Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1924-Mar 1925)

14 BETTER THEATRES SECTION OF February 28, 1925 A Color Scheme Suggestion for a Small Theatre be it from me to allow anyone to think we might not know. Therefore I will design my own lighting effects along with a color scheme and would say “in the mass,” work from a dark red bottom up to a light and yellow top. “Following this out we have the mahogany chair scheme as the dark bottom and red. “Wall dado covering the lower walls 5' 0" high at rear, and to finish in straight lines, through to the proscenium wall. This wants to be of a brown textured material ; and a dyed art burlap would fill the bill nicely. This will cost about 75c per yard, but once it is on, it is there to stay and requires no washing and cleaning. While 13 ■73“ -TSr P (5 ■ r -f i , s .. (? i S> C2. C3' _fiL -£21 ■fX -a__ . _iS_ -SJl “Now paint in your wall panels with the cadmium yellow and stipple with gold being very careful not to overdo this gold part. This gold also has the retiring quality, that will help out in the width of the house. Then outline your panels with 1x2^ moulded wood strips and stain black, same as dado cap or paint in with 2" flat black band. “The ceiling panels can have their fields run off to a colder lemon yellow, and have them outlined with 2 dark flat-red or maroon lines. The black would be too contrasty. “With this color scheme I know the cost is low, the effect moderately safe due to the broad treatment, but if lighted up with blue or green colored lights, the results are apt to be disastrous. Therefore, it is further recommended that a special bracket fixture be used near the bottom of each of the narrow panels. This fixture is indirect and shoots a ray up on the wall ; colored darker red near the screen and getting lighter red and much stronger as it recedes from the screen. This would be used for the low i n te n s i t y illumination while a picture is being shown. “The high intensity illumination could be managed with one or two units to each ceiling panel, carrying from 100 to 600 watts. These ought to be of the amber tint and I would use the Macbeth Evans Pendant Theatre Globe, which gives off a light value that is neither too harsh nor too soft. The Wiggins Co., is our factory connection for the dyed burlaps and fabrics and the fixtures are supplied to us by Macbeth Evans Co., except the wall brackets which are made special by Rusterholtz Electric tor our work. In doing the walls and ceiling, the painter should be careful and not use any of the hot colors as burnt sienna, vermillion or gamboge. * * * WHEN it comes to giving a theatre a new and inviting appearance the choice of a color scheme is obviously a feature of far reaching importance. Messrs. Miller & Wilcox, Lake View, la. were confronted with the question of an appropriate decorative scheme in repainting their Princess as explained in the following letter to “Better Theatres” : t Gentlemen : We are going to have the interior of one of our theatres repainted, ceiling and side walls. It is the Princess at Odebolt which is 70 feet long, 24 feet wide, ceiling 14 feet in the back, 18 feet in the front. “Would like to have some suggestions as to the way it should be done. Would like to have suggestions as to sides. Want them painted in about three panels. Please give good colors for the ceiling to match with the sides. Would like light sides. ^ 4^ In calling on Mr. G. E. Eichenlaub, theatre architect of Erie, Pa., and a member of its Advisory Staff for its suggestions in this instance this department appreciates that it has given Mr. Eichenlaub a broad problem. However, Mr. Eichenlaub has considered the matter as fully as facts presented enable him to, and his recommendations are quoted following : “To gain a fine result with a small expenditure of money in the above dimensioned theatre is a hazardous trick. The information is broad and I can pin down very little that is definite. “I see a room too long for its width and far too low for its length, which the three panel scheme accents and makes more pronounced. Then I see where the scheme of three, being fundamentally sound design, should be adhered to, and, under the inspiration of the moment, we follow the esquise and sub-divide into three again with a varied proportion thrown in, thus creating interest, accenting height and decreasing the sense of excess length, thus in a degree correcting the architectural proportions. “From this we skip to the ceiling and soon deduce that the three panels in simpler form will stand to repeat here. Some ornamentation is permissible at the corners ; better have this too simple and correct or leave them off altogether than let an honest painter run amuck and show the world what he can do. * * * * “Now, I think of color and find no information on the electric fixtures; no foot candles, no milli-lamberts, no watts, no description of fixtures nor color values given off. When I reflect that such small items do not puzzle the man with the brush, why should we confess bewilderment? To do so might affect our standing and far it gets diriy, it does not show the dirt. “This dado should be covered at top edge with dadocap of say 1x5 moulded wood stained black. Or paint 5" wide flat black band on wall. “Now the ground color of walls we ordinarily make buff and brown stippled to red or dull pink effect. In this case, the theatre is too narrow, so we must lean to the cooler color which ‘goes back’ you know, meaning the surface will appear further removed to one glancing at same. Therefore, just the right shade of faded or washed out blue tint (must get this by making a color chart or trying on wall) shaded easily into dull amber-pink near ceiling, where the amber-pink continues over onto the ceiling and then cools into cadmium for the ceiling field. “The wall panels might be papered successfully if exactly the right paper can be found. It will help acoustic value some, though this theatre does not need such treatment. The paper cannot well be washed or cleaned, when the gold gets old and dirty. “Now that is one way of decorating this house. To do your particular job right, it will pay to have someone measure up the interior, get it down on paper, make a water color study or two and then your job will not be a disappointment. “In the matter of paints to use, — there are various vehicles as oil, water, spirits, etc. “In the last few years, new paints have been developed, some with Gypsum and others with Portland Cement base. These (Continued on page 20)