Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1946)

14 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, November 16, 1946 THEATRE MANAGEMENT Surmount Dangers of Winter By Making Preparations Now Winter, with all its attendant problems, is practically upon us, deepnding of course, upon your location. The official date, however, is December 21, whether you will be basking in the sun in a tropical vacation paradise or even now digging a tunnel to get into your snowbound theatre. Winter wouldn't be winter without snow, and that is one of the season's biggest problems. First of all, when a snowstorm occurs, you should have some provision made whereby there will be enough men to shovel the snow away from in front of the theatre as well as out of all alleys and exit passageways in ample time before the show starts. If the snowstorm should continue beyond the starting time of the show, the snow should be swept away frequently enough to avoid danger of patrons slipping on the sidewalk. Local laws will undoubtedly compel you also to keep the exit passageways clear. Fire escapes should be cleaned frequently. Keep Marquee Clean Do not permit large accumulations of snow to remain on the marquee. The terrible disaster at the Knickerbocker Theatre in Washington several years ago was caused, as we all remember, by an overload of snow on the marquee. While every ^ marquee is (or should be) designed to support a considerable weight, it is unwise to subject it to any strain. Because it melts the ice, enabling it to be swept off and thus leaving a clean sidewalk, rock salt is a valuable agent. Hot water is inadvisable, for while it will melt the ice and snow, the hot water itself (if the weather is cold enough) will freeze in short order, creating a new and smooth coating of ice. Street Dept. Cooperation Get the cooperation of your Street Cleaning Department in preventing any large piles of snow from being deposited in front of your theatre when the plows come along. A pass or two in the right quarters will asure that there is an uninterrupted view of your front displays from the other side of the street. Winter weather offers other hazards to theatremen. There will be times when you will be unable to have your fire banked for the night because it might take too long for the theatre to heat up the following day. You will have to keep the fire going and consume a little extra coal in order to make sure your patrons are comfortable. Protect Your Doorman If your box-office is an outside one, you can keep it comfortable by means of an electric heater. Your doorman should be adequately protected from the drafts of cold air which come from the constant opening and closing of doors. See that he dresses warmly. You should make a general check-up of both sets of entrance and exit doors to make sure they are easy to open. Sometimes, when they have been open during the summer, they may be noisy and will need oiliuK al the hinges. Mats should be readily available so that patrons will not track ice and snow into the theatre. Your particular theatre may have other individual problems with which to cope as a result of the onset of winter weather. Check up now to be sure you are ready for Jack Frost's first visit. CS^eek Eleetrle Equlpmei^t Electrical equipment should be regularly checked by a qualified electrician. With many theatre managers currently struggling for audience behavior ranging from boorish manners to vandalism, Samuel G. Gilburt, one of the teachers of composition at the Straus Junior High School in Brooklyn has done his bit toward improving juvenile 'behavior by calling for a series of essays on theatre conduct. In reporting Mr. Gilburt's action in the matter, the Public Information Bureau of the Motion Picture Industry, through its Motion Picture Letter, expresses the belief that "in that vast area west of the Hudson, other school teachers struggling with exuberant youth may find that the movies provide a theme, and that good citizenship may be combined with good composition in a try for good theatre manners." That well-behaved juvenile moviegoers are conscious of the behavior of so-called "movie pests" is reflected in the 9B students' compositions, a few excerpts of which appear below : Cecille Lesser: "Some people seem to think that in a democracy they are free to do as they choose. Yes, even in the movies. Your conduct in the movies is a reflection on your home LEARN AS YOU GO. So believes Earl Layton, 22-year-old treasurer of Warners' Earle Theatre, Washington, D. C, who makes a trip every Thursday evening to New York to attend New York University's course in theatre management and advertising. It means traveling almost 2000 miles a month, but Earl, whose home is in Goldsboro, N. C, is serious about this theatre business. Here he is shown getting off to a flying start as Betty Lyons, usherette captain, hands him his brief case. Special Legion Award to Magnet's F. J. Cahalan Manager Francis J. Cahalan of the Magnet Theatre, Claremont, N. H. spends most of what spare time he has to furthering the interests of veterans of the late and previous wars. In recognition of his achievements along these lines Cahalan was recently presented with a Special Award for Service to Veterans by the American Legion Post of his city. Mr. Cahalan's citation which accompanied the award, mentioned his service as a readjustment committeeman for veterans, his work with blood donors, his inauguration of a program of sending Christmas gifts to servicemen and his work in the opening of the Legion Home. training, and your character. The man or woman who refuses to remove his hat in the movies is showing little respect for his fellow moviegoer." Herman Crull : "Here are a few things you should never do in the movies : First, you should never run down the aisle^ because this annoys all the people sitting on the aisle. Second, you must not put your feet up on the seat in front of you. Third, you should not eat noisily in the movies. It is very annoying to the people around you." Herbert Ennis : "One thing most annoying is when you sit down on a seat and stand up and find that you sat on a piece of gum. This little piece of gum may ruin your new suit." Gerald Glicker : "There is the movie pest who has seen the picture, or has once read it in a book, who starts to tell the person next to him about the next part that is coming. This spoils the picture for the people who are sitting around the pest. Then come the boy and girl pests who sit up in the balcony and throw candy wrappers or gum wrappers on the peole who are sitting below the balcony. This is very annoying to the people below, thus spoiling the show for them. That, I think, is the worst of the movie pests. Then there is also the movie pest who is sitting quietly in his seat, and all of a sudden he sees his friend. He then starts yelling, 'Hey, Murray, I'm over here,' or something else, thus starting a commotion around him. After the commotion has stopped, many people have already missed part of the picture. So, from now on, don't be a movie pest, and try not to do these things which I have mentioned." Shirley Lewis : "Oh, I almost forgot that crunchy candy. Our little pests are getting hungry. Off with the wrappers, the cellophane ones, and now starts the crunching for at least fifteen minutes. Ah, the climax of the picture ; but that doesn't bother our pests. One of them is thirsty, so now he scrambles back over nineteen people just to get a drink. Therefore, no one saw the climax. Well, pesty is back in his seat by now, cracking gum to his heart's conlent and keeping his feet everywhere but the right place." Cecille Lesser : "So if you happen to be a member of the group known as 'movie pests,' always leani to abide by the Golden Rule, for there is no other way to get along in life." Compositions on Conduct in Theatre Held Aid to Good Juvenile Behavior