The Exhibitor (Aug-Nov 1948)

YOUNG MAN IN A HURRY! The sales manager of a New Jersey iron works put togclher a routine piece on a structural steel drive-in screen tower that he had helped to engineer for the May 5 issue of PHYSICAL THEATRE. It marked Sales Manager Edward Lewin's, President Harry Diamond’s and the Elizabeth Iron Works’ first foiTiial venture into the motion pic¬ ture supply stream. It was their idea jart to wet their toes. Wham! Overnight they were shoved head-on into the middle ot that stream. Ever since, they've been up to their ears in orders. Wires, phone calls and visits started to flow in from theatremen and architects interested in drive-ins in Memphis, Philadelphia, New York, Hartford, Cleveland, Youngstown, Boston, Chi¬ cago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Detroit and Minneapolis. Trips had to be made and planes met. And, of course, everyone wanted his tower shipped “two weeks be¬ fore last.” One really anxious mo¬ ment came when “Woodie” Bressler wired that he was taking off in his own plane from Dayton, Ken¬ tucky, and would land in Elizabeth where there is no landing strip! Until Bressler called for a lift from Newark Airport, Lewin prayed. Besides a tightening steel shortage, this smash success has posed a number of problems for Lewin, some of them personal. He’s busier than a bird dog keeping things flushed within a 200-mile radius of Elizabeth with customers the company has had for 41 years, and burning up the runways keeping those gettogether dates with drive-in men. “Gosh! When will I catch up?” he asks, frantically. PRE FAB SCREEN TOWER Recent Purchasers of Pre-Fab Screen Towers BRESSLER DRIVE-IN Dayton, Ky. EASTERN DRIVE-IN Totowa, N. J. LOEW DRIVE-IN New London, Conn. LOEW DRIVE-IN Springfield, Mass. READE DRIVE-IN Woodbridge, N. J. SHORE DRIVE-IN Collingswood Pk., N. J. STARLITE DRIVE-IN Gloucester, N. J. STARLITE DRIVE-IN Chicago, III. for Drive-In Theatres Here's the "new look" in screen towers for any drive-in. The ELIZABETH IRON WORKS Pre-Fab Screen Tower with exclusive "SEE-LINE" Vision that eliminates "keystone" is efficient, economical and distinctive. Costs Less Permanent construction. No rot¬ ting or warping parts to be re¬ placed. Economical erection in 6 days or less. All-Steel Engineered and designed to withstand a 100 MPH gale. Minimum Maintenance Walkway at top and back of screen. Monorail system simpli¬ fies scaffolding and servicing. *PRE-FAB SCREEN TOWER — an EXCLUSIVE product of — Esthetic Lines Sturdy, tal harmonize , tapering lines that with any landscape. Available in 3 Sizes Overall Surface Car (Including Masking) Capacity No. S38-38 X 49 ft. 350 400 No. S44-44 X 60 ft. 450 650 No. S52-52 X 72 ft. 650-1000 Portable May be taken down and re¬ assembled if location is changed. ELIZABETH IRON WORKS > , 'STRUCTURAL STEEL ENGINEERS— FABRICATORS— ERECTORS / Mailing Address: P. 6. Box 360, ELIZABETH, N. J. STRONG MAKES POWERFUL DRIVE-IN RECTIFIER Four-Tube Set Designed For Single Phase Current Keeping abreast the needs of drive-in theatres. Strong Electric Corporation has developed a new 60-to-80 ampere, fourtube rectifier for use with high intensity arcs where only single phase power is available. For the reason that the huge screens of drive-ins tax lighting equipment to the utmost, this product, type 28910, has been designed to produce power beyond the normal requirements of the largest the¬ atres, the company says. The maximum operating load is sufficiently below, the capacity of the 20 ampere tubes to result in long tube life. Transformer types provide adjustment to compensate for line voltage variations, from 200 to 250 volts, and for full com¬ mercial amperage requirements from the largest to smallest Suprex carbons, the makers add. The complete assembly com¬ prises two transformers, tube sockets, and manually operated current control handle. This last actuates an eight-point rotSry switch, which is used to vary the current even when the arc is burning. Drive-Ins Help RCA The rapid emergence during the last several months of the drive-in theatre as a major motion picture medium has been good for business at the RCA Service Company, officials say. More than 100 roadside movies from coast to coast are now under contract to it for sound serv¬ ice and parts replacement. Motiograph Equips Motorena A drive-in theatre with a slightly dif¬ ferent twist to its name, Motorena, has opened in North Federal Street, Denver, Col., Fred C. Matthews, of Motiograph, Inc., Chicago, announces. His company supplied a complete line of equipment. Strong Mogul high-intensity arc lamps also were put in. PT-26 PHYSICAL THEATRE DEPARTMENT of THE EXHIBITOR August 25, 1948