Coin Machine Review (& Pacific ...)

Issue: 1940 November

Philodelphio
PHONOGRAPH
OPERATORS
NAME
NEW OFFICERS ... OPS SEE PANORAM
PREMIERE ... WIRED MUSIC STRONG
NAPA SUIT.
By HARRY BORTNICK - --
PHILADELPHIA (RC)-Local coin ma-
chine and phonograph operators are in-
directly benefiting greatly from the de-
fense program for they are getting thou-
sands of extra plays from men who are re-
turning to work for almost the first time
in a decade. Philly's tremendous factories,
naval shipyards and stores are all busy on
government orders and everybody here
seems to turn toward music or pinball ma-
chines, during their lunch or relaxation
periods. So operators now are smiling again
even more widely than when they first dis-
covered the bonanza to be found in this
new industry.
Elections were held in the country's
most powerful mu-
sic organization, the
local Phonograph
Operators' Associa-
tion of Eastern
Pennsylvania and
NewJersey,on
Thursday, October
24. This meeting
was held in the or-
ganization's
head-
qua rt ers at the
Schaff Building, in
Philadelphia, and
was attended by al-
Harry Bartnick
most a hundred per-
cent membership.
Elevated to the presidency by a majority
vote was Charles Young, operating as the
Delaware River Music Co., and who had
previously served the group as a member
of the board of directors. Young succeeded
• P hil Frank in this high office, and was the
firs t New Jersey member-he is from Had-
donfield-to hold the highest office in the
P honograph Operators' Association. Retir-
ing President Phil Frank, head of the Auto-
matic Vending Corp., Chester, Pa., was
named to th e board of directors, thus
changing posts with Young.
Retained as vice-president for a second
term was Jac;k Sheppard, whose fine work
in his office was rewarded by virtually
unanimous election to the job which he
had made highly important by his conduct
of the work.
Secretary is popular, friend ly Harry El-
ki ns, Royal Distributing Co., who succeeded
George Fields of Fields & Murphy, Norris-
town, in this writing position. Harry prom-
ised a sweeping change in making his notes
highly interesting and authoritative.
Unanimously re-elec ted to handle the As-
socia tion's funds as Treasurer was Joe
Mellwig, Cameo Amusement Co., against
whom there was no opposition because of
the fine manner in which he handled the
organization's dough.
The board of directors now consists of
Frank; Lou Sussman, Lyric Amusement
Co.; Art Pockrass, Universal Ameusement
Co. ; William King, Quaker Vending Co.,
and George Field, retiring secretary, all of
whom will represent the Pennsylvania mem-
bership while the New Jersey operatrs will
be represented by Lou Hinden, Garden
State Amusement Co., Camden and William
Mongan, operating under his own name
from Berlin, N. J.
Withdrawing from the board of directors
are I. Friedenber of the Atlantic City Mu-
sic Box Corp. and Sam Weinstein, Mutual
Music Co.
Only details which we have of the elec-
tion held by the Upstate Branch of the
Smart music merchandising was demonsfrafed recently in Bradford, Pa., when Bill Fertig (right)
gof John Finley (center) , manager of fh e New Bradford Theater, fo install one of his
Wurlitzer B00's in the lobby during the personal appearance of bandsman Mitchell Ayers (Jeff) .
As the sign over the machine indicates, location owners were invited fo have similar machines
installed free of expense in their places. The result: good.
P honograph Operators' Association, con-
cerned the election of John Moran, Pitts-
town, as Presiden t of the Chapter.
A large delegation of local operators, in-
cluding more than 20 members of the
P honograph Operators' Associations and an
equal number of pinball operators were the
guests of the Keystone Novelty & Mfg. Co.
-Mills Novelty Co. dfatributors-and Bill
Helriegel, as they traveled to the New
York premiere of the new Pa nor am movie
machine. All operators returned to Philly
with enthusiastic reports about the money-
making possibilities of the machine which
will be distributed shortly in this -district.
Thomas Mullin of Allentown, who for
the past two years served as manager of
the Harrisburg chapter, has recently sev-
ered his connection with the group. He
will call on the upstate phonograph mem-
bers as a representative of the local Rock-
Ola Distributor, Keystone Vending Co.,
which is headed by Sam Stern. Mullin has
made many friends among music operators
and should do a fine sales job for Rock-
Ila in the mid-state territory.
Mull in's successor as business manager
of the Harrisburg chapter of the Phono-
graph Operators' Association has not yet
been appointed. All communications should
be addressed to the secretary, Sol Hoffman,
Tri-State Music Co., Harrisburg, Pa., who
will temporarily conduct the business af-
fairs of the organization in that district.
