The Exhibitor (1966)

Editorial Comfort — Now A Necessity The question of how much “tight'' money will loosen in 1967, or whether it will loosen at all, is still very much up in the air. The fiscal picture of the nation at the moment can be termed cloudy at best. Along with other industries, the motion pictury industry in many areas must mark time until the clouds lift. Certainly, new theatre construction has been affected to some degree by the tight money situation. Just how much it has been curtailed is difficult to ascer¬ tain, but an educated guess would be that new theatre construction has not been set back nearly so much as construction in other indus¬ tries. The construction and new equipment boom, general in all indus¬ tries in recent years, came relatively late to theatre exhibition, but when it came, it came with a rush. That rush has still not spent itself, and many circuits are going ahead with new construction despite current fiscal problems. Where new construction is not economically feasible or profitable at the moment, the importance of existing theatres grows. Never in the industry's history has it been more important to outfit and maintain ever)' theatre in the best way possible. There are simply too many other diversions available to an entertainment-hungry population. Theatres can keep their share of this booming market only so long as they are able to offer comfort and convenience, as well as superior films. Indeed, the competition for superior films is at an all-time high. Right or wrong, established patterns of playoff and clearance are fast being relegated into a limbo from which they may never return. No longer is it easy to recognize a first-run house from a sub¬ run house. The distance between uptown and downtown has short¬ ened considerably through the years, and new highways and a nation on wheels will shorten it still more in the years ahead. If every theatre has the potential to play top product in prime playing time, it follows that every theatre must be able to display that product in a fitting showcase. For this reason, faulty projection, poor decor, shoddy operation, uncomfortable seats, bad sight lines — all the evils that hurt theatres in their leanest years — can no longer be tolerated. Modifications and improvements in theatre furnishings and equipment have kept pace with the construction boom, and are just as applicable to remodeling ventures as they are to new theatres. Theatre operators with any degree of confidence in the present and hope for the future will utilize them well. In this issue, we are presenting a survey of theatre seating, with a look at the fine equipment available from various seating com¬ panies. The film viewed in comfort is likely to be remembered with particular fondness by any moviegoer, and these chairs are built for comfort. Add durability and convenience, and you have the formula for theatre success. While it is true that there’s nothing wrong with the movie busi¬ ness that good pictures can’t cure, it is equally true that comfortable seats and pleasant surroundings can make even an average picture seem a good bit better than it is. PHYSICAL THEATRE • EXTRA PROFITS • Sectional department of MOTION PIC¬ TURE EXHIBITOR, published once a month by Jay Emanuel Publications, Inc., 317 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107. All contents copyrighted and all reprint rights reserved. January 18, 1967 Who Won’t Settle for Less than the Best — For them there is no substi¬ tute for the Academy Award Winning Jetarc. It makes finest indoor theatre quality projection possible in the largest drive-ins. Our claim that a blown arc delivers 50% more light than any other lamp has never been refuted. Intensity, color and even distribution of this light remains constant with¬ out manual adjustment. Ask your dealer about Jetarcs today. THE f^S***# ELECTRIC CORP. 21 City Park Avenue Toledo, Ohio 43601 PHYSICAL THEATRE • EXTRA PROFITS DEPARTMENT of MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR PE-3