Year book of motion pictures (1944)

riod include a very ambitious program in the theater field, predicated upon the obvious fact that, because of wartime restrictions, theaters have been denied the use of new equipment, and much work will have to be done to bring American theaters up to par in that respect. U. S. Airco is maintaining its theater division, the same as before the war, so as to lend advisory engineering service to its theater customers, and to architects and engineers who are designing buildings for use as theaters and auditoriums. The Refrigerated Kooler-Aire Unit will be available for distribution as quickly as regulations will permit, as will the complete line of blowers, coils, heaters, airwashers, evaporative coolers, grilles and other equipment formerly furnished in large quantities to America's theaters. Amount of equipment supplied directly to the motion picture industry in 1943 was necessarily small, confined primarily to repair and replacement parts. * * # During the past year Carrier devoted full production and energy to war business. This activity, however, did not require a complete conversion of manufacturing facilities, because majority of organization's pre-war products were essential for war's prosecution. For the major list of items manufactured by Carrier the end uses only were changed. Many of them became expendable. The same type of refrigeration and air handling equipment that served the motion picture industry in the past is now in Service. A comparatively small part of the factory has been converted to manufacture of machinery or parts entirely foreign to Carrier's normal products. Therefore, company will be in a position to serve filmland again promptly when Government removes restrictions on critical material. As to post-war planning, in general, Carrier expects to shorten its line, but will offer a comprehensive selection of products in refrigeration and air conditioning fields. Included will be portable room coolers, selfcontained air conditioning units, and both central station and unitary equipment for large and small commercial buildigs, auditoriums and theaters. Company also expects to increase activities in application of equipment to industrial processes and industrial heating. Many of the products will be new and greatly improved, officials say, but they do not expect that they will be radically changed from their pre-war functional parts. # * * Air Devices, Inc., worked very closely with theater engineering departments and architects in development of air distribution and heating specialties prior to their facilities being completely engaged in supplying equip ment for the Navy, Army, U. S. Maritime Commission, etc. Due to pressure of war industry work, a number of items were developed that will prove, executives declared, of high interest to the exhibitor in the post war period, especially in methods of air distribution. One item of special interest to the average theater building will be a new type of heating boiler that will provide hot water for the heating system very efficiently, and will be contained in a space 3 feet high and 2 feet wide. It will eliminate the necessity of boiler room construction in the new theater buildings and will provide a fully automatic, foolproof heating plant. In serving the war interest, Air Devices has developed great improvements in air filtering equipment, especially that used in high altitude aircraft and fighting planes. Firm plans to incorporate this efficient filtering system into units to be used in modern theaters, as soon as materials are available for these applications. * * # Thortel Fireproof Fabrics raised to a high degree perfection its revolutionary materials for use as draperies in film theaters, thus assuring the complete elimination of a long extant fire hazard in public places. This assuring outlook from the scientific and safety standpoint is further enhanced by the excellence of the fabrics' designs, using inorganic yarns which are fashioned from Fibre glas (glass) or asbestos. The Thortel Fireproof Fabrics are exactly what their name states. They are fireproof, inherently and permanently so, and not merely fireproofed, or temporarily resistant to flame. * * * Plants of L. C. Chase & Co., Inc., turned out hundreds of various fabrics for the war effort, including shell polishing cloths, poison gas repellent cover-all material, tents, truck tarpaulins, gun covers, motor shelters and packs made from weatherproofed duck woven on the same looms that afforded luxury and comfort on the seats of Radio City Music Hall and every theater in Times Square sector. Army and Navy uniform cloth and blankets were made in large quantities. Company's carpeting left theaters to board battleships, bombers and other fighting craft, while artificial leathers served as camouflage cloth, life-saving jackets, life rafts and other uses. One of firm's most interesting developments was production of simulated seal -skin for ski troops. Every major railroad in North America also used Chase fabrics. Perhaps the most important development for post-war is firm's new germ-proof fabrics for use on theater chairs. The material is made immune to bacteria by chemical impregnation, and the process is permanent. Wide use of it is enjoyed by the armed forces in tropical climates, and it has also been used experimentally in plastics, leather and paint. * * # All efforts of Firestone's Foamex Division were turned to the war effort. In developing items utilizing synthetic latex to replace its original rubber Foamed Latex, company kept in mind the application of these products in the post-war era. It is felt that future seating