International projectionist (Jan-Dec 1950)

not reflected therein, and declining collects and increased costs mean an even greater drop in profits. . . . Anti-trust consent decree signed by Technicolor requires company to license 92 patents on a royalty-free basis and make available on a "reasonable" royalty basis 12 others, 48 patent applications and all patents applied for until Nov. 28, 1953. Technicolor must also furnish, until Jan. 1, 1957, the "know-how" to all licensees who pay a reasonable royalty. Also, all contracts conditioned on the sole use of Technicolor equipment can be terminated. Also, it must furnish specs of its three-strip camera to applicants desirous of manufacturing it and make available two cameras for rent to all comers. Net profit of $3,189,000 for the three months ending Nov. 26 last is reported by Warner Bros. Figure is $100,000 more than comparable period in 1948. . . . Theater owners are practically unanimous in declaring that they will pass along to the patron any benefit resulting from a possible cut in the admission tax. . . . TESMA will up the number of exhibition booths to 125 for its next convention Oct. 8 at the Stevens Hotel, Chicago. . . . Paramount promises to let the FCC have a "big eyeful" of good bigscreen Tv in color at the next Commis sion hearing on theater Tv. . . . New York stores advertising Tv sets on deferred payments for as "little as $1.25 a week, which is less than the price of two tickets for a good movie." Picture companies jumped newspapers and radio stations carrying such copy. ... A total of 504 features in 1950 are anticipated from major and independent producers in Hollywood. . . . Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers announces that while it is "neutral" as regards any particular method of establishing theater Tv, it will lend its "good offices and advice" to anyone concerned with establishing such a system. New York Paramount Theater, with Bob Hope and Jane Russell as in-person attraction, did an all-time Saturday-Sunday business of $52,000. . . . Fanchon & Marco, St. Louis exhibitors, inaugurated plan to admit children under 12 years of age without charge when accompanied by their parents. . . . Eastman Kodak net earnings for 1949 were $49,770,699. . . . Net income of 20th Century-Fox for 1949 announced as $12 millions. . . .Four independent Boston film exchanges operating under one roof have been slapped with a permanent injunction to prevent them from working employees more than 40 hours weekly. &0w© HE YEARS-AHEAfl ENTS OF THE SEE ITS MANX P/§|S#JfilWT§rfES NOW AT NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY THE PRESENT TREND IN DRIVE-IN THEATERS (Continued from page 17) account for about 25% of the gross income. Each year rapid strides are manifest in drive-in theaters. There is now available a highly scientific modern toll system, a modification of collection systems used at the largest bridges and tunnels, which is a substantially foolproof method of collecting and recording toll receipts, at the same time eliminating the use of tickets. Glamour prevails in many drive-in theaters, featuring lighted waterfalls over the rear of the screen tower, beautiful landscaping, and ultra modern concession stands. In fact, everything is being put into drive-in theaters which experience indicates the public likes with their outdoor movie entertainment. Careful Planning Required It thus becomes obvious that the selection of a location, the planning and the construction of a successful drive-in theater require the assistance of an experienced consultant well informed on the many complex problems which are in. volved. Unforseen costs resulting from mistaken judgment on the part of inexperienced builders can force undesirable economies in the selection of the most essential elements of the over-all enterprise, namely, the projection and sound equipment. The prospective investor in a drive-in theater needs to be informed as soon as possible that the return on his investment has a much better chance of attaining his expectations if the policies of good business practice are consistently maintained, rather than an attitude of trying to build and equip a drive-in theater as cheaply as possible. On the assumption that the drive-in theater has been so planned and constructed that each occupant of every parked automobile can see the picture on the screen, it follows that the quality of the projected picture and reproduced sound is without exception a prime requisite for entertainment enjoyment. Screen Light Level Ever since the first drive-in theater was constructed, the question of the amount of light on the screen has been the main bottleneck of this type of theater. It has been not too many years since a 30-foot screen was considered large for indoor theaters. Today, there are a great many drive-in theaters where screens are 60 feet wide or larger. The average patron may have the feeling that when we double the width of the screen, we should correspondingly 28 INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST MARCH 1950