Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Mar 1956)

only. Willi such wall construction on a concrete slab, the roof can be constructed of wood joists and wood sheatiling with rigid insulation and mineral sheet roofing. (Steel decking has been used; it requires more insulation.) It is better for ceilings to be fire-retardant, and some states or localities require this. Vermiculite plaster supplies this characteristic with a minimum of weight. Except possibly for a truck garage, the only other structures regularly required are ticket booths (boxoffices), one for each pair of lanes. Two lanes are sufficient for capacities up to around 600 cars. Greater capacities should have at least four to handle peak crowds with proper speed. Above 1,000 cars or so, the number of lanes should be at least six. Ticket booths are commonly of frame construction with finish to supply a pleasing architectural effect. Above the base they can be almost entirely glazed to supply uninterrupted vision. This point in the drive is most prominently marked if the lanes are canopied; thus two or more box-offices can be connected in a portal effect, preferably with the canopy edged in neon. To accommodate two cashiers side by side the boxoffice should be 5 feet wide; a width of 4 feet is sufficient for one cashier working farther along. One boxoffice structure is a preferred location for the manager’s desk; here he is at the principal control point. Screen Tower WIDE-SCREEN TECHNIQUE, making the drive-in’s big picture still bigger, adds also to the factors determining the size of the screen structure. Prior to the new format, capacity — specifically, the number of ramps — provided a simple basis of calculation. Capacity remains a factor, but two other conditions also bear upon the problem. These are the dimensions of units in which screen structures are available, and the optimum output of projection light and optical systems. And these considerations are related to the question of aspect ratio. Projection light available with present means of reducing the effect of heat at the aperture allow an average screen reading of only 3^ to 4 foot-candles for a 100-foot picture, and it is reasonable to consider that amount of light little enough. For drive-ins of 500 cars and up, a width of approximately 100 feet appears indicated for projection in CinemaScope or its equivalent. Some drive-ins of 1,000 cars or more present a large picture, but it is questionable whether a width of even so much as 120 feet (a reasonable absolute limit) supplies a gain in acuity, or in impact of sheer magnitude, that is enough to counterbalance the loss in picture definition due to deficient projection light. (These limitations indicate A BASIS FOR ESTIMATING COSTS The following itemized list of costs is based on actual projects of 1955 near populous industrial centers where competition and film booking factors advise a relatively high capacity and installations compatible with today’s conception of good drive-in standards. These figures are for a capacity of 1,000 cars. Grading — including clearing, soil tests, rough grading and drainage (the latter being, however, a highly variable item) S 25,000 Surfacing (crushed stone with two oil treatments ; black top would add $15,000 to the amount here given) 30,000 Sewage disposal and water supply .... 15,000 Electrical — including wiring for speakers and road lighting, floodlighting and all lighting fixtures, building wiring and main power line 40,000 Screen tower (approx. 120x52-foot screen), complete 26,000 Refreshment projection restroom building (approx. 70x60 feet) .... 45,000 Refreshment service equipment (cafeteria) 25,000 Theatre and attraction sign and letters 5,000 Fencing (including playground) and guard rails 3,000 Projection and sound equipment — including speakers 22,000 Playground equipment (medium facilities) 7,500 Landscaping 4,000 Total cost $254,000 For winter operation: In-car heaters — including ramp and terminal wiring, and additional electric power service for 300 heaters . . 12,000 Heating installation for main building 10,000 Total cost for all-season operation . . $276,000 75 feet as a maximum picture width for the projection of non-anamorphic 35mm prints.) Screen structures can be built to any width or height, but it is more economical to erect them with prefabricated, or “standardized,” steel or wood structural members now available on the market. These are scaled to construct screen towers of certain sizes. Tilting the screen is recommended, with the top inclined towards the ramps sufficiently for the central section of the reflected light to fall in the center of “ramp population” — about two-thirds back. 42 Better Theatres 1956 Market Guide