Publix Opinion (Aug 15, 1930)

PUBLIX OPINION, WEEK OF AUGUST 15rx, 1930 5 SELLING “WILD COMPANY” BY GLENDON ALLVINE Advertising Manager, Fox Films (Not For Publication) I caught a “sleeper” the other afternoon in a thoroughly unsuspecting mood—a picture called ‘“‘Wild Company,” just out of the laboratory. Hardly was I settled in my seat before I discovered that a thumping good picture had sneaked up on me. By the time it was half over, I began to figure that the second half couldn’t keep up the fine dramatic pace, the stirring drama, the vivid realism. Wrong again! The picture builds up to a climax without a waver in its speed or the least let-down in drama. It’s a great audience picture from beginning to end, and you Gan bank on its filling your theatre with enthusiastic patrons. Sometimes, to say that a film drama has a message is to put it under a cloud. When your public wants messages, it can go to Western Union. But “Wild Company” upsets the old dope cart once again. The point is that the message in “Wild Company” is not a rider tacked on the story. It is the story, and what a story it turns out to be! Did you ever open the front page of your morning paper and see a shocking scandal about someone in the next block? MThat’s the effect of ‘“‘Wild Company.”’ ? It tells what is happening right now in your home town, and it is done so impressively that you feel as though you knew the people themselves. It strikes home. ; “Wild Company” is the story of the younger generation that burns with a slow gin-like flame. It treats the jazz age to a strong dose of unsweetened facts. It will provoke thought and it will provoke discussion, and all you have to do is to get it started. Drinking, petting, night life, parents who shirk their responsibility, youngsters with too much spending money, loose standards of morality—all these subjects are meat for letters to the editor, for women’s club, for Rotary meetings, for editorials, for local exposes. And it is acted right up to the hilt by a sterling cast. The emotional sincerity of H. B. Warner and Frank Albertson in their fatherand-son relationship strikes home to every audience. Young Albertson is a comer among Fox players. He brings a new note to the juvenile field. And Warner needs no adjectives, as every audience-wise observer knows. You can play up other names as well, particularly Joyce Compton and Sharon Lynn. The latter sings a pair of songs—“That’s What I Like About You” by James V. Monaco and Cliff Friend and ‘‘Joe”’ by Con Conrad and Jack Meskill. Also, a sprig of laurel for the brow of a new director, Leo McCarey, who will bear watching. PLAYS BIRD CALLS Victrola record playing bird calls in the lobby of the Rialto, Duluth, Minn., which closed for Phoenix, Ariz., ballyhooed “Spring repairs on July 31st, will re-open|is Here” for Manager L. P. August 22nd. Weaver. UNDER REPAIR Des Moines Theatre, Des Moines, which closed July 20th for repairs, re-opened August 8th. Garrick, BYRD CONTEST! Full page display ad is ae sae part of the space obtained by J. C. King, manager of the Arcadia Theatre, Harlingen, Texas, on a circulation contest-Byrd tie-up. Only cost to the theatre is for the photographs. Since newspaper circulates through entire district benefit will be felt by Publix theatres in McAllen, Brownsville, Weslaco, and Mercedes. World's An autographed photo ¢ Hl 25% in CASH P. RIZES} of Commander Byrd, | Contest Open world’s greatest exto’ Eyery Boy Plover... in the Valley... Aiea enc fas at ae SEE AND HEAR “WITH BYRD ate SOUTH POLE” YY EXPLORER? ====—|| First subscription enters boy in |-contest.. with 1,000 votes. toward -—cash-prizeés -and-. wins autographed photo of Commander Byrd....... | ENTER. TODAY cssoune | “Byrd Circulation Contest” | ROY, HERE'S HOW! CONTEST PRIZES! Gotea vaiay aod pesca cre new razth eatecrsgiion to the Valley arene Qe tae of Comment Bd sat L169 sy wl Fo eer td erthag Shas, collect fifty cevaa. for Landa. oth's paytoers and mail v vy centa in to the Vale Cotecants 0S by nmnetad petenn le te ovdey that Uy Pad Coctamaal having ment rey, Say ies praes eas peas pat Enon eee Contest opera exerted aod closes Thantay, Get buy newt VALLEY MORNING STAR Adtached please fied'S....