Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1939)

Page 68 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW June 3, 1939 A Section of the Service StaflF Awaits Daily Inspection Radio City Music Hall is especially proud oi its uniformed staff of ushers, page boys and doormen which consti'.utes about one-fifth of the theatre's entire personnel. Shown here are some of the members lined up for inspection in the Grand Foyer while crowds collect outside awaiting the opening. Note that there is little or no variance in the men's stature. Their general appearance is immaculate. World's Largest Family (Continued from page 17) intimate theatres of tlieir liome towns. In short, the ushers are the humble servants of the people, ever willing and ready to cater to their desires. Seldom is there an "off-day" as far as patronage is concerned, in the operation of the world's largest theatre. Its unique position in the entertainment world makes the Music Hall a "must" on the itinerary of millions of tourists. The service staff, therefore, is thoroughly prepared and knows how to take care of large crowds. Whereas in many theatres waiting patrons become impatient and disgruntled, here they willingly and cheerfully await their turns for seats with the realization that if they can tell the folk back home about their visit to the Music Hall, it is v\-orth while waiting. As for regular New Yorkers, they, too, know the theatre's position, and they stand in line knowing that the ushers will escort them to seats as quickly and efficiently as possible. Every Possible Precaution Taken Perhaps a word or two should be accorded the projection which is under the direction of Charles MuUer. So that the patron may fully enjoy the screen offering without dangers of "breaks," bad lighting, scratchy prints, etc., every possible precaution is taken. The projectionists attend closely to their vvork. Before a print is accepted for exhibition, it is thoroughly inspected by Mr. Muller; in the theatre's private projection room, he views every foot of film that is to be projected on the Music Hall screen. The slightest flaw is sufficient reason for rejecting a print. No matter how long an attraction may be booked to play, prints are changed weekly. It is little wonder, then, that no complaints have ever been forthcorning from patrons about this theatre's projection. As for the sound, whether during the stage show or while the picture is bemg screened, it is constantly regulated by Harry Braun, sound mixer, who sits up there on duty in the small dark sound room on the third mezzanine. To ^go into the duties of the rest of the world's largest family whose principal concern is the comfort and enjoyment of the Music Hall patrons would require far more space than would be possible to accord the subject here. Suffice it to say, however, thai each individual, no matter what his position, is a vital cog in the smooth-running machinery of Music Hall operation. We hope that this visit with a greater percentage of those who make up the personnel will give you food for thought in improving the operation of your own theatre. And if you feel a little envious just remember that, whereas you could pack your staff into a couple of autos and whisk them off to a picnic in the woods, Mr. Van Schmus would require a fleet of buses to comfortably and adequately accommodate his enormous Music Hall family. Whyte Uses Corking Campaign To Exploit "The Flying Irishman" Taking advantage of the many aviation fields in the community and the unusual interest in flying. Manager Dave Whyte of the Alden Theatre, Jamaica, Long Island, literally made the sky the limit for his advance campaign on "The Flying Irishman." Whyte had arranged to have Doug Corrigan come over from Roosevelt Field for a personal appearance, but the "wrong way" flyer had returned to the Coast, so he enlisted the services of Marie McMillin, record-holding parachute jumper and Joe Crane, famous expert with the chutes, who is stationed at Roosevelt Field. They served with Van Ornam, aviation mstructor at the local high school, as judges of a "Flying Irishman Model Airplane Contest." Entries were closed a week in advance of the showing and two hundred miniature displays installed in the Alden lobby. In addition planes were put on display in the local library along with stills from the show. A tie-in was made with Polk's Model Craft Hobbies for the prizes. Miss McMillin spoke from the stage each evening of the three-day engagement and presented the prizes on the first evening. Propellers and airplane parts were borrowed from Crane and placed on display in the lobby along with stills of Doug handing over a print to Whyte at Roosevelt Field and thrdl shots of Miss McMillin and Crane. On Saturday preceding the engagement the Maritime Brigade paraded through town to the theatre. Extra Publicity Accorded Spy Film in Cloversville "Confessions of a Nazi Spy" received plenty of publicity in Cloversville, N. Y., where Frank Boucher is skipper of the Glove Theatre. He sent letters to all local ministers and priests informing them of the significance of the film. One of the newspaper tear-sheets Frank sent us has a story that "merchants were indignant when they found paper notices on their windows warning the general public not to see 'Confessions of a Nazi Spy' . . . An investigation that it was possibly a new publicity stunt by the Glove Theatre brought a vehement denial." The item goes on to say that police interest in the matter increased "when it was learned that Nazi swastikas were smeared in red paint over posters on 20 of the 22 billboards the theatre has in Cloversville." Another item caught in a gossip column stated that the Concordia Choir, which appeared in person at the Glove, refused to sing "until Alanager Frankie took those swastika banners advertising a forthcoming movie off the stage. (Most of them didn't want to even be near a swastika and a few considered such a use of Naziism's emblem an insult)." A front-page photo and story of Fritz Kuhn's suit against the producers of the film broke just ahead of Boucher's showing of the "Nazi Spy" film. Code of Fair Trade Practises (Continued from page 45) the dispute may within five days after receipt by him of a copy thereof file with the secretary a reply statement under oath supported in the manner above described, together with copies thereof which shall be transmitted by the secretary to the other parties to the dispute in the manner above provided. At the expiration of said five-day period, or, if no answer has been made, at the expi-ation of said seven-day period, the record shall be submitted by the secretary to the appropriate arbitration board. X. Awards An award in favor of the complaining party shall contain a statement of the claim or claims determined in favor of such party and the procedure, if any be required, to be followed in carrying out the award. An award adverse to the complaining party shall dismiss the claim for lack of merit. Each award of a Special Arbitration Board shall include an assessment of costs of the arbitration. XI. Local Rules and Regulations Each Permanent Arbitration Board may establish such rules and regulations, not inconsistent with these Rules of Arbitration cr the Trade Practice Code, as such board may deem necessary or proper to facilitate the arbitration of disputes. Such rules and regulations shall not, however, enlarge the powers of, or confer additional powers upon, any arbitration board. Each Permanent Arbitration Board shall also establish a special class of disputes which are of a type which require prompt and immediate decision and the Permanent Arbitration Board and Special Arbitration Boards hearing disputes of such special class shall give preference in the hearing and expedite the decision thereof. XII. Cost of Arbitration No Permanent Arbitration Board shall assess costs in any arbitration heard by it. In each arbitration heard by a Special Arbitration Board, such board shall assess as costs against one or more of the parties, in such proportion as it may deem just and proper and yithout regard to which party shall have invoked the Special Arbitration Board, only the fees of the neutral arbitrator or arbitrators. Filing fees shall be applied toward the payment of expenses of arbitrations hereunder in the exchange territory where collected. To the extent that the moneys received are insufficient for such purpose, the distributors, the affiliated exhibitors and the organized exhibitor groups who are entitled to participate in the appointment of the panel of neutral arbitrators for such exchange territory shall provide funds for the payment of the same. If said distributors, affiliated exhibitors and organized exhibitor groups are unable to agree upon a fair apportionment of such expenses, such apportionment shall be made by a Special Arbitration Board constituted for that purpose, in which case said distributors and affiliated exhibitors shall be deemed to be one party and said organized exhibitor groups shall be deemed to be the other party.