Year book of motion pictures (1951)

[heater equipment were the NPA orders restricting the civihan use of vital metals and other materials deemed essential for the nation's defense program. The defense concrols and cutbacks wtere (expected to have a bearing on the availability of theater equipment and supplies. In an attempt to ease the situation the NPA appointed a "task group" to study problems of conserving critical materials and finding substitutes for such of those materials as are employed in the manufacture of motion picture equipment. The NPA named another group to present recommendations on controls covering 3 5 mm equipment similar to those issued during World War II. There were six equipment industry representatives on each committee. Equipment Made Subject To Number One Priority Notice was served on the industry that orders for motion picture equipment would be subject to a No. 1 priority vested in the State Department, which would be entitled to share with the defense establishment first call on available material and equipment in production. It was made clear that the State Department would be in the field for an increasing amount of equipment. Many equipment firms diverted spme of their energies to turning out government orders. In some instances these orders put such a strain on production facilities that the manufacture of equipment for the civilian market had to be reduced. Certain events that transpired during the year had an importance influence on the equipment market and the activities of certain manufacturers. Two notable instances were the drastic water shortages that hit so many areas of the nation last year and the pyramiding costs of raw materials used in the making of carpeting. The need to conserve water in the operation of theater air conditioning systems boomed the demand for evaporative condensers and cooling towers. Producers of air conditioning equipment concentrated more on the manufacture of watersaving devices, and many theaters altered their systems to aid conservation measures. High Carpet Wool Costs Spur Synthetics Output The raw-wool situation really got tough when the Chinese sources of supply were cut off by the communist conquest of China. The costs of carpet wool, which is imported, got so out of hand that the carpet makers were compelled to raise prices of the finished product frequently during the year. In desperation they stepped up their activity in the production of man-made fibers. Today the carpet companies have big plans for the synthetics. These plans have not been altered by the fact that in March they were granted a 1 5 percent price boost, for they know that the costs of raw wool, on which there are no controls, will keep mounting. Thrown upon the market in 1950 for the use of theaters was an extremely varied array of new equipment designed to improve the quality of theater operation and beckon more people to the box offices of the nation. How extensive was the amount of new and improved equipment and supplies made available to the theater men in 1950 was brought home at the TESMA-TEDA trade show in Chicago. The show was the biggest thing of its kind ever to be staged by the industry, 125 booths being required adequately to display the wares of 99 exhibitors offering equipment and supplies of every conceivable sort. Compare this with 112 booths and 89 exhibitors the year before. Move to Merge TESMA-TEDA, TOA Conventions Abandoned Action to combine the TESMA-TEDA and Theater Owners of America conventions this year was initiated in 1950 at the suggestion of TESMA and TEDA in the hope of enabling the largest conceivable number of theater men to view what is available to them from the equipment manufacturers of the nation. The idea was set aside when it was felt that the NPA orders restricting the use of essential materials for civilian purposes would make it difficult for the industry to assemble a proper display of equipment. Also suggested was the possibility of TESMA-TEDA's holding a joint convention with Allied States. This never got beyond the suggestion stage. The TESMA-TEDA convention will be held this year, but without a trade show as an added attraction. There was mounting interest in 19 JO in theater television equipment. Available to showmen for the first time was a system created by General Precision Laboratory. Given the name Videofilm, the system, using 16 mm film, permits the theater to retain full programming control. The picture hits the screen within 60 seconds. The system had its world debut in a theater at the Fulton in Pittsburgh, a Shea house, in March of this year. RCA's theater TV system, which was introduced the year before, was put to the test in a number of houses during the year. Prefabricated Drive-in Theater Comes into Being Among the novelties of 1950 was the prefabricated drive-in theater, which provided a means of erecting outdoor houses more easily and economically. Low building and maintenance costs were cited in its favor. Most active in the prefabricated drive-in field was the Ballantyne Co. of Omaha. The houses offered by the firm were all of wood. A threat to set up a buying combine to by-pass theater supply dealers was raised in independent theater circles in protest against the mounting costs of theater equipment. The flame was lit by President Trueman T. Rembusch of Allied States. The equipment people said in their defense that the rise in prices was a matter beyond their control and was not due to any profiteering on their part. Up to press time nothing had come of the threat. Figures made public by the Department of Commerce showed that the value of exports of U. S. motion picture films and equipment in 1950 was only slightly less than the 1949 total. The total last year came to $24,155,176. In 1949 it was