Thoughts of an Ex-REVIEW
Editor Now In The Service
By PRIVATE H. L. MITCHELL
4th Si9nal Photo Lab . Unit, Camp Livin9ston, La.
theatrical people--in-
R AILROADMEN,
eluding those concerned with motion
pictures-and, especially, printers, have
something different about them. No doubt
there are other types .of occupati.on in
which these engaged feel the same way,
but those, at least, are notable in this :
They are never really happy away from
their chosen field. You've heard, of course,
th ~ .o!? phrase "He has printer's ink in his
vems.
I sh.ouldn't be surprised but what coin-
men were a good bit that way, too. Take
my case, to be personal about it.
Here I've been away from the industry
since-let me see--early in 1939. And even
then my connection with it was indirect.
Some of you will remember me as a f.or-
mer associate editor of the REVIEW. Yes,
and I handled some of the advertising, too.
But then perha ps the indirectness was off-
set by the fact that I had a pretty good
.over-all view of the entire coin machine
field-plus my share of printer's ink.
Anyhow, ever since I've followed with no
little interest the goings-on in this unique
and interesting business-items in news-
papers, an occasional reference to .operat-
ing in some outside publication, these
things I have noted. I've read most of the
copies .of the REVIEW since then, too,
and (is this heresy?) even an occasional
copy of Billboard, which covers other
phases of the entertainment world so ef-
fectively.
And n.ow, here I am again, in print once
more, and talking about the trade. Only
this time I'm wearing sun-tans (and damp
.ones, at that, as they can be only in the
humidity of Louisiana), and doing my talk-
ing from an Army camp.
You can expect alm.ost any subject t.o
come up in the bull sessions that go on in
an Army camp. Sooner .or later, it will.
Sex is often the first subject to be con-
sidered, which is more or less natural
since the life, apart from w.omen, is so un-
natural. After that there's the business of
furl.oughs and week-end passes, h.ow they're
obtained and what is done with them. After
that it's likely to be "shop talk," sessions
ab.out the Army, the job and the war and
-n.ot t.oo unlikely-the officers. Beyond
that, it's every man for himself.
The other evening the subject .of coin
machines came of its own accord in a group
with which I was sitting-in. It started with
some chap who had been in New Orleans
and had been lucky on one .of the sl.ot ma-
chines. From that it went to marble games,
with one of the fellows wondering how
manufacturers still seemed to be turnin g
.out new games when everybody else was
turning out war supplies. Before I had a
chance t.o set him straight a man from Chi-
cago, wh.o evidently knew somebody in the
business, explained that the "new" tables
were just rebuilt and -repainted, so that
they looked new. That satisfied everyone,
and th e industry may be glad to know it
has an unsung public relations man at
work in the Army.
Next the topic turned to phonographs-
only he used the obsolete term "juke box."
One youngster in his early twenties thought
it was all a big graft-"And all the rest
of the slot machines, too," he declared.
Pressed for an explanation of his meaning,
he said he thought it was all a racket-
buy stuff for a few dollars and set it out
somewhere and then go around and rake
in the dough. He'd worked in an aircraft
plant before a wave .of patriotism swept
over him and he was drafted, and he'd seen
the patronage given all types of equipment
within the plant and in the spots around it.
Once more I saw an opportunity of do-
ing the industry a service, but again I was
st.opped, this time by the quiet voice of a
chap named Helfand from Detroit (only
he's a sergeant, and not always quiet-
v.oiced) . Before his enlistment, several
years ago-just after Pearl Harbor-he'd
been a phonograph operator. He knew the
story, and he told it well. There were in-
terested questions afterward, but no argu-
ments, so it was clear that he'd stated the
industry's case well.
After that, the talk turned to some .of
the discoveries .of science, partly resulting
from research for war production-such
things as plastics, in particular-and their
application at home and elsewhere. Mean-
while a couple of the boys on the side got
to reminiscing about girls they'd met since
they'd gotten into the Army, and before
long no one was talking about plastics.
It seems that I have in me a layer of
something or other that urges me to re-
search and investigation-or, if that is im-
possible, to speculation, at least. And I got
to thinking about plastics and some of the
other wonderful things we've been prom-
ised when we've gained an end to strife.
I got t.o wondering about their uses, and
bef.ore I knew it I was thinking about their
uses in the c.oin machine field_
Of course it struck me at once that the
industry had long been a pioneer in the
use of plastics; virtually every branch .of
the trade had seen equipment manufactured
in which plastics had been used in some
form Or another, even though insignificantly
in relation to an enti re device. The ex-
tensive use of plastics in phonograph cab·
inets was an obvi.ous example of early
awareness of new trends in design and use
.of materials. From th at ca me a deduction
that post·war equipment would go in much
m.ore strongly yet f.or plastics, new types of
glass, the new "light" metals, and the new
forms of wood. Naturally I'm not the only
one thinking along th.ose lines; you may be,
and certainly the manufacturers will be.
He knows the strength of these materials,
the possibilities for new concepts .of both
beauty and utility, the lightness, and the
ease of cleaning which can come about
wi th developments along this line.
What else .of the trade, as I see it? For
one thing, I would say "Don't look for new
equipment the week after the war ends."
Certainly there will be a few manufacturers
fortunate enough to get rolling fast, but
they will be the exception, rather than the
rule. Redesigning and retooling will take
time, and the big plants turning .out cars
and other consumer goods will pr.obably
command the first share of lab.or returning
from the war and from war producti.on. In
general such a delay as this will cause the
industry nothing beyond minor strains .on
the temper .
What phase .of the coin machine busi-
ness is due for the greatest gain? I suspect
it will be the merchandise aspect, and that
offering service, rather than entertainment
- not that entertainment devices will be a
thing of the past. It is generally conceded
that this industry sprang to its full stature
during the generally·unlamented depression
area. Indications are that we may antici·
pate some more of the same--how much or
how long, no one can foresee, other than at
least for the time it takes to make read-
justments; as for any return to "normal",
th ere is no such thing, and never has been.
Depression, in whatever degree, will un·
doubtedly stimulate a new interest in low-
cost entertainment-but I have a hunch
there will be a good deal more seriousness
about th e whole business of living, after
(See THOUGHTS, Page 47)
rOR SALE
4 Evans Automatic Duck Pin Alleys
No pin setters needed as patented mechanism sets pins faster than human . Coin-
operated but could be changed to manual operation if desired. Exceptionally well
built by factory in IO-foot sections for portability. Regulation game yet very quiet.
43 feet overall length set up . Complete outfit including score sheets, spare parts, etc.,
ready ,t'" go. The "help problem" is licked here. Start a profitable bowling business
or operate with arcade. Give us your best cash offer on this rare equipment, QUICK.
DENVER
DISTRIBUTING COMPANY
1856 Arapahoe Street
Denver 2, Colorado
(Tel. CHerry 4800)
Mention of THE COIN MACHINE REVIEW is your best introduction to our advertisers
COIN
MACHINE
REView
11
FOR
JULY
J94~