The Moving picture world (May 1922)

May 6, 1922 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 99 Better Equipment Qonducled E.T. KEY S ER ii| The Importance of the Small Picture Theatre and a Service That it Requires A FEATURE of the current year's building activities is the number of houses, ranging from five to seven hundred seat capacity, being planned. Quite frequently, of late, we have been in receipt of requests from those contemplating the erection of these small picture theatres for suggestions and information which would enable them to lay out and equip their houses in a thoroughly modern manner. It is evident, both from these requests and the news items which we have published from time to time, that the small houses of today are making a bid for the very best class of patronage, and that it is the ambition of their proprietors to make them in everything, save seating capacity, miniatures of the big picture theatres, now so typical of American amusement architecture. The one great difficulty experienced by the prospective smaU theatre builder is the difficulty in obtaining thoroughly satisfactory plans procurable at a cost in keeping with the size of his house. No such difficulty is experienced by the builder of a theatre of fifteen hundred seats or more, erected at a cost ranging from the hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars. The very magnitude of the expenditure for the larger house permits of a proportional architect's fee that will not constitute an undue initial expenditure, and which, naturally, serves as an attraction to the best architectural service obtainable. But is is quite a different matter with the little fellow, who wants to plan and plan well, and yet realizes that he cannot expect to retain the services of some famous firm of architects for a fee which he feels to be proportional to his other expenses. That this is an actual situation is proved by the stress laid upon securing of plans in their requests for information which we receive from prospective small picture theatre builders. It would seem that this indicates that there is a profitable field that could be cultivated to advantage by architects familiar with picture theatre requirements, and that the demand for skilled planning service, at a fair cost, could be met by a series of stock plans and specifications covering a limited variety of requirements, and that each individual plan of the series could be made somewhat elastic by being so designed as to be susceptible of modification to a reasonable degree. Such a service would be a God-send to the exhibitor in the small town, and would, undoubtedly, prove profitable to the concern enterprising enough to establish such a feature. Provide for Modifications Such plans and specifications, with provision for their modification, as suggested, should be so framed as to be easily followed by an intelligent local builder, possibly aided by a local architect. A flat fee, covering the use of the plans and specifications, could be charged, with the proviso that only one house should be built from them and that, upon the completion of the structure, Ithey be returned to the concern publishing them. Anything that will make easier the path of the builder of the small picture theatre should be encouraged and commended, because the small exhibitor is the real backbone of the industry. He is the pioneer who tries out the field, encourages local appreciation of the screen and creates a market for late-runs and re-issues in locations where the big house first runs would not prove profitable. As his town and his clientele grow, he enlarges his house or rebuilds, and, having gained his experience at first hand in a small establishment, is very likely to develop into a showman of superior ability. And, with the right location, the small house, properly managed, has very many chances in its favor to become a good paying proposition. Given anything like the right kind of a show, it is far easier to play to full capacity than with a theatre which must continuously do a vast amount of business or face a loss, oc casioned by many empty seats eating off their heads. And it is quite possible to make a small house so attractive as to prove just as satisfactory to its patrons as a magnificent million-dollar theatre. Modern improvements in equipment have gone far to lighten the task and increase the results for the small exhibitor. Automatic players permit of satisfactory musical effects at a moderate expenditure. Projection room equipment is now made so automatic that it is possible for the small town projectionist to produce quite as good screen results as his metropolitan brother. Multiple projector installations, mechanical arc controls, mechanical rewinds, curtain operating devices and well planned roomy and well ventilated projection rooms make it possible to keep the small town projectionist in a pleased and comfortable frame of mind and anxious to" do his best work. Seat indicating devices minimize the work of the ushers and make possible the employment of a small staff with satisfactory results. Modern ventilating methods and systems are just as applicable to the small as well as the large house, so that the audience of the little theatre may be just as comfortable in any sort of weather as is that of a metropolitan theatre. Automatic ticket vending devices render the work of the box office attendant easy and guarantee the results being absolutely accurate. All of these improvements enable the small exhibitor to operate his house witli a very small staff, particularly as he is in the enviable position of being able to give direct supervision to many details of management, which, in a large house, must be delegated to subordinates. And the small exhibitor appears to be thoroughly realizing his opportunity and the installations of equipment in many of tlie little theatres, which we have recently reported are of a character tliat, but a short time past, was considered appropriate only to the establishment of his millionaire contemporary of the big city.