Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1945)

52 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW June 23, 1945 Advisory Council Report — No. 4 (Continued from Page 46) four dollar question and their opinions are widely divergent. Nevertheless, in the consensus, we find common ground which can be expressed simply : "All the responsibility that he (the manager) is capable of handling." Much emphasis has been placed upon the need to train managers in the workings of theatre equipment and general plant maintenance. Revealing ithe two schools of opinion one member avers : "The average manager has no mechanical ability nor does he care for the responsibility." Another says : "There is no point to hiring a manager unless you can give him full responsibility to correct or supervise every detail." Many members feel that managerial responsibility should be limited to the inspection and correction of elementary defects. Major repairs, replacements, decorative painting, additions to property or improvements in the form of new equipment should always be discussed with and authorized by persons having proper authority. Managers should be charged only to make expenditures for general plant maintenance. Back of this varying opinion is the basic theory of maintenance, ably expressed by a Council member as follows : "Good theatre maintenance, of course, is just the question of being a good housekeeper and the basis of being a good housekeeper is being cleanly. A clean machine is usually an efficient machine. A clean piece of carpet or a clean set of theatre chairs are usually good carpet and good chairs." To conclude this session of the Council, let us cite an example of faulty managerial handling of what could have been a simple maintenance problem. It was brought up in this meeting by a member who has plenty of faith in the ability of managers to assume responsibility, in fact he is an advocate of the delegation of authority and also maintains that even managers require some supervision by their superiors. But here is the incident or object lesson in his own words : "While attending a theatre in a small community some months ago," he relates, "I felt water dripping on my shoulder and arm. It was raining before I entered the theatre so it immediately occurred to me that the water coming through the plaster ceiling was due to a roof leak. I reported the condition to the manager (which is more than the average patron would do) and he informed me that he was aware of . the condition as it had existed for quite some time and that he was planning on having the roof repaired within the next couple of days. "I later learned that two days after my having been in the theatre an area of 20 x 20 feet of the plaster ceiling fell down at night — fortunately after closing time. The theatre was closed for three days. "If proper periodical inspection of this roof had been made or had the manager taken prompt action when this condition first became apparent, repairs could have been made for a few dollars and the lives of patrons would not have been jeopardized. Roof leaks should never be tolerated in a theatre, they are very dangerous and equally costly if neglected." We can, and at a later date propose to, report other instances of maintenance neglect cited by members from their personal observations. One can always profit by the experience of others. Many circuits,' in line with impressing the importance of inspection upon their managers, have prepared very helpful check lists as an aid to plant and equipment conservation during the war and also to improve safety procedures. We will reproduce one such list prepared by Council Member Jules S. Wolfe, supervisor of purchasing and construction for Famous Players Canadian Corp., Ltd., which could well be worthy of preservation in the office of every theatre manager as a constant guide for successful management. (Watch for it in July 21 issue.) Are You Planning To Build a Theatre? (Continued from Page 38) planned well. Others have lost out because they failed to assess the possibilities of the chosen location. It is from these failures that we must draw our lesson in order that such mistakes may not be repeated in a highly competitive postwar building boom when money for new theatres is plentiful and construction restrictions are totally relaxed. Before expending a dime for land, plans or materials, here are three primary considerations which must all be answerable in the affirmative : 1. Can the area you propose to serve support enough added seating (where other theatres are operating) or enough seats (where no adjacent theatre exists) to warrant the construction of a theatre? 2. Is product available in sufficient quantity on the basis of an adequate run (behind ^'Swinning impact" tests assure maximum durability for chair backs, back fastenings to standards, and floor anchorage. "Mechanical sitter^^ tests apply 100,000 sits, equivalent to those of a heavy person, to spring units in chair cushions. "Drop cylinder" tests, with repeated impacts by a heavy sand-filled cylinder, guard against structural fractures or failures. If industry awards were given for NEW today's winner would be the B/1MERICA^ odifc Restful C orm Chairs the world^s finest theatre chairs AMEUiCAN Seating Company's New Bodi form is the finest value ever achieved in theatre chairs. 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