We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
Along the mall of Shopper's World
Combining a Neutrality of
Picturing and describing The Cinema of Shoppers’ World, huge suburban mercantile center at Framingham, Mass., where the motion picture is freed of interference from a black frame and extraneous architectural form and coloration.
IN THE CINEMA of Shoppers’ World at Framingham, Mass., a maskless screen has been integrated with purely functional auditorium design in such manner, including control of screen light throughout the area of the audience, that a definite physical scheme is offered for the advancement of public motion picture exhibition.
Elimination of the time-honored screen border has been gaining momentum lately. The advantages of a “neutral” auditorium have had authoritative recommendation for some years. In the theatre of Boston’s tremendous suburban trading center, these two ideas are applied, complementarily, for the first time. The result is a screen performance altogether free of extraneous influence— that is to say, free to seize and hold the mind.
Virtually out in the country, on Route 9 between Boston and Worcester, Shoppers’ World nevertheless is not without physical distinctions purely as a mercantile mart. It expresses the trend toward outlying trading centers in daring dimensions, with two double-deck tiers of shops along
the sides of a landscaped mall, which is crossed at ground level by macadam walks, and above by bridges which connect elevated promenades on which the upper shops front. Modern stores, including a huge branch of Boston’s famed Jordan Marsh, offer almost every class of merchandise, while there are a variety of restaurants. The Cinema is operated by Philip Smith of Boston, operator of many drive-in theatres.
Construction of The Cinema follows that employed basically throughout Shoppers’ World.
^Vith walls of Cemesto — a relatively thin masonry unit composed of asbestos and Celotex and accordingly very light in weight, structu'es have required only light steel framework. The Cemesto blocks are laid in vertical tiers divided by aluminum d'-members.
The theatre is located off the mall, immediately beyond shops at the inner end. D/ives to parking space, and parking area, adjoin the theatre.
A central heating plant serves the entire development; the theatre has its own cooling plant, however, equipment being located adjoining the projection room.
■ The view of The Cinema above, shows one side (wifh sign toward parking drives) and a porflon of the facade. The upper course of the latter is set back from a one-story structure housing the foyer, which extends across half of the front, with windows in aluminum frames. The upper course is Cemesto masonry floodlighted from the lower roof. The glazed area shown above houses the portion of the foyer shown at left, which juts out from the remainder with a pair of ''Hercullte'' entrance doors facing an open approach canopied by continuation of the roof. ''Herculife” exit door? extend along the Inner side of this open approach (see other foyer view on page 10). The box-office is a desk at the end of the refreshment stand (left).
The stand designed by William Riseman Associates of Boston, has wood veneer facing around a display case, and a back screen wall of pebbled glass. Behind the latter are the manager's office (at front), a storage and a janitor's room.