Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

November 1 , 19 3 0 Motion Picture N e zv s 87 protection. New construction is at present out of the question, but a most satisfactory alternative is found in remodeling which will enable him to correct the inherent faults of the old house, fix it up generally and place it back on a profitable basis. Any Change Stimulates Business A foundation, four good walls, a roof, a good sized stage and reasonably good doors afford a good basis to work from. Through consultation with an experienced architect he can quite readily budget the expense of reconstruction to include an eye-catching, attractive front and a modernized interior that will fairly re-convert the natives and bring them back to the box-office in droves. The human element grows tired of seeing the same sights continuously, week in and week out. A frequent change in decoration and color effects, arrangement and general atmosphere always has an alluring effect on public sentiment. Remodeling to some extent should therefore be a regular seasonal practice among theatre owners, particularly those who are located in smaller towns or communities contiguous to the metropolitan centers. Lighting, color, and the modernistic trend toward novelty effects should predominate in the re-decoration of the theatre, exterior and interior. The theatre to be remodeled is usually susceptible to such treatment if the architect selected is one who knows his business. Can most old theatres be successfully remodeled ? Generally, yes ; and w-e shall in the course of this series of articles offer actual examples of completed remodeling assignments, with illustrations — before and after — for comparison, with certain cost data to show that most old theatres can be successfully renovated, modernized architecturally and re-equip Elmer F. Behrens Well-known Chicago theatre architect who, with this issue of THE SHOWMAN, joins J. Harry Toler in explaining the fundamentals of architecture The remodeled interior of the Park Theatre, now a popular neighborhood house in Chicago, illustrates the possibilities existent in most theatres on which time has made its mark. ped at astonishingly low cost as compared to new construction. To the lay mind it is sometimes difficult to visualize the transformation of a ramshackle old theatre into a modern structure, and the question naturally arises : Will it look like a patched up job when it's finished? An architect who specializes in theatre work can quite easily and satisfactorily answer that question on paper. He knows theatre construction, and can usually pilot the job through to completion most economically. Shaving Too Close Is Not Economy It is unfortunate that in too many cases a theatre architect is not consulted in the remodeling of structures in smaller towns. And, too, many times, where such consultations are made the recommendations of the architect are disregarded, and final results are disappointing. Every remodeling job should be predesigned and carried through to completion in the same careful manner as a new project. The designer's budget should be spared as much "shaving down" as possible, because a preconceived plan for a well-balanced finished product can be seriously thrown out of balance by the omission of even minor details "to save expenses." An example of this kind is brought to mind by a recent occurrence. The original design for a revamped theatre in the vicinity of Chicago was carefully worked out to preserve the sight lines and make every seat in the remodeled house one from which the patron could view the screen without discomforture. That part of the proposal calling for the removal of certain obstacles and the re-arrangement of seating was forced to yield to false economy and two of the most grievous faults of the old house were left un corrected to "save expenses" and while the theatre front and foyer were admirably treated and the auditorium corrected acoustically, the final result was somewhat of a "bust." The designer knew that an attractive stage setting was needed to sell the projected picture to the audience, so he presented an attractive design as a part of nis budget ; but that too was "kicked out" as a sacrifice to economy and the architect's appeal to reason was of no avail. It is an unfortunate break of the business that such as that happens too frequently. Design in Next Discussion Seating capacity is always an important consideration in the process of remodeling. Unfortunately too many other equally important factors have in the past been sacrificed to greater capacity and crampiness, eyestrain and other physical discomfortures have been the portion of the patron. Remodeling, when properly designed and engineered can be relied upon to correct the inherent faults of the old house and many times an increase in seats may be realized without sacrificing comfort or convenience — two all-important considerations in the theatre's appeal for public favor. Theatre front and entrance design, exterior decoration and other eye-catching refinements adaptable to practically every type of old theatre construction will be outlined in an article to follow in an early issue of the Showman. Arrangements are being made to reproduce actual photographs and other interesting statistical data and facts in support of the argument that it pavs to change the atmosphere as well as the picture, and that a remodeled theatre can generally be relied on to effect an increase in box-office revenue.