Publix Opinion (Jul 11, 1930)

10 TRAINING EQUIPS HIM FOR SHOW PRODUCTION Stories of important personages in Publix who climbed by merit from the most humble start in show business are by no means uncommon. In fact, exceptions to such stories are rare. 6 (“Hal”) Halperin, Executive Director in charge of Publix stage shows, is no exception to the general rule, but he does claim that his humble start almost sets a record. He earned his way through grade school as a Western. Union messenger in Chicago. After graduating from grade school he went to high school and secured an assignment as a special delivery messenger at the post office, at which job he worked after his high school hours. His main interests in high school were mathematics and things electrical which gave him cause to decide upon a career of electrical engineering. After graduating from high school he entered the University of Illinois, enrolling in the electrical engineering course. On his graduation from the University the faculty presented him with sundry certificates and documents to prove that he was a full fledged electrical engineer of exceptionally high scholastic and practical attainment. The years that preceded his acquisition of college degrees are of interest, because, as stated above, Mr. Halperin ‘worked his way’ through grade school, high school and also in college at various jobs which were hard enough in themselves to warrant considerable daily relaxation. Instead of relaxing, however, he spent those earned hours of relaxation in the class-rooms for which his outside work paid the tuition fee. “One of those jobs saw me in the uniform of a U. S. Mail carrier. Its principal virtue, beside the remuneration, was that it gave me the exercise as I needed, but didn’t have other’ time to get,’’ he once told Publix Opinion. Joins Balaban & Katz Two years out of college, however, dimmed his ardor for things mechanical or scientific, and one day he caught himself answering an ad placed in the Chicago newspapers. The ad was inserted by Balaban & Katz, and it asked for men to respond who thought they could become assistant managers of theatres. His first assignment was Treasurer of the Chicago Theatre. There he went through an intensive training that taught him the problems of theatre management and also brought him into intimate contact with the productions at the Chicago Theatre, which at that time were the marvel of the yaudeville world. After serving as Treasurer at the’ Chicago he was made assistant manager. From this point his progress was steady and entirely satisfactory. His next stop was manager of the Central Park Theatre. This theatre was the ace independent vaudeville theatre of Chicago. Here he had an intimate contact “with vaudeyille shows and talent. He came in direct contact with, and was able to absorb a great deal of knowledge from such an able teacher as A. J. Balaban, who at that time was in charge of all talent for Balaban and Katz houses. Mr. Halperin’s service at the Chicago and Central Park Theatres gave him a well rounded experience in theatre operation as well as stage presentations and vaudeville shows. Brought To New York In 1925, when Publix was orwanized, Mr. WHalperin’s exceptional experience proved of considerable value. He was brought to New York and made Home Office representative for the Management Department, and as such, —_—__ PUBLIX OPINION, WEEK OF JULY 11tx, 1930 HALPERIN IS WELL ROUNDED SHOWMAN! KNOW YOUR ORGANIZATION! These Publix personalities depend upon your effort, just as you depend upon theirs. To know and understand each other’s personalities and problems will lighten the burdens of everyone, and our tasks enjoyable. For this reason, PUBLIX OPINION is devoting an important part of its space to these brief biographical sketches. I. M. HALPERIN Director of Publix Stage Shows selected and trained many housestaffs for the new kind of theatre operation Publix was introducing throughout the circuit. He was given many a varied assignment which did considerable to develop him and broaden his viewpoint in every phase of theatre operation. In the years that have intervened, he has acquired the skill and knowledge that has made him one of the most important and effective showmen in Publix and the industry. His technical training, and his experience as a theatre operator stood him in fine disciplinary stead when he approached the need for understanding and appreciation of creative imagination requirements of stage production. In less time than could be believed possible for anyone, he was working in harmony and perfect understanding with all of the numerous and complex viewpoints, personalities, and conditions that make stage-production the colorful thing it is. His faculty as a cost executive was of great advantage to producers, for he enabled the producers through intelligent saying and spending, to get improvement in shows that seemed almost unbelievable. “Hal” is a mater-of-fact sort of individual, and as such, is slow in his enthusiasms. However, once you meet and know him, he’s “one of the boys” to the eyeteeth. Everybody in the Field and in -the Home Office reposes utmost faith in his friendship, his ability, and his showmanship. Theatre Operation Publix Opinion, in conducting this investigation of his life for your “Know Your Organization” benefit, recalls that “Hal,” between his departure from Chicago, and his entry into the stageproduction department, acquired numerous company citations for meritorious service to the circuit. Among these include the help he gave in the opening of Shea’s Buffalo theatre in Buffalo; his record for bolstering up Atlanta, Ga., theatre operation during a period when it was a red stain on the weekly balance sheet; particularly his helpfulness at the Atlanta “Keith-Georgia”’ and the ‘Howard’ (now called ‘Paramount’) in that town. After that Atlanta assignment, he was made city manager in New York, where he built up and organized the present system of cost analysis and operation for the Rivoli, Rialto and Paramount theatres. For this signal service he was made an associate to the General Director of Theatre Management in charge of de luxe theatres. He took this job when Publix first de-centralized its