Publix Opinion (Aug 1, 1930)

6 PUBLIX OPINION, WEEK OF AUGUST Isr, 1930 PHILCO STORES ANXIOUS FOR TIE-UPS In exploiting Moran and Mack in “Anybody’s War,” at Shea’s Century in Buffalo, the Philco tieup was one of the’ reasons for this picture’s good opening. A picture coloring contest was promoted with the Times, through which a Philco radio was given as first prize and the theatre offered guest tickets for the next fifteen best. A big two-column illustration and story was carried for four days in the Times, showing Moran and Mack standing alongside a Philco set. ‘Thousands of contributions were received through this stunt. The Philco dealers in the city put on some beautiful windows the central piece of which was a cut-out from the three sheet on the picture. Double sheets with photos also tied in with the show were used. A new model Philco set was put on display in the lobby. : Arrangements were made with the local distributor to put out some 80 24-sheets several days in advance of the opening which was a great break for the theatre. All -the Philco dealers have entered into the first of the new season tie-ups with enthusiasm and some fine co-operation is promised. A large co-operative ad was used on the day ahead of the opening of the picture, three-quarters of which was paid for by Philco and Philco dealers. GETS GOLFERS Monty Salmon, manager of the Rialto theatre in Macom, Georgia, sent telegrams to the various golf and country clubs in the vicinity. The wires were posted on the bulletin boards, notifying golf enthusiasts. of the laughs in the " “MEET THE BOYS!”— Ry NOW YOUR ORGANIZATIO W. E. DRUMBAR Ww. E. Drumbar, mid-Texas disconfined most of his theatre activities in the southern states prior to receiving present trict manager, his assign WwW. E. ten years, Drumbar di Drumbar rected his efforts to the operation of road show, stock, tab, vaudeville and picture houses. This experience put him in line for a district managership, which he received in 1925, when he was appointed to supervise theatres in North and South Carolina. Two years later he was transferred to Atlanta, where, after Publix had acquired Southern Enterprises, he was sent to Knoxville. He remained there for ten months and was then assigned his present position. J. C. EWING Within the short period of three ‘years, J. C. Ewing, manager of the Colonial, Watertown, S. D., has risen from usher to his present executive position, due to ‘this persistence in thor“loughly educating himself to the many intricacies of show business, mm) In 1927, Pw-jjing — entered jjthe theatre industry as ment about months J. B. REISMAN J. B. Reisman, who received his present managerial assignment at the Lawler, _ Rochester, Minn., on May 1, 1930, is a veteran showman, having entered show busiijmess in_ 1906 at the Chicago Majestic Theatre, at that time the ace vaudeville house of the country. Reisman folij lowed up his debut into the theatrical industry by making a tour of the Orpheum circult. Experience gained with this organization equipped him with the necessary background to build and operate, in association with his father, the Dale in St. Paul in May 1914. He was actively connected with this theatre and the Rialto until 1923, when F. & R. purchased them. Reisman then went to Canada, where he operated several theatres for the Famous’ Players Canadian Corp. In 1928, he joined the Fox West Coast theatres, He remained there for one year and then returned to the Northwest, in the employ of Publix as a relief manager in Fargo, N. D., from where he was given hi present assignment. J. B. Reisman G. E. RICKERMAN Texas seems to be the ideal lo cation for many people and among those with that thought is G. BE.Rickerman, manager of the Tremont, Galveston, Texas, who has centered his compar atively short but active theatre career in the Lone Star state. Show business_ first J. J. CAHILL J. J. Cahill, partner and man-~ ager of the Brockton Theatre, Brockton, Mass, is @ veteran theatre operator and vaudevillian, having opened the first picture house in Brockton 1907, after enjoying several seasons as a member of a singing duo. Strange,as it may seem, Cahill has confined all of his managerfal activity to Brock ton. When he opened his McCue _ and J. J. Cahill seven years after the turn of the new century, several other houses catering to vaudeville and legitimate shows, competed with him for the town patron age. With the passing of a few years, Cahill entered into partnership with the owner of those operations and soon had control of the theatre industry in Brockton. When Publix acquired the Brockton Theatre, Cahill was re tained as partner and manager. GORDON C. McKINNON Getting a taste of the theatre as an usher and assistant projectionist at the Colonial, Port Arthur, Canada, prior to his entrance into the University of Minnesota, school of business administra4] tion, was the reason for |]Gordonc. McKinnon ac cepting an ]| usher’s job at the State, Minneapolis as @ “|means of j| working his way through Repertoire Week Boosts Gross in Durham Repertoire week, inaugurated as an experiment in the Rialto theatre, a Class C house in Durham, North Carolina, was such a success from a box-office standpoint that L. D. Netter, associate director of buying and booking, has recommended adoption of the stunt throughout the circuit in similar spots. In the Durham test, three previ ous releases featuring Joan Crawford were selected, “Our Modern Maidens” and “‘Montana Moon.” nated “Joan Crawford Repertoire Week,” and on account of increased film rentals, the net was $300 more than average in the face of unusual hot weather. “Untamed,” The week was desig It would be better to give a Par amount star the break, Netter states in his report of the experiment, but the selection of the star in each instance should be determined by the popularity of various stars in the particular locality. Byrd Driver on Stage With His Team of Dogs Second week’s business on “With Byrd at the South Pole” at the Uptown, when