Publix Opinion (Jul 25, 1930)

PUBLIX OPINION, WEEK OF JULY 25ru, 1930 5 SELLING ‘COMMON CLAY’ By GLENDON ALLVINE Advertising Manager, Fox Films (Not for Publication) This picture has the distinction of being lead-off release for the coming season’s product, and when we say that it sets a pace to delight the heart—and bank balance—of the exhibitor, we’re putting it mildly. In fact, we’re putting it much more mildly than the exhibitors themselves. ‘Those who have seen “Common Clay” speak right out _in meeting. Harry Weinburg, of Des Moines, Iowa, telegraphs “‘finest picture of its kind I have ever seen’”’—and he has seen plenty. Joe Shagrin, of Youngstown, Ohio, calls it “‘great’” and ‘‘one of the best box office attractions of the year.” When exhibitors use that language, they’re not romancing. “Common Clay” is the Harvard prize play by Cleves Kinkead, and the run it had on Broadway is in the records. Afterward, it toured the country to great success. . Here is a drama that is bound to get your patrons steamed up, both for its story and for its frank revelation of the tough break which a pleasure-loving girl gets in this man-made world. It .has a theme which is front-page stuff. Invite the ministers and social workers of your town to see it. That will be enough to set off the fireworks of discussion. © Every official who is brought in contact with wayward girls knows that “Common Clay” is straight stuff. Get the municipal authorities back of you when you show the picture; it can be made the occasion of a city-wide expose of conditions in speakeasy and dance hall. And remember that this agitation will sweep more business into your theatre. The story, briefly, is about a girl who, after being arrested in a speakeasy raid, takes a position as maid in a private home, and finds herself an object of prey to every man she meets, on account of her one misstep. How she wins her way to love through tragedy makes drama of. universal appeal. : And what a performance Constance Bennett gives in the role of the girl! She acts with such sympathy, such understanding, and such finesse that you’ll find the critics falling over each other with superlatives. And that goes for Lew Ayres, who plays opposite her, Both are young in screen years as well as calendar years, but they have the stuff that makes stars. : : Victor Fleming directed “(Common Clay,” which is equivalent to saying that the direction is topnotch. Chaney’s Picture|Ballyhoo. Records Needs Careful | Ready on Seven Advertising New Pictures “Watch your step in selling Ballyhoo records for seven ‘The Unholy ‘Three’,” MDivision|forthcoming Paramount pictures Publicity Director Madeline Woods|are now available, according to warns managers in the Publix|announcement by General Music Great States division. Director Boris Morros. Records Impression that “The Unholy |are on 78 r. p. m. discs for use on Three” is simply a re-issue, like|regular phonograph or non-sync the “Phantom of the Opera,” to|equipment, and are suitable for which sound and some talking|every type of ballyhoo, from use has been added, must be com-|in lobbies or on marquees to batted, Miss Woods advises. It| broadcasting by means of sound should be made emphatically clear | train or radio. that this is an entirely new pro-| Pictures for which records are duction in which Chaney and alllayailable are “Follow Thru,” the other characters talk through-|‘‘het’s Go Native,” ‘‘Queen High,” out the picture. Cast is entirely|‘‘Heads Up,” ‘‘Monte Carlo,” different with the exception of Chaney and the midget. Copy theme should be “Lon Chaney’s First Talking Picture — Entirely new production based on his original triumph, ‘The Unholy Three’.” “Tt might be well,’’ Miss Woods says, “to even go so far as to state in small type in your ads that this is not a re-issue, but an entirely new production. Do not use at any time such phrases as ‘You saw it silent, now see it as a talking picture’.” “®xploitation material should not be too gruesome. Inject woman’s appeal in ads by using cuts of Lila Lee and Nugent, and emphasizing the romance angle.” SERVICES RENDERED BY THE MUSIC NOVELTIES DEPARTMENT All requests for material “eave it to Lester” and ‘Animal Crackers.’”’ Records for ‘Follow Thru” and ‘“‘Let’s Go Native” are priced at $1.50 each, and for the remaining five pictures at $1.00 each, in anticipation of an increased number of orders. Should sufficient support for this form of exploitation develop, states f. H. Kleinert of the Musical Novelties Department, it will eventually be possible to furnish these records ‘at a price of 75c per disc. ; All orders should be addressed to E. H. Kleinert, Musical Novel ties Dept., Paramount Publix Corp., Paramount Bldg., New York City. should be made directly to: MUSICAL NOVELTIES DEPT., Paramount Publix Corp., Paramount Bldg., New York City. Music Novelties: Holiday Subjects, Song reels of the type of “AIN’TCHA”; Novelties of the type of the Byrd subject, “BACK HOME.” Overtures: Such as “CHANSON RUSSE.” 