Publix Opinion (Dec 26, 1930)

PUBLIX OPINION, WEEK OF DECEMBER 26TH, 1930 FITZGIBBONS WON RAPID PROMOTIONS Life In Theatre Made ‘Fitz’ Splend J. J. Fitzgibbons—what the J. : J. represents doesn’t matter, be. cause he’s known as “‘Fitz’’ from Florida to Maine—grew up in a theatre. Born in Meriden, Connecticut, in 1890, he was orphaned at 11, and was adopted by the parents of William Slack, then the Managing director of the old Meriden Opera House. Fitz spent more time in the opera house than at school or at home or anywhere else, and did all of the many things a husky kid could do around the theatre. ment in Meriden at that time, but the day of the motion picture was not far in the future. As a matter of fact, it came too soon for the Meriden Opera House, for when it was showing its first movie it burned down. | Road shows provided amuse; A “store show” quickly took its place, however. It was christened the Bijou, and was managed by Slack. Fitz acted as Slack’s assistant, and learned to operate the projector. It was an Edison Kinetoscope, one pin, and the film was ground out by hand. Just to make life easier, Fitz developed a homemade motor arrangement. It work }attended various ed, and young Fitzgibbons became a full-fledged projectionist. One Night Stands His next job was as a travelling projectionist with P. F. McMahon, who was operating one night stands throughout New England. When McMahon opened a Theatre in Glen Cove, Long Island, in 1915. Fitzgibbons acted both as manager and operator for the house. Shortly after this the Active Amusement Company was formed id Operator and one at Babylon, under the banner of the Active Amusement Company, whose activities were now wholly directed by Fitzgibbons. During this time Fitzgibbons had been following with much interest the growth of the various organizations which were later to merge in what is now Paramount Publix. His first purchase of big feature film product was made from Mr. Adolph Zukor, when the latter’s office was in the Times Building, and he was releasing Charles J. Hackett, Mrs. Fiske and other ‘‘Famous Players in Famous Plays.”’ Observes B. & K. Methods | In addition, Fitzgibbons had be come interested through J. D. Williams in the First National franchise development, and had meetings thruout the country, including seyeral in Chicago. His observations on these visits to Chicago of the operating methods of Balaban & Katz, also First National franchise holders, had resulted in deep admiration of the innovations which they had brought to the exhibition end of the film industry. His active efforts to carry out these ideas in his own operations were tempered with intelligent restraint, for his theatres were all in small towns, and many ideas which were successful in Chicago could not be applied to his suburban situations. They resulted, however, in a model circuit of profitable theatres. , Through an introduction to Mr. Katz by John Hammel, from whom Fitzgibbons had been purchasing Paramount product, he was given an opportunity early in 1926 to Se ae LES KAUFMAN SCORES WITH CAMPAIGN Brooklyn Daily Times, influential daily covering the entire borough, has been tied in with the sectional campaign being conducted for the Brooklyn Paramount Theatre by Les Kaufman, and is finding the campaign as effective in building a circulation as in stimulating neighborhood patronage for the theatre. Tie-up has two angles. Theatre secures daily three and four column photograph cuts throughout the week, for an indefinite period, with captions carrying current programs at the Paramount, Gag is giving of guest tickets to persons whose heads are ringed. Schools were thoroughly covered by the newspaper photographers, then groups in libraries. At present debs are being snapped on Brooklyn bridle paths and at bridge parties. Total linage in the first three weeks of the tie-up amounted to 4,330 lines, and the boost in circulation which follows the photographers into every section guarantees continuation of the plan. 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 make our tasks enjoyable. For this reason, PUBLIX OPINION is devoting an important part of its space to these brief biographical sketches. Second angle is an opportunity contest, which is clicking without disrupting the theatre’s progranis by injecting amateur talent into its stage shows. Local talent is sifted at private auditions in the theatre’s rehearsal room, with Stuart Barrie, organist, and the managing editor of the Times as judges. Coupons clipped from the times procure the auditions which will continue over a period of four weeks. Daily stories and pictures go with the coupons in the Times, and each section of Brooklyn is being drawn upon for entrants. Ultimate winner will appear on the stage for one week with Rudy Vallee. Winner each week goes on the stage with Vallee at the first stage show each Sunday, building up Sunday matinee business by guaranteeing presence of join Publix. His first assignment with the company was as district manager in New York State, and this was followed by transfers to North and South Carolina, and later to Florida, in the same capacity. by McMahon, and Fitzgibbons acquired an interest init. The new firm reached out to Staten Island, and opened the Castletown and Brighton Theatres there. Further expansion included opening of the Glen Cove Opera House and two theatres at Bayshore, L. I. When McMahon sold out to C. BE. Brewster, Fitzgibbons acquired a more substantial interest. in the company. Continued growth brought two Southampton theatres, one at Islip Promotion was Rapid Promotion was not delayed, and in 1927 Fitzgibbons was brought back to the home office as Division To Projectionists Running “The Blue Angel” There are some things in connection with