J. S. Saef, publicity director and acting manager, induced Frederick Crockett, one of Byrd’s dog drivers, to appear on the stage for one day with five of his dogs. Dogs were used for a front ballyhoo between appearances, Boston, increased, PERFECT CALF CONTEST Merchant tie-up effected by Manager David J. Walsh of the Strand, Pittsfield, Mass., on ‘‘The Golden Calf,’ had a window display with a 3-foot cut-out of a per 4 ATUL aaa Sane Charlie Chase comedy, ‘‘All Teed univer Up,” being shown at the Rialto. fect calf, and cut-out of El Brendel, tape in hand, interviewing” models. Girl with calf measurements nearest those listed on cutout received pair of hose and guest tickets. heard of Rickerman in ee 1922, when he . was house ar‘| tist for the Majestic Theatre, AusG. E. Rickerman tin, which was operated by Southern Enterprises, Inc. Four years later, after his desire for painting lobby posters and the like had vanished, Rickerman accepted the position of house manager for that theatre. In May, 1929, he was promoted to the Hippodrome in Fort Worth as manager. Four months later, he received his present assignment. ‘ in the Minneapolis. His untiring efforts were soon rewarded, for in November of the following year, he was promoted to assistant manager of the Aster, in the same city. Five months later he was transferred to the Uptown and a short while afterward to the Grand, in the same capacity. He received his first managerial assignment_in December, 1929, at the Lyric, Watertown, from where he was transferred to his present location five months later. G. C. McKinnon Managing the Chateau Dodge, Rochester, Minn. Upon his graduation from the U. of M. in 1928, he was promoted to the Lyric, Minneapolis as assistant manager, because he had shown such splendid executive capabilities as an usher while attending school. McKinnon was assistant manager for several other theatres before receiving his present position in January, 1930. PUTTING PRIZE J. C. Ewing A Scanlon Putt & Pitch rug COOLING STORY provided lobby entertainment for hundreds of patrons of the Tivoli, Chattanooga, during the showing of. “Young Man of Manhattan.” Each was permitted to putt five balls towards numbered circles on the rug, and the rug was given by Manager Clint Lake to the patron making the highest score. Inspection of the Olympia Theatre refrigeration and ventilation plant by the United States Meteorologist stationed in Miami netted Manager James H. McKoy an excellent institutional story in the Miami Herald on the “manufactured weather” provided for Olympia patrons. CORRAL IN LOBBY TICKER TAPE Auto Parade Exploits AMATEUR REVIEWS ——__—. A lifelike horse and cowboy,| On “Caught Short,’’ several Personality Leader SWC SE “SHEETS “Critics Contest” engineered by William Slater, assistant manager of the Strand, Plainfield, N. J., in cooperation with a local paper, netted 106 letters reviewing ‘‘The Big Pond” and a good publicity smash in the paper on the picture. within a coral in the lobby of the Electric, Springfield; Mo., lent attractiveness to the showing of “Light of Western Stars.’’ Manager Theresa Nibler reports that this display aided the gross. Illinois theatres made a Western Union tie-up which involved use of a stock ticker in the lobby. Cities in which the device was used were Rockford, Joliet, Peoria and Bloomington. Showings of three-sheets in Toledo have been switched by Wm. Exton,. Publicity Director of the Paramount, to cover miniature golf courses and auto parking spaces. As a means of plugging his personality leader, Jack Jackson, publicity director of the Saenger, New Orleans, La., contacted the local agent of the miniature Austin automobile for a parade and throwaways. After the Austin agency had distributed 2500 heralds from their salesroom yoicing the Saenger’s M.C.’s opinion in regards the unique car, an automobile parade was formed, which exploited the car, M.C. and ‘“Devil’s Holiday.” A tie-up with the local baking company, advertising Deyil’s food SYMBOL AND COLOR CHART FOR THE FOUR SEASONS Look in PUBLIX OPINION First! All Managers, North Florida District. Gentlemen: Season Symbols Colors lowers cake and the picture, netted cone ieee areas au a vpo moat valuable piece of ma; siderable advertising in the form my Ollice 1s ON. Birds, butterflies, Pearl gray, pink, Apple, ch d of window cards, heralds and free Just yesterday I searched through trade m flowers, sundials, line, ivory, light Aaah DE sample cake to patrons. booking department records for an one for a Ppa aad SPRING gardens, sunshine. blue, coral, apple roses, pussy wil, a certain short subject, and when I ption o green, lows, lilncs, tulips, ' despair, I I ject, when I was about to give up in daffodils, pair, I happened to glance at a copy of PUBLIX OPINION oe Se AAS Rane Re ela ANKLE CONTEST on a desk. Right there in front of me was what I wanted, SUMMER va cations, m9 rts, an “ale Btabnteet Ceatien’ potas: Ye ag of our Hgme Office Booking Department. cool colors. ‘ S OW s time a theatre manager came in = Tye, fou, ey gulow, _Ghranttenam, || ag SRE*ERMERE SE Loose Ankles” ||| maation on the Floyd Gibbons trailer on the Byrd pictur rains, A f ia, p , ’ ” B he V AUTUMN { Fustio scones, bark, brown, purples foxtall, es spired Manager Burton L. Jones vas volling me what he wanted his hand was resting on exactly the information he desired, on the recent issue of PUBLIX OPINION. Moral: “Keep up your file of PUBLIX OP look there first.’ caer woods strong colors. front page of a Red, green, gold, frosted effects; all warm colors, foliage. j to revive the ‘‘most perfect ankles’’ contest. Diamond ring worth $50, box of hosiery and pair of hosiery were prizes, all promoted. Entrants registered at cooperating merchants, and appeared two successive nights at theatre for elimination. Pines, ruscus, box, oak, palms, holly, poinsettia. WINTER frost, snowman, { fron snow, ice, winter sports. Cordially yours, OHARLES G. BRANHAM. (*Pastel shades of the rainbow: pink, yellow, green, blue, violet.) a