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Cinema Theatres
Hygiene, upkeep, safety of spectators
Mrs G. Coromilas
of the Greek Council of Women Directress of Educational Film Office, Athens
Cinema halls. — It is not necessary to raccount the history of the cinema and to say how, within a few years, it has become the important business that it is now. Yet a few figures are indispensable.
According to the statistics given by all countries on the ist of November 1930, the number of cinema halls in Europe was 33.870 showing an increase of 33 % during the last five years. The number of seats was 14.185.506 instead of 8.902.330 in 1926. Germany has the largest number of halls: 5.267 with 1.876.000 seats. Then come Great Britain with 4.226 halls and 2.200.000 seats, France with 4.201 halls and 2. no. 000 seats, Italy with 2.800 halls and 1.800.000 seats, then far behind Greece: 230 halls and 115.000 seats. Albania comes last with 3 halls and 1.400 seats. If we add to these figures the 25.000 halls of America with over 8 million seats, the 148 halls of Australia and the 1.300 halls of Japan we get an impressive total.
Measures concerning "hygienic condition of halls (i). — In the beginning cinema halls were nothing more than a few chairs in front of a white sheet. At the first show given by the brothers Lumiere in the basement of the Grand Cafe in Paris, the impression was of a steam-bath. What changes since! The new halls built lately in all the large cities are not only magnificently luxurious and comfortable but excellent from a hygienic point of view. The ventilation of the halls, their heating in winter and cooling in summer are done with very up-to date apparatus.
(1) The I. I. E. C. had for some time been making researches on the subject of the laws and local regulations existent in various countries concerning the opening of cinemas and the hygienic and safety measures which must be taken, also concerning the use of inflamable films.
This work will form the subject of a report, similar to that made by the I. I. E. C. concerning film control, which will contain two sections, the exposition of the facts and the comparaison of them. In these sections, similarities and differences of legislation in the various countries will be brought to note. The aim of the work is essentially practical: It is a question of choosing from the various legislative measures a basis for a scheme of universally applicable rules which will guarantee with certainty the safety and health of cinema-goers ever where.
With the object of making this study a success, the I. I. E. C. has asked the various governments to furnish texts of their laws on the subject and at the same time has addressed to them a series of questions. The number of replies received and the extent of the information contained in them promise well for the success of this initiative (Note of the Review).