+.+ J hor which send the Valley Morning Star tq gue VOLLEY MORNING STAR Ws Ehection Yous az! Every Ose Wants the VALLEY’S FOREB.OST DAILY VALLEY MORNING STAR (charactor Vide by het (CARTOONS NEED SELLING “GRUMPY” SPECIAL CARK, SAYS KELLY “Since the advent of sound, cartoons have greatly increased in popularity and during the present season there will be more of them produced than ever,” says Burt Kelly, head of the short subject department, in a special bulletin. “The audience reaction to this type of short subject has been excellent and in view of this fact, the cartoon should be treated with the attention it deserves. ‘In spotting a cartoon on a program there are _ several things to be borne in mind. One is that the cartoon can successfully be spotted in many different places. They can be used to open the show, to follow the feature or to precede the feature. However, the other subjects contained. in the program, the type of feature used and local preference, all influence the routining. “Obviously all cartoons are not above the average, some of them in fact being quite ordinary. However, even ordinary cartoons can be made effective if routined correctly, and so the routining should depend to some extent on the quality of the cartoon itself. “A good fast, sure fire cartoon can be used to advantage when spotted immediately before the feature picture,—example: ‘“‘B’’—. Any type cartoon is valuable when placed immediately after a slow heavy dramatic type of feature,— example “C’—. A slower and less effective cartoon is used wisely if placed further up in the program, after the newsreel or between two acts,—example “lH” or SO AG? “Houses using organ novelties should be careful not to play the cartoon too near the organ solo as to avoid the two novelties conflicting,—example ‘‘B” or ‘“‘D.”’ In most programs the cartoon is properly spotted if followed by the two-reel comedy and then the feature,—example ‘‘A,”’ Example “A” Example “B” By RUSSELL HOLMAN Advertising Manager, Paramount Pictures (Not For Publication) “Grumpy” was one of the greatest box office successes the legitimate stage ever had. Not only did it play over a year on Broadway but it wowed ’em on the road for a long period after that. Cyril Maude, its star, performed the title role some 1,400 times to consistent applause. It,was largely responsible for the reputation he enjoys as the foremost character comedian of the English stage. Paramount made the picture silent with Theodore Roberts as “Grumpy” and it was very successful. It is ideally adapted to the talking screen. Maude was brought from abroad to play the part for the talkies. The supporting cast includes Phillips Holmes (outstanding as Nancy Carroll’s male lead in ‘‘Devil’s Holiday’), Paul Lukas, Frances Dade and others. “Grumpy” is a mystery-comedy-love story. The mystery consists of the strange theft of a million dollar diamond and the uncannily clever way in which ‘‘(Grumpy” discovers the thief and traps him by means of a single hair from the head of a beautiful blonde girl. The comedy lies in the very funny characterization of Cyril Maude as “Grumpy,” a retired old criminal lawyer, who tries to conceal a soft heart by hard-boiled streams of wise-cracking abuse, who cannot move a finger without complaining to the high heavens about everything, who appears to be an old stuffed shirt with one foot in the grave but is so diabolically clever that he nabs the shrewdest crook in Hurope—the most amusing and lovable old crab that ever lived. The love story is between the hero and the crook for the heart of the beautiful heroine, with the crook giving the audience heart failure because he seems to be the favored one up until the final blow-up. There are these two ways of selling “Grumpy”: If