Motion Picture News (Nov-Dec 1925)

November 2 8, 1 9 2 5 2583 CONSTPUCTION^EQUIPMENT DEPARTMENT California Leads in New Theatre Projects Average House Costing $283,000 to Seat Approximately 1,400; Other Data THE latest analysis of reports of new theatre projects shows several changes to the data published on new projects in our issue of October 10th. The forty reports from which the following data is arranged, represent by no means all the new projects which have been reported to Motion Picture News since October 10th, but are those that have been received within the past few weeks. In our October report of f sixty projects totalling an esti 1 mated building cost of $21,000, { 000, Illinois led with a schedule over $5,000,000. However, in this week's report California leads with a total of $5,780,000, out of a total of $11,320,000 for the entire country. In other words, California actually represents fifty percent of all the building in the country — in total investment, not number of projects. Illinois takes second place with two projects grossing $3,500,000. Three projects call for $2,000,000 and more investment; one for $1,500,000 ; two for onehalf million dollars, and sixteen between $100,000 and $500,000. The average cost per theatre for these forty projects reporter! is $283,000— a proof that theatres today are being built on an elaborate scale never before approached. In our October report it was shown that the average seating capacity for the projects analyzed was nearly 1,400. The figure is practically the same for the theatres here analyzed. The individual reports from which this data is compiled are listed as follows : CALIFORNIA Hollywood — Plans are completed for the erection of two story Class A theatre bldg. and store to be erected at 5519-33 Hollywood Blvd. Site 96 x 165. Seating Cap. 1,600; Approx. cost $200,000. Owner Bard Bros. Hollywood — Plans are being prepared for erection of theatre bldg. store and offices to be erected at the corner of Maplewood and Western Aves. Ap prox. cost $150,000. Site 60 x 178. Seating Cap. 900. Owners — West Coast Theatres. Ingle wood — Plans have been completed for the erection of theatre bldg. to be erected at Balloon St. and Hawthorne Blvd. Approx. cost $100,000. Owner George Williams, City Bldg. Insp. of Hawthorne. PRICES J T is an accepted custom that merit be bought without a certain amount of bargaining. Exhibitors never call a closed season on prices — when the prices are of equipment. Ten, twenty or twenty-five off list on standard apparatus, or the selection of a substitute apparatus of inferior quality costing less is the haven for these buyers. Pursued equally diligently by many dealers is the practice of jacking up prices on auxiliary apparatus so that the ten, twenty or twenty-five off on the important equipment does not crimp their profit too severely — or to the same end, by the substitution of inferior products. That this game of price jockeying — and it seems only that — actually profits either side is questionable. The exhibitor at times buys cheaper and then again he does not. He does not on the occasion where an unjustifiably large margin of profit is slapped on to any number of items that escape for one reason or another, close buying. Or he does not help his cause when he buys cheap substitutes. But the dealer bears the blame in no small share for this price dickering. He plays the game of wits with the buyer — and usually his profit due to price cutting, added selling costs, long credit risks, etc., is severely curtailed. Unethical competition is also often to blame. That the present buying practices tend to retard the more general use of standard high grade equipment there can be no doubt. They also make for unhealthy credit risks and business methods. The manufacturer feels their reflection in greater sales resistance. Summed up, equipment trading as carried on today is conducted to the actual detriment of all concerned. We do not need to point to the road of reform — it's too obvious. But we do know that it is high time that this phase of the motion picture industry decided to carry on as if it were a legiti Los Angeles — Plans are being drawn for the erection of theatre and office bldg. to be erected at Eleventh & Hill Sts. Approx. cost to be $2,000,000. Los Angeles — Plans are being prepared for the erection of a $2,500,000 theatre bldg. to be erected by the Fox Film Corjioration. Site has not yet been selected. San Diego — Plans are being prepared for erection of theatre """ """| bldg. on the southwest cor. of 1 Park Blvd. and Universitv Ave. f Approx. cost $100,000; site 111 x 143. Owners — G. A. and K. G. Bush. San Francisco — Plans are being prepared for the erection of Class A theatre bld<r. with seating capacity of 1,500 to be erected at the southeast corner of 29th Ave. and Taraval St. Approx. cost $130,000. Owners — Blumenfeld Theatre Circuit. San Francisco — Plans are being completed for the erection of theatre bldg. at northeast corner of 48th Ave. and Cabrillo St. There will be ten stores in connection with the theatre. Owner — Oceanside Amusement Co. San ' Francisco — Plans have been completed for erection of theatre bldg. market and stores to be erected on the east side of Divisadero St. between Hayes and Grove. Reid Bros., Archts., have prepared plans. Approx. cost $500,000. Owners— Milton H. Lees & Samuel H. Levin. San Jose — Binder & Curtis, Architects are preparing plans for the erection of theatre bldg. at Hester on garage site opposite the Hestor School. Seating Cap. 1,000. Approx. cost $100,000— Leasees of theatre bldg. built by V. A. Benson will be Enno Lion and E. Rosenthal. mate business. P. M. ABBOTT. FLORIDA Titasville — Plans are being prepared for erection of theatre bldg. on the river front on Main St. just off Washington Ave. Approx. cost $200,000. Site 100 x 130: Seating Cao. 1.500. Owners — Mr. and Mr. Van Croix. (Continued on page 2288)