Variety (June 1923)

• Thursday, June 7, 1923 OUTDOOR AMUSEMENTS Columbia Park, North Bergen, N. J. Columbia Park, on the Bite of the •Id Schuetzen park property to the west of Hoboken, has been running about five years. The plant spreads over 50 acres and represents over $2,000,000 in investment. It was financed by popular stock subscrip- tion and holdings are spread all over North Jersey in small lots so that in a measure the whole com- munity is in on the proposition. Last year it paid 12 per cent, in dividends. As a summer park property in character and in management it is unique. It has the usual rides and other features but the big pull is the merchandise wheel. There are between 25 and 30 merchandising devices, all operated under one head. Thomas Shortan, who also is secre- tary of the park company, next in the active management to President Otto Oesehbach. Shortan paj-s a ftait annual rental for the complete i privilege and operates them him- self. Variety's reporter made his first , visit to the property Decoration Day. At 8 o'clock in the evening ,'. the place was crowded and every- thing was working at close rt> ca- ;, pacity. A huge crowd, practically • at the opening of the sea-an. was •i an acid test for any management • i and the fact that the machine moved smoothly speaks volumes for ' the administration. The gaffe for the day probably ran to 50.000 or 60 000. in amusement enterprises as In • any other activity* the institution repress nts the men behind it. This •observer's opinion from his inspec- tion is that Columbia Park has a ..broad-gauged, business direetovate that is working along new lines. In its five years of activity it has won the confidence of its public to the * 'extent that the people have been educated to the conviction it is 'going to- get a square deal inside the gates, enters the place without suspicion and gives itself over to having a good time without reserve. The astonishing thing about the place is that it can make a feature of merchandising devices and still keep its crowds in a cheerful, jolly •frame of mind. Apparently the • trick is to leave the people alone. i abstain from nagging them this way and that by raucous ballyhoos and accommodate them with choice of amusement. About all, the wheels deliver standard merchandise on the basis of the board's capacity. For example, one booth plays 20 numbers at 10 cents a number and the winner gets an Armour Star ham, regularly branded and packed. and with it a metal roaster. This concession had a tremendous pull for the thrifty housewives. The goods delivered on the turn of the wheel probably represented more than could be bought at retail for the $2 represented on the board. Shortan is said to have found this game so popular he is able to con- tract for the goods in carload lots at bargain prices. Wheels Give Value Another popular wheel gives mu- •ical instruments. It has every va- riety of instrument—flashy looking banjoes, ukeleles, cithers, accord- ions, ets. The board has 90 num- bers in groups of threes, each group selling for 26 cents. The board represents $7.50 to the turn and the goods looked to an inex- perienced eye to represent value plus. In this case aa in others there was a big sign informing everybody that there were "no stars." The winner on the number had the pick of the place and no goods was of- fered until the winner made his choice. In other cases where stars were played notice was posted to that effect. There was very little ballyhooing and nobody was urged to play. Half the time people who wanted to play couldn't get to the boards be- cause non-playing watchers occu- pied the space, but the watchers were not addressed or even asked to play or move on. The Variety reporter in the whole evening saw only one dispute. A player put down a two-dollar bill and said he received only change for $1. The customer was inclined to be ugly about it, but before he could raise his voice the change maker was up with an apology, pointing out that the' wind had blown the missing one-dollar bill off the counter and f it was lying at the player's feet. The policy seemed to be that the employes were always wrong and the customer always right. It saved trouble and time and in the end it worked out, apparently. Just as the Wall Street lunch room that leaves the customer to pay his own check as he goes out. There's a lot to be said for this system. It takes it for granted that the customer is on the square. In the long run—speaking now of a permanent amusement resort—the public is bound to take the same view of the management and it- agents. At least it seems to have worked out to that end in this proposition, There's another amsle to this remarkable status of a park em- ployee as represented in