3314 R. P. M. Records: Overtures, Marches, Popular Numbers, totalling 30 records. Ballyhoo Records—Organ Solos—Synchronized Trailer Date Strips. RECORDS ADDED TO 33% R. P.M. DISC LIST Addition of 18 new Musical Novelties Department records to the list of 33 1/3 r. p. m. discs for use on regular Vitaphone equipment has been announced by HE. H. Kleinert of the Musical Novelties Department, from whom they may be ordered. Price of the records, which are double-faced, is $1 each. New records are as follows: Overtures M.-N. D. No. 106, ‘Russian Fantasie,’’ rhythm overture based on Russian airs. M. N. D. No. 107, ‘“‘Hungaria,’”’ rhythm overture based on Liszt’s Rhapsodie No. 2. M. N. D. No. 108, “Scotch Fantasie,”’ rhythm overture based on famous Scotch airs. M. N. D. No. 109, ‘Fantasie Orientale,”’ rhythm overture based on Tschaikowsky airs. M. N. D. No. 110, “Il Guarany,”’ overture from the opera of the same name. M. N. D. No. 111, ‘“Carmen,’”’ overture from the opera of the same name. Instrumental Novelties (No Vocal Choruses) M. N. D. No. 112, “Symphonette,” novelty in rhythm tempo. M. N. D. No. 118, ‘Minor Gaff,”’ popular novelty in rhythm tempo. M. N. D. No. 114, ‘Black Horse,’”’ popular novelty in rhythm tempo. M. N. D. No. 115, “Punch & Judy,” popular novelty in fox-trot rhythm. M. N. D. No. 116, “La Paloma” and “Mi Querida,” two popular Spanish melodies in tango tempo. M. N. D. No. 117, “Down South,’’ southern airs in foxtrot tempo, featuring the banjo. Marches M. N. D. No. 118, “Stars and Strips Forever” and-‘‘Semper Fidelis.” M. N. D. No. 119, “El Capitaine.”’ M. N. D. No. 120, “Sabre and Spurs.’’ M. N. D. No. 121, “Under the Double Eagle.”’ M. N. D. No. 122, ‘Washington Post March.’’ M. N. D. No. 128, “High School Cadets.’’ | ASSIGNMENTS Herbert Brenon, Jr., formerly manager of the Uptown, Gardiner, Mass., has assumed management of the Orpheum, Gardiner. He succeeds Joseph Klein, who has been transferred to the Broadway, Springfield, as assistant manager. Edward Hart has _ succeeded Larry Chambers, resigned, as manager of the Academy, Newburgh, N. Y. L. Laurens has succeeded Francis Morin as manager of the Strand, Westfield, Mass. Alfred Herskovitz has replaced Howard J. Butler, resigned, as manager of the Crown, New London, Conn. Fred Belmont, formerly manager of the Calvin, Northampton, Mass., has been transferred to the Plaza, Northampton. Augustus Coats, formerly assistant manager of the Calvin, has been promoted to the post of manager. Harry Feldman, who has been in training at the Palace, Stamford, Conn., has assumed management of the Victory, Holyoke, Mass., replacing Charles Costello, resigned. George Moffatt has assumed Management of the Garden, Greenfield, Mass., replacing George Elmore, resigned. Leo Flanagan has been transferred to the Elm, Chicopee, Mass., succeeding Israel Schancupp, resigned. W. H. LeValley, formerly manager of the Strand, Stamford, Conn., has been appointed Pub SELLING ‘MANSLAUGHTER’ By RUSSELL HOLMAN Advertising Manager, Paramount Pictures (Not For Publication) We have a great box office picture in ‘Manslaughter.’ Paramount Publix official who has seen it, agrees with that. right now to predict that any list of the five pictures that did the greatest business for you in 1930 is going to include “‘Manslaughter.” Where it stands in that list of five will depend largely upon the sell-: Every It’s safe ing’ job you do on it. The money is in the show; let’s get it! “Manslaughter” is a down-to-earth love-melodrama containing every element of popular success. ‘There’s the intensely absorbing love story of a beautiful; hot-blooded society girl for a handsome, hard hitting, hard drinking, clever son of the people; the plot development, which the masses will love, of this girl who thinks she can trample over everybody, being sent to prison, undergoing hardships and emerging purged of her selfishness and a thoroughly loveable character; the spectacular action sequences of a madly racing automobile and the most breath-taking crash in which a man is killed; a knockout courtroom sequence with the hero, driven by duty, prosecuting and convicting the woman he loves; magnificent performances by Claudette Colbert, Fredric March and others in the cast; superb direction by George Abbott, famous stage author and director; and a happy ending with a delicious dash of humor in it; scenes of high society at play in bathing suits, with Colbert a sensation in her onepiece suit and winning the swift aqua-plane race. “Manslaughter,” produced by Cecil B. DeMille, with Meighan and Leatrice Joy in the leading roles, was an outstanding success as a silent picture. The talking version is at least five times as good. There is nothing highbrow about this picture. It is done in true de luxe Paramount style. But the story never for a minute gets above the heads of the mentality of the movie masses. This