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Building for Family Trade at Low Prices
CI An Exhibitor Tells About His Theatre
R. J. Hielile has been in the theatre business in Parkersburff, W. Va., for the last thirty years. He began with airdome {long before the time of driveins!) and has had, in all, five different motion picture exhibition properties. Today he operates the Hiehle and Burivell in Parkersburg, the Burwell being less than a year old. Parkersburg, a city of 45,000 with a viscose plant as its principal industrial establishment, has four other theatres, two of them W arner houses, the others independent. Proudly bringing the new Burwell to our attention, Mr. Hiehle was asked to tell about it, and he does in the following columns.— The Editor.
THE BURWELL theatre in Parkersburg is one of the newest and also, we think, one of the finest in West Virginia. Located as it is, outside the business district of the city, it was designed for the more exacting needs of a strictly neighborhood theatre, with emphasis placed on appeal to family groups — the women and children — at admissions of from ten to twenty cents.
The design of the building, both inside and out, is in the modern trend. The front is stucco over hollow tile. The theatre being outside the business section, it will escape the smoke and grime that usually pervades such areas, so it was thought entirely prudent to employ light colors and the more delicate shades for the color scheme. With this in mind, we had the stucco pure white, and this is relieved with bands of black and with a black base course of enameled brick. The marquee, which is studded with varicolored stationarv and
chaser lamps and also illuminated in neon, is golden buff in color with a blue and red trim.
Instead of at the front (where it is usually found), Vitrolite structural glass was used in the Burwell entirely inside. The cashier's booth is in black Vitrolite with chromium mouldings (for the comfort of the cashier — an important point if you want to build up a smooth-running staff — the booth is well ventilated and has an electric heater). The two pairs of entrance doors are blue to match the marquee and have large circular plate glass panels. These are effectively outlined with chromium mouldings.
Lobby and Foyer
Vitrolite is liberally used in the entrance lobby, which is a small but amply sized room leading directly into the foyer. The walls are entirely in three shades of gleaming Vitrolite — black from the floor to a point about 5 feet above, then deep yellow for 2 feet, then 1 foot of blue, then yellow again to the ceiling. The Vitrolite is applied with chromium mouldings, and chromium three-sheet display frames are recessed in each side wall. Directly over the top of each frame, the name Burwell appears, cut in mirror glass and making an effective ornament. The lobby floor is pink Tennessee marble with rubber mats recessed in traffic lanes.
The foyer is sufficiently large to accommodate anv reasonable between-show
BETTER THEATRES: Sept. 16, 1939
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