Publix Opinion (Oct 17, 1930)

VIGOROUS CAMPAIGN AIMED AT STUDENTS PROVES SUCCESS Concentrated drive is being patronage of university, college efforts centered on tying in with i x f District Advertising Manager Martin Minneapolis and St. Paul. is under the direction of 1! Kelly, supervising publicity in “Singing Bill,’ organist at the St. Paul Paramount, 1s €xtending every cooperation in the campaign in that city. Theatre has made up and distributed to all students of the three minor colleges and five high schools in the city individual schedules of their football teams, with advertising on the back tying in the theatre and “Singing Bill.” The St. Paul Paramount staged a preview of the first two reels in Pathe’s Rockne football series, with coaches and football teams of the city’s high schools as guests. This preview was accompanied by an announcement to the effect that the remaining subjects of the series would be shown in conjunction with the regular show, on consecutive weeks during the remainder of the football season. University Tie-up In Minneapolis, a profitable tieup with the University of Minnesota shows much promise, and has already been powerfully reflected at the box-office. University’s 12,000 students are being approached in various ways. Exclusive newsreel shots of football practice at the University and of weekly games are presented at the Minnesota, then routed in following weeks to the_St. Paul Paramount and the Uptown, Minneapolis. Following showings in the three theatres, they are being presented by Publix to the head coach of the university. Lou Breese, M. C. at the Minnesota, has been of invaluable assistance to Kelly in developing University good will, appearing at as many functions as possible. As master of ceremonies of the Freshman stag party, Breese was a sensation with his banjo, appearing before 3,000 students. Entire program, which was an exclusive Publix affair, was broadcast over WLB, University of Minnesota station. . On the following night at the Freshman Carnival, which was attended by 15,000 persons, Breese was again featured. Entertainment end of this affair was also exclusively Publix. Free Ads Gratitude of the university for this assistance was expressed in the form of two full-page ads, one on Breese and the other on the Minnesota, in 3,000 booklets given away to freshmen. No other theatres were represented in the booklet, and the space was gratis to Publix as recognition of cooperation which had been given. Invitations have already been extended to Breese to attend nine different stag parties of various fraternities, and within the next month he will have appeared at functions of every fraternity and sorority on the university campus. Concession for supplying programs at the five home football games of the university has been given exclusively to Publix, for no consideration, an important stroke inasmuch as such concessions are usually auctioned to advertising specialty companies. Programs will carry usual data on the items, and advertising for the current attractions at the three leading downtown Publix theatres in Minneapolis. No other theatre advertising will appear in them, These programs are being distributed by a group of Boy Scouts under the direction of Publix doormen in uniform, the Boy Scouts receiving passes to the Minnesota for their efforts. r “Varsity Week” Program of the Minnesota last week was designated “Varsity Week,’’ with the overture and organ novelty given over to collegiate numbers, the unit renamed with a collegiate title, the news i} 1 =. a . 7. sae PUBLIX OPINION, WEEK OF OCTOBER 171H, 1930 made in the Twin Cities for and high school students, with football interest. Campaign (eee a ee ee reel carrying University of Minnesota football shots, ushers wearing university arm-bands, and the lobby decked out in collegiate atmosphere. Stunt was a huge success at the box-office from the standpoint of university patronage. “Varsity Nights’? are being held regularly each Thursday, with dancing in the lobby immediately after the second show. Music is furnished by a six-piece orchestra of house musicians, led by Lou Breese. Entire second show is in keeping with the university atmosphere. Cards ballyhooing this regular feature have been placed in every fraternity and sorority house on the university campus, and advertisements plugging the event are being carried in both university publications, as well as the school papers of other colleges in the Twin Cities. As the season develops, . Kelly plans to plant shots of theatre per sonalities with university football stars, for publicity purposes. University’s team will be guests of the Minnesota on nights following football games. Rockne football reels are also being previewed at the Minnesota, with Lou Breese acting as host and extending invitations to coaches and football squads of various