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1939 PRESENTATION No. 5
The New
FORT MONROE THEATRE
Fort Monroe. Va.
Operated by U. S. Army Motion Picture Service
Among U. S. exhibitors there is one whose activities are rarely considered in a discussion of exhibition, an exhibitor whose 418 units cater to the entertainment demands of 298,467 regular patrons. But this No. 2 U. S. exhibitor is not competition to established theatres, for he is Uncle Sam, who screens for the Army and the Navy. On 331 Navy units are motion pictures regularly shown, but it is in the 81 Army posts that, for the most part, are the theatres such as are known to civilians. Presided over by the U. S. Army Motion Picture Service, operated by the Adjutant General of the Army, the houses of the five U. S. districts set a standard that many a civilian exhibitor might well follow with profit. It is, accordingly, with pleasure that Better Management here is able to offer the reader a few views of the new 900-seat cinema at Fort Monroe, Virginia. The Government does not divulge the source of its equipment, but it is evident from these pictures that the ideas of patron comfort and showmanship have been judiciously applied in this theatre, and the reader may be assured that the equipment is of nationally known manufacturers and of the size and type that would be obtained by the commercial exhibitor for a comparable house. Where there is a constant clientele, plus a steady demand for moving pictures, little reason obtains for the usual theatrical structure, so to keep the building "in character" with the other buildings at the post, a more community-centerish edifice can be constructed.
IN APPEARANCE more a mansion than a theatre is this latest addition to the cinemas of U. S. Army Posts, the Fort Monroe Theatre, in Virginia. As in other Army Posts, the center of attraction, when not the canteen, is the movie, and this structure is, indeed, inviting to those in search of relaxation. Because it has its clientele without the necessity of ballyhoo and exploitation, the building is devoid of advertising material or other hall-marks of the theatre of the civilian public.
ON THE INSIDE, the theatre becomes more familiar in its appointments. From the stadium-type balcony, the proscenium is gaily, yet unostentatiously, decorated. A large stage affords ample space for "flesh" entertainment whenever the occasion requires. Here can be noted the large ceiling light troughs that run the entire length of the auditorium. The horizontal striping of the side walls offer a pleasing contrast to the predominantly vertically-lined proscenium and drapes.
LOOKING toward the rear, there is seen the continuation of the design suggested in the preceding photograph, with the over-all effect one which might easily be applauded for any metropolitan de luxe neighborhood house. The chairs are so arranged that the officers and men will have an unobstructed view of the screen no matter where they may be seated. The theatre, whose designer must of necessity remain anonymous, is indeed a credit to the service.