The Exhibitor (May-Aug 1948)

Record Details:

Something wrong or inaccurate about this page? Let us Know!

Thanks for helping us continually improve the quality of the Lantern search engine for all of our users! We have millions of scanned pages, so user reports are incredibly helpful for us to identify places where we can improve and update the metadata.

Please describe the issue below, and click "Submit" to send your comments to our team! If you'd prefer, you can also send us an email to mhdl@commarts.wisc.edu with your comments.




We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.

Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.

WALTER READE THEATRES ENTERS DRIVE-IN FIELD Another Indie Circuit Announces Expansion New York — The drive-in theatre field continued its spring bloom in the past few weeks as still another independent the¬ atre circuit announced its interest in openair film entertainment. The newcomer is Walter Reade Theatres, and Reade re¬ vealed that grading was already underway at Woodbridge, N. J., for a 950-car spot planned for a mid-June opening. To be known as Walter Reade’s DriveIn Theatre No. 1, the stand will cover about 20 acres, with landscaping, equip¬ ment, and recreational facility innovations aimed at attracting family clientele. It will also serve as a free recreational area for the community during the day. Reade will build 27 drive-ins in 1948 and 1949. Sites have already been ac¬ quired for three more drive-ins which will be in operation by next spring, he said. Special construction crews, made up of engineers and contractors, have been or¬ ganized to build the theatres on an as¬ sembly line basis, and the product of a large Monmouth County N. J., nursery has been obtained for landscaping these prop¬ erties. Location of the drive-ins were not disclosed, but Reade said that plans in¬ clude locations in four of the mid-Atlantic states. The circuit operates in New Jersey and New York. The first drive-in is being located on U. S. Route 1, Woodbridge, N. J., near a clover-leaf intersection of two other main highways. Leon M. Einhorn, Albany, who has 14 drive-ins to his credit, is the architect. According to Reade, entering the drivein will be like driving into a park, ac¬ centuated with shade tree drives, ponds with fountains and ducks, benches, land¬ scaped walks and flower beds, and summer houses. It will include a supervised play¬ ground area for the youngsters and the largest outdoor large -screen projection television available. The theatre will contain 15 ramps, and will use the latest type Motiograph incar speakers. All junction boxes will be numbered and lighted. The entrance will be from Route 1 through a new type of tunnel traffic control system while exit will be in the rear onto an auxiliary high¬ way. The entrance will have a large-size illuminated sign and a 70-foot modernistic tower carrying the drive-in’s name. Reade believes that this advance type of family theatre is a distinct asset to the in¬ dustry, and should be fostered and sup¬ ported by all far-seeing exhibitors because, he said, the drive-in reaches a new hith¬ erto untouched audience. Among the audience are families who cannot go to the movies without bringing the kids along, those who would go out for a drive but would not dress to leave the car; and elderly people who cannot go to public places but can go motoring. Reade also believes that the theatres will be a definite asset to the communities near which they are spotted, by opening up a new medium for family entertain¬ ment, and by increasing property values and providing new recreational facilities. MOTIOGRAPH ANNOUNCES 27 DRIVE-IN ORDERS Chicago— Motiograph, Inc., recently an¬ nounced that its new Drive-In In-Car Speaker Systems, which includes a post standard light and concession light on each junction box, has met an excellent recep¬ tion. Twenty-seven drive-in theatres have bought this system in the last 60 days. Recent purchases have been made for drive-ins at Grand Rapids, Mich.; Mil¬ waukee, Wise.; Fayette, N. C.; Anderson, S. C., Greenville, S. C., Cranberry, Pa., Gainesville, Ga., Dodge City, Kan., Balti¬ more, Md., Atlanta, Ga., Noxen, Pa., Belle Vernon, Pa., St. Albans, W. Va., Woodbridge, N. J., Brownwood, Texas, Cleve¬ land, Ohio., Fort Wayne, Ind., Benton Harbor, Mich., Adrian, Mich., and Harding, Pennsylvania. NTS DRIVE-IN SALES COVER 16 STATES New York — Some idea of the national scope of the epidemic of new construction in. the drive-in theatre field in recent weeks can be gained from current an¬ nouncements of at least 26 contracts in 16 states by National Theatre Supply. J. E. Currie, chief, Drive-In Depart¬ ment, lists the following new movies-inyour-car spots which have engaged Na¬ tional for complete or partial outfitting: Outdoor Theatre, Chicago; Davenport Drive-In' Davenport; Herrin Drive-In, Herrin, and Waring Auto Theatre, Carbondale, all Illinois; Pioneer Drive-In, Plainview, and Trail Drive-In, Amarillo, both Texas. Clemmer Cruise-In Theatre, Eaton, Sky-Way Theatre, Coshocton, and Mar¬ tin Drive-In, Columbus, all Ohio; Niagara Drive-In, Amherst, Jamestown Drive-In, Ellicott Township, and Drive-In Theatre, Massena, all New York , and Hi-Way Drive-In, Marion, Ind. Colorado Springs Drive-In, Colorado Springs, Colo.; New Drive-In Theatre, Talladega, Ala.; Hunt’s Drive-In Theatre, Riverside, and Drive-In Theatre, San Francisco, both California; Drive-In The¬ atre, Newport News, Va.; Cookeville Drive-In Theatre, Cookeville, Tenn., and Drive-In Theatre, Great Bend, Kans. Southern Drive-In, Southern Pines, and Park View Drive-In, Washington, both North Carolina; New Drive-In, Gloucester, N. J.; Skyline Drive-In, Clarksburg, W. Va.; Comerford Drive-In, Dupont, Pa., and Gratiet Drive-In, Roseville, Mich. DALLAS DEALER ANNOUNCES TWO NEW DRIVE-IN CONTRACTS Dallas — Henry S. Sorenson, head, Mod¬ ern Theatre Equipment Company, an¬ nounced recently the installation of new Motiograph sound and projection equip¬ ment, including in-car speakers, in the San Pedro Drive-In, San Antonio, Tex. Sorenson also announced the installa¬ tion of new Motiograph sound and projec¬ tion equipment with an Altec Lansing central speaker system at the New DriveIn, Brownwood, Tex. Both of the installations include new Strong Mogul 70 ampere high intensity arc lamps. Dawo Appoints Dealers Toledo, O. — The Dawo Company re¬ cently announced the appointment of the Bryant Theatre Supply Company, Char¬ lotte, as exclusive representatives covering North and South Carolina, and the appoint¬ ment of the Academy Theatre Supply Company, Chicago, covering Illinois, In¬ diana, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Toledo Drive-In Modernizes Toledo, O. — The 1000-car Telegraph Drive-In, under management of J. Demp¬ sey, recently completed construction of a new neon-lighted screen, and has installed a new sound system along with Dawo Waterproof No. 7600 In-The-Car speaker sets. THIS SEASON ITS Li^tlAWD. OX'i. WRITE FOR DETAILS DRIVE-IN THEATRE 21,0 superior ave. EQUIPMENT CO., INC. Cleveland, ohio PT-20 PHYSICAL THEATRE DEPARTMENT of THE EXHIBITOR June 2, 1948