Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1945)

March 31, 1945 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW 43 equipment maintenance, produced literature designed to serve as a guide to theatre employes in the early days of the war. Desiring to know what effect, if any, these measures evoked, we asked the Council : "Would you say that the war emergency has had a tendency to increase Jhe importance of careful maintenance in the eyes of theatre employes?" Ninety per cent answered "yes" and but 10 per cent "no." This overwhelming vote of the men who have the answers in dollars and cents at their fingertips is a most impressive tribute to the theatre employes whose vigilance and energy have kept the wheels of the industry turning through trying times. These are the unsung heroes of the industry's home front in maintaining national morale on a high plane. To clinch the preceding question we asked whether or not refresher courses for theatre maintenance men, projectionists and managers on plant maintenance would be worthy of the expense involved even though new replacement equipment were plentiful. Again satisfaction in the mission accomplished in wartime was reflected with 70 per cent saying "yes" and 30 per cent "no." As a matter of record, 40 per cent acknowledge considerable savings in money without jeopardizing efficiency as a result of longer usage of equipment through good maintenance than would have been considered possible in normal times. Sixty per cent, however, could not see any saving as a result of increased labor cost in maintenance. One item admitted to be contributing factor in the inatter of labor cost is the rapid turnover of inexperienced manpower which would not be a factor in normal times. Indoor vs. Outdoor Box-office One other item about which there has been much postwar discussion is the question, "Do you favor inside box-offices to those located outside at non-transient theatres as a means of providing more patron comfort?" There seems to be little doubt as to the trend on this topic among men who design and build theatres. Ten per cent answered "yes," 10 per cent felt that the locale was the determining factor and 80 per cent emphatically answered "no." Several members expressed personal taste as being in favor of indoor box-offices while their company policy opposed. ' While we were not surprised at the 80 per cent opposition, it did seem that with patron comfort as the foremost consideration of all postwar discussion and planning, the indoor box-office, past practice to the contrary, might be a logical starting point in getting people under shelter away from inclement weather while fumbling for the price of a ticket. The old school of showbusiness always advocated long lines at the box-office standing in all kinds of weather as good publicity for the theatre's attraction. The press agents still like to have pictures taken of these queues for advertising purposes. This is good psychology where transient patronage is involved but some theatremen are of the opinion that in small communities where theatregoing is a habit the patron with a pre-conceived idea of which theatre he or she would attend eliminates the need for the box-office at the sidewalk line. This concludes the first Council report. Another article revealing discussion of postwar planning and advice from the experts on the most important matters the small theatre exhibitor must consider in the regard will appear in the next STR Theatre Maintenance & Equipment issue four weeks hence. Stick around and pass the ammunition. Questions are welcome. **• ... r. G«" DeC' 1944 For 20 years usAIRco has served the American theater, large houses and small ones, with the finest cooling systems and air conditioning equipment. During that time it has worked at the job of meriting the exhibitor's business through good design and manufacture, and a service that means pleasant and profitable ownership for usAIRco users. usAIRco stands ready to serve you on any essential parts or item permissable under today's conditions. UNITED STATES AIR CONDITIONING CORPORATION NORTHWESTERN TERMINAL, MINNEAPOLIS 13, MINNESOTA MAIN OFFICE AND FACTORY: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA • OFFICES IN PRINCIPAL CITIES