Coin Machine Review (& Pacific ...)

Issue: 1947 February

feet on the ground to the extent that they
have a pretty good line on which machines
make money and which do not," said the
late Fred Mills of the novelty company
bearing hIs name. "In our own business we
have seen such a decided swing to the good
old standbys, the bells, and venders, that I
look for 1937 to be' strictly a bell and
-
vender year:"
ators than ever before in its history. Under
Advertising Executive A. William Land-
the plan of registration first suggested by
sheft of Buffalo saw a great future in games .
THE REVIEW, this- show was for coinmen
with athletic appeal, such as bowling types,
only. Party crashers, hanger-onners and
and felt that they would have a permanent
free liquor hounds, who had jammed the
place in modern tavern life.
1936 gatbering to such an extent that it
"1936 has been the best year in the his-
was difficult for legitimate coinmen to get
tory of the Daval Co.," said A. S. Douglis,
close enough to a booth to find out what it
president of the firm, "and I confidently
contained, were nowhere to be seen.
believe that it is but the beginning of better
Following are some comments made by
leading men in the business: .
. years to come."
There was no talk of recession at 193Ts
"I think that by now the 15,000 or more
gathering. "The country in general is in a
operators in this business have gotten their
1947 Show Parallels 1937 Event -
In Some Resp.ects
CHICAGO-As you walk down the steps
of the train or bundle out of a plane or
alight from the running board of your car,
one significant element will hit you quite
forcefully: the weather. If you're from the
East, you'll probably say, "We've been
having fall climate back there and just
thought it was winter." If you're from the
West or South, you will wonder about the
identity of those swirling white flakes; you
will ask yourself if sunshine is being offered
in another form. If you're from the Midwest
Y9U'll jeer: "Ab, you folks are sissies; the
.
weather's fine."
As in 1937, the weather man will prob-
ably draw many top headlines and con-
siderable comment. Ten years ago it
brought forth suggestions from many quar-
ters for a change in date. October seemed
to ·be the favored month. Snow, sleet and
ice did not dampen coinmen's enthusiasm,
however, because the cold outside was
counter-balanced by the warmth inside,
aided and abetted by liquid refreshments
and entertainment.
Ten years ago operators who had planned
to purchase new cars and drive them home
were disappointed because strike tie-ups
prevented deliveries. Those who might have
been fortunate enough to gain possession of
a new vehicle were hesitant about driving
in stormy weather.
A dynamite-filled topic during 1936,
which brimmed over into show talk and will
again be subject to comment this year was
"spicy" or "party" records and their dangers
to continued operation. At the '37.show, the
president of Rock-Ola Mfg. Corp., David
C. Rockola, said: "I think all operators
have learned their lesson and will not 'kill
the hen that lays the golden egg' by allow-
ing suggestive phonograph records to kill
the present standard of enjoying such ex-
cellent income from electric phonographs."
(Music operators, please copy again.)
Tax fears were sore spots on Coinland's
horizon-even as they are today. Robert Z.
Greene, referring to this "dark cloud,"
commented: "This January, 44 state legis-
latures have convened -in regular session to
consider-and possibly enact-new legisla-
tion that may prove detrimental to our
business. We must be ready to oppose such
measures lind protect the progress we have
striven so hard to achieve."
A spirit of optimism pervaded the Sher-
man Hotel in January 1937, and coinmen
were confident that this would be the
Industry's greatest year. 258 booths were
filled with equipment.
The event attracted more bona fide · oper-
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Gray·Mllls CorporlllOft. Evanston. Illinois
Nam~e
P08ition
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COmpany _ __________________ I :
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City
State:
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CORDIALLY INVITES ITS CUSTOMERS, PROS·
PECTS AND. FRIENDS TO VISIT ITS HEADQUAR,.
tERS AT THE BISMARK HOTEL DURI'NG THE,
COIN MACHINE INDUSTRIES CONVENTIO'N
FEBRUARY 3·6
COIN
MACHINE
REVIEW
16

