The Exhibitor (Nov 1938-May 1939)

AS EDITED BT WILL A. WHITNEY WHILE MOTION PICTURES are your best entertainment, it is not the cinematographic achievement and its presentation upon your screen that are entirely responsible for a patron’s returning again and again to th; theatre. Rather must the successful exhibitor furnish the customer with that plus value of perfect sound and projection, amid other circumstances of luxurious comfort. Last month the Editors of Better Management discussed the matter of "Selling Seats by Proper Maintenance of the Theatre and Its Equipment,” urging that theatres be kept in the first class condition they originally possessed. This month we will consider, however briefly, some of the newer supplies and equipment, and point out a few of the seat-selling possibilities present in this material. Magic Doors AS AN EXAMPLE of how new supplies and new equipment can be turned to good use as a continual source of institutional publicity and ballyhoo, the Editors point to that invention which theatremen have been surprisingly slow to appreciate — "Magic Doors,” portals which seem to anticipate the patron’s coming by swinging open to greet him, without the aid of human hands. That such a machination of scientific "magic” should have this long remained virtually unknown to exhibitors, and even more rarely used by them, decnite the wealth of curiosity-inciting possibilities, is explainable on two counts: first, that Magic Doors have not been widely advertised, and, second, that exhibitors have failed to observe that which they might have seen in their non-theatrical travels. One eastern exhibitor did not fail to observe this possibility a year or so ago. It happened that this exhibitor was in the throes of building a new theatre in a highly competitive town, and, unlike many of his contemporaries, was on the look out for whatever he might see that would add to his house or would act to keep it before the people of the community. IN NEW YORK’S magnificent tomb known as the Pennsylvania Station, he noticed, on rising from the train level, that the protecting doors opened without any attendant being visible, that those in the concourse, who were not dashing madly about to get nowhere fast, were gazing in rapt attention at the portals that seemed to anticipate a person’s coming. Our exhibitor was too intelligent a man to consider that Universal Pictures’ fanciful creation, the "Invisible Man,” had become a reality and was operating the door. As he stood there and watched, he noted that every time a passerthrougher reached a certain distance from the doors they would start to open. No miracle this, he thought; rather this must be a special type of door, with some device applied so as to operate the door-opener. As he was cogitating on what might be the operating principle, he became aware of a fact that drove from his mind other thoughts of mechanics. Practically every person who approached, or even passed by these doors, stopped, whether momentarily or longer, to watch this unusual opening. "If a device like this,” thought our exhibitor, "could arrest the attention of thousands of wise guys each day in one of the world’s busiest railroad terminals, why wouldn’t it be an attention-getter for my new theatre?” He could see in his mind’s eye that new house, he could see patrons approaching the main entrance, that would gently, but invitingly, open at their coming, but he could visualize more. He saw passers-by stop and watch the proceedings, he could hear their comments on how it worked, and he thought he could hear some of the ladies suggest to their escorts that they see the show and find out for themselves, if possible, how the doors worked or, at least, have the fun of seeing the doors open for them. THE EXHIBITOR knew his new townsfolk would feel that way, for he himself was wondering those same things himself about the Pennsylvania Station’s doors! Here, indeed, thought he, is something to act as a perpetual ballyhoo, a device which would ever be a fascination to the patron, even if he did see every change of show. The adults surely would talk about this wonderful idea to other adults, and the children would 24sheet the doors among the younger element. The rest may be guessed. If those doors could create the interest in a railroad terminal, then surely a theatre which was to be the very ultimate in construction and design could i 1 1 -afford to be without them. The exhibitor wrote to the manufacturer ordering the doors. He was amazed at the small price. The doors were obtained, and installed. What this exhibitor envisioned in New York’s Pennsylvania Station has been realized in fact. While it cannot be calculated in dollars and cents or hundreds of extra admissions, the doors have proved a valuable investment, which it seems safe to say, has actually paid dividends ere the first year of the theatre’s life had become history. Their cost was only that of a few weeks advertising; their upkeep was only that of an extra bulb in the marquee; their advantage a stamp of February 15, 1959