February, 1940
11
AUTOMATIC AGE
A Review of the 1940 Sh ow
A
S billed, the 1940 Coin Machine
Show p r o v i d e d “ 96 E xciting
H ours” fo r more than 6000 coin ma
chine men who came from all o f the
48 States, from Canada and even
from far off India to Chicago to in
spect hundreds o f brand new coin
machines, to renew old acquaintances
with fellow coin machine men and to
witness the most spectacular enter
tainment features ever provided by
any Show Committee.
Coin
Machine
Industries, Inc.,
sponsors o f the 1940 Coin Machine
Show, held January 15-18 at Hotel
Sherman in Chicago, com pletely dem
onstrated its managerial and prom o
tional ability in staging one o f the
best-attended and one o f the most
interesting exhibits and conventions
in the history o f the industry. The
success o f the 1940 Show was also a
testimonial to the benefits o f having
a united industry, in contrast to the
division which a year ago forced the
holding o f tw o separate Shows with
all o f the objectional features which
need not be reviewed.
The attendance o f more than 6000
actual coin machine men, disclosed
by the list o f registrations, is an im
pressive record, reflecting most fa v o r
ably upon the efforts o f the publicity
committee headed by Herb Jones.
Since the public was not admitted to
the 1940 Coin Machine Show, it is
believed that the attendance o f 6000
operators and distributors exceeds all
previous records.
A total o f 118 separate exhibitors
occupied Exhibit Hall, the mezzanine
and Grand Ball room , showing the
widest known range o f coin-operated
equipment, m ost o f the machines be
ing introduced to the trade fo r the
first time. A lon g with the newest
merchandise dispensers, phonographs,
amusement devices and service type
machines, the exhibits displayed a
complete range o f associated products
and merchandise fo r 1940 operating
requirements.
Trade Hears Dr. Bradley
On Monday, January loth , opening
day o f the Show, operators were a f
ford ed a brief glimpse o f the coin
Thrills at Celebrity B reakfast
On Tuesday, late-rising coin ma
chine guests adjourned all thoughts
o f business and spent three eventful
hours at the spectacular “ Celebrities
Breakfast” . It was Jack Kelner’s
Show, with more surprises and thrills
in the way o f brilliant entertainment
than the industry had ever before
witnessed. It was a three-hour vaude
ville show o f the highest character,
plus a sumptuous breakfast— all fo r
a dollar-and-a-quarter.
D I C K T O D D , “ th e r o m a n tic b a rito n e ,” at
left, a n d A R T K A S S E L , fa m o u s b a n d
leader, w e re a m o n g the h e a d lin e rs w h o
e n te rta in e d at the 1940 S h o w .
machine displays before Exhibition
Hall closed at noon fo r the “ Hom e
com ing Luncheon” where a near
capacity crowd heard Dr. Preston
Bradley, world-fam ous theologist and
radio speaker, broadcast an address
on “ T olerance” over station W IN D .
Dr. Bradley told the nation’s radio
listeners that he was amazed at the
size and im portance o f the coin m a
chine industry. His visible audience
o f nearly 1,000 coin machine men and
women was tense and quiet as Dr.
Bradley
dramatically
prayed
fo r
leadership in this nation which
would prevent the further destruction
o f dem ocratic principles, halt the
foreign-bred philosophy o f hatreds
from spreading, and stem the rising
tides o f religious and racial intoler
ance. (See text o f Dr. Bradley’s
address in this issue.)
Guests at the “ H om ecom ing Lunch
eon” were entertained fo r more than
an hour by A rt Kassel and his famous
orchestra; Dick Todd, the “ romantic
baritone” ; “ M ickey” Allen, swing
songstress; the riotous “ H oosier H ot
Shots” , all furnished through the
courtesy o f recording companies. A
popular quartette o f musicians and
singers also entertained during the
luncheon.
© International Arcade Museum
Mr. Kelner introduced the master
o f ceremonies, Vincent Gottschalk,
after announcing that Father Flan
agan o f “ B oy’s T ow n” was unable to
attend on account o f illness. It was
also explained that union restrictions
prevented the appearance o f several
radio and stage stars who had ex
pressed their willingness to partici
pate.
Spectacular 4-Hour Show
Climaxing all other spectacular en
tertainment features o f the 1940 Coin
Machine Show was the industry’s an
nual banquet held Thursday evening,
January 18. A ccording to James A.
Gilmore, CMI Secretary, 2400 coin
machine guests attended the 1940
Banquet.
M r. G. D. N a id u , co in m a c h in e d is t r ib u
t o r fro m f a r off In d ia , in n a t iv e h a b ili
m e n ts, in sp e c ts one of th e n e w m o d e ls at
the 1940 S h o w .
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