Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Mar 1954)

■MHI for FEBRUARY 1954 GEORGE SCHUTZ, Editor New Techniques Shaping Up for Drive-Ins, Too EDITORIAL INDEX: Page WESTERN RANCH ATMOSPHERE FOR 450-CAR DRIVE-IN: THE COW TOWN, ST. JOSEPH, MO 14 PLAYGROUNDS: WHAT MAKES THEM AN ASSET 16 DRIVE-INS AND THE NEW TECHNIQUES, by Glo Gag liardi 21 THEATRE REFRESHMENT SALES department: STAND AND FOOD ARRANGEMENTS FOR FAST SERVICE AT DRIVE-INS 27 VENDER VANE: Market News 30 DOUBLING REFRESHMENT SALES WITH A REMODELED SNACK BAR 40 CHRISTMAS SPIRIT FOR THE SNACK BAR 42 KEEPING DRIVE-IN REFRESHMENT SERVICE ON THE MOVE, by Wilfred P. Smith. 35 ON THE HOUSE department: A BRIGHTER PICTURE FOR THE DRIVE-IN 43 ALL SIZES OF HOUSES GOING STEREOPHONIC 44 DRIVE-IN DESIGNED FOR "DAYLIGHT" PROJECTION 48 ABOUT PRODUCTS 51 METHOD IN MANAGEMENT department: A DICTIONARY OF MAINTENANCE, by Curtis Mees, Twelfth Article of a Series on Motion Picture Theatre Management 61 CHARLIE JONES SAYS: Oh, 'tis a Life, Men, of Service and Servitude! 66 NEW THEATRE IN SINGAPORE: THE 1645-SEAT ODEON 68 AS CLEARLY indicated in various parts of this issue, the drive-in section of the business can, and soon is going to, tale effective and general advantage of 3D and wide-screen. Experimentation with surface materials to reflect a far greater amount of incident light, and to the right places, is bearing fruit. One of the screens is placed on the market in an advertisement of the OpenAir Development Company in this issue, and on page 22 we take note of the Motion Picture Research Council's progress in a similar direction. Extension of screen areas for wider pictures has begun in a number of situations; these and reports of plans to increase picture widths during the next few months indicate that the year will put the drive-in field definitely in position to exploit a big picture in yet new terms. Its position relative to CinemaScope productions of 20th Century-Fox is still in the air. Regardless of how other considerations would be dealt with, the requirement of stereophonic sound could not be maintained for the drive-in. Here, of course, we have conditions favorable to putting three tracks through one channel by means of a mixer. At any rate, the drive-in enters its 21st year vigorously responding to public acknowledgment of its special place of service, and apparently ready to get aboard the current technical movement. ABOUT PEOPLE OF THE THEATRE 6 is published the first week of each month, with the regular monthly issues, and an annual edition, the Market & Operating Guide, which appears in March, issued as Section Two of Motion Picture Herald. QUIGLEY PUBLICATIONS, Rockefeller Center, New York 20, N. Y., Circle 7-3100. RAY GALLO, Advertising Manager. HOLLYWOOD: Yucca-Vine Building; HOIlywood 7-2145. MIDWEST: Urben Farley & Company, 120 S. LaSalle Street, Chicago; Financial 6-3074. Our colleague, Bill Smith, kept his drivein at Ledgewood, N. J., open long enough to celebrate New Year's Eve with a special program. It began at about 7 o'clock in 1953 and ended during the first hour of the following year. To indicate that the stunt was a good-will builder if not too much more, here's an unsolicited letter from a woman who was there: Dear Manager: I am just one of the many patrons who enjoyed your New Year’s Eve show. I think you deserve a great deal of credit for your wonderful idea of five big features. As you know it was a bitter cold night, so your nice hot chocolate kept us warm, as well as the heater. Loads of success for 1954. Besides hot chocolate, coffee was also free. And did those people eat — for money! — G. S.