Universal Amusement Co., headed by
Artie Pockrass, has been appointed local
exclusive distributor for Buckley Music
System, Inc. DeWitt "Doc" Eaton, east•
ern regional director for the manufacturer.
who made the appointment, spent several
days with Pockrass conferring on promo-
tional plans. Artie sai'd that he will hold
a party-showing of the new product shortly
and will extend invitations to all operators
in this district.
Another new product which is receiving
considerable attention from operators and
the publi'c is the Automatic Hostess Mu-
sic Studio. Robert Harper of the AMI,
announced the opening of a studio for this
unique product at the Washington Sauare
Building, 108 South Seventh Street, Phila-
delphia. Operators wishing to see this op-
eration may secure passes from the AMI,
offices of which are located at 2041 Fair-
mount Avenue. Large i'nstallations have
been located at several important spots in
the city, notably the Venture Inn night-
club and a large tap-room on Arch Street,
and other installations will be opened short-
ly at Wi lkes-Barre, Scranton, Wilmington,
Dela., and perhaps also at Po ttsville, Pa.
Harper is doing a fine job of promoting this
product for AMI, having secured a full.
length fea ture-article publicity for it in one
of Philly's leading daily journals, and pro-
moting interest in it among locations.
Tippy Kline of the Premier Music Co.
and Sam Weinstein of the Mutual Music
Machine Co. have recently combined their
extensive routes and have also gone into
the distributing phase of the industry, tak-
ing on distribution of Homer Capehart's
Packard Mfg. Co.'s products, including the
company's new "Heads-Up" Selector and
the numerous other products expected to
be released soon. Kline and Weinstein,
now partners, will shortly open a cen trally
located Philadelph ia showroom to display
the fu ll line.
Frank Engle and Mike Spector, heads of
the booming Au tomatic Amusement Co.,
local Seeburg distributor, which in a
shorter time than any other organization
has stepped in to a top-notch distributing
position-a.,e now showing the new See-
burg Wired Music Studio equ ipment at
81
COIN
MACHINE
REVIEW
https://elibrary.arcade-museum.com
82
COIN
MACHINE
REVIEW
their headquarters, 921 North Broad Street.
This merchandise will be prominently dis-
played in their showrooms for a consider-
able time,
The long threatened suit by the National
Association of Performing Artists, headed
by James J. "Jimmy" Walker and orchestra
leader Fred Waring, against local phono-
graph operators and distributors has finally
been filed in Common Pleas Court. The
NA~ A filed suits against Irwin Newman,
tradmg as the Modern Music Machine Co. ;
Edward "Tippy" Klein, operating as the
Premier Automatic Music Co. and Maurice
F;inkel and Alexander Weiss, High Point
Amusement Co. They also filed suit against
a location on which a phonograph was
placed, the Gay Nineties Cafe.
In their suit the NAP A sought to obtain
a share of the profits from renting the
phonographs in which the records of their
members were played. A suit has already
been fi led against leading broadcasting
companies to prevent them from playing
records unless they are paid a share of
the profits from renting the recording time.
This suit against local operators in the
first of its type to be filed in this country,
although various organizations have previ-
ously attempted to wrest a share of the
profits from the phonograph-recording busi-
ness.
The three defendants have selected a
well-known firm of attorneys to handle
their defense and represen t them in the
case.
Congratulations are now in order for Ben
Fireman, who became the proudest pappy
in this city when his wife bore a baby boy,
who was promptly named Barry, on Mon-
day, October 28, at the Mt. Sinai Hospital.
The child weighed 8½ pounds. He will be
heir to the large business built up by
Fireman under the name of the Automatic
Sales Co.
Another pappy of recent creation is
Chester Ely who also became the father of
a boy, name unknown at press time.
All operations of music machines are
now making some use of the recently re-
leased-to-phonograph-operators classical rec-
ords cut by RCA Victor. While use of
these discs is not yet great, their import-
ance will be increased as the public real-
izes that they may listen to some of the
greater tunes via their nickel music
machine.
Frank Kuhn is making plans to sell his
phonograph route and retire temporarily
from business for a well-earned vacation.
Condolences are being offered by opera-
tors to Sam Weinstein whose father passed
away early this month.
Newest Amusement Machine Association
PLAN NOW
TO ATTEND THE
WESTERN STATES COIN
MACHINE CONVENTION
*
LOS ANGELES BILTMORE
NOV. 18-19-20
The Biggest Show
Ever Staged in the West
DON'T MISS IT!

