Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1940)

Page 32 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW April 27, mo Westwood, Weithe's Newest Theatre With the opening of the Westwood Theatre in a residential section of Cincinnati's outskirts, Louis Weithe introduced the third deluxe house he has built for his own operation and management. Weithe, one of the younger veterans in the exhibition branch, is forging ahead with rapid strides to a place of promimence in the field of independent operation. His new theatre is the second he has opened durtng the current theatrical season. Weithe started the season with the opening of his Kentucky Theatre, Latonia. He was no tyro as a builder of new theatres then, either, having previously built the Bond, another residential neighborhood theatre in Cincinnati's environs. Both the Westwood and the Kentucky were designed, engineered and constructed for Weithe by the F & Y Building Service, and both incorporate his own ideas based on an experience of 16 years in theatre operation. Seating capacities of just under the 1000 mark are a feature common to both — the Kentucky seats 850 and the Westwood 900. The general type of construction of the Westwood is brick, tile, concrete, steel and terra cotta. Facing materials are brick and terra cotta, which latter covers the main entrance. Blue fins in burnt umber and yellow stainless steel form shields over the entrance. A ticket booth is built into the front at left of the double entrance doors. Entrance to the auditorium is through a lobby and foyer running straight from the street entrance to the rear of the auditorium, and is flanked on the right by the retiring rooms. Entrance to the ladies lounge is from the foyer, while the men's room is entered from the rear of the auditorium. Indian red and buff forms the color scheme of the lobby, which is of plaster. Sidewalls provide space for display frames of wood lighted from above by lumilines. Indian red, brown and delft blue are the colors predominating in the auditorium, which is of onefloor plan. Colorful treatment of the Westwood's interior is one of its outstanding features. The auditorium of the Westwood, above, seats 900, depends for its decorative interest on a blend of brilliant color surfaces and its lighting. Sidewalls above the wainscoting are covered ivith velour, Indian red in color, with painted wood mouldings stripped on horizontally. The light field beginning midway back is of imitation leather set in squares. This ivraps around the rear portion of the auditorium and standee space (see photo at left). The ceiling, plaster, is blue, with ceiling lighting fixtures of brushed aluminum. SMPE Papers Emphasize Research Valne to Film Industry and Public The results of scientific investigation looking toward benefits to motion picture producers, exhibitors and the public which patronizes the screen, were discussed at meetings of the more than 200 members of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers who gathered for the organization's semi annual convention at Haddon Hall Hotel, in Atlantic City on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week. Delegates were greeted at the opening business session Monday morning by E. A. Williford, SMPE president. The first session was marked by the report of the Arrangements Commitee by W. C. Kunzmann, chairman; Membership and Subscription Committee report by Chairman E. R. Geib ; and two papers read by W. C. Beasley, National Institute of Health, U. S. Public Health Service; and H. P. Gage, Corning Glass Works. Basing conclusions on data obtained from examination of 9,000 patients in 17 clinics, Mr. Beasley said that only 5 per cent of all Americans sufficiently deafened to derive benefit through hearing aids actually use them. A plea for standardization of color theories throughout the industry was the highlight of H. P. Gage's paper entitled "Color Theories and the Inter-Society Color Council." The patrons of movies enjoy themselves so much that the noise they make presents a problem to the industry, according to the technical discussion by W. A. Mueller, Warner Bros. First National Studios, who said that audience noise levels in theatres were found to be a serious restriction to the volume range of dialog because it averages 8 decibels louder than the almost inaudible noise level of the sound reproducing equipment itself. C. C. Potwin of E.R.P.I. told the Society that acoustic science can now be applied to better advantage than ever before in the planning of picture theatres. O. Sandvik and W. K. Grimwood, of Eastman Kodak, and Dr. E. W. Kellog of RCA, presented papers on the Influence of Negative and Positive Materials on Ground-Noise, and "Filtering Factors of the Magnetic Drive," respectively. Monday night's session was featured by a paper of Matthew Lukiesch, director of lighting research laboratory of General Electric Co. Television, which took a prominent place in the convention, was launched as a subject of first importance by F. F. Joyce, RCA, at the luncheon Monday, at which he talked on the outlook for television. Dr. Lloyd A. Jones, Eastman Kodak, delivered his paper on the technical problems of pictorial tone reproduction from a photographic standpoint. Dr. Jones, one of the most prominent members of the SMPE, has made an extensive study of this subject and his paper summarized work done to date to obtain more delicate shading in pictures. Wednesday morning's meeting was devoted entirely to projection. Among the speakers at this session were F. H. Richardson, Quigley Publishing Co., I. Gordon, who discussed "Defects in Motion Picture Projection;" T. P. Hover; W. B. Rayton, of Bausch & Lomb, whose paper dealt with the new coated lenses developed for projection; B. Schlanger, Architect of New York; A. C. Downes, National Carbon Co. ; J. R. Prater ; C. S. Ashcraf t, who read a paper dealing with the Cyclex System for projection. Wednesday afternoon was given over to recreation, and the evening marked the banquet which is a social highlight of the SMPE conventions. Adjournment took place Thursda> following a general session given over to the reading of several papers.