Exhibitors Herald (1927)

8 BETTER THEATRES SECTION OE March 19, 1927 CONTENTS Foreign Countries Buying More Projection Machines from U. S 7 Theatre Equipment Association Begins Publicity Campaign.... 7 Ways and Means of Financing Theatres 9 Decorating the Theatre 10 Music for Children’s Shows 13 Architect Gives Details of 750Seat Theatre for Town of 3,500 Population 19 Keeping Pace With Growth in the Small Town Theatre.... 20 Brenkert Develops New Projector for Rothafel Playhouse 27 National Theatre Supply Co. Enlarges Scope of Engineering Service 27 A Description of the Construction and Equipment of the New Roxy Theatre Together With Exclusive Photographs Begins on page 29 European Screen Larger Than Ours; Results Here Best 41 Robert Morton Installations Show Organ Ever Popular.._ 41 McAuley Plant Puts in Night Shift to Meet Sales Demands... 45 Court Decides Against Seller Who Agreed to Quit Business... 46 Albuquerque To Have Novel Theatre Costing $225,000 49 United Artists To Control 9 Houses by End of 1927 52 At the Organ: Are You Clown or Musician? 53 Proctor House Prepared for Film Presentation 55 Around the Equipment Field 56 Urges Special Code to Govern Lighting of Motion Picture Houses 57 East Shows Big Theatre Changes; Plan New Houses 59 New Theatres; a Partial List of Construction News as Assembled Since the Last Issue 61 The Exhibitors Information and Catalogue Bureau 64 Index to Advertisers 66 Better Theatres Advisory Staff In order to render its readers assistance on variotis problems of equipment and construction that arise from time to time, Better Theatres has obtained the co-operation of the individuals and associations listed following in this work. Through the co-operation of this advisory staff this department feels that it has allied itself with sources of expert knowledge on virtually every phase of theatre building and furnishing and is able to offer theatre owners a valuable service in providing information and answers on a wide range of subjects of a general nature. ELMER F. BEHRNS, Theatre Architect. ROBERT O. ROLLER, Boiler Brothers, Architects. A. B. COPPOCK, Presentation Producer. E. B. CRESAP, Secretary, National Association of Fan Manufacturers. N. E. DURAND, Frederick C. Foltz & Co. JOHN EBERSON, Architect. G. E. EICHENLAUB, Architect. W. S. HAYS, Secretary, National Slate Association and The National Federation, Construction Industries. F. K. HILL, Seating Engineer. F. J. HUSE, Chief Engineer, Hollow Building Tile Association. CLELL JAY, Projectionist, New Theatre, Little Rock, Ark. SAMUEL R. LEWIS, Member, American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers. A. C. LISKA, Remodeling. E. M. LURIE, Assistant to Commissioner, Associated Metal Lath Manufacturers. HENRY L. NEWHOUSE, Architect. J. F. O’MALLEY, Architect. GEORGE L. RAPP, Architect. GEORGE W. REPP, Service Division, American Face Brick Association. HENRY J. SCHWEIM, Chief Engineer of The Gypsum Industries. R. L. SIMMONS, Architect. HORACE L. SMITH, JR., Theatre Engineer. NORMAN M. STINEMAN, Assoc. Mem. American Society of Civil Engineers, Portland Cement Association. MAX Y. SEATON, Technical Director, National Kellastone Company. J. L. STAIR, Chief Engineer, Curtis Lighting, Inc. EDITORIAL “Give us more dope about small theatres. Your million dollar motion picture palaces are pretty to look at but they don’t mean a thing to us,” writes the small town exhibitor. “We want descriptions and pictures of the big elaborate picture houses so that we can study them for ideas and suggestions for our own new theatres,” say the architects and metropolitan showmen. In the face of such a situation this issue of “Better Theatres” should strike a one hundred per cent response. For the “big boys” we are serving a good description of the New Roxy theatre together with the first published photographs of same. They haven’t made ’em any bigger or more pretentious than the Roxy to date — so that’s that. To the small town exhibitor we offer another series of small theatres plans, as well as two articles by theatre architects dealing with problems of the small town playhouse. And, by way of trimming, we are also serving what is unquestionably the finest article and illustrations ever published on decorating a small town theatre. Between the owner of the million dollar theatre and the exhibitor in the small town, “Better Theatres” is earnestly endeavoring to carry in each issue a fund of matericil of interest to both. A Michigan exhibitor recently wrote us suggesting we carry an article on decorating smaller theatres. It is the one referred to above. Other exhibitors, big and small, are invited (we vdll appreciate their doing so) to write us similarly suggesting subjects which they would like to see treated in the form of articles in future issues of “Better Theatres.” * ♦ * Days of warm weather are approaching. Again we sound our early spring warning — “prepare !”^ It is not too early to begin thmking about cooling and ventilating equipment— about fresh decorations, better lobby equipment zmd in fact, a dozen other thin^ that will make the theatre an inviting place during the months when Mother Nature offers her attractions! in competition with those of the theatre. The condition of the theatre, and this means also the condition ^ of your equipment, is the outstanding factor in determining whether you will make or lose money this summer. Many other exhibitors have proved this to be an irrevocable fact.