Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1931)

April 11, 1931 Motion Picture Herald 123 of. When the public entered the new thatre on the opening da)-, they sank into comfortable seats of imitation leather with fulh' upholstered cut velour backs. The majority of the seats are twenty-inch chairs, arranged in thirty-two-inch rows. Aisle lights on every fourth row of chairs contrast with the utter darkness of pre-renovation days. Thick aisle carpets have replaced the old rubber stripping which ran from foyer to stage. In the new Waldo auditorium, chandeliers of ground glass pendants, equipped with a two-color lighting system, cast a soft glow over the auditorium. In fixtures which have no connection with the color system, flame tint lamps soften and diffuse the light and give a cozy atmosphere. Direct illumination of this type is far more economical in operating cost for the small neighborhood house than the indirect lighting favored by moderate size and de luxe houses. In a scheme of theatre illumination, brilliant white lamps belong only in the marquise and vestibule, where their bright gleam is calculated to attract attention from a distance. Inside the theatre, glaring lights are decidedly out of place, as they disturb the feeling of restfulness and relaxation the designer strives to create. While one can scarcely over-emphasize the importance of proper lighting in the theatre, decoration is another item which demands equal consideration. The most expertly planned and properly lighted picture house can be made ugly and uninviting by a painter who knows nothing of color effects under artificial light, and whose chief idea of interior decorating is the use of insipid colors, laid on thick. The only ornamental plaster work in the auditorium was a small quantity of moulding around the exit door features. Yet under the brushes of skilled craftsmen the room became attractive and colorful. Finished entirely with acoustical plaster, the walls were given a swirled texture finish, Avith a touch of autumn leaf brown mixed in the plaster, so that no painting was necessary on these surfaces. The decorator carried out the exit details and stepped ceiling panels in stencil patterns featuring an Indian motif in red, orange, green, bronze and black. The result was a simplicity that proved surprisingly effective. The designs found among the arts and crafts of early North American inhabitants present many opportunities to resourceful designers and decorators in the ornamentation of the small theatre, at a very moderate cost. Even though an exhibitor feels that he must cut his remodeling cost to a minimum, he can ill afford to eliminate the services of a skilled theatre decorator. An ordinary painter may give you a good, honest job of paint, but decorating under artificial light, the proper and free use of color, and effective placing of patterns and designs, come only after years of experience in theatrical work. Turning to the mechanical work of the remodeled auditorium, we find that the new Waldo theatre is served by an indirect system of steam heating, the mushrooms for exhausting the air being concealed under the seating, and the supply entering through grilles in the ceiling beams, as previously mentioned. The boiler for the heating plant, in this instance, is in the adjoining commercial building, with tempering coils, fan, and refrigerating equipment in the stage basement of the theatre. The conditioned air reaches the attic ducts through a large shaft at one side of the stage. Such an indirect system of heating is more expensive in first cost than a direct steam lay-out, but it insures an even temperature throughout the theatre at all times and also effects a substantial saving in operating costs. In figuring heating appropriations, the exhibitor should take into consideration the fact that the cost of upkeep will remain with him, long after the original expense is forgotten. The same system of ducts is used in the Waldo theatre to cover the theatre man's three seasons of weather making — winter heating, spring and fall ventilation, and summer refrigeration. Refrigeration costs are being reduced so rapidly that this former luxury will soon be within the reach of all the smaller theatres. This is particularly encouraging, for when properly planned and handled, a good cooling system is capable of wiping out a great portion of the old time midsummer slump that usually struck the box office receipts. After the thorough renovation and revamping described above, which made the Waldo equal to a new house in every way, at a cost of approximately $50 per seat, the theatre opened its doors on Christmas Day to a large and enthusiastic patronage. Since that time packed houses have testified to the community's pride in the new playhouse. The parking station, furnished free by the owners to theatre patrons, is filled nightly with the cars of those who come from a considerable distance to enjoy this now-modern suburban motion picture theatre. The Economics Of Theatre Remodeling which are in poor condition anyway, it would pay to relocate these rooms to meet the aforementioned desiderata. These rooms should be furnished with up-to-date fixtures conducive to sanitation and comfort. Although the accessory rooms have been discussed before, considering the problem of the auditorium itself, it will first be necessary to determine just what changes should be made in the auditorium, because here the problem is more complex and involves the seating arrangement, the sight lines, the placing of the screen and the lighting and decorative problem, as well as the provisions for heating and ventilation. Therefore the solution to the auditorium problem will somewhat govern the disposition of other requirements. The seating arrangement and sight line requirements are of prime importance to the auditorium, because it is necessary that everv seat should be a good seat — not only m the nature of the seat itself and its construction, but also in the relationship of its position to the screen. The tendency to crowd in as many seats as floor space permits, regardless of the view of the {Continued from page 25) screen, has been a fallacy in the planning of many an existing theatre. This policy has resulted in a certain amount of seats in many theatres from which only a distorted view of the images on the screen can be had. These seats are too near to, or too far from, or too much to one side of, the screen. Or in some cases, too much below or too high above the level of the screen. It would be better to remove such seats, because to sit in them is disturbing. The seating capacity of a theatre should be judged not only by the number of seats in the auditorium, but also by the amount of people that can be accommodated in its lounge or lounges. Therefore removing poor seats would not necessarily lessen the true capacity of a theatre if ample lounging space were provided for in some way. Still another consideration in seating is that of the slope of the orchestra floor and the pitch of the steppings in the balcony. If the orchestra floor does not have a sufficient slope to overcome any obstruction of the view of the screen, certain remedies can be suggested. First, the screen should be placed as far back as possible from the first row of seats — that is, it can be about six feet forward of the rear masonry wall of the theatre, which allows enough space for the sound amplifiers behind the screen. In addition to this the screen should be sufficiently raised for the bottom of the screen to be visible from every seat. Of course, there is a limit as to how much the screen can be raised when the theatre happens to have a balcony, which cuts off the view of the top of the screen from the orchestra seats underneath the balcony. Naturally, in raising the screen, the orchestra seats nearest to it are not desirable, due to the necessity of craning one's head in order to see the complete screen. However, this can be corrected by installing seats which are tilted backluard. This kind of seat is most comfortable and can be used throughout the orchestra floor to great advantage. Incidently, any amount that the screen is raised helps vision from the balcony. At this point it is opportune to mention that the duct work necessary for the installation of a good heating and ventilating system would necessarily appear attached {Continued on page 154)