Automatic Age

12
The gala event o f the week began
at 7:00 in the evening and continued
fo r seven thrill packed, star studded,
gloriously happy hours. The floor
show, more spectacular than any ever
previously arranged by the industry’s
Master Showman, Dick H ood, and
running hours longer than any previ­
ously enjoyed by convention guests,
rung down the curtain on the trade’s
most eventful Coin Machine Week.
Headlining the scintillating floor-
show were the follow in g luminaries
o f stage, screen and vaudeville:
Buddy Lester, Comedian, Master
o f Ceremonies;
E d d ie
Peabody,
A m erica’s F orem ost Musical Person­
ality; Jack Gwyn & Co., International
Illusionist; Hap Hazard, N ovelty Sur­
prise; Jim W on g Troupe, Sensational
A crobatics; Dare & Yates, Tw o Mis­
fits; Eight M a r in e s , Presenting
A m erica’s Favorite M edleys; Lowe
Hite & Stanley, Comedy Offering;
The Duffins, Sophisticated Dancers;
Jerrie Coe & M ary Ann, Musical
N ovelty; Dagmar, Glamour Girl;
W ally Vernon, Stage and Screen
Personality; Bytonettes, Featuring
Eleanor Christians, C hicago’s Danc­
ing Sweethearts, and Jane Fuller,
Sweetheart o f Song.
T w o fam ous orchestras provided
music fo r the floorshow and the danc­
ing which follow ed. They were Char­
lie Straight’s and Henry Lichon’s.
E very guest at the 1940 Banquet
received a valuable souvenir o f the
occasion in the form o f an attractive
automatic pencil engraved with the
name o f Coin Machine Industries.
M ore than a score o f valuable g ifts
in the form o f luggage, radios, etc.,
were distributed to fortunate guests.
A ll banquet guests at this year’ s
show were eligible to receive prizes.
The Outstanding New Machines
Exhibit aisles at the 1940 Show
displayed grow ing emphasis upon
strictly legal amusement machines,
with the m ajor share o f attention
continuing to center around merchan­
dise vending machines. 1940 models
o f phonographs reflected the leader­
ship which the music division has p ro­
vided the industry during recent
years. W eighing scales were dis­
played in greater variety and number
than at any previous show and in­
dicate that this type o f equipment is
making a pow erful bid fo r top rank
am ong stable, long lived operating
equipment. Cigarette vending ma­
chines and candy vendors were dis­
played in greater numbers than in
other years.
.
A m ong the innovations in merchan­
dising machines at the 1940 Show,
AUTOMATIC AGE
February, 1940
Bowling Game in every room . A
master stroke in showmanship was
the presence in person o f “ The Lead­
ership Girl” , who had played such a
m ajor part in the firm’s recent adver­
tising program. Most o f the record
manufacturers were represented at
the show which reflects the great im­
portance o f phonographs in increas­
ing the volume o f phonograph rec­
ords. More than a dozen models o f
phonograph cabinets fo r modernizing
obsolete equipment were displayed,
along with several exhibits o f phono­
graph needles, microphone attach­
ments, wall boxes, etc.
Innovations at the Show
F r o n t an d ce n te r
lo b b y on o p e n in g
th e ab o v e d is p la y
c o m in g
in the H o te l S h e r m a n
d a y at the S h o w w a s
“ p lu g g in g ” th e “ H o m e ­
Lu n ch e o n ."
cookie or biscuit vending machines,
displayed by tw o manufacturers, re­
ceived the enthusiastic approval o f
the trade. The “ Diner” introduced at
the show by Trimount Coin Machine
Co., will dispense the products o f the
National Biscuit Co. The fa ct that
this new machine vends such a well
known, nationally advertised product,
and makes these popular cookies
available fo r the first time through a
vending machine, opens a tremendous
new opportunity fo r merchandise op ­
erators. The “ Lite-Bite” merchan­
diser, offered by Autom atic Coin
Merchandisers o f Chicago, will dis­
pense the well known products o f the
Grennan Bakeries.
Rock-Ola Dominates Show
The dominating display was that
by R ock-O la M fg. Corp., which not
only occupied the largest display
space in Exhibition Hall, but occu ­
pied the entire 16th floor o f Hotel
Sherman with the new 1940 models
of
phonographs and “ T e n -P in s”
© International Arcade Museum
Am ong the interesting and varied
innovations which made their first
appearance at the 1940 Show were
the follow in g:
The “ H eart-O -M eter”
M fg. Co. is an elaborate
ated device which permits
test their blood pressure
their.: heart beats.
by Bally
coin oper­
patrons to
and time
A coin operated spray gun fo r ap­
plying'sun tan lotion fo r the preven­
tion o f sun bum was displayed by
W alter W atling o f the Pioneer
Springless Scale Co.
A coin operated electric razor, the
“ Sani-Shaver” , was displayed by the
Essco M fg. Corp.
A m ystifying remote control phonor
graph attachment which enabled the
full size reproduction o f a ladies’
face to answer questions and to select
records requested was shown in the
private suite o f Bally M fg. Co.
The “ Autom atic Library” , a book ­
let vending machine, was displayed
fo r the first time by O. D. Jennings
& Co., in their large display in the
main exhibit hall. Other Jennings
innovations included a bottle bever­
age vendor and a Neon Temperature
Indicator.
One of the most complete and varied displays of modern money-making
coin machines was that by the Bally M fg. Co., shown above.
http://www.arcade-museum.com/