134 NORTH LASALLE STREET
717 MARKET ST., SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF.

",
CHIC A GO 2

IL L INOIS
CONSTRUCTION BLDG., DALLAS, TEXAS
FOR
FEBRUARY
1947
very prosperous condition," stated Jack
Keeney, president of J. H. Keeney and Co.
"People have money. But more important,
, these people seem inclined to spend their
money in making up for the lean years when
they had none or very little to spend. Then,
too, there's been a new deal in coin games,
The manufacturers have gotten out of the
rut of producing games like everybody else's
games. Most of the products coming on the
market today present some new and many
times revolutionary play appeal." ·
William Rabkin, head of International
Mutoscope, also pointed to revolutionary
equipment as a stimulant to public appeal.
"Machines will be large in size," he said,
"and unquestionably streamlined toward
the modern trend for beauty and design,
"but inevitably skill will be the predominat-
ing theme of amusement devices."
The Industry, which had been previously
named a "depression baby," was on its way
to prove that it had grown up enough to
play the game of prosperity, was the
opinion voiced by Ray T. Moloney, presi-
den t of Bally Mfg. "The public is in a
cheerful frame of mind, and inclined to
seek new means of enjoyment," he re,
marked. "Above all, the public is not
inclined to throw obstacles in the way of
any honest endeavor to earn a living."
Joe Huber was convention manager; N.
Marshall Seeburg headed the convention
committee; and A. E. Gebert was chairman
of the entertainment committee.
_ Personality Delvings A Decade Ago--
Date of the show was well timed for Carl
Trippe of Ideal Novelty, St. J,ouis, who had
just recovered from a serious injury (the
family car jumped the road and over-
turned) just prior to the show . .. Jimmy
Boyle of Oklahoma City realized one of his
fondest dreams. He had always wanted to
see the Ziegfeld Follies, and when the
convention and the Follies opened on iden-
tical dates, he follied ala Ziegfeld ... Eddie
Ross, full of news and views abou t his new
coin machine headquarters in Baltimore
. .. One of the most up and coming of the
'37 show boys was George Ponser who built
a national sales organization in one year
. .. Flying was still pretty much of a novel-
ty ten years ago; the late Harry Wolcher
created quite a furor by hopping an airliner
to the big event.
Target Guns Successfully
Revived in England
LONDON-The coin-operated electric
gun has proved to be what the English call
"an evergreen," which means it is a steady
money-maker. Latest indications are that
more and more of this type o.f. equipment is
being flushed out of warehouses and placed
on location, enjoying heavy play.
In a recent business transaction, Bill
Hooper, veteran coin man, purchased a stock
of them from Charlie Featherstone. With
his two sons, Bill is overhauling the guns
and placing them on the market. In some
cases, where the cable connecting the gun
with target is regarded as a nuisance,
Hooper is supplying a model dispensing
with the cable, using instead, a facsimile
target fixed alongside the gun which lights
up when it is fired.
Bally Annoullces First
Game 'f,o r 1947
CHICAGO-"The most luxurious console
job ever offered to the trade," is the way
George Jenkins, general sales manager of
Bally Mfg. Co., describes the firm's first
1947 game: De Luxe Draw Bell.
The tremendous success of Bally's two
previous console hits, Draw Bell and Triple
Bell, resulted in the development and per-
fection of the new game. It is a three-reel,
bell-fruit type, with a flashing star in the
glass remaining lit at mystery intervals and
allowing the player to draw as long as it
is lit. A flash ing bell balances the star;
when the bell is lit, three bars score.
"In addition to the new play-stimulating
features," Jenkins states, "we have added
numerous refinements and improvements to
the mechanism and have glorified the cabi-
net and glass to the utmost."
Vacationers Return
In 'Time for Show
CHICAGO--.AMI executives should make
their appearance at the show wide-eyed and
teeming with good health following holiday
vacations to widespread points.
Henry Boston has returned from his
namesake city; Paul Bleck sojourned at
Fond du Lac; Jim Hyde, New Orleans;
"Doc" Eaton Twin-Citied in St. Paul; Mon
ty West hied to Winnipeg, Canada.

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