Showmen's Trade Review (1945)

October 13, 1945 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW 39 M-^-irenance Man David M.ller, of the Slate Theatre, Oakland, gives the "c eanliness touch" in a complete go ng-over of marquee letter frames. Note the neat, systematic method of storing the unused letters Sh owmen Can Profit bv E mu lot ing FWC War on Grime They went after the little men with the whiskers, in force. Defying the long standing tradition that spring and fall are "clean-up" seasons, the showmen of Fox West Coast Theatres chose the summer months for a war on dirt and grime. Dean Hyskell. editor of "Par," the circuit's house organ, literally threw the book at the boys and girls operating the theatres with plent of hints covering the "A to Z's" of theatre cleanliness. There were plenty of "filthy" pictures (not really, just scenes of FWCoasters energetically making the dirt fly) to dramatize the drive in which the company offered $2700 in prizes for the cleanest theatres on the circuit by campaign's end. Some of the photographs published in "Par" show FWC eager beavers cleaning table lamps, lamp shades, scrubbing footlights, mopping back stage, inspecting booth equipment, washing and polishing light fixtures, cleaning candy cases, tightening seat standards, painting marquee changeable letters, etc. Editorially, "Par" served up an alphabet soup starting with "A." Sample : F stands for FRONT, FOYER, FURNACE ROOM; G stands for GENERATOR ROOM, etc. Each section of the theatre, from basement to roof, was singled out for attack by the theatre staff, with no employe exempted from the big offensi%'e against dirt. A demonstration of theatre chair repairing was staged at the West Coast Theatre, San Bernardino, Calif., for local managers and their assistants. A local upholsterer did instructing. Harry Denny, city manager, held a council of war on dirt at a meeting at which he displayed a special check list of "Things That Are Overlooked" in theatre clean up. Thus he inaugurated a Do-ItYourself (when necessary) program. Denny took the group through the theatre on a personally-conducted tour of out-of-the way places, rolled up his sleeves and showed 'em where dirt likes to accumulate. He also explained the proper ways (with gestures) to eliminate it. The contest was not limited to the war on dirt. Equal emphasis was placed on crusading for neatness, safety and appearance. Neatness of uniforms for staff members, of rest rooms, of locker rooms, of manager's office, box-office, etc. Safety of exit door panic bolts, of carpet fastenings at aisle heads and on stairways, sidewalk and lobby floors in wet weather, fire escapes, balcony and orchestra pit rail fastenings, etc. Appearance of lobby frames, marquee copy and neon tubing, notices posted to instruct the public, parking lot, paint on curb and parking copy painted on sidewalk or street in front of theatre, stage drapes and lobby-foyer-mezzanine furnishings, lighting fixtures, orchestra pit cover or decoration, flags and standards of poles, candy and popcorn counters, etc. Nothing was overlooked which might contribute to the attractiveness of the FWC theatres. The $2700 in prize money provided the enthusiasm and it would be a pretty safe wager that the circuit got the dough back with interest measured in improvement of conditions of the physical property, employe good-will, greater staff appreciation of the importance of good theatre maintenance and public respect and patronage. Such a campaign should surely put a bee in the bonnet of any enterprising independent or circuit theatre operator interested in fostering clean, good theatre maintenance. A San Bernardino upholsterer puts on an actual demonstration in seat repair, shows how emergencies can be met locally. Looking on are (I. to r.) C. C. Ramsay, R. L. Squire, FWCoast (Pomonal City Manager Jchn Klee, Mildred Freeman, J. D. Chasen. Bern ce Inig, William Hallett, |ohn Echols, Ed Lawrence and Bill Ceehan.