Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1945)

40 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW January 6, 1945 SOUND and PROJECTION EQUIPMENT • Do you need new equipment? Hundreds of theatres are now qualifying. Why not check with your National representative? If you qualify he will help you make proper application and speed delivery. Call him to-day! MATIO NAL THEATRE S u p p L y ,1 Divitian of Motlonot • Simplex • Blucfw«rth,(n« r DAYTON SAFETY LADDER SHOES fit any standard ladder rails . . . Guarantee additional safety, prevent slipping! Shoe is instantly converted by a flip of the hand or foot for either inside use of treads or outdoor use of spike toes. Shoe or base is made of #16 gauge and the side plates are of #13 gauge stee Suction grip treads are renewable. Lock nuts and spring washers insure proper adjustment. Easy to insta Write for Bulletin No. 4 today. "Listed by Underwriters Laboratories Inc. DAYTON SAFETY LADDER GO. ^^337 Gilbert Ave., Cincinnati 6, Ohio S lands E R V I G E T 0 IT'S R EA D E R S SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW— THE SERVICE PAPER OF THE INDUSTRY Mass Production In Deluxe Display Art (Confmucd froii Page 35) wliicli is still available became known by the trade name of 'Hollywood Transparencies.' Heavy cardboard replaced the paper backgrounds. Cutawls replaced the stencil cuttingmachine which had been used to stamp out or die-cut the lettering. A photographic enlarging department was added to the plant with the enlargements hand-colored by a staff of expert air brush artists. The enlargements were used in transparency form for rear illumination in the existing shadow-boxes as was some of the lettering. The backgrounds were painted and designs were sprayed on by air brush. This was the first deluxe poster-art display ever delivered on a mass production basis in the motion picture industry. Complete process poster art displays followed in 30 X 40 and later in 40 x 60 size to supply the need for display frames in lobbies lacking the necessary depth for shadow-box illumination. The same practice carried into the two overhead banner sizes stimulated by the same demand and limitations. The photographic department next started supI)lying 30 x 40 and 40 x 60 photographic enlargements mounted on compoboard Vv'ith the photo covering the entire surface area. Only sniall plaques with the title and cast with an occasional catchline processed in colors and appliqued to the enlargements were devoted to the selling of the picture. This service became popular among the deluxe theatres which could afford the expensive nature of the product and the few such houses which could reuse the posters due to coniffcting first run playdates. Service Replaced Art Shops As more and more theatres joined the ranks of those discontinuing the use of amateurish art prepared locally, not only did Samwick's frame construction department flourish but other frame builders found customers clamoring for the conversion of their lobby frames from the old one sheet and three sheet size to the 30 x 40 and 40 x 60 shapes. The major film advertising accessory executives saw the handwriting on the wall and reluctantly started turning out 40 x 60 posters on their bigger attractions. This was the first concrete evidence that the death knell had been sounded for the role of the litho as a lobby display piece. In rapid succession the Photo Gelatin process was adapted to 40 x 60 displays by Samwick with the entire poster, including art and lettering, reproduced in color on paper, then on cardboard with only the illustration and heads in Photogravure and the lettering and background art processed by silk screen. The demand for still more elaborate deluxe displays brought forth what American Display has referred to as 'specials.' These displays comprise hand colored photo-enlargements, hand made applique panels, lettering and are in every respect tailor made for the particular client. National Screen Service with its 31 branch offices located in exchange centers from coast to coast took over the distribution of American Display products in a merger worked out in 1935. Through this company's close contact with the major producing companies of the industry, a number of the companies relinquished the distribution of all accessories on their pictures with the result that National Screen branches became the exhibitors' local source of