Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1945)

\ETHODS IN MANAGEMENT: A Department for Newcomers to Theatre Operation Responsibility of the Manager or Maintenance of Machinery Why supervision of the care Ihd operation of mechanical . quipment is important, and I hat to keep tabs on in that l.pervision to make it click RESPONSIBILITY FOR the effi ;nt, uninterrupted operation of mechanical uipment is one of the most important of a anager's duties. It is the immediate respon)ility of appointed members of his staff; but is his ultimately. How the manager goes about assuring himlf that the machinery has been attended to that it will perform as it was made to perrm, without sudden breakdown and undue ^terioration, depends on the size and makeup the staff and, if the theatre is a circuit heration, on the policy of the operating ormization. In an average circuit house he probably will ]f pd that a system of maintenance charts, rep resenting a constant report of those who do the oiling, cleaning, etc., will be the most dependable way of keeping himself informed as to how well the equipment is being taken care of. Such a chart, posted near the equipment which it concerns, will quickly give him the information he is seeking when he makes his inspections. It has the incidental value of checking negligence, since it compels the person in immediate charge to put down in black and white, what he has done, and when he has' done it. The manager will learn by experience with specific members of his staff to what extent he needs to examine the equipment itself, to see if the chart is not fibbing. In any case, he should "see for himself" every so often, not only for absolute reassurance, but to detect developing conditions that can be recognized as trouble-makers if not corrected within a certain length of time. Operating maintenance of mechanical equipment, as well as of other elements of the physical theatre, is a regular thing. Repairing is occasional, and should be given, so far as possible, the status of the unusual. Repairing often calls for the services of someone outside the theatre; operating maintenance — cleaning, lubricating, adjusting — is the job of the theatre staff, under the manager's supervision. And the more the manager himself knows about his equipment, the more effective that supervision — and the easier for him is this part of his duties. THE GOLDEN THREE To run well, with the least wear and tear, machinery must be kept clean, it must be lubricated at all times, it must be in proper adjustment. Cleaning, lubricating and adjusting are the key words in the golden rule of machinery maintenance. The manager should know when his equipment is clean, when it is effectively lubricated, when it is adjusted to operate most efficiently. By examining his equipment, and reading manuals and articles designed to explain it to him, he will accumulate in time an adequate amount of practical knowledge of it. This article merely points out basic features and considerations for the newcomer. Dust is an insidious foe of equipment having critical moving parts. Machinery should be kept as free of it as possible. The best way to remove it is to use an electric blower with a rubber tube (some vacuum cleaners are equipped to serve this purpose quite well). Otherwise internal surfaces 'should be wiped as clean as this method allows. Grease that has been caked on where it doesn't belong reduces efficiency. If too hard to be wiped off, it can be softened with kero 01 :• : : ;:• a :o iir I I J f * ik :i" 1 poi 3 larif a : Si H na f '•v t A "DOUBLE FEATURE" for Postwar Booking In your plans for the future, be sure to include the popular UNIVENDOR DeLuxe Theatre Model with the double bar capacity. The smooth, always-dependable performance of these fine machines has won warm friends among busy theatre managers everywhere. You will discover, just as they have, that it's a real asset to have the finest equipment. Our full capacity is still devoted to turning put vital war materials . . . but UNIVENDOR will be back after Victory! Imvendor STONER MFG. CORP. Aurora, 111. ^BfeS& To speed the day of Victory Keep Buying War Bonds JETTER THEATRES, MARCH 3, 1945 23