The Exhibitor (Nov 1948-Feb 1949)

A. J. SEXTON, JR. — General Man¬ ager, Sexton Theatre Company, Ashland, Kentucky — says; “An RCA Service contract has proved to me the best in¬ vestment any theatre owner could make for the finest en¬ gineering and mechanical upkeep of booth equipment. It is essential in any theatre.” To get the benefits of RCA Service —write: RCA SERVICE COMPANY, INC., Radio Corporation of America, Camden, New Jersey. Sure, you replace your screen when it gets old. But what is old? tests prove that a screen has outlived its usefulness after 9 to 24 months' use. For the guaranty of a beautiful picture, perfect sound transmission and faithful color reproduction use the world's finest screens. while vinyl plastic cnated DIFFUSIVE SCREEN Assures picture brilliance for every seat. Mold and fungus-proof. V Super bcalite CRYSTAL BEADED SCREEN Increases picture brilliancy 33%%. Flame-proof. Write for free literature, VOCALITE SCREEN CORPORATION ROOSEVELT, N. Y. PHYSICAL THEATRE . . . edited by the staff of the inimitable Annual Authority . . . THEATRE CATALOG LIGHTING EQUIPMENT DRINKING FOUNTAINS EXIT & DIRECTIONAL SIGNS Theatre Lighting Specialists Since 1903 VOIGT CO. 1649 N. Broad St. P h i I a , 22, Pa. (Continued from page PT-5) pieces between the pounding of shoes and the hard unyielding floor. With a cushion, the pad takes the punishment, not the carpet. Where carpets are installed on stairs, the area which receives the great¬ est wear, cushions will more than pay for themselves. In many cases hair cushions have outlasted more than a dozen carpets. Another method of adding materially to the life of a carpet is maintenance of moisture in the atmosphere. An indoor temperature of 68 degrees with a relative humidity of 42 per cent is accepted as an ideal condition for personal health and the preservation of rugs and carpets. Hazards To Coverings Since rugs were first invented, spots, stains, burns and holes have been a con¬ stant source of chagrin for the carpet owner. The theatre owner in particular, who ofttimes caters to an exacting clien¬ tele, is faced with the problem of over¬ coming these hazards in order to prolong the life of his carpet and cut operating costs to their lowest possible depth. There are several methods for combating each of these problems. Dirt Spots: To remove, brush thoroughly with a soft brush. Then sponge with mild warm soapsuds and rinse carefully with warm clean water. Grease Spots: These rot the fabric and should be removed at once with carbon tetrachloride, which is sold under various trade names. Apply with a soft cloth, taking up the grease as it dissolves with a clean cloth or blotter. Another simple method is to sprinkle the spot with fuller’s earth. Lay a clean blotter over this and iron with a warm iron. Use fresh powder and a clean blotter and repeat the pro¬ cess until the grease is absorbed. Remove powder with brush or vacuum cleaner. Ink Stains; Take up freshly spilled ink with blotting paper or soft cloths. Then sponge the spot with lukewarm water. Old or stubborn stains should be sent to a professional cleaner. Chewing Gum: Soften by pouring on a little carbon tetrachloride. Let stand a few minutes, then remove carefully with a dull knife. Any remaining traces may be sponged with carbon tetrachloride. Softening chewing gum may also be done by the use of egg-white. Road Oil, Tar or Asphalt; Sponge with a cloth well moistened with carbon tetra¬ chloride. Change the cloth as it becomes soiled and continue until no more color comes off. Paint Stains: Fresh paint, if moist, can be removed by cleaning gently with a cloth wet in turpentine. Old or difficult stains should be sent to a cleaner. Food Stains: First sponge with carbon tetrachloride to remove grease. When dry, sponge with clear lukewarm water. Burns and Holes: Occasionally lighted cigarettes, cigars or live ashes may be dropped on carpets. Unlike many other materials wool will not burn with a bright flame, it will only smoulder and char. This causes a hole in the surface which can be easily repaired by sewing in new tufts. Soft Drinks: Blot up with dry clean cloth. Candy Stains: Scrape off with dull knife and sponge with clear warm water. The theatre man should keep in mind (Continued on page PT-19) Heilman Buys Drive-In Binghamton, N. Y. — Neil Heilman, gen¬ eral manager of the Fabian-Hellman Drive-In Theatres, recently announced that he has purchased the Fabian interests at the Tri-City Drive-In Theatres. This does not affect the three other drive-ins which are owned jointly by the Fabian and Heilman interests. Mr. Heilman plans to spend $25,000 at the Tri-City Drive-In in modernizing and making this one of the country’s outstand¬ ing auto theatres. Plans are now being made ready and work is expected to be started within the next two weeks. The tentative opening is Easter Saturday, April 16, 1949. Mr. Heilman is going to try to obtain an early run on product so that this theatre does not play pictures after last run in the city of Binghamton. Larger Poster Cases Milwaukee, Wis. — Poblocki and Sons Company announced that they will manu¬ facture large size poster cases, either ex¬ truded aluminum or polished stainless steel with sliding doors — any length and height. The manufacturers had received many requests for large size poster cases and decided, instead of doubling the existing series that they would make the large case with a sliding door. This will have the effect of a large show window and eliminate series of cases with a break in between each case. The manufacturers are complying, too, with the wishes of architects designing theatres who want to get away from the smaller size of poster cases. (Continued from page PT-17) There are two kinds of effects now pos¬ sible — more will probably be developed. A color changer can be installed within the marquee, enabling the operator to change the overall color of the attraction boards, according to season, type of pic¬ ture, or program. A motor driven color wheel can be utilized to transmit various colors through the sign, producing an animated effect that will increase the at¬ traction value of the marquee. Still more arresting is the use of a new type stereopticon machine which can pro¬ ject a life-sized actor, in conjunction with his name and part in the picture — ^sta¬ tionary or in motion — on one section of the attraction board. Trailers of coming attractions can also be run, or a trailer of the current attraction might be flashed on a marquee section a few minutes be¬ fore the feature begins. Thus, the com¬ pelling psychology of motion greatly aug¬ ments the attraction of light and color that already provides so much appeal. CONCLUSION The Fox-Garfield Theatre, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is the first house to utilize the new marquee in an “A” type design. The second installation — a round type marquee — is the Capitol Theatre in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. These will be followed by others, especially in locations eager to take advantage of all new developments in theatre design and architecture. The basic idea of the Poblocki marquee is a good one, in fact, a highly efficient one which recommends itself to every theatre owner considering building a new house or remodeling an old one. PT-18 PHYSICAL THEATRE DEPARTMENT of THE EXHIBITOR January 12, 1949