Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1946)

SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, December 28, 1946 41 THEATRE MANAGEMENT quick to make use of the one-sheet instead of the window card wherever such substitution is possible. Follow the same plan of placement as is recommended for window cards — keep 'em in sight as long as possible and always point 'em at the spot where the crowds are thickest. Watch your town for vacant stores, front remodeling, construction, barriers, etc. and endeavor to get permission for the posting of one and three sheets. The novelty of the location is in itself enough to guarantee maximum attention, provided the locations are in busy neighborhoods, and the size of th^ displays are such that bus and street car passengers and motorists can absorb the message as they hurry past. Too Much Copy The three-sheet plant — a regular route of sturdily built attraction boar.ds — seems to be coming back into favor in many towns and cities. The principal fault I have to find with a lot of these is the attempt to enumerate three or four attractions with catch lines and star names on each board. Unless these are placed for walkby attention — and most of them are intended to catch the eye of motorists — the amount of copy results in confusion and defeats the purpose of the display. It would be better to divide the board in two parts — one "now showing" and one "coming" — and arrange for more frequent printing and posting. If you're engaging in this type of effort try riding past your boards at normal speed and you'll know exactly what I mean. For many moons I've had the idea that a properly handled three-sheet plant — and one sheets too — could be so set up that it would hold position as one of the most important and profitable of theatre advertising efforts. For my mythical plant the boards would be placed exclusively on the sides or fronts of neighborhood grocery, drug, notion, etc. stores. It must be admitted that the proprietors of these stores all have a loyal following among the residents of their respective communities or the chain groups would run them out of business. My scheme would involve a weekly visit to the proprietors by some able member of the theatre staff who would "talk pictures" with the storekeeper and his clerks. He would stuff them so full of what was coming to the theatre that they'd begin viewing themselves as "insiders" and use the films coming to my theatre instead of the worn subject of "weather" when conversing with the Smiths and Joneses who frequent their establisments. I'd make the passes I tendered in return for the location good only on the first days — yes Saturday and Sunday included — so they'd be sure to attend in plenty of time to tell all their customers about my shows BEFORE the attraction changed. I'd make them feel as though they were the personal representatives of my theatre in their vicinity and make it a point to see that my entire staff knew them by name and greeted them as an advertising associate deserves to be treated. As I see it a billing route Hke that would be a sure barrier against depression, famine and inflation flood alike. Think it over Mr. Showman. It's a sure, easy and inexpensive way to achieve that "personal touch" which is the quickest route to the customer's pocketbook and the best insurance of continued patronage for your theatre. Pardon the digression, but that one is too good to keep and I sure hope some live wire writes me quick that he has the scheme under way. More Practical to Rent Let's get on to the most expensive and difficult unit of outdoor billing, the 24sheet. Very few theatres own their own 24-sheet "stand." The expense of building and maintaining these large boards (to say nothing of the nuisance of permits, property leases, etc.), is such that it is usually found far more practical to rent the locations from established posting firms on a weekly or monthly basis. The charge (Continued on Next Page) THEATRE MAMASEH'^S NOTEBOOK Maintenance AIR CONDITIONING 1. Blowers and Deflectors (From an Outline of Talks Presented to the Classes in the Wilby-Kincey School of Maintenance) The air which reaches a blower always contains an appreciable quantity of dust. If allowed to accumulate on the wheel blades over a long period this dust will reduce the efficiency of the blower; and may also cause it to become unbalanced, with resulting noise and vibration. Vibration in turn shortens the life of the bearings. The wheel should be cleaned each two weeks during the cooling season; and of course at the beginning and end of each season. A vacuum cleaner having a stiff brushtype nozzle is an effective tool for this. BE SURE TO CLEAN EVERY BLADE, OR THE BLOWER WILL BE UNBALANCED. Any oil deposits present may be removed with a rag soaked in mineral spirits. The fan housing should be kept clean, and free from rust. CAUTION: Fuses in the line to the blower motor should always be removed before any work is done on the blower wheel. If manufacturer's instructions for lubricating the blower bearings have been m^islaid, the following rules will assure safe operation: 1. Oil-luhricated hearings: Use a high-grade oil of such weight that it will lubricate but will not be drawn into the fan. When the bearings begin to wear, a heavier oil should be used — as with an automobile. 2. Grease-lubricated hearings. As the bearings become worn, increase the frequency of lubrication. Be sure to use a high-grade grease. Excessive quantities of any lubricant should never be used; if this is done accidentally any excess should be carefully wiped away. Accumulated dust inside the motor should be blown away with a bellows or reversed vacuum cleaner at least every six months. External surfaces of the motor should be kept clean and free of oil. For lubrication, scrupulously follow manufacturer's instructions or, if these have been mislaid, apply the same rules given above for blower bearings. It is very important not to overluhricate motors, since any excess lubricant reaching the coils will tend to break down the insulation; internal short-circuiting may follow. The gripping effect of a V-belt results from the wedging action between the belt and the V-shaped groove in the pulley; when the belt has worn until it rides on the bottom of this groove instead of on the sides it should be replaced. In such cases, slipping could still be prevented by tightening the belt excessively, but doing so would overload the bearings. If any belt has to be replaced, it is considered good practice to replace all in the same unit. This will prevent overloading of the new belt, which otherwise would occur. A V-belt should never be forced on a pulley with a screwdriver or other lever. The proper procedure is to loosen the motor and put the belt on by hand. V-belts that are either too tight or too loose may be OVER