the sound in “THE BLUE ANGEL” which you must carefully consider. This picture is a German production, using Klangfilm sound recording. This system is different from Western Electric and other American systems. Unless care is shown by projectionists, certain spots in the picture will give you trouble. Therefore, great care must be taken that the following instructions are observed: See that the fader settings are kept as low as possible, but still allow the sound to be easily audible. In the silent sequences fader settings must be kept low enough to eliminate all surface noise. Projectionists will have to make a careful study of their cues, as they will have to bring up the fader settings on dialogue sequences to a point where the dialogue is audible, yet surface noise is kept down to a minimum. When the fader is raised for dialogue sequences, care will have to be shown by the projectionists that the change in volume is quickly made so that no dialogue will be lost. Possibly the most difficult recording in this picture will be found in the music hall sequence during the singing of the two songs by Marlene Dietrich. The only way to improve this sequence is to have your fader setting ag aw as possible. This will eliminate some of the distortion. It would also be advisable, where same is possible, to get in touch with a Western Electric research service man and have him put a filter in your equipment. J. J. FITZGIBBONS Manager over all Publix theatres in the Southeast. .This was followed in January, 1928, by advancement to the division directorship of all theatres in New England, then as now a highly important division, including all theatres in New York State with the exception of New York City, as well as houses in the New England states. en masse but by officials of the city of Boston and the state of Massachusetts, as well as a major proportion of home office executives. At that meeting, the finest tribute to J. J. Fitzgibbons was that paid by Mr. Sam Katz, who summed up the feeling of all of Publix and Paramount so truly than it cannot be improved upon. “Tt has been my privilege,’’ Mr. Katz said, “to enjoy some fine friendships in life. It has been my privilege to meet some fine men who have been counted great successes, and who may have accumulated large sums of money. But Fitz, let me say to you that in all my business and personal experience, I know of no one I have met whom I have enjoyed as I have enjoyed you.” The period of Publix’ greatest expansion in New England came under Mr. Fitzgibbons’ directorship of the division. Taking over the circuit there for operation out of the home office at the death of Mr. W. P. Gray, who had formerly directed it from the field, his success in assimilating the existing theatres and new acquisitions as an integral unit of Publix is best illustrated by the manpower history of the division under his di rection. In well over two years 'in which he headed the division, it was necessary to drop only six men from the organizational setup which existed when he received his assignment to New England. The manpower which he found on his arrival was not only retained, but groomed and developed to such an extent that not a few of the district managers, division managers and other executives, all over the circuit, were theatre managers in New England under Fitzgibbons. | Special Company Activities So great was the regret of the division at giving him up in order that he might handle special company activities of major importance, that a banquet arranged for him at the end of his tenure of the division directorship was attended not only by the division RADIO QUERIES AID ‘DERELICT’ Banner business for the 3 day showing of “Derelict’’ at the Rialto, Tucson, Ariz., was traceable to an effective radio stunt conceived by Manager Roy Drachman. Three days prior to playdate, the local radio station ‘‘rebroadcasted”’ alleged distress signals from an ill+ fated ship. Announcement followed asking those deciphering the message to call the radio station. Same procedure was followed the next day. Message on third day was ‘Communicate with George Bancroft onboard ‘Derelict’ steamer on high seas.’”’ Announcer then narrated actual happening in picture and stated that more could be learned at the Rialto starting the next day. Many telephone calls proved effectiveness of the stunt. friends, parents, relatives and other contestants. NOVEL DISPLAY Marquee display of Publicity Director Bill Coleman for ‘Office Wife” at the Criterion, Oklahoma City, was a gigantic cut-out typewriter, with ‘‘The Office Wife”’ lettered on what appeared to be a sheet of paper inserted in the machine. OO 0+ 00+ 0-0-0 0+ 10+ 0 0--O-0-O-0-O-0-O-0--O0+ “RIGHT TO LOVE” A heart-gripping dramatic smash has been made by Paramount from the Susan Glaspell novel, “Brook Evans.” It is a tense and sympathetic story, earnestly acted by a well-fitted cast, and gives Ruth Chatterton a chance to earn new laurels in a double role. Every bit of dialogue is calculated and counts, while Richard Wallace’s direction carries the action forward at a sustained clip. Besides these merits, the picture introduces Western Electric’s improved recording system, which catches the fine intonations of speech and _ relevant sound, at the same time shutting out extraneous noises, and enhances the clearness of the dialogue to a degree that adds immeasurably to the enjoyment of the story. Another remarkable feature is the double exposure in which Miss Chatterton, playing two parts, crosses her own image and talks to herself and replies in the same exposure. All in all, it’s an exceptional production FILM DAILY DOS 0-S-0--S-0-S-0SOO O+-O +O OO OO OO Sage OOO SOOO SO SO OB OOOO Or OOO" O18 SO OO 010+ 0-8 O18 0-0-0180 O0-0 O18 O18-O-0'O--0-O