Automatic Age

February, 1940
11
AUTOMATIC AGE
A Review of the 1940 Sh ow
A
S billed, the 1940 Coin Machine
Show p r o v i d e d “ 96 E xciting
H ours” fo r more than 6000 coin ma­
chine men who came from all o f the
48 States, from Canada and even
from far off India to Chicago to in­
spect hundreds o f brand new coin
machines, to renew old acquaintances
with fellow coin machine men and to
witness the most spectacular enter­
tainment features ever provided by
any Show Committee.
Coin
Machine
Industries, Inc.,
sponsors o f the 1940 Coin Machine
Show, held January 15-18 at Hotel
Sherman in Chicago, com pletely dem­
onstrated its managerial and prom o­
tional ability in staging one o f the
best-attended and one o f the most
interesting exhibits and conventions
in the history o f the industry. The
success o f the 1940 Show was also a
testimonial to the benefits o f having
a united industry, in contrast to the
division which a year ago forced the
holding o f tw o separate Shows with
all o f the objectional features which
need not be reviewed.
The attendance o f more than 6000
actual coin machine men, disclosed
by the list o f registrations, is an im ­
pressive record, reflecting most fa v o r­
ably upon the efforts o f the publicity
committee headed by Herb Jones.
Since the public was not admitted to
the 1940 Coin Machine Show, it is
believed that the attendance o f 6000
operators and distributors exceeds all
previous records.
A total o f 118 separate exhibitors
occupied Exhibit Hall, the mezzanine
and Grand Ball room , showing the
widest known range o f coin-operated
equipment, m ost o f the machines be­
ing introduced to the trade fo r the
first time. A lon g with the newest
merchandise dispensers, phonographs,
amusement devices and service type
machines, the exhibits displayed a
complete range o f associated products
and merchandise fo r 1940 operating
requirements.
Trade Hears Dr. Bradley
On Monday, January loth , opening
day o f the Show, operators were a f­
ford ed a brief glimpse o f the coin
Thrills at Celebrity B reakfast
On Tuesday, late-rising coin ma­
chine guests adjourned all thoughts
o f business and spent three eventful
hours at the spectacular “ Celebrities
Breakfast” . It was Jack Kelner’s
Show, with more surprises and thrills
in the way o f brilliant entertainment
than the industry had ever before
witnessed. It was a three-hour vaude­
ville show o f the highest character,
plus a sumptuous breakfast— all fo r
a dollar-and-a-quarter.
D I C K T O D D , “ th e r o m a n tic b a rito n e ,” at
left, a n d A R T K A S S E L , fa m o u s b a n d
leader, w e re a m o n g the h e a d lin e rs w h o
e n te rta in e d at the 1940 S h o w .
machine displays before Exhibition
Hall closed at noon fo r the “ Hom e­
com ing Luncheon” where a near­
capacity crowd heard Dr. Preston
Bradley, world-fam ous theologist and
radio speaker, broadcast an address
on “ T olerance” over station W IN D .
Dr. Bradley told the nation’s radio
listeners that he was amazed at the
size and im portance o f the coin m a­
chine industry. His visible audience
o f nearly 1,000 coin machine men and
women was tense and quiet as Dr.
Bradley
dramatically
prayed
fo r
leadership in this nation which
would prevent the further destruction
o f dem ocratic principles, halt the
foreign-bred philosophy o f hatreds
from spreading, and stem the rising
tides o f religious and racial intoler­
ance. (See text o f Dr. Bradley’s
address in this issue.)
Guests at the “ H om ecom ing Lunch­
eon” were entertained fo r more than
an hour by A rt Kassel and his famous
orchestra; Dick Todd, the “ romantic
baritone” ; “ M ickey” Allen, swing
songstress; the riotous “ H oosier H ot
Shots” , all furnished through the
courtesy o f recording companies. A
popular quartette o f musicians and
singers also entertained during the
luncheon.
© International Arcade Museum
Mr. Kelner introduced the master
o f ceremonies, Vincent Gottschalk,
after announcing that Father Flan­
agan o f “ B oy’s T ow n” was unable to
attend on account o f illness. It was
also explained that union restrictions
prevented the appearance o f several
radio and stage stars who had ex­
pressed their willingness to partici­
pate.
Spectacular 4-Hour Show
Climaxing all other spectacular en­
tertainment features o f the 1940 Coin
Machine Show was the industry’s an­
nual banquet held Thursday evening,
January 18. A ccording to James A.
Gilmore, CMI Secretary, 2400 coin
machine guests attended the 1940
Banquet.
M r. G. D. N a id u , co in m a c h in e d is t r ib u ­
t o r fro m f a r off In d ia , in n a t iv e h a b ili­
m e n ts, in sp e c ts one of th e n e w m o d e ls at
the 1940 S h o w .
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