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By HAROLD S. KAHM
" .
During the last three years a significant
change has taken place in the motion pic-
ture theatre industry. The new theatres,
including neighborhood houses, vie with
one another in the matter of size, splendor
and lounges. The lounge of a modern
theatre is at least as large and luxurious
as that of the average first class hotel.
The purpose of these lounges is what
the name implies - "to lounge." It is a
luxurious place to linger while you are
waiting for a seat, or for the end of the
feature, or after the show. And now, for
the first time, this lounge is being recog-
nized as a legitimate amusement or recrea-
tion center. A new theatre in Duluth,
Minnesota, has installed a magnificant soda
fountain in its lounge, and already other
luxury theatres owned by this same chain
are starting to plan installations. The
fountain, called the Milk Bar, has been a
financial success. The theatre receives a
percentage of the gross receipts for rental,
and the bar itself is operated by a local
dairy and ice cream concern.
Here is the highly important point: If
the patrons of a theatre's lounge are suffi-
cient to make a soda fountain highly
profitable-a soda fountain with its salary
overhead-such a lounge can support var·
ious types of suitable coin machines as
well.
First, let it be remembered that people
come to a theatre for one purpose: enter·
tainment. The success· of the Milk Bar at
Duluth's Norshor Theatre has proved that
they are not anxious to leave the theatre
after the show is over; they like to linger
in the beautiful lounge, and a large pro-
portion of these patrons are young people.
A coin phonograph, designed to fit into
the lounge's decorating scheme, is one of
the first opportunities to appear. Modern
theatres are well soundproofed so there is
no objection on the score of interferences
from the music.
Not a few of the new theatres would, as
a novelty, cooperate in apportioning a sec-
tion of the lounge for a small dance floor,
the coin phonograph supplying the music.
It is easy to understand how the attraction
of such a theatre would be increased, if it
offers, in addition to movies, a Milk Bar,
and dancing in the lounge.
But even without dancing, pleasure·seek·
ers always are good patrons for coin oper-
ated phonographs, and this is especially
true when they are in a lounge with noth-
ing to do.
YOUR PRINTING
IS YOUR SILENT
BUTLER
See that when it opens a door for
you, it makes the right impression.
The Coin Machine Industry ,remands
"Individuality," "Economy," "Speed."
You get .t hese plus lowest Western
quotations from
< .
•
HOLDSWORTH PRINT SHOP
128 South Alma St., Los Angeles
Part and parcel of the entertainment
picture is the elaborate fortune· telling ma-
chine. Lounge idlers, young couples, girls,
women, are bound to be intrigued by a
beautiful and mysterious fortune-telling
automaton. Fortune·telling has been a
legitimate part of the amusement scene
since the earliest days of the Fair and the
Bazaar in the ancient world,
The one requirement is that such a ma-
chine be redesigned, or redecorated, if
necessary, to conform to the lounge's
costly decorative scheme.
Weighing scales have for some time been
accepted as a part of the theatre rest room
picture, as have candy venders and Coca-
Cola vendors in the lobby. There is noth-
ing new, therefore, about the basic idea.
The newness lies in making use of the mod·
ern theatre's luxury lounge as a separate
entertainment center.
The types of machines that may be in·
stalled in a lounge depend largely on how
carefully they will fit into the decorative
scheme, Some of these lounges have cost
thousands of dollars to furnish and deco-
rate, and the management has no desire to
turn · such a place into anything that looks
like an ordinary Sportland or Penny Ar-
cade. The nunilier of machines is certain
to be limited-three or four will probably
be the limit.
We have dealt with the idea of a coin
phonograph and a fortune·telling machine,
both of which are in keeping with the tone
of the theatre. . What about the others?
The answer would appear simple: any type
of machine that has been accepted by first·
class hotels for their lobbies or mezzanines
has a legitimate place in the theatre
lounge. Foremost among these is the rifle
range, of the silent variety. Just as the for-
tune·telling machine appeals chiefly to
women, the rifle range appeals chiefly to
inen, and a rifle range, like music and for·
tune·telling, are age·old accompaniments to
the entertainment picture. Another equally
acceptable possibilify is the anti·aircraft
machine, which can easily be painted to
harmonize with any' color scheme and
which requires small space. One may be
assured that the business of such a ma-
chine would boom every time the theatre
shows an aviation picture-which is fre- ··
quently.
Another particularly suitable machine is
one vending photographs of movie stars.
The theatre's main interest in installing
these machines is primarily additional rev-
enue. Second, it is the idea of adding new
novelties that will intrigue the public.
New theatres are being built constantly,
and almost without exception the larger
ones are equipped with large general
lounges, and there is every reason to be-
lieve that from now on these lounges will
be equipped with soda fountains as well.
The theatre lounge is becoming a separate
place of entertainment, and the best time
to get in on the ground floor of this new
movement is now.
•
Gilmore Invites
Coinmen In
CHICAGO - Manufacturers, Distribu-
tors, Jobbers, and Operators are again in-
vited to call, when in Chicago, at Coin
Machine Industries, Inc., in the newly
decorated and enlarged headquarters in
Hotel Sherman, Suite 323·324.
This is the third such invitation ex-
tended by their genial Secretary, Jim Gil-
more, who says that the invitation includes
not only a get-acquainted or re·new ac-
quaintance chat but also use of the tele-
phone for city calls or the privilege of
dictating a letter or two. Jim claims to
have a fund of information on the business,
and what he doesn't know he'll investigate
for you-also he is well posted on the new
tax and rulings imposed by the Treasury
Department and how they affect all kinds
and descriptions of coin operated mach-
ines. Why not take advantage of this invi-
tation when in Chicago?
•
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PROFITS ••• CONTINUOUS ACTION •••
ON MARVEL AND AMERICAN EAGLE
with DAVAL'S NEW TAX FREE METHOD!
No more worries about the location running out of change ! No more
stopping by players when they run out of coins! CONTINUOUS
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BIGGER, FASTER, EASIER, STEADIER PROFITS THAN EVER
BEFOREll AND- PLUS ALL THIS- THE NEW DAVAL CON-
VERTED MARVELS and AMERICAN EAGLES are "TAX FREE"!!
Rush your Marvels and American Eagles to
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as these big, juicy, "tax free " profits come
rolling in!!!
COMPLETE
CONVERSIONS
ONLY •••
5750
EACH
,,+ ~. MAC MOHR CO • 2916 W. PICO BLVD· U)S ANGELES, CALIF.
AN 160n
Mention of THE COIN MACHINE REVIEW is your best introduction to our advertisers.
COIN
MACHINE
REVIEW
11
FOR
NOVEMBER
1941