Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1939)

SHOW M I', N ' S T R A I ) Iv R I-, \' I K W ['age 41 Wagner Sign Patents Sustained by Court In an opinion delivered simultaneously in four suits relating' to silhouette signs, Judge Barnes, sitting in the U. S. District Court at Chicago, delivered an opinion sustaining three patents lield by Wagner Sign Service, Inc., designers and buildei's of theatre signs and marquees. Three of the four suits on whicli Judge Barnes ruled involved Wagner Sign Service and Adler Sign Letter Co., and its manufacturing affiliate, Ben Adler Signs, Inc. The fourth suit was between the Wagner compan>' and the I'atio Theatre Co., Chicago. The Wagner patent was held to be infringed by certain letter signs which the Adler companies have made and sold during recent years, according to the decision. Closer Check Is Being Kept On Ticket Register Counters Exhibitors throughout the country are keeping a closer check on the registering counters of their ticket registers than ever before in the history of the industry, it is declared by D. H. Finke, vice-president of General Register Corporation. While traveling through the West and South, Finke came across many prominent theatre owners who said that they were at one time satisfied to take the ticket number count as final, but that they now depend on the register counter. Finke expressed his opinion that he would not be surprised if, within a comparatively short time, tickets were printed without numbers. He indicated there was a definite trend in that direction. The reason for this, of course, is to keep the ticket sales secret, and to prevent anyone from checking the amount of business done at the theatre. Sales of the company's Secret Cash Control Automatic Registers for the first three months of 1939 were at least 20 per cent ahead of the corresponding period in 1938, Finke declared. Bulb Prices Reduced Price reductions of three sizes of Rectigon bulbs are announced by the Westinghouse Lamp Division, Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, Bloomfield, New Jersey, as follows: 15 amperes, 60 volts. No. 766776 was $12.00, now is $10.00; 6 amperes, 60 volts. No. 289414 was $6.00, now is $5.00; 6 amperes, 90 volts. No. 289416 was $6.00, now is $5.00. The fifteen ampere size is used principally in rectifiers for motion picture projectors of the arc type. Levine Operating Midwest Stanley Levine, of Stanley Theatre Supply Co., Chicago, has purchased the full stock, name and good will of the Midwest Theatre Supply Co. Midwest Theatre Supply Co. will continue as Chicago dealers in supplies and equipment for theatres. The Stanley Theatre Supply Co. will serve as wholesalers and distributors of specialized items in the theatre supply field. Lou Hunt Resigns Lou Hunt has resigned as manager of the Chicago branch of the National Theatre Supply Company. BOX You ask them, STR answers them with advice on your equipment problems. If you wrote the question, you'll be most interested in the answer. If you didn't write the question, you'll be interested both in question and answer, because the other fellows' problems may be yours too. Come on — ask your questions about equipment — how to buy it, maintain it, get the sure results required to make your theatre a de luxe picture house. T.J.K. asks: The condition of the cement floor in our theatre is anything but beautiful. I use this expression because the house is attractively decorated in every other respect. We keep the floor clean and spotless as much as possible but every time the house lights go on the contrast dims the otherwise pleasing effect of the house as a whole. ANSWER : There are several kinds of good cement floor paint on the market which should be applied to all such floor surfaces. It should be applied after all gum and spots have been removed and done in sections so that you can rope of? each section until it has throughly dried. The added advantage of this treatment is the ease with which the floor can be cleaned after the job is finished. Besides, you can use a color floor paint that will tie in with the color effect of the decorative scheme of the theatre. 4c 4< « WRR writes: In remodeling an old, ancient theatre, little more than a store show, what items should be included that will lend an effect of big city theatresf I do not refer to structural changes as the job will be strictly a decorative and beautifying proposition rather than anything else. ANSWER : You certainly ask tough ones. If we had four walls to work with we would list the following: A good, comfortable chair. Attractive carpets and drapes. An indirect lighting system both for during the show and when house lights are on. A good screen properly draped and with an automatic curtain control for opening and closing. If possible, an attractive standee partition in the rear of the seats, preferably, one that can be closed with small drapes when there are no standees. An attractive lobby with suitable display frames. A neat marquee that will afford opportunity of carrying the current attraction names, and including the theatre name either in front or above the attractive lines on the sides. Modern projection and sound equipment are, of course, of paramount importance because no matter how pretty your theatre may be, without good projection and sound the rest of your investment is worthless. There are probably a dozen other items but we assume that you are merely looking for some suggestion to make sure you cover all phases of your remodeling job. F.B.H. asks: Recently we converted our squab seats into spring seats without making any other changes in the backs or standards. It was not a cheap job as we paid close to two dollars for the conversion job in which the original seats were used. However, we seem to have jumped from the frying pan into the fire because we never had any kicks about the old stuffed seats but now we have plenty about the spring ones. It seems that they are terribly uncomfortable and lum-py. The question is does it pay to spend any more money to try and do something with them-? .-ANSWER : Definitely NO. Be a sport and charge off your cost to poor judgment in which you undoubtedly were misinformed. You should have bought the seats from a recognized and well known company rather than take a chance on some fly-by-night that happened along with a glowing description of what you were supposed to be getting for your money. You do not mention the capacity of your theatre so we do not know how much the experiment cost you but our advice is that, if you can af?ord it, and apparently you have little choice now, you should investigate several good lines of nationally known chairs and re-seat the theatre properly. You will find the investment a good one. Insure yourself the best in proscenium equipment. Be sure the Vallen symbol of leadership is on the stage curtain controls and tracks and special operating devices you specify — for when you buy Vallen, you buy the best. VALLEN, inc. AKRON. OHIO IV^hen you buy Vallen you buy the Best!