mode of operation, and quickly his organizational genius and sense of system and order manifested itself again. He installed a great many of the present standard methods of procedure, and as these took form and commenced to function easily and smoothly, he was told to turn his job over to others and tackle a new and tougher job. While that job was developing, he found time to go to Birmingham, Ala., to intensively supervise the opening of the new Alabama Theatre. In Production Department On his return from Birmingham he received his first assignment in the Production Department. The Loew theatres had just started to es Speed-Up Pace|HERALDS “BYRD” Pledged At Convention (Continued from Page Five) chandising. He analyzed the changes made in the industry by the coming of talking pictures—a change for the better, for public and theatre owner. Mr. Balaban’s speech lasted nearly an hour, but to the listeners it seemed but a.few minutes, so vivid and ‘‘close to home’’ were his illustrations of the many factors that make up the situation as it is today. Floyd Brockell followed with a talk on the film situation, discussing Chicago-Detroit strength, franchises and product outlook of all companies. A talk on program construction, stressing correct use of shorts and newsreels, was given by Mr. Max Balaban. He also spoke of the importance of good sound in theatres. A complete picture of the Paramount product to come was given by Mr. Neil Agnew, who also promised utmost cooperation from Paramount. After a short afternoon recess there were short talks from Messrs. Elmer Upton, Bud Harris and Elmer Meyer. Walter Immerman, who comes to Chicago as division supervisor, talked on theatre operation, managers’ responsibility and opportunity, training of men, house operation in general, with special emphasis on sound, expense and safety. Following Mr. Immerman’s talk, John Balaban, in a last 15-minute address, officially closed the business of the first annual convention of the Publix Detroit-Chicago division, a gathering that without doubt had done more to bring all its members into closer unity than any other similar event in its history. HOUSES REMODELED Strand Theatre, Minot, North Dakota, opened June 16 after being closed three weeks for remodeling. Grand Theatre, Grand Forks, re-opened as the Paramount on June 18, after remodel ing. ; PROVIDENCEPARAMOUNT New Paramount Theatre, Providence, Rhode Island, opened with an invitation show on June 19. It opened to the public on the 20th, and will continue with Friday openings hereafter. play Publix unit shows and he was sent on the road to supervise the proper presentation of Publix units in the Loew theatres. When the Production Department took over the staging of the Capitol theatre New York shows, for a short period, he was appointed business manager in charge of those productions. This assignment gave him the executive production experience that has stood | him in such good stead in his present assignment. When the Capitol theatre again resumed the producing of their own shows, Mr. Halperin was assigned to systematize and control the costs of the synchronization of pictures. Shortly after he finished organizing this division of the Publix Musical Department, it was taken over by Paramount. His next assignment was ihe Music Sales Department which he organized and then turned over to another on receiving his present assignment as Executive Manager of the Production Department, Your Editor has known “Hal” intimately and labored side by side with him for seven years, and has quarreled with him handsomely, admired him always, and cheered his numerous advancements constantly. WITH OMAHA CAMPAIGN Under direction of Manager Lionel Wasson, Publicity Director Charles Schlaifer of the Omaha Paramount carried out an aggressive campaign heralding the engagement of ‘With Byrd at the South Pole.” In every instance cost of stunts was nominal, and in many cases entire cost of exploitation paid by cooperating merchant, Aside from routine effort, here are samples of the additional activity: One hundred window cards, paid for by Chesterfield, and placed in downtown and suburban windows by Chesterfield window trimmer, without passes. Equal number of cards, printed and placed without cost to theatre, were used for Palmolive soap windows. Five hundred soda fountain streamers featuring a ‘“‘South Pole Sundae’ were printed by theatre at cost of $10, and placed on mirrors behind 250 fountains by an ice cream company, which also used 12 foot banners on each of its 12 trucks. Graham cracker samples, 3,000 of them, were furnished free of charge to theatre by a local dealer, in imprinted glassine bags. Local tire dealer paid for printing of 30,000 heralds, one side advertising picture, other carrying an endorsement of Goodrich tires by the theatre’s organist. Theatre paid $30 for distribution. Two ice cream companies defrosted their entire plants to furnish two huge boxes of artificial snow, which were mounted on a flat bottomed truck presided over by five girls from the World Theatre stage show. Truck was appropriately bannered, and girls, dressed in bathing suits, pelted passersby with loosely packed snowballs on a summer afternoon. | Although street ballyhoos are taboo in Omaha, Schlaifer got by with this one on account of its novelty. Chief of Police even furnished two motorcycle policemen as escorts. STREET TORN UP Uptown Theatre, Gardner, Mass., closed on June 14th, to remain closed until September Ist, on account of extensive street repairs. DO THIS! Commenting on the trailer reproduced below, which was run in every Publix B&K Theatre in Chicago, Mr. Katz said: “This should be done in every city of any size where we operate theatres.”’ The institutional trailer below is the first of a series to be run every week. It .was received with great applause and much comment. LET’S BOOST CHICAGO Chicago has shown a remarkable growth in the 97 years of its existence. Over 3,373,753 in population, it is probably the third largest city in the world! Chicago ranks with the toremost cities of America as a scientific, literary and art center — and excels as the city beautiful. We are proud ~ ne privilege of being part ° ! PUBLIX-BALABAN & KATZ Z