The Exhibitor (1952)

New 16mm. Equipment Suggests Local Newsreel Use Imaginative and enterprising the¬ atre owners may find it advantageous to produce their own special local newsreels as a supplement to the regu¬ lar newsreel portion of their programs through the use of a new, professional quality, magnetic sound system for re¬ cording and reproducing magnetic sound on 16mm. motion picture film. Recently developed by the DeVry Corporation, manufacturer of motion picture equipment, the device makes it possible for exhibitors to produce their own local news programs, for showing on a 16mm. projector, using their own commentary on the sound track, for the cost of silent black and white or color film. This new 16mm. recorder-projector records and plays back sound by means of a narrow strip of magnetic iron oxide on the edge of the film. Operat¬ ing with properly processed film, the new equipment affords immediate playback of the magnetic sound track, plays back optical sound-on-film re¬ cordings, includes a means of erasing the sound so that changes can be made or the entire film erased for re-record¬ ing, provides for immediate changeover from magnetic track to optical track, and may be used as a tape recorder, reproducing the sound track only. W. C. DeVry, president of the com¬ pany, pointed out that while the mag¬ netic sound-on-film is a major devel¬ opment and has definite use in a variety of applications, the high quality optical sound as now recorded on 16mm. or 35mm. film will continue to be the universally accepted sound-onfilm medium. Ballantyne Plant In Operation Despite Missouri River Flood Omaha — The Ballantyne Company’s plant here, situated on high ground, was still in operation last week as rampaging Missouri River flood waters took a tre¬ mendous toll in property damage else¬ where in the area. According to Ballantyne sales manager J. Robert Hoff, the plant is at present working two complete eight-hour shifts to fill an unprecedented demand for the new Dub’l Cone in-a-car speaker, as well as to complete other orders for other drive-in theatre sound and projection equipment. Hoff further reports that more than 50 of the company’s new Boyer prefabri¬ cated screen towers have been sold in the past 60 days, with shipments being made last week to the Slothower, Wichita, Kans.; Cowton Drive-In, St. Joseph, Mo.; Arrow Drive-In, Noi’thumberland, Pa.; Jur Drive-In, Whitesville, W. Va.; Transit Drive-In, Lockport, N. Y., and the Mattoon Drive-In, Mattoon, Ill. Sales Specialist At Radiant Mfg. Chicago — Harry Pollay recently was ap¬ pointed sales specialist by Radiant Manu¬ facturing Company, producer of projection screens. He was formerly on the staff of the Independent Bakers Council of Amer¬ ica as a division service manager. PT-6 Above: New DeVry 16mm. magnetic-optical sound projector. Below: Sound recording por¬ tion of the equipment shown in operation. Altec Shifts Chicago Area Staff New York — Altec Service Corporation has effected changes in the area covered by its Chicago Office, according to a recent announcement of H. M. Bessey, executive vice-president. D. L. Turner, former business manager, has been elevated to division manager, replacing R. Hilton who becomes a head¬ quarters representative on special assign¬ ment located in Chicago. Other promo¬ tions include R. C. Grady, from salesman to branch manager, and F. C. Dickely, branch manager in the Detroit area, which now is included in the company’s central division. Dickely was formerly the Altec sales representative, with headquarters in Detroit. Typhoon Heads Back From Tour New York — James F. Dailey, president, Typhoon Air Conditioning Company, and Douglas Fraser, president, Typhoon Ex¬ port Corporation, recently completed a month’s tour of Typhoon agencies and in¬ stallations in Central and South America. The potential sales picture in San Salvador, Guatamala, Honduras, Cuba, Colombia, Bolivia, and other countries included in the tour is better than ever, Dailey reported on his return. “Down there they are just beginning to realize the tremendous possibilities of air condi¬ tioning,” he said. PHYSICAi THEATRE DEPARTMENT of EXHIBITOR NPA May Relax Ban on Theatre Projects Soon Washington — The government shortly may relax the 15-month-old ban on con¬ struction of theatres and 45 other types of recreation and amusement projects. Na¬ tional Production Authority spokesmen say the matter is now under considera¬ tion, and promise a decision within the next “two or three weeks.” OMAHA — J. Robert Hoff, president, Theatre Equipment and Supply Manufac¬ turers Association, returned here in “a very optimistic frame of mind” after a recent meeting with NPA officials in Washington. Hoff took part in a discussion of the problems confronting equipment manu¬ facturers because of current restrictions on theatre construction with Peter Black, special assistant to NPA administrator Manley Fleischman, representatives of the general counsel’s office, and officials of NPA’s Motion Picture Photographic Prod¬ ucts Division. Production experts appear to be divided into two camps on the question of easing the ban, but the likelihood is that ap¬ proval for so-called non-essential build¬ ing will be granted. One NPA group arguing against the relaxation of controls says that the re¬ strictions should not be removed until the very last minute because amusement and recreational projects were the first to be prohibited and are the least important. Other officials point out that there should be no “discrimination” in the mobilization program. If restrictions are eased on home building and commercial construction, the same treatment should be accorded theatres and other prohibited projects, they contend. Regardless of the outcome, the NPA appears to be ready to break the ban on recreational buildings in at least one re¬ spect. Construction work of this type in critical defense areas will get NPA ap¬ proval in most cases. It appears certain that any relaxation of controls will be a suspension, rather than a removal, of restrictions. USAIRCO Regroups Sales Forces New York — Consolidation of its metro¬ politan New York sales forces into a single, central agency with its main office at 420 Lexington Avenue, was recently announced by United States Air Condi¬ tioning Corporation. The New York field office has been combined with the manufacturer’s agent, the Air and Heat Company and its sub¬ sidiary in Newark, N. J., into a sales or¬ ganization which will handle the com¬ plete line of air conditioning, heating and ventilating equipment in the New York City and northern New Jersey area. GPL Exec Named To TESMA Unit New York— John M. Sims, sales man¬ ager of theatre television. General Pre¬ cision Laboratory, recently was named to the Federal Legislation Committee of the Theatre Equipment and Supply Manu¬ facturers Association, according to an an¬ nouncement by J. R. Hoff, TESMA president. Ajyril 30, 1952