film should make Colbert a star. And, even with that fact apparent, March nearly steals the picture. He has never been so powerful and so good. ; It should be sold with strong copy that gets down to the guts and elementals of the story. Here are some suggestions: : On the witness stand she swayed. A prisoner. A target for gloating newspaper headlines. For the mob that screamed for her blood! A beautiful, white-faced, trembling girl. The girl who just a few days before had been a reckless, blue-blooded daughter of wealth. The girl whom just a few nights ago he had held in the’ moonlight in his arms, her heart racing against his, her eager lips seeking his kiss. And now he—HE—vwho still loved her blindly, unreasoningly, must convict her—send her to prison—perhaps KILL her! No wonder he cursed at that grim, relentless thing—-DUTY— that drove him on. No wonder he cried at those beautiful, haunting eyes that seemed now to hurl hate at him, ‘‘Don’t look at me! Face the jury!’’ Could he do it? Could he crucify the girl he loved? Come-and see. Come and thrill and lose yourself in the marvelous, soul-gripping drama of “MANSLAUGHTER.” Come and LOVE the Greatest Love-Drama Ever Screened! “TRAITOR! A TRAITOR TO LOVE!” her beautiful, hate-clouded eyes seemed to hurl at him as they led her off to prison—to death, as she thought. Those eyes that a few nights before had surrendered love to him in the soft moonlight. HE had done it—the man that loved her—the man that would, in spite of that, hurl her to her doom! , YOU WOMEN OF TWENTY-FOUR! Young, warm blooded, eager for life, for love. How would you like to be prisoned for ten years, to have life go blank for a decade—no joy, no laughter, no romance— to come out into the world again, a broken, bitter women of thirtyfour? That was the prospect that faced proud, rich, reckless Lydia Thorne, heroine of “MANSLAUGHTER.” Why? How? Did she escape? Come and see! HER LIFE IN HIS HANDS! The Life of the Girl He Loved. Duty drove at him to seize her, crush her, scar her warm beauty, bend her proud head low. Love tempted him to protect her in his eager arms. Which won? SHE KILLED A MAN BUT HE KILLED—LOVE! “T HATE YOU! YOU SENT ME TO PRISON. BUT I’LL STILL BE YOUNG AND RICH WHEN I’M FREE—AND I’LL RUIN YOU IF IT TAKES MY LIFE AND FORTUNE!” hurled at him out of lips burning with emotion. Lips that only a few nights before he had kissed in ecstacy. “You have flaunted society—and you must pay! love and beauty can laugh at the law—you’re wrong!” “YOU—you are a traitor to love—and YOU will pay. You have wrecked my youth, made me a plaything for your ambitions—and you are sentenced to love me, in vain, for the rest of your life!” There’s a rich field for tie-ups here. The basis for Colbert’s conviction for manslaughter is an accident in which she is driving with breakneck recklessness and kills the motorcycle cop who is chasing her by skidding her car into his machine. There’s a lesson in this for motorists and the police department of your town will probably cooperate in hammering it in. For instance, with signs reading: BEWARE! Reckless Driving may lead to MANSLAUGHTER. This road leads to ‘‘Manslaughter” at the Rialto Theatre. In some spots where the silent version of the picture was shown, the judges trying motor cases sentenced minor offenders to go and see the picture; stories appeared in the papers about this. You might get a tie-up with auto agencies in your town whereby they would feature their brakes in ads stating that good brakes may be the means of avoiding manslaughter. We are featuring ‘“Manslaughter” in our Satevepost ad of August 8th, as part of our big campaign on the picture. The story, by Alice Duer Miller, originally ran as a serial in the Post. It was also a big seller as a $2 novel and is now being re-published by Grosset & Dunlap for 75 cents, with jacket and illustrations tying up with the picture. That was the defy she You think that licity Director of the newly acquired Goldstein circuit in Massachusetts. LeValley is succeeded at the Strand by William Brooker. B. Dobrans, graduate of the last Managers’ Training School, has replaced George Kilmarr, resigned, as manager of the Dudley, Roxbury, Mass. Joseph Lourie, formerly manager of the Warren St. Theatre, Roxbury, has been promoted to the post of District Manager in charge of Jamaica Plains, Roslindale, and four of Roxbury’s six Publix theatres. J. W. McNamara, whom Lourie succeeds, has been transferred to Stamford, Conn., as manager of the Palace, replacing W. G. Mitchell. Mitchell’s next assignment is forthcoming. H. T. Lashtey, formerly manager of the Victory, Salisbury, N. C., has been appointed City Manager in charge of the newlyacquired Paramount and Carolina theatres in Burlington, North Carolina. <A. C. Kincey succeeds Lashley in Salisbury. C. P. Malphurs has succeeded C. S. Barnes. resigned, as manager of the Galax, Birmingham. “Malphurs was formerly stationed in Florida.