your town contains a large element of population familiar with the legitimate stage, which means that they know ‘‘Grumpy’s” reputation and that of Cyril Maude, play up the fact that this famous play and its equally famous star are together in the talkies. If this is not true of your town—and it is probably not true of oyer 5% of the towns in the United States—play up the contents of the picture, with particular emphasis on the comedy. With this~type of copy: Men will love “Grumpy’’ because he’s the most human, colorful male that ever cussed out a waiter; women will love “Grumpy” because he solves their love problems; children will love “‘Grumpy” because he’s what they’d love to have their granddaddies be....Come and see ‘‘Grumpy’”’ catch a crook and recover a million dollar diamond with the lock of a beautiful blonde woman’s hair....Grin with “Grumpy”; his bark is funny and his bite is sharp as lightning....Come and see “Grumpy,” the One Man Cyclone....He knows more about love than Don Juan and more about solving mysteries than Philo Vance....Have you a “Grumpy” in your home? You won’t know until you see this picture. No well regulated household should be without one. There wasn’t a patron of the Paramount Theatre, New York, when this picture showed, that left the theatre who wasn’t a booster for ‘“‘Grumpy.”’ Get them in and the show will do the rest. INSTITUTIONAL SCOOP! Here’s the institutional box topping the combination ad of Publix a Newee rs newex B. & K. loop theatres on the morning the 1930 Rotary Convention 3. Act (1-reel) 3. Organ opened, which scooped every other advertiser in Chicago. Other 4. Cartoon 4, Comedy firms took their cue from the Publix merchandisers; and the next ae eee) 5. excels) morning dozens of firms greeted the Rotarians in similar institu6. Feature 6. Feature. tional vein. Example “C” Example ‘D” L. wens 1. Cartoon 2. Trailer 2. Ne B. Act (1-reel) 3" praller 4. Comedy 4. Or. . Organ. (2-reel) Fes 5. Feature (Heavy>Comedy Dramatic) (2-reels) 6. Cartoon G6. Feature Example “EK” 1. Nene é. 3. caer Chicago Feels Complimented That You Se4. See er lected This City for Your 1930 Convention! 5. Caniedy ace We hope you will find time to see the REAL CHICAGO—visit the Field 3. Feature Museum—The Shedd Aquarium—The Art Institute—The Adler Planetarium —our Theaters—we hope you will drive through our parks over the miles of Pp $ F P ii maaagnlicents bowlexardea trey are the finest in the whole wordt that evie olice when your business here is completed and you return to your homes, you x ae va d Will @ tt will carry back with you pleasant memories of the REAL CHICAGO! eae etter = 2s Publix-Balaban and Katz. ‘ ¢ Se Appropriateness of special mid-| [y% night preview for local police department at showing of ‘‘Shadow of Law’ at Dudley, Roxbury, Mass., secured newspaper publicity and also good-will of the constabulary for Manager Barney Dobrans’ operation. This stunt succeeded a Safety Show at the Dudley, which also obtained plenty of space in the local papers and good-will of community. SA ways Refreshing «eComportable in =i. |PUBLIX-BALABAN & KATZ mexen cca THEATER sims Cl ene ORIENTAL 5 RANDOLPH “aa. 103 Oaly 0 Ni 5 WEE fol P.M, A Noors Open 10:45 A.M. IE WEEK in Town MOST peed : King-Pin Humorist; UNUSUAL TALKING Daring Loves of a Chorus DAVIES as the never-to-be-ferxeiken Delle of the gay and glorious ‘nincties in FAIR AND COOLER ‘Head of the Dallas weather bureau turned on the new cooling system of the Old Mill Theatre for Manager W. W. Lewis, netting photos and stories in all papers. Ice-cream tie-up furthered the coolness idea; co-operating company furnished ice cream for patrons, booth and attendant. THEATRE CLOSED Belasco Theatre, Quincy, IIL, has been closed for the remainder of the summer. /N PERSON You've roared at him on the radio, but you've ue idea how droll and side-splitting be can e till you mect him face to face, today! RUTELCHAT TERTON ie LANES CAADAY bE \' Nance / Steg Ge Ways an ¢ ij ‘NO’ VV