Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1939)

^fay 27, 1939 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW Page 27 tire front has been rcnioik-lcd. Duritig alterations, performances have continued niiihtly, the work in no way interfering with tlie operations. Fire recently destroyed the Howard Thetre, 2614 N. Front St., Philadelphia. Defective wiring was believed to have caused the blaze. Installation of air-conditioning equipment, new drapes and stage have been completed at the Albany Theatre, Albany, Ga. A. C. Gortatowskv is the owner. New air conditioning and new seats have been installed in the Alamo Theatre, Newnan, Ga., operated by the Lam Amusement Company. A new front is to be added to the Green Theatre at Auoka, Minn. The work will be completed by July 15, according to Charles Closson, owner. Approximately $5,000 was spent on improvements for the Regent Theatre, Cleveland, Miss., according to the owner. Bill Ellis. The location of the house was changed. Renovations for the Arrowhead Theatre, Onamie, Minn., include a new floor, upholstered chairs and a new front. The work is expected to be completed soon. A new sound system is being installed in the Isle Theatre, Isle, Minn. Changes in the sound at the Peoples Thetre, Crosby, Minn., will provide for a new amplifier, higher fidelity, wider range and more power. Harvey Thorpe is owner of the Peoples. General renovations, including the enlarging of the present seating capacity from 501 to 1,501 are planned for the Saenger Theatre, Shreveport, La. Work will be completed by June 15, according to present plans. Three hundred additional seats will be added to the auditorium of the Bedford Theatre, Bedford, Ohio. Mrs. L. B. Stillwell is owner of the house. A new neon marquee and sign, a colored balcony and new offices constitute the renovations which were recently completed at the Carolina Theatre, Anderson, S. C. The Majestic Theatre, Jackson, Mich., owned by the Butterfield Circuit, has closed for the summer. The Avenue Amusement Corp. has closed the Alhambra Theatre at Milwaukee, Wis. The Virginia Theatre, North Baltimore, Ohio, owned by E. H. Walters, was recently destroyed by fire. Wilmer & Vincent have reopened their Rio Theatre at Harrisburg, Pa. The house had been dark since December of last year. E. G. Wollaston is house manager. AMAZING BARGAINS IN RECONSTRUCTED THEATRE CHAIRS. 15000 in stock to be disposed of. Write for illustrated bulletin. EASTERN SEATING COIVIPANY, Inc. 276 W. 43rd Street New York, N. Y. MODERN MARQUEES At the left above is the V-type marquee recently erected by the Trisign Company of Richmond, Indiana, on the Rits Theatre at Shelbyville, Ind. The skeleton letters are each 36 inches high and are emphasised with double powder green neon tubing and two blue neon tubes outlining the tetter base. Two red neon tubes in a channel surround the three line attraction boards in which opal glass and track is installed. The high front streamline is accented with tivo powder green neon tubes centered betiveen two red and two blue tubes. YOU would never think of getting dressed up in a new suit, new coat, new shoes, etc., and an old dirty, battered hat, would you? Nor would your wife, sister or sweetheart think of putting on a brand new, latest style dress and using a bonnet from 10 years back either. If your theatre, otherwise up-to-date and modern in every respect is topped by an old marquee which is dirty and has broken attraction letters and is otherwise in a state of disrepair, it is just as incongruous. Marquees should no longer be just a method of giving light to the front of the theatre at night. They must still serve this purpose, but they must all serve other purposes equally important. Your marquee is one of the principal advertising mediums available to you for displaying your attractions. If properly located, it should be seen from three sides and all passersby whether afoot or in automobiles or public conveyances are its readers. Your marquee also serves humbler purposes such as sheltering people from the rain as they are leaving or entering the theatre. Whether your theatre is large or small and regardless of its location some kind of a marquee is indispensable. If the theatre happens to be on a side street, a blaze of light and color will attract prospective patrons to it. Many theatres are still using marquees without changeable attraction letters. In our opinion, most of the money spent in erecting and maintaining such a structure is wasted. With modern signs at their present efficiency, it seems almost indispensable for the modern theatre to have a marquee upon which it can display the names of its attractions and their stars. Neon tubing is becoming increasingly popular on marquees. It serves to add color to the display at a minimum of expense. It also affords a suitable contrast between the name of the theatre and the names of the attractions. Keeping the marquee in repair is the most important part of owning one. The glass letters must be frequently cleaned. The At the right is the installation on the Clinton Theatre of Frankfort, Indiana. Chinese red and lemon yellow porcelain enamel on the front of the marquee correspond with matching colors on the body. A modern streamline leads from the front back to the box office with two powder green neon tubes in the center and two red and two blue tubes on each side. The two row silhouette attraction board on each side, outlined with two red neon tubes, is divided with a panel of 48 lemon yellozv incandescent flashing tamps, as is the streamline. whole thing must be painted frequently. Maintenance of the marquee requires constant inspection to see that none of the bulbs behind the letters are burned out. Ammonia water is recommended as the best cleaning agent for the glass letters. Let an expert service the neon tubing. A good marquee, properly maintained is a sign of a well run theatre. SENSATIONAL OFFER! NATIONALLY ADVERTISED 15 AMPERE RECTIFIER BULBS GUARANTEED 1200 HOURS $12.00 VALUE $6 95 EACH ANY QUANTITY Let US quote on your reseating job — new or used chairs — any size lot. WRITE TODAY FOR OUR SPECIAL LOW PRICE BULLETIN LISTING ASTOUNDING VALUES IN USED THEATRE EQUIPMENT —FEATURING UNHEARD OF BUYS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. FOR NEW-USED THEATRE EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES Write Today to STANLEY THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1235 South Wabash Ave. CHICAGO ILLINOIS