Motion Picture Herald (May-Jun 1946)

It was a wonder that this set had not burned up many months before. AVhen we went back, down into the theatre, the owner was very anxious to know if the generator was "fixed-up." The report given him was that the commutator was dirty, the bars had badly worm grooves with dirt wedged between them ; that a new set of brushes was needed, that the splices of the wiring, and the wires themselves, were in bad shape and needed immediate repair to avoid a short-circuit. The entire set was covered with accumulated carbon dust and other abrasive material that needed immediate removal. The resistors in the rheostats were nearly rusted through and sagging. To all of this report the owner listened with a puzzled expression. Then he said he would get hold of a local electrician who did the electrical work around the theatre. When it was explained that it would take more than a local electrician to get that generator and those rheostats in good working order, he seemed very much surprised. "Never had any trouble before," he said, almost as though we were to blame. He was sure that if everything was explained to the electrician the equipment could be repaired "good enough," and he said that anyway he intended to replace it soon with later types. "Going to put it in the same housing?" we asked, and believe it or not, he said he was. It took a lot of discussion to get him to realize that he was throwing money away in buying new equipment, or even repairing the present installation, if it wasn't going to be better housed. The upshot of all this was that he called in the electrician and also a tinsmith to build new quarters on the roof for this equipment. In case motor-generator equipment has to be provided for outside the building proper, as may happen particularly with very small theatres, here is the way to do it : First, the housing has to be of ample size to allow clear working space around the equipment for servicing and also generous circulation of air and dissipation of heat; also, this housing should be of sturdy construction and weatherproof as well as fireproof The outer covering can be of currugated or "standing-seam" sheet-metal material supported by a framework of angle iron, or if need be, by wood studs. All along the bottom of this housing, roofing pai>er or tin should be installed as a flashing, together with a curb at least 4 inches high at the door saddle to keep out the rainwater from the roof. At the sides of this housing, louvres about 30 X 30 inches should be installed with blades of either the stationary or adjustable type. When they are of the stationary type, the blades should be set at an angle of about 45° to keep out rain. The location of the housing should be Fox Boulevard Theatre, Wichita, Kan., showing 24" and 10" Adier "Third Dimension" Letters used interchangeably on "RemovaPanel" Glass-inFrame units, on front face of slon. Sign is double-faced, set about 30 ft. in front of theatre, suspended between 2 masonry pillars. Front face shows current program and back shows coming attractions. In 6-line, Double-Faced Sign, 85" Visible Height Made Possible by ADLER ft REMOVA-PANEL with "THIRD DIMENSION" Letters So easy to profit from large, brilliant marquee program displays, beeouse ADLER Exclusive "Remova-Panel" frames give quick, easy access to any part of the interior of the sign for all maintenance — replacing lamps, fluorescent tubing, cleaning, repairs — all without removing any large, heavy frame and glass unit. And ADLER "Third Dimension" Letters— the original and only letters wftk true third dimensional depth — provide flexible display in all interchangeable sizes — in all popular colors — all easily handled in and out of the sign. FIND OUT TODAY ABOUT ADLER SMASH DISPLAY! ADLER SILHOUETTE LETTER CO. 3021b West 36th St., Chicago 32 1451b Broadway, New York IS CHICAGO NEW YORK TORONTO. CANADA .. lONDON. ENGLAND Canadian Representative: General Theatre Supply Co., Toronto Covered by Patents Granted and Pending. Approved by Underwriters' Lab., Inc. TRADE MARK GENERAL REGISTER'S ELECTRICALLY OPERATED AUTOMATICKET THE TICKET MACHINE OF PROVEN DEPENDABILITY n Cable Address "GfNISTER" NEW YORK GENERAL REGISTER CORPORATION 36-20 33rd ST.. LONG ISLAND CITY 1. NEW YORK BETTER THEATRES. JUNE I, 1945 43