Exhibitors Herald (1927)

14 October 29, 1927 BETTER THEATRES SECTION OF Driving Down Overhead Corn Is Doing It In East Pnryi Te Many exhibitors in the i. \~/Ul II Lo Albany section of New York state, who have discovered during the past summer that the sale of ice cream cones and pop corn in their lobbies, goes far toward meeting the overhead, are arranging to continue these side issues during the fall and winter, and in many instances broadening out. The majority of these theatres are subsequent run houses. So far as can be ascertained, there are no first run theatres, at least in this section of the state, which are using these side accessories to increase their revenue. While some of the exhibitors were in dined to turn up their noses a few months ago to the idea of pop corn vending machines and other similar devices in their lobbies, they are now changing their minds, with the result that during the last two or three months an unusually large number of pop corn machines have been sold to motion picture theatres in the cities as well as in many of the smaller places. The Rose theatre in Troy, owned and operated by Jake Rosenthal, is unquestionably one of the best examples of what can be done in the sale of ice cream, candy, soft drinks and such, in theatre lobby. Mr. Rosenthal started some months ago with a pop corn Novel Means Used in South a in machine, and found it so profitable that he branched out and added candy. Later on he had one of the walls removed from the lobby and sacrificed a large portion of his private office to a stand which now includes not only ice cream and soft drinks, but all sorts of candy. He uses his ushers to dispense these things up and down the aisles, although the trade is so heavy in the lobby that on Sunday nights two men are necessary to handle the demands. In one week, Mr. Rosenthal’s ice cream bill amounted to $114, and this amount of cream was later doled out in 5 cent cones to patrons of the theatre. A rather odd circumstance is shown in that the cooler the weather, the more ice cream is sold. This is explained in the fact that with cooler weather, the crowds attending the theatre are larger, and naturally the sales mount. Pop corn vending machines have also been installed in the Rose theatres in Troy, which are owned and operated by the Rosewind Corporation, and which are not in any way related to the Rosenthal house. In Schenectady, an industrial city in ( Continued on page 19) Various theatres in Texas have novel ways for establishing a regular and picked clientele. Parking stations, nurseries, playrooms, cry rooms, tea rooms, club rooms, and a roof garden to be established, form some of the methods of “pulling in the green.” The Texas theatre in San Antonio, a Publix house, has a cry room that has become popular with mothers whose babies are addicted to crying in the theatre. It is a glass enclosed affair at the back of the last row of seats, where the mothers may retire with their babies and watch the show without any disturbance to the rest of the audience. The innovation was rather coldly accepted at first, but now it is an approved feature of the Texas. The Palace in Dallas has a tieup with one of the largest parking stations whereby the patron may park his car gratis by presenting his check to the Palace box office for stamping upon the purchase of a ticket. The hookup costs the Palace very little, and the built up patronage at night insures the keeping of the parking station. The Majestic in Dallas, one of the Interstate houses, has a play room where mothers may leave their children in the care of trained matrons while they watch the show. In the room are hobby horses, merry-go-rounds, sand piles, slides, and all of the devices that warm the heart of a child. Profits began to increase at the Majestic noticeably when the plan was instituted. In Houston, the Isis, a Horwitz theatre, has a Japanese tearoom, where women are served tea in the afternoon free of charge. The room can also be reserved by clubs for card games and social affairs. Club rooms are becoming more common in the new theatres, the rooms being made in the form of rest or lounge rooms, with reservations made for parties. Probably the most unique plan of expolitation yet to be attempted will be the roof garden, ball room, and cafeteria at the new Majestic theatre in San Antonio, which Karl Hoblitzelle plans to build the coming year, to seat 4,000 people. Admission to the ball room and roof garden will be gratis to those who buy tickets to the theatre, and the lunch room will be chiefly a good will method of exploitation. Nurseries, playrooms, parking station, and all of the recognized methods of expolitation will be used. 'jkllerfhftitNH LETTERS from Readers An extension "of The “Letters from Readers” department in Exhibitors Herald. All communications must be signed. Statistics on Projector Exports BETTER THEATRES— To the Editor : Quoting figures taken from the Department of Commerce on the export of motion picture projectors from the United States during the first six months of 1927, it is found that a total of 1,420 projectors were exported and that the sales' price was $285,251. This makes an average sales price of $200.89 for each projector. During the first six months of 1926 there were exported only 974 projectors and the total sales price was $272,557 or $280 each. This indicates the lowering in cost of $80 for each projector exported in 1927. Going into further analysis for individual countries it is interesting to note that Japan bought its projectors at $134.25 each, Canada paid $178.30 and United Kingdom $239 for each complete projector. It is indicated that there will be an increase making a possible sale of probably 2,500 projectors for 1927 to foreign countries and if those projectors would be sold at the same basis there would be a loss of $80 per projector or more than $200,000 as compared with the prices in 1926. What I would like to know is how projectors can be exported at such ridiculously ( Continued on page 43)