.
Hom er E. Capehart, President of the Packard Manufactur ing Corporation , and A. D. Osborn ,
Los Angeles, one of the oldest men in the automatic phonograph operating business in the
United States , had a great many th ings to talk over during Capehart's recent visit to the Coast.
Capehart is showing Mr. Osborn the new Packard Music Selector and explaining the Packard
Selective Remote Control System.
members are Bertram S. Sclein, whose ma-
chines bear the sticker of the Twen tieth
Century Amusement Co., and Harry D.
Steinberg, who has recen tly opened a vend-
ing machine concern. Paul Rappaport is
another to invade the trade, operating his
pinball route as the Girard Amusement Co.
New Cointrolled Movie
Features Previewed
HOLLYWOOD-Peter Ratoff introduced
his new company, Song-0-Graph, to an
invi ted audience at the Esquire Theater,
here, October 22, in a presentation designed
for the entertainment of the 1?;eneral public
and constructed strictlv with the idea in
mind of making money ·for the flock of new
exhibitors expected to provide entertain-
ment of this sort for the patrons of cocktail
bars and night spots.
Song-0-Graph made shrewd use of the
formula that an unpretentious product ion
delivering solid entertainment will keep the
nickels and dimes rolling in. and the prem-
ise, based on the success of the auto ma tic
phonograph, wired music and bar boxes.
that at least at the start entertainment must
be of the song-and-dance variety.
In the new film a bevy of personable
irirls who are not hard on the eves, sing
and dance well enough to keep the audi-
ence ·asking for more. Production showed
need of some editing-which was expected,
since this was a preview-but all in all it
may be judged satisfactory fare for the
coin operated machines.
Good tunes written especially for the
subjects carried a swing which may have
the customers whistling them after a few
plays. Novelty was presented bu t not un-
duly stressed.
Subjects were three in number: "Bundle
of Love," featuring Gene Grounds and The
Dreamers. six cute kids who sing and
dance; "Boy Meets Girl," fea turing Betty
Wells and Tex Brodus, both of "Meet the
People," and "Bank of Love." Miss Wells
made an injudicious use of makeup in her
firs t appearance, but this fau lt was not
noticed in the second spot, which she also
shared with Brodus.
Ratoff's pictures used music by Rudy
Schrager, lyrics and screen play by Herb
Stahlberg, photography by Glenn MacWil-
liams, and direction by George McNulty.
It is reported that the first three are a per-
manent part of the organization, scheduled
to work on fu ture productions.
Ratoff makes no pretense of "colossal"
production, asserting he is making pictures
strictly on a basis that will make money
for the operators who will be able to rent
them at a price they can afford, and it is
expected that they will be available to any
and all operators regardless of the equip-
men t they use. There is a possibility, how-
ever, that the subjects may be sold out-
right to one of the big companies.
It is not easy to produce shorties at a
figure which will enable the operator to
change subjects regularly and still come
out on the right side of the ledger, but
apparently Ratoff has done this. Noted in
the audience were several competitors,
there by invita tion. To allow that requires
a lot of confidence in a production, or a

lot of "what it takes."
Decca Has New Rep,
Holds Southern Meeting
HOUSTON, (RC)-Don C. Bruce, for-
merly with Strauss Frank Co. of San An-
tonio, has now taken over the San Antonio
territory for Decca. He reported excellent
business and said he was pleased with his
new connection.
E. F. Stevens, Jr., vice president of
Decca Records, Inc. of New York, recently
held a general sales meeting at the Roose-
velt Hotel in New Orleans with district
manal(er R. N. McCormick for all Southern
Branch Managers. J. M. McConnell, of
Houston attended the meeting.

https://elibrary.arcade-museum.com

Download Page 81: PDF File | Image

Download Page 82 PDF File | Image

Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).

Pro Tip: You can flip pages on the issue easily by using the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard.