Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1944)

December 2, 1944 0 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW 35 Holiday Hazards Call For Caution Increased Attendance, War Weary Furnishings Plus Xmas Decorations Demand Check Up The trail of box-office records which have been left shattered by the unprecedented theatre attendance resulting from the wartime boom seem headed for further demolition with the advent of the holiday season. High calibre product set for Christmas and New Year's release seems to assure additional new attendance marks. If such proves to be the case, then the managerial resourcefulness of showmen to "get 'em in and get 'em out" safely and with minimum confusion faces further tests. The ever present hazards attendant on handling capacity crowds places a grave responsibility upon the manager and his entire staff. No fun or leisure hours with the family are in prospect for theatremen who must concern themselves with additional duties conducive to the entertainment, comfort and safety of patrons. One of the principal problems this year will be the handling of peak child attendance which can either "up" your grosses or hold them down — depending upon the ingenuity with which the problem is attacked. During the usual attendance lull just prior to the holidays it will be the duty of the alert showman to conduct a complete house check in the interest of preparedness to make doubly certain that every possible accident hazard is removed. This check should be repeated before opening time every day during the holiday period. A general clean-up of each and every out-of-the-way place should be instituted. This means : exit doors tested repeatedly, exit passageways cleared and kept clear, the fire curtain (asbestos) and stage skylight tested, booth fire shutters, fire extinguishers and hose checked, carpet inspected for loose area, tears or sagging on the stair treads which might cause patrons to trip or fall, aisle lights, step lights, landing illumination, emergency lighting and general lighting in foyer, balcony and auditorium carefully checked as well as the emergency fuse supply. With the large turnover of employes as a result of manpower shortages, a stafT meetmg becomes the most important order of the day for the discussion of safety and emergency procedure. Fire drills are just as important in the theatre for the education of the staff as they are for schools, industrial plants or on shipboard. Courtesy in handling patrons under capacity conditions should be stressed because it is commonplace for patrons and staff members to become impatient and irate under the pressurr of crowded conditions. The Youth Problem When confronted with more-than-capacity adult attendance during the peak hours of the holiday season (when prices are at the highest level) it is disconcerting to find the theatre heavily populated with children who remain over for a second show or are outside clamoring for admission. The wise showman will make it his business to syphon off the child attendees from these hours (when he can get top adult prices for every seat) by offering special mati nee inducements to channel their patronage into the off-hours. In so doing, the showman reduces confusion during the evening hours — thus affording greater enjoyment of the program by the adult audience — increases grosses, reduces the accident hazard and eases the duties of the staff in handling patrons. Children can be much more easily dealt with as a group than when they are scattered in large numbers through an adult audience. An advance educational buildup through the schools might be one good way of attacking the problem by offering some inducement for matinee or early kiddie show attendance. Seasonal Hazards Christmas decorations offer one of the prime fire hazards and demand special attention and intelligent handling. Evergreens in the lobby or on the stage quickly dry out in a warm theatre with tree lights or strong spots focused upon them. Laurel or ground pine roping falls in this same category. In placing such decoration it is important to avoid blocking doors, passages, and also the possibility of such material coming in contact with high wattage lamps. Trees with cotton, inflammable tinsel or paper streamers should be kept away from patron proximity where lighted cigarettes or matches might be carelessly tossed to start a blaze. ' Temporary wiring, plugs, tree lights should be carefully inspected and installed with the knowledge that most of even the smallest tree lights generate sufficient heat to cause combustion when in contact with inflammable materials. New Year's Eve Revelry Experienced managers are quite familiar with the unpleasant antics of the inebriated patron in festive mood. New Year's Eve midnight shows frequently attract a smattering of this ilk, who, when confronted by crowded conditions and willing, though thoughtless, collaborators, become surley and unmanageable. In most communities, local police authorities gladly cooperate with the theatre management by supplying uniformed officers who are best fitted to cope with such situations. Members of the stall are seldom capable of handling such cases without risk of suits for false arrest, defamation of character, etc. Disorders started by one individual may easily become widespread where a crowd, in the mood for revelry assembles, unless adequate steps are taken to check any and all disturbances quickly. Police are able to handle such situations firmly and with authority as part of their regular duties and without repercussions against the theatre management. Most managers are well acquainted with the problem of ejection, arrest or reprimand of a violent patron. Staff members must employ the greatest restraint and tact in coping with the unruly. The theatre balcony is frequently the most likely starting point for disturbances. That portion of the house, therefore, requires constant supervision. Audiences are entitled to protection (Continued on Page 47) ARCHITECT'S SKETCH of the proposed new Shafer Annex Theatre which will be constructed for Walter D. Shafer just west of his Shafer-Wayne Theatre on Michigan Ave., Detroit, Mich. Talmage C. Hughes, architect, describes the plans as the latest in modern design, keynoted by simplicity with architectural effects obtained by functional features such as rotunda lobby, masses resulting from practical requirements, decorations and lighting. The project will cost $100,000 with $50,000 more for equipment, seat 1500, be constructed of cinder block with face brick exterior with soundprocf cry room on mezzanine and adequate parking space adjacent. The theatre will be built by the Johnson Construction Company of Birmingham as soon as materials arc available. Shafer also owns the Garden Theatre in Garden City, Mich.