the .lersev Park. Shortan is said to rule his employees with iron discipline on one h%nd, but to pay them highest wages on the other. According to one well ipf-»rrned amusement man anybody In the management, pre- ferring to make his own observa- tions—Shortan doesn't pay any wheel worker less than $50 a week and premiums and the flat salary in some cases runs up to $100. These workers have good jobs to protect and they have to be the fastest in their class. They are said to carry implicit instructions that if they address ar.y woman directly, except as necessary in the play, they go off the lot for good. Well Behaved Crowds AI! this about the wheels because they practically make the park. The rest of it is incidental. JA'hat makes the place unique is the well behaved, sober crowds with everybody car- rying something from teddy bears and dolls with electrically lighted eyes to blankets, cooking utensils, canary birds and other things be- yond count. One woman carried an electric heater and a yonng man hugged a live young goat. Special considerations govern the wheel proposition here. In most places it would bring on a jam with the local merchants, but Columbia is just at the edge of Hudson County and is away from the city centers. The nearest stores are blocks away in T r nion Hill, across It.; Hudson Boulevard. Besides there is a larger play from the towns at u distance than from those nearby. Union Hill merchants don't especially care how much Passaic trade is ab- sorbed by the wheels and Passaic store keepers are too far away in another rounly to have much to say. The park draws astonishing patronage from distant points. At one time in the early evening. 10 huge' busses were counted at the gates from points as faraway aa. Patersoii and even Haekensaek and they kept arriving and departing all evening. Besides which all the trol- ley lines of North Jersey come within a few block*of the gate and the Hudson Tubes from New York are a short eav ride away. All these channels of travel are liberally billed by the park which makes a feature just now of its $300,000 swimming pool capable of accom- modating 6.000. and of its 50 acres of walks, groves and gardens and amusement features. The poster design is a good flash with the cen - tral figure a striking diving girl. Even the New York stations of the Hudson Tubes system (used by all Jersey commuters) are liberally supplied with paper and nobody who travels between New York and Jer- sey can fail to have the place called to his or her attention. Rides Patronized Although the wheels get the heavy play, the rides were well patron- ised, especially by the youn«r couples. J. J. McCarthy's new "Trip to Paradise" had a vaitlng line all evening, although the ride is not yet complete. It's a tunnel ride on motorized tracks, the car passing through dark stretches with illumi- nated set scenes behind glass at. in- tervals. The device is one of those "spoony" rides and looks like sure fire with its flashy front, it will have seven scenic displays when completed. Only four of them were illuminated Memorial day. Returning to the fascinating sub- ject of park management's atti- tude toward the public, one runs into innumerable trifles at Colum- bia to show a right policy in this establishment. Variety's man went to the lunch room for a bite. The place, adjoining the big dance floor, was immaculate. The prices of everything were posted over the counter in figures four inches hip,h. A polite waiter took the order de- livered it promptly and walked away until he was wanted. When the customer was through he counted up the check, took the money and departed without a word. Anybody who has been served in an ordinary park lunchroom with a waiter nervously hanging to his elbow will appreciate this kind of service. Throughout the whole park there isn't a "Don't" sign nor a special policeman, except those who regu- late auto traffic in the three-acre parking lot. The dance ha M calls for an admission of a quarter. But you can walk into the adjoining lunchroom and from there to the dance floor without hindrance. Only nobody does it. There isn't a soul to prevent you from beating the place for two bits, but apparently nobody thinks of it. .Terry Drew and his •even-piece orchestra supply the dance music. Drew wears evening clothes and the bandsmen are neatly costumed. The let-alone policy of the whole place is illustrated In the handling of the dancers. It the couples show a ten- dency to become—eh— over-entusi- astic, the floor manager, instead of calling attention to <i particular couple by warning them on the floor, «li]i«< : \ siii^nal to the leader and the orchestra hWIIcIIPH —TTTTD—n not her number with a qui«t rhythm. The crowds gets the ti;> Instantly al- though