Classic Mode

Automatic Age

Issue: 1940 November

November, 1940
13
AUTOMATIC AGE
AUTOMATIC SHOTS!
by Frank C. Petrine
W H A T 'S
TH E
TREND
FO R
PHONOGRAPHS?
People love music because music is funda­
mental. If we are to adequately appraise the
trend of automatic phonographs, and see clearly
the reason for their consistent growth and patron­
age—we must consider “first things first,” that
music is fundamental.
A great music-lover of Brooklyn, Dr. Edward
Podolsky, reported certain experiments in an
interesting book entitled, “The Doctor Prescribes
Music.” The doctor has discovered that music
not only is entertaining and inspiring, but that
it is also good for our health. He points out that
fast music speeds one up, steps up the heartbeat,
and that slow music soothes and has a quieting
power which brings relaxation.
It is mighty pleasant medicine to take!
The tremendous popularity of music today has
grown in direct proportion to its accessibility or
availability. Therefore, the appeal of a device
which gains quick recognition for the accessi­
bility and availability of music is a strong con­
tributory factor in the purchase of music by
patrons of locations equipped with automatic
phonographs.
Such a device is the wall, bar, and counter box
—which brings music practically within arm’s
reach. These devices remove the resistance
called “inertia.” This is a basic human trait, the
recognition of which has developed “impulse”
merchandising with amazing success in all lines
of business.
The wide-spread installations of wall, bar, and
counter boxes is an adaptation of the “impulse”
merchandising principle to the automatic phono­
graph industry. Remarkable results in increased
earnings for locations and operators are reported
universally from East, West, North, and South.
A national symposium of these reports comprise
the major feature of this issue of AUTOMATIC
AGE.
*
C O IN
M IN T I N G
*
*
SETS RECORD
Washington, Oct. 17.—John Q. Citizen is using
a record-breaking amount of coins these days.
The mint produced an all-time high of 449,855,­
841 new coins in the three-month period ending
September 30.
© International Arcade Museum
PA GE
MR.
R IP LE Y — R A P ID -F IR E FORCES R A Y
TO
A IR
Ray Moloney, president of Bally Mfg. Co. and
die-hard member of the No-Airliners-for-Me
Club, arrived in Chicago recently by United Air­
lines plane from New York, thus causing conster­
nation in Chicago coin-machine circles.
“I ’ve always been a firm believer in terra
firma,” Moloney said, “and the firma the better—
preferably with nothing but a railroad track,
tires or the soles of my shoes between me and the
terra. While members of the Bally sales organ­
ization have been flying from coast to coast, I ’ve
always said, ‘No, thanks, I ’ll take the low road!’
But the other day, after spending several days in
New York, I finally gave up and went up, flying
back to the factory. If you want to know the
reason for this sudden change in my traveling
habits, it was simply that I was really in a hurry.
After seeing the way the New York operators
were besieging Jack Fitzgibbons’ office for more,
more and still more Rapid-Fire machine guns, I
figured I better get back home quick and step up
gun production another notch or two!”
*
*
*
C E LE B R ITY GREETER S A M S T R A H L
Admirably performing the pleasant task of
Celebrity Greeter at the Waldorf-Astoria, Sam
Strahl proved that he can easily win hands down
any contest for the title of “Most Popular Friend
of the Celebrities.” Sam conducts the American
Cigarette Machine Co., prominent distributors of
a full line of coin operated machines in Pitts­
burgh, Buffalo, and Miami.
*
GRAND
W IL L
O P E N IN G
FE A TU R E
OF
TH E
NEW
*
*
M AYFLO W ER
NORTHW ESTS
B U IL D IN G
PANORAM
PREMIERE
On November 6 and 7, the Mayflower Novelty
Co. will celebrate the grand opening of the new
Mayflower Building at 2218 University Ave., St.
Paul. The Northwest’s premiere showing of Mills
Panoram with “Soundies” will be the feature
attraction during this event.
Sam Taran extends a cordial invitation to all
coin machine men to attend this auspicious occa­
