Year book of motion pictures (1929)

I ] Gorgeous flower decoration < The Capitol Theater at Flint, Mich. given the American public amusement palaces of such scale and in such number as to astound the most experienced statisticians, students of national economics and prognosticators of business evolution. To preach overseating, to berate the splendid efforts of our theater builders and owners who, by virtue of their ambitious building courage, have created marvelous theater edifices that lead the world in splendor and in public appreciation of art. would but ill become a theater architect. I feel, however, that I owe it to the industry that has given me my livelihood to use calm thought and to cogitate deeply on tomorrow. Unselfishly, one must think of the potential good for an entire industry rather than temporary success and benefit for himself. There are millions in brains, effort and money represented in the thousands of new theaters which clutter the Gay White Ways of our big and small cities. But behold! There are also millions, although less, involved in the operation of many hundreds of old theaters which, in my estimation, have not lost their right for existence and have not been definitely assigned to the scrap heap by the onslaught of the new and modern theater. The personnel, individually and c o 1 1 e c t i v ely, that controls these old theaters is too basically and too intimately tied in with the activities of the personnel of our big theater chains either ignored to be or neglei ted. great many Grouping of decorative furniture in the mezzanine promenade of the Up 01 town, Kansas City I £ BE RSO N ^ RE-CONSTRUCTION ao4 RE-EQUIPMENT 939