not n Word has been said CON GETS GOLF BUG; GOLF PRO THE CAUSE GUILTY OF ROBBERY R. V. Manager Bawls Out Ball Team For Early Hours, and Suc- cumbs Himself Scott and Frank Bryan Sent Away for Three Years. Syracuse, June S. Dear Chick: After all my beefm' al«>ut my guys wearin' themselves out in the mornings playin' golf, what do you think 1 went and done? i got my- self hooked worse than any of them. I have been gettin' up at i a. m. and playing IS holes and sneakin' in so they won't get hep to me, for if they ever catch me chasin' the little white apple around I might as well jump the club. I got them winnin*, and as far as I can see they are layin' off the golf thing before ball I went out to the golf club aft«r I caught them cheatin', with the in- tention of puttin' a stop to the mornin' practice thing. When I ar- rived their the pro was the only guy who seemed to know anything about it. so I told him what would happen the next time he let my U»ll players wear themselves out pTayln* golf When they had a ball game to consider that afternoon. He was a nice guy. and after listehin' for a while asked me if I ever played . golf. The long and short of it was that he finally in- troduced me to a quart of Scotch. This bird told me that that's what everybody meant when they began kiddin' about the 18th hole— that's where you guzsle. After skippin* 17 holes a coupla times I agreed to Fairmont, W. Va., June 6. K. V. Seott and Frank Bryan, found guilty dt robbery in a jury trial, were sentenced to three years each in the penitentiary at Mounds - ville by Judge E. M. Showalter. The evidence was that these two men. who came here with the Dodson carnival, which played under the auspices of the Elks lodge, asked R. C. Robinson to change a bill for them. When he took out his pttrot they snatched it and ran. A pickpocket arrested May 2 4. when the Hagenbeck-Wallace circus exhibited here, is still in Jail here awaiting a trial. FIGHT OVER EASTOH'S BEACH Providence. June C. Legal controversy over the leas- anywuy } jn K fcy the city of Newport of Kas- ton'x Beach to the Newport Beach Association is in the hands of the Supreme Court at Providence, fol- lowing the presaing of hills or ex- ception to the Superior Court rul- ing Friday abrogating the lease. Doth sides to the dispute took exceptions tp the decision. Thereafter arguments were heard and elaborate briefs embracing the entire history of the beach from the original proprietor's grant in 1702 to the present day were presented* The court's decision will be em- braced in a later decision. WFADIC* RUHNING RODEO Calgary. June «. Guy Weadick will have charge of smack a golf ball and show this egg] tMe rodeo here early in July. The how hard a ball player could hit one. ' government has given |>ermission We went out on the links, and j l <> 2.000 Indians to participate, mak- after he put my ball up on a muJi in K 't by far the biggest in Domln- cone I took a cut at it and hit one j ion history. The Calgary Chamber about n mile and half, but with an of Commerce will hold open house outcurve on it that would make 'to American newspapermen during Walter .lohnson turn in his uniform ! that time. if he saw it. Several governors of Northwest- This was all wrong, arcordin* to em states will be there as guests. the pro. for the bail wasn't supposed arriving in time to see the opening SWIMMING POOL GROWS IN FAVOR AS DRAW to curve none. He fixed up an egg for himself and took a grip on the club like he was goin' to choose up aides. Maybe he can't smack em. He got in behind one and hit it as straight as a bowlln' alley. The next part of my education was to learn to put. After we played a coupla holes I begun to realize that this game was as scientific as base ball and that a guy could very easily go nuts about it. The next mornin' when I woke up at daybreak I was so sure of it that I went back to the golf course to tell his nobs about it, and we framed an agreement. This egg is bugs about baseball. I agreed to make a ball player out of him if he would teach me to play golf, but neither one of us was to tip our mitts to my ball players. I have been goin' out every morn- in', and after we play around once I take him back of the clubhouse and hit grounders at him. He is a big league golfer, but an awful busher at the other game, and T guess it's vice is virtue. He tells me that in six months I will be goin' around in 80, which will be just about his bat tin' average in six months if he sticks to baseball. Tho club is winnin' again, how- ever, and keepin' away from the golf course in the mornin*. They show up at the park for mornin' practice as I ordered them to, but they are cheatin* because I haven't been their to watch them. I gave them six new balls to