Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1939)

Page 28 S H O W' U E X ' S T A D E RE V I E W October 14, 19S'J Deluxe Theatres for America's Millions Beauty and Quality Are No Longer the Exclusive Feature of Theatres in Downtown Metropolitan Centers IT has always seemed to STR that the measure of a theatre's success is the regard in which it is hekl by the pubhc whose patronage is going to make it a paying proposition. Therefore it is interesting, and in this pubhcation's opinion vital, to tell just what a man whose only mterest in a theatre or a picture, is how he likes it — if like it he does. Well, we have a report from Mr. Public himself, nameless he must be, but he is of the type, the economic status and cultural rank of the majority of people in the community whose patronage must be the final say-so as to whether the new theatre built by a showman will pay or lose money. Mr. Public, a citizen of the sovereign state of Connecticut, in this case is an individual. And here is what he says about the Avon Theatre, Stamford, Conn., which was built by the Weiss Amusement Co., and was designed and engineered by William I. Hohauser, Architect who has to his credit many a successful theatre. Mr. Public told a reporter of STR this about the Avon Theatre : "It is without dcjul)t the most attractive theatre I have ever seen. For good taste, for color, comfort, appeal to the 'eye; for everything a picture-goer desires when he goes to the theatre, the Avon is one of the iinest theatres I have ever seen — and I do not exclude your Radio City Music Halls, Rivolis, Paramounts, or any other motion picture theatre." Samuel Weiss, take a bow. For you as the man who built the tlieatre, putting your own money on the line to make the A\on possible. I The Avon is located in a high class shopping center and its colonial exterior is perfectly suited to the location. The facade is of brick trimmed with Vermont marble with four columns affording access through an open arcade to a domed lobby. Lower left, the auditorium, a stadium type seating 750. Walls are in cream sand finish plaster, with rockwool and murals on canvas in front panels and red satin on rear walls. Seats have ivory sides, red backs, blue seats. Lower right, close-up showing mural and wall treatment. deserve a large slice of credit. And you, too, Mr. Hohauser, come before the curtain and listen to a warm, sincere and appreciative outburst of hand-clapping for a grand job of designing and construction. But all this is getting ahead of our story. For this is the story, with pictures, of two of the theatres which rank as stirring examples of -w hat American showmanship has accomplished in its tireless, ingenious, resourceful search for continual improvement and progress in the creation and presentation of motion picture entertainment for an appreciative public. Need we add that a prime requisite of all of these improvements be that they be accomplished without adding to the cost of such entertainment to the public? On these two facing pages, and on the page following, we show you pictures of the Avon Theatre, Stamford, Conn., and the Cameo Theatre, Brewster, X. Y. Both are ideal from every standpoint of architecture and construction and equipment for the purposes they are to serve and the limiting conditions — such as the plots on which they were built — imposed upon architect and builder. Both, and this is a high tribute indeed, are the work of AVilliam I. Hohauser, architect and engineer who long has specialized in