Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1943)

October 9. 1943 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW 29 A Cure for That Tost and Found^ Headache Easily Constructed Cupboard and Record Forms Simplify Handling of Lost Articles That old hack about losing your head if it wasn't fast takes on added significance these days with articles piling up in the lost and found boxes of the theatres as a result of increased patronage. The heavy trafific is leaving in its wake a new high volume of forgotten miscellany and the resulting problem of coping with its proper return to claimant. This pick-up in lost and found volume is in many situations necessitating a reorganization of facilities and handling procedure. Alany people take the loss of some inconsequential article very seriously and while in this frame of mind any disinterested handling of the matter by a member of the theatre staff may well offend a good patron. Consideration and tact is of the utmost importance. One solution to the inconvenience of sorting through a heap of odds and ends which accumulate in the course of a month was solved by the construction of a cabinet with one shelf midway between the top and bottom with a large slot in the top through which items could be dropped. The front doors of the cabinet were locked with the key in possession of the doorman. As items were placed in the slot they fell onto the shelf. Each week the doorman removed the items remaining on the shelf and placed them on the bottom of the box. In this way it was unnecessary to sort through the entire pile each time a patron inquired for a lost article. An elaboration of this idea would be a larger cabinet with six or seven small compartments, one for each day of the week and a large residue space in the lower portion. Such a set-up would involve the daily removal of articles from the compartment containing items from the corresponding day of the previous week. In a large theatre handling a volume of articles this would increase the efficiency of locating items, with a search through only one day's returns being required. As a rule most patrons can designate the day they attended the theatre thus speeding the hunt. Forms for Reporting Loss Many theatres are finding it convenient, businesslike and gratifying to the patron to supply a form for the purpose of reporting losses. Such forms simply require the name, street address, city, state and for a complete description of the item lost with any identifying marks or information along with the approximate seat location where the patron lost the article. The use of this form usually follows only after a preliminary search by a member of the staff fails to locate the article. With this information in the theatre's possession it is easy to notify the customer as quickly as the article is located through the use of a form letter stating that the article lost in the theatre has been found and can be had by calling at the theatre between certain hours. Many theatres build goodwill even when items are not located by showing concern over the patron's loss through a follow-up letter stating that the theatre regrets to report that the item lost was carefully looked for but was not found. This attention shows the patron that consideration was given the reported loss and can result in a feeling of gratitude. This, too, can be han dled through a form letter, signed by the manager. All in all, lost and found is just another phase of good theatre management which can be a headache or an easy, well organized service to make friends. It's all in the handling. Plan Post-War Theatre For Bomb-Riddled Malta Post-war planning is definitely under way on the most bombed place in the world, Malta, the Mediterranean Island off the heel of the Italian boot. Pace Brothers, the largest theatre owners on. the island, have announced plans in London for the construction of a 3000-seat house for which land has been acquired and plans are being started. Equipment suppliers have been notified to contact their London representative and from reports the Pace Brothers visualize the most pretentiously modern theatre in the Mediterranean area. During the terrific pounding administered by Nazi dive bombers on an almost daily run the theatres like all other buildings suffered considerable damage. With the population greatly increased by troops stationed there and with no chance of receiving replacement parts for projection equipment due to the priority of basic essential in shipping some theatres kept the show going with one machine. The showmen of Malta deserve glowing praise from a grateful world. Today -more than ever, thousands of exhibitors echo its* praises. , Come Victory, it"^ will be available again to the thousands more who know that it represents the utmost in projection arc lamps NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY Division of National -Bludworth, Inc. THERE'S A BRANCH NEAR YOU