prac- tice with, flgurin* I qpuld tell if the balls was grass stained just alout how much practice they got in. 1 seen one of them layin' out in the outfield this mornin' rubbin' the six new balls in the grass to stain them, so I guess they have been practicln' that short into the dinin' room in- stead of the national pastime. We are tied for fourth place, and I haven't been asked to tie a can to no one for a week. The directors are layin' off us and will just so long as we keep winnin*. do and get yourself a load of this «<>lf thini* I'm telliri' you it'■ tin darb. Tour old pal, Con of the new Windermere road, a sec tion of highway opening the Rocky Mountain territory to suto tour- ists. CANADIAN RATE REDUCTIONS A reduction of the tariff charged for the transportation of circuses and outdoor shows by the Canadian railroads is reported as likely with- in a couple of weeks. The matter is understood to be under advisement by the roads now. with the reduction due to be an- nounced short I v. —Variety's reporter didn't irterview resolved tti.t gvoimm in.- uo .md nobody has hepn offended. It S*ts down to this, the POfl- < ern has a lot of money planted in a permanent business, Romebodj with remarkably gOOd sense, ©r un- der remark a We inspiration or maybe with an impulse he didn't altogether understand himself has b n for small chance Is bum buslm in the long tun and has [aid do -«—p fOH fw m Of — givillK — Lhu pnblir .-. reasonable run for Its money. The park doesn't talk about it in its i-i- vertlsement«. but the ntmoaphe the place speaks for itself. itunnina nn amusement paik on tin," basis is revolutionary. Anj showman of the old school will tell you it oan't be done and lhal nnj enterprise sn operated IS < raws Columbia paid 12 per < n divi- dends last reai snd the yeai before : ricverl heles* '•"•' *''• GUS HILLS TENT SHOW Cus Hill started his tent show experiment at Suffern. N. y., June 2, with "Mutt and Jeff," under can- vas, at 75 cents top. The troupe will play the one-nighters in New York State and Canada during the summer. Park Men Adding Grandstands and Planning Aquatic Events —$150,000 Plant in Newark The Inland eastern park men are just waking up to the rich possi- bilities of the swimming pool, and construction plans are in the mak- ing for this and next season that are likely to swamp contractors with work. One of the principal projects is the $150,000 plant near- ing completion at Olympic Park, near Newark. X. J., under the man- agement of Sidney Reynolds, the former vaudevillian. Reynolds proposes to hold a series "of aquatic events, and has applied to the Amateur Athletic t'nion for a charter recognizing his establish- ment as an official center for ama- teur events. The pool idea has several impor- tant angles aside from the draw as a bathing place, it j« iirnpnioii to flank Hie tanks on two sides with grandstands to which admission will be charged for the athletic events. Another slant is that with the bath- ing suits becoming briefer and briefer, and with the feminine fad for swiminIng and diving atunts, a swinrniitiK pool crowd ha« the aspect of the 'Tollies" ensembles and the park crowd likes to watch the scenes of animation. Probably the profitable venture at Madison Square Garden last sum- mer and the summer before has had a lot to do with bringing the pool scheme to the attention of the park mm, but one outdoor amusement purveyor points out that the big booster for the vogue has been the frequency with which the Sunday newspaper rotagravure sections have been exploiting bathing girls during the past years, and the further propaganda for undraped beach beauties on the screen. Park bathing plants in the east have run into investments as high aa $300,000. and the returns have been startling. The pool at Colum- bia Park, near Union Hill, N. J. cost around that figure. It can ac- • •uiiirnodate 6.000 bathers, and at $1 a he.id. and is said to have grossed more than its cost on the first fuil season of 1922. The pool st Schencks' Paliaade Park (Jersey» each summer nets $75,000 at tfee least. . . The Brighton Beach pool, whieh run* all year round and is enclosed, is reported to have turned in a profit of more than $150,000 in a season, and simlliar figures are quoted for other establishrr. nts. After the Initial, Investment the pool is one of the lowest cost ooa- cessions on the ground and this i contributes tojta popularity a> i park feature. IRVING YATES Vaudeville Manager and Producer Who ix repreoeotlng many standard acts now playing for the Marcos liOew, \\ i'li^ni I'ox. and Independent circuits and who would like to hear iioni i few more high grade turns desirous «>f playing In and around New fork this summei <>i win- would welcome contracting for futun .1 I l»«S