sion. Added to the enjoyment which will be dis­
pensed in the well-known lavish Sam Taran man­
ner, visitors will see and hear the Panoram Movie
Machine and “Soundies” which have been the
talk of the trade since the big Hollywood and New
York City premieres.
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AUTOMATIC AGE
14
H IL L
E X P L A IN S
M U S IC
BOOM
Newspaper columnist Edwin C. Hill, in his
“The Human Side of the News” which appears
daily in hundreds of newspapers, recently wrote
about the “amazing boom in phonograph rec­
ords.” In 1933, sales were about 4,000,000; this
year they are expected to reach 137,000,000, he
reports.
“One explanation is that we seek and find in
them an escape from a confused and bewildered
world,” Hill explains. “Another explanation is
simply that phonographs, records and selections
are so much better than ever before.”
Hill credits automatic phonographs as account­
ing for many millions of the rising record out­
put, remarking that, of course, a phonograph “is
strictly co-educational. It’s specialty is dance
music and there isn’t the slightest chance that
we would have this big, lusty new industry—if
the tavern crowds didn’t include women.
“Women certainly are making for refinement
in saloons,” observes Hill. “It was only a fort­
night ago that one of our sociologists reported
a barkeeper as saying to a somewhat raffish
customer: ‘We must insist that you behave more
decorously. Haven’t you observed that there are
ladies present?’ ”
*
lc
GUM
*
*
V E N D O R S ARE P O PU LA R
A trip to New York City, which includes visit­
ing the G. V. Corp. show room, is made informa­
tive and inspirational by Miss A. M. Strong, cap­
able G. V. official, who delights in explaining and
demonstrating the firm’s various models of popu­
lar lc gum vendors for outdoor and indoor
locations.
He
E N E R G E T IC
P O L IC IE S
AND
*
ID E A LS
*
ARE
C O M P A T IB L E
Better business is enjoyed by any group which
has able leadership. It’s a natural result of ener­
November, 1940
getic policies and ideals. I found an outstanding
example of this fact in New York City.
Leadership is a combination of qualities which
express themselves in a clear, unselfish under­
standing of one’s relationship to his fellow busi­
ness men. These qualities make a man stand out
as a leader—as does Charles Engelman, of Colum­
bia Music Co., who also presides as Chairman of
the Automatic Music Operators’ Ass’n. of New
York.
Charlie is a successful business man. His na­
tural personality, keen ability, intimate knowl­
edge of and enthusiasm for his business, mental
capacity assures that. Though individual accom­
plishment is important to Charlie Engelman, as
it is to each of us, he holds a respected place as a
moderator and worker sincerely devoted to the
progress of his group to higher and higher levels.
*
*
*
P IC TU R E S O F O U R IN D U S T R Y
A1 Gould is an avid reader of AUTOMATIC
AGE, and he likes the pictures very much. Here’s
his story:
“The pictures you print in AUTOMATIC AGE
are the berries because they give operators a true
picture of what’s doing in the industry. The wide
variety of pictures give this much misunderstood
industry of ours class and tone.”
Double check, Al. You can see the forest in
spite of the trees!
*
ASK FOR
*
*
T H E L O C A T IO N
Operators who are self-analytical may find that
they actually make many calls without specifically
asking for the location for one or more machines.
It may happen that you work an entire day and
never ask for the location in so many words.
Why be indirect? Why wait to have the spot
offered to you? Make it a rule never to leave
the prospective location owner without trying to
place your machine.
H A P P Y B IR T H D A Y , M R S. L E M K E !
The 509 Club, Detroit, was
the scene of the birthday party
given for Mrs. Henry C. Lemke
on October 18, 1940. It was a
most delightful event. Henry C.
Lemke is one of the most widely
known distributors of coin oper­
ated machines.
© International Arcade Museum
http://www.arcade-museum.com/

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