Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1939)

CONSTRUCTION OPERATION tettevheatres MAINTENANCE EQUIPMENT VOLUME 134 JANUARY 7, 1939 222 NEW THEATRE PROJECTS REPORTED LAST HALF OF 38 IN SPITE of highly unfavorable business conditions during a great part of the year, new theatre construction projects for 1938 declined less than 11% as compared with 1937, according to Better Theatres' Projects Bulletin Service. A total of 222 new construction projects were reported for the last half of the year just ended, as against 207 for the first six months, making the 1938 total 429 in all. This figure bears out almost exactly the estimate printed in Better Theatres last March, in which it was predicted that the year would see approximately a 10% drop under the 1937 new projects total of 481 . The trend in the closing months showed some interesting reversals in seats per theatre and in total construction costs. The national seating average has been estimated up to recently at about 650. The Hays Organization set a figure of 640 for all theatres operating at the end of 1936, and there have been increases since. Projects for 1937 and the first half of 1938 showed an average close to 900 seats per theatre. During the final six months of the year, however, new projects seating (based on detailed reports covering 144 of the projected 222 theatres) showed an average seating capacity of only 686. Costs Opposite Capacity Trend Construction costs, however, taking the year as a whole, have not followed the same trend. Seats per theatre during 1937 averaged nearly 900, and construction costs about $85,000. For the first half of 1938 seating remained substantially unchanged while construction cost fell to an average of $50,000, showing a preference for the same theatre size coupled with economies effected at the expense of architectural appointments or decoration. But in the last half of the year costs rose to a $67,000 average while seating declined to 686, indicating an apparent preference for more elaborate architectural arrangements even at the cost of lower seating capacity. These figures are, however, subject to the qualification that they show trends only, since it was not possible to obtain complete data on all new projects reported. The seating figures of the past six months are based on reports covering only 144 out of the total 222 new theatre projects, while construction cost figures were available only in 85 instances. The same qualification of course applies to figures for the first six months of 1938, and for 1937 and previous years. The trend toward smaller capacity was most pronounced in the South and West. In the East South Central states the available figures give an average of 424 seats per house; in the West South Central states, 453 seats. Mountain states figures show an average seating capacity of 525. Contrary indications were found along the Atlantic seaboard, with an average of 983 seats per house in the South Atlantic area, 967 seats in New England • • • FEATURES OF THIS ISSUE Page Metro Theatre, Perth, Australia 4 Air Distribution 6 4-Star Theatre, Grand Rapids, Mich. 7 Interview: Charles C. Burton 10 Observations: Editorial 15 Air-Conditioning 16 Lighting 20 Seating 22 Sound Trouble-Shooting Charts 23 F. H. Richardson's Comment 26 Decorating Wood Fibre Boards 29 Foyer and Lounge Furniture 30 Ben Schlanger; C. C. Potwin 31 Directionalism in Microphones 33 Better Theatres is published by the Quigley Publishing Company, Inc., Rockefeller Center, New York, every fourth week as Section Two of Motion Picture Herald. Martin Quigley, publisher and editor-in-chief. George Schutz, editor. Colvin Brown, general manager. Ray Gallo, advertising manager. C. B. O'Neill, Western advertising manager, 624 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. London Bureau: No. 4, Golden Square, Wl. Consultants: J. T. Knight, Jr., physical operation; Ben Schlanger, architectural form; C. C. Potwin, acoustic design and treatment. NUMBER 2 and 744 in the Middle Atlantic region. The Pacific Coast average approximated the last named with an average seating capacity of 751, as did also the East North Central states with an average of 739. The West North Central states came closest to the national average with a figure of 655. Midwest States Lead The East North Central states, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin, led in construction activity, with 54 new projects out of the national total of 222. The South Atlantic region, comprising Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida and the District of Columbia, were in second place with 38. Further details will be found on page 32 of this issue. Mountain states trailed with only 9, but New England was scarcely more active with a total of I I. This distribution of activity is greatly different from that of the first half of the year, but reversals of the trend can be noted with respect to some individual sections. Thus New England (in spite of the hurricane, or perhaps because of it) shows a decline in activity since July. The South Atlantic and East North Central states, the leaders in construction, show an increase about in keeping with the national trend, while the Middle Atlantic states are far ahead of the trend. Local Influence Notable Strictly local conditions appear to have been the strongest factor in controlling new theatre projects. The unequal distribution of activity as between different sections of the country existed to more marked degree than usual within the different areas. In the closing six months of 1938 small states were found projecting many new theatres, while far more populous neighbors, immediately adjoining, lagged behind. In the South Atlantic group, Georgia and North Carolina led heavily, with Florida and Virginia trailing. In the East North Central region both Ohio and Illinois outstrip Indiana almost three to one. Pennsylvania showed materially greater activity than more heavily populated New York; and in the Southwest both Louisiana and Arkansas maintained a six to one lead over Texas. 5