Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

120 Motion Picture News October 4 , 1930 MANAGE!?*' HOUND TADLE CLUE AVOIDING BREAKDOWNS If your theatre's booth is equipped with but one generator, what provision have you made for continuing your show in the event of a breakdown of that generator? We are all inclined to let these questions slide off our backs, like water on a duck, until we find ourselves in just such a position, then we wonder why we never gave it a thought before. Suppose you investigate this important angle right now. If you have a second generator, is it being watched and run frequently enough to insure its proper condition when it is needed? One good plan, suggested by G. F. A. of Cleveland, is that the projectionist alternate between the two generators so that they are both carrying the burden of furnishing the necessary juice. That's a good suggestion and should result in longer life for both plants. Maybe you have a better suggestion, or have some other way of handling this question. If you have, let's hear from you. Economy Important, And Here's The Way Says Pedro Gelabert The saving of electrical energy is another way of demonstrating a man's ability to operate a theatre efficiently yet economically. Pedro Gelabert, Jr., writing from the San Jose Theatre in San Juan, Porto Rico, tells us that he has managed to cut down a great deal of his electrical cost in the past four months by installing a new type of reflector arc lamp in the San Jose Theatre. At the same time he tells us he installed two rectifiers one for each of the lamps and he has found by careful watching, this type of equipment saves more electricity than anything else he has tried. Another point that he found worthy of any good showman's attention was the needless waste of too much lighting in the front of his theatre, particularly under the marquee after the second show began at night. In this case some may say that he goes to extreme when he turns out practically all of the marquee lights until the show is over, but even if you were to temper this suggestion, with leaving at least one switch on so that there is some form of illumination where the passerby can see what is playing as well as the folks leaving the theatre before the end of the performance. However, it is these suggestions which generally put you in a frame of mind to dope out your own individual problem with the view of economizing in some form or other without hurting the efficiency in your theatre's operation. Young Gelabert, Jr., has some mighty valuable ideas and theories with regard to maintenance and care of his theatre's equipment and in his case it is particularly important because, after all, he is not within a few hours of a big distributing center where replacements are always available. That is why it would do us all a lot of good to fashion some of our own ideas after his methods. Like most showmen located in countries outside of the United States and Canada, he manages to keep his equipment in tip-top condition and, at the same time has replacements at hand for emergencies. This is something that many of our own showmen here in America fail to understand with the result that a serious breakdown sometimes compels a discontinuance of the performance and the unfortunate refunding of admission which leaves a mighty bad taste in everyone's mouth. Keep your eye on the CLUB pages, especially the Showman issue each month for further interesting information and details as to how this aggressive young showman from Porto Rico manages to operate his theatre efficiently and economically and. at the same time keep a careful watchful eye on every detail of his theatre's equipment. Fred Glass Is Doing Fine On Assignment In Alliance, Neb. Shifting over to Alliance, Neb., from his former position at McCook afforded O. Fred Glass an opportunity for introducing the town to a brand of the live-wire showmanship that he pulled at his former position, not so very long ago. One of the first moves he made when he entered the town was to run a special one-cent matinee for kids in which he let in one kid for 15 cents, two for 16 cents — the admission price being regularly IS cents. The stunt went over very well with the kids and over four hundred of them showed up. You can easily see how this gag can be made into a paying proposition in any town and it might be a good plan for you to try it once a month or even every week if you think it will be better that way. The photo will give you the low-down on what the kids thought of it. An hour before the house opened they started to line up. The other photo alongside of it shows the special display board that was built in the foyer of the Imperial. Lights played upon this, and, as the colors were very pleasing, they were certain to attract the attention of the passersby. Glass got them coming and going with this one as he made it a point to run the trailer for the film or an announcement about it at every opportunity. In addition to these two photos we are also showing the special display frame he uses to sell "Screen Mirror," the magazine from Hollywood, by Frank Whitbeck and his staff, printed out on the Pacific Coast and distributed through the Fox West Coast Theatres. The strength of this angle was seen in the number of magazines that were sold the day it made its appearance. Nearly all of his fellow Club members know what Fred did while he was at McCook, so you can all look forward to seeing him continue that showmanship in Alliance. Oke, Fred; remember we want to hear from you often concerning your work, so that we can pass it along to the rest of the Club. Most 'Promising' Man in Show Business — ? His many friends, scattered all over the country, will be glad to learn that Eddie Hitchcock, now publicity director for the Paramount Theatre in New York, has earned this great title. As a matter of fact, Eddie's 'promises,' if laid end to end, would reach from New York to Los Angeles, whereas, those 'promises,' which were never fulfilled, couldn't even be laid anywhere. All of which goes to prove that besides being a wizard at publicity, or what have you, he can laugh off more 'promises' than any other forty men men in the show business. (Los Angeles and Seattle papers please copy — !) "Chick"