, with the exception of the Gateway in Chicago, will be called ‘Paramount.”’ New Paramount Theatre in Middletown, New York, seating 1500, opened on June 12th. ) © +0+-© 0-0-0. 0-10+ -© 101-0 +0+ © 0:0 10:0 10: 0-10+0-0-0090 0+-O 0-0-0 O 10-0105 OO 0-0-1010 101-010-0100 101-1010 0+ @ 18+ O01 S101 O10: O18-e Town Seats Opens Peekskill, N. Y...1700 June 28, °30 Denver, Colo. ....2100. July 15, ’30 Stapleton, S. I....2300 Sept. 15, °30 Kt. Wayne, Ind...2100 Aug. 15, °30 Lynn, Mass. ....-. 2400 July 15, °30 Hammond, Ind. ..2000 July 3, °30 Chicago, Ill. (Gateway) ... 2400 June 19, 930 Nashville, Tenn...2000 Oct. “15, °30 El Paso, Texas...2800 Aug. 15, °30 Lynchburg, Va. ..1500 Nov. 1, ’30 Helena, Ark. ..... 1500 Dee. 1, °30 Hamilton, Ohio...1800 Dee. 1, °30 Middletown, Ohio.1900 Jan. 1, °31 Oakland, Cal. ....3500 June, 1931 Cincinnati, Ohio. . 2500 Ashland, Ky. ....1100 Bristol, Tenn. ....1100 EASTMAN PUSHES “DR, FU MANCHU” Activity on “New Adventures of Fu Manchu” at the Eastman, Rochester, included a variety of free heralds. “Thriller” herald, with) paper clip twisted on rubber bands within, stressed new thrills in picture. Taxi company paid for and distributed cards; library bookmarks and hotel box cards were also used. Grocery tie-up provided printing and distribution of more heralds, with guest tickets for lucky numbers posted in lobby. Kodak company tie-up entailed extending matinee prices to 7 p. m. for employees, distributing business evenly over Monday to Friday evenings, inclusive, instead of on week-ends. Window of a leading department| store was given over to a display of Oriental furniture, drapes, rugs, etc., with a six-sheet cutout on the picture. Jan. 1, 1931 Feb. 1, 1931 Bellevue, Roslindale, Mass., has been closed for an indefinite period. LAST SPURT IN PRIZE RACE TO SHIFT PRESENT LINE-UP “There is every indication that the last two weeks of the Second Quarter Prize Contest will see many upsets in standings of the competing theatres. The final spurt will bring vital shifts. amongst the leading contestants in many districts throughout the circuit.” /Tampans Feature “Blue Ribbon Month” June is Blue Ribbon Month in Tampa. Guided by District Publicity Director Wallace Allen, City Manager Harry H. Weiss, and Paul Short, manager of the Tampa Theatre, merchants are assisting theatres with a spirited campaign. Full page co-op ad in the Tribune, double spread in the Times, inaugurated the special’ period. Tribune is cooperating with front page boxes daily, and Tampa Merchants Association is solidly behind the project. ‘Two special stunts are supplementing newspaper advertising. Salesgirls’ popularity contest has all saleswomen in participating stores giving out ballots with sales of $1 or more. Backs of ballots list attractions at Tampa, Strand, Franklin and Seminole Theatres. Salesgirls personally request pa .|trons to deposit ballots upon at tending any of the four Publix Theatres, calling attention to programs. In addition, Maas Bros., leading department store, display “Blue Ribbon Features’? in the Tampa Theatre lobby, and run daily “Blue Ribbon Events.” Persons inspecting merchandise at the theatre are given cards which entitle them to guest tickets with purchases of featured merchan dise. Store buys all tickets presented. Telephone company also _ co operated, distributing 30,000-stuf ‘fers in June bills. So says David J. Chatkin after studying figures which have been received in the past three days from all parts of the country. These figures indicate: that in many districts in many of the divisions the race for leadership is a close one. “For this reason, if for no other,” asserts Mr. Chatkin, “T am confident that not only will there be no let-up, but that the Second Quarter race will stage a frenzied finish in numerous districts. “The final figures for May were received less than fifty-six hours ago, and due to the many changes in districts and shifts in management during the past month — changes caused chiefly by reason of Publix’ continued expansion and growth — it has been impossible to collate the results in a manner sufficiently complete to permit the publication of standings in this issue of Publix Opinion. What I have seen, however, is enough to convince me that there are many spots on the Publix map in which a decisive result will not be reached until the final week’s figures are applied. It is evident that the boys are at it hard and will continue to fight ’till the last day’s receipts of the Second Quarter are in.” STOWELL PROMOTED Harry Stowell, assistant manager of the Bardavon, Poughkeepsie, has been promoted to the managership of the New Paramount, Middletown, N. Y. Stowell’s appointment became effective with the opening of the Middletown Paramount on June 12. SELL YOUR STAGE SHOWS! Indifferent advertising and exploiting of stage show units, has caused S. D, Palmer, head of unit show publicity to issue an junction to managers playing units to exercise more’ judicious showmanship. His message follows. Clippings and tear sheets received from numerous cities where the Publix stage shows are playing reveal the fact that im many instances the unit shows are not being adequately advertised. This apparent neglect is probably due to the fact that in the early days of talking pictures, when the picture was considered the whole show on account of the very novelty of the talking screen, the feature rightly deserved and received an over= whelming proportion of the advertising space. The novelty of the talking pictures has now worn off, and the time has come when the live talent on the stage means more to the box office than ever before. It is simply one of the phases: in the evolution of this constantly changing business. _ Theatres playing unit shows should take care that they give proper display to the units and proper billing to the featured acts in the units. The Production Department is devoting extreme care not only to the production quality of the units, but to the selec tion of talent as well, and it is now an invariable rule that every unit shall contain at least one outstanding act of na-. tional reputation. acts which come under this classification. Some units, in fact, contain two or three Every unit is worthy of being advertised to the limit. Every newspaper advertisement, Every display ad, especially the Satur tion the production. however small, should men day and Sunday ads, should devote a reasonable amount of space to the unit and list the featured acts. And the entire cast should be listed in all front and lobby displays, accord ing to instructions furnished from the home office. Aside from the fact that this is no more than good business sense, failure to do so is very likely to embarrass the production department through violation of contractual obligations. oe: u 2 ¢ 4 EA ae ae oa ET si, fe cal OMS Mee Fo so cis NY A Bigs LAN POR Su eet le UE Siar otal cnn Gen tay Ne cl a eens Bate eA Z Ses ge oN Picieaay 3 x EAA