Minneapolis high schools. Monte Carlo Plugged By Magazine News agencies everywhere have been circularized by the publishers of “Screen Book,” monthly fan magazine, and urged to seek out theatre managers for tie-ups on Monte Carlo, novelized in the No vember issue of Screen Book, now on the newsstands. Cooperation proposed includes display of theatre banners on news trucks and distribution of Monte Carlo heralds from stands. News agencies have been advised of playdates on the Jeanette Mac-|| Donald and Jack Buchanan pic ture. While the tie-up as outlined by |] Screen Book calls for the theatre standing herald costs, Publix managers, by exercise of a little ingenuity, will be able to get news agents to assume this expense, as well as that of printing and dis-|| not mentioned in the tie-up sugges tributing newsstand cards, tions. RONAN AND ROGAN DIVIDE DISTRICT Eastern Illinois District of J. J. Rubens’ Division no longer functions as a. separate district. Situations formerly under supervision of District Manager Clyde L. Winans, whose next assignment is forthcoming, will be consolidated with the Northern and Central Illinois districts. Chicago Heights, Blue Island, Harvey and Kankakee will be supervised by Roy Rogan, Northern Illinois District Manager. LaSalle and Spring Valley theatres will be under Thomas P. Ronan, Central Illinois District Manager. PIONEER PARTY Sterling Theatre, Greeley, of The Sante Fe Trail. per cooperated, operations every day. Extensive publicity climaxed by a front-page feature story rewarded Manager L. A. Starsmore of the Colo., when he entertained pioneers of the vicinity at a special showing Newspa SOUND PROJECTION DEFECTS Listed below are major sound projection defects which are occurring in Publix The corresponding They should be applied at once I. To avoid interruptions, the result of defects, insist on cleanliness 1m: 1. Fader 2. Exciting lamp 3. Photo-electric cell 4, Batteries 5. Sound gate, etc. II. Common defects and their causes: 1. Frurrer (undulating sound) Causes Dirt on sound gate Worn sound sprocket Bad record (warped, etc.) Oil on sound track Dirt on sound sprocket Failure to close 1A unit door | Slipping of lower magazine take-up Film tension pad out of adjustment Turntable out of alignment Loose take-up chain ro po mo ao OB 2. Loss or VOLUME: Causes a. Dirty optical train lens b. Blackened exciting lamp c. Sagging filament in exciting lamp d. Defective photo-electric cell e. Soft tone needle used f. Worn record g. Thumbmarks on PEC window or exciting lamp h. PEC window out of line j. Exciting lamp filament out of focus k. Current on exciting lamp too low. (Step up current on rheostat) 1. Low B battery voltage m. Dirty sound aperture n. Defective tubes o. Dirty contact points on fader pBad connecting plugs to horn units q. Disconnected plug at horn units Ex 3. Brut NOISES: Cause a. Defective michrophonic tube (test with fingernail) 4, Hum: Causes a. Frame of projector not grounded b. Motor control box not grounded c. A.C. lines too close to speech units 5. Preriopic SOUND: Causes a. Warped record b. Dirt on turntable c. Turntable out of line 6. Rrerine SOUND: Causes a. Needle jumps groove b. Dirt on record c. Cut grooves in sound track d. Loose wires at connections 7. Orr Pircu SounbD: Causes a. Running above or below synchronized speed of 90 ft. per minute b. Dirty contact on machine motor com° mutators c. Defective tubes in control box wherever defects exist. of successful theatre operation must be carefully handled at all times. <—S 10. Our oF SYNCHRONISM: causes are given. Remedies are obvious. |] Such an important phase 8. CRACKLING, Fryinc SOUND: Causes a. Defective tubes, exciting lamp, PEC b. Defective batteries c. Dirty battery terminals d . Loose connections e. Vacuum tube loose in socket f. Dirt on end of lens tube g. Dirt on sound track OVERLOAD DISTORTION: Causes Excessive volume caused by: a. Gain control out of order b. Fader setting too high Causes a. Improper loop b. Improper framing at start (disc) c. Improper reproducer position at start (disc) d. Reproducer arm stuck at holder ——— UCU e. Failure to insert proper number of frames of blank film (disc) f. Record not clamped on turntable . | 11. Moror Boar Sounn: Cause a. Improper adjustment of film guide roller 12. CHANGE IN PitcH aT CHANGEOVER: Cause a. Defective motor box control 13. . CHANGE IN VOLUME AT CHANGEOVER: Cause a. Attenuators improperly balanced b. Exciting lamps or PECs not matched 14. Receiver DEFECTS: Causes a. Speech and battery terminals (horn unit) improperly connected b. Speech coil loose from diaphragm 15. REPRODUCER DEFECTS: Causes a. Loose needle on needle holder b. Bent diaphragm (Reproducers should never be opened) 16. Fuse DEFECTS: Cause a. Dirty contacts b. Blown-out c. Improper size VOLUME TOO LOUD OR TOO WEAK IN CERTAIN AREAS INDICATES WRONG HORN POINTING.