Coin Machine Review (& Pacific ...)

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Ernie Brennan
Brennan Sees Good Year
SAN FRANCISCO-"1942 has been a
good year for music operators despite cer-
tain unfavorable operating conditions, and
1943 sfacks up as being equally as good,"
declared Ernie Brennan, manager of the lo-
cal office of General Music Co.
"The music operators of the West are to
be commended," Ernie continued, "for the
fine way they have cooperated with the all-
out war pl'ogram and the marvelous job
they are doing in providing entertainment
for our armed forces and for the folks on
the home front. Without a complaint the
music men have seen the task, gone ahead,
and contributed their share to the main te-
nance of public morale."
Brennan is now finishin~ his third year
as manager of the San Francisco branch
of General Music, He has done a remark-
ab ly fine job in the bay area and numbers
amongst his friends and customers the lead-
ers of the industry.
Brennan practically grew up with the
Coin Machine Industry. Ten years ago he
became interested in the field when he ac-
cepted a position as auditor with the Rowe
Manufacturing Co. The Rowe cigarette
\'endor was being manufactured on the
coast at that time. Following this associa-
tion he operated music for a while, and
step by step became acquainted with every
phase of the business.
Prior to taking over the San Francisco
managership Ernie served as assistant to
Bud Parr, owner of General, in the Los An-
geles offices. Ernie is a family man with
two dandy youngsters he'll gladly talk
about any time of the day or night.
Minthorne Calendars Clever
LOS ANGELES-One of the cleverest
calendars being passed out this mon th is
that of Dolores and Jean Minthorne, Rock-
Ola distributors. Entitled "An Artist's
Sketch Pad" the calendar consists of 12
sheets of uninhibited translations of an art-
ist's mental musings; sensuous sirens, vig-
orous virgins, curvesome cuties, and lyrical
lovelies. The /!:roup of beauties is by Earl
MacPherson, 20th Century Galahad of gor-
geous gals. The 12 sheets are plastic bound.
The Minthornes are to be congratulated
on providing their friends and customers
with something startling new and different.
. . .
Phonograph Operafo;s A ssociation , Ph iladelph ia: ent ertains Shep Fields and s~ys goo ~-bye fo
REVIEW corres pondent Harry Bortn ick. Le ft to fig ht, seated : M. O rod~nker, M,ss SchmId, Mrs.
Schmid , H. Elkins, H. Stern , H. Sheward. Second Row: P. Frank, S. Llff, H. Yanks, H. Reese,
H. Margolis, R. Bernhardt. Standing: H. Bor fnick, F_ Brown, J. Manion , L. S ussman, D. Rosen,
W . King , G. lercher, S. Fields, B. Fireman, Jack Cade, J . Sheppard , M. Co wan, J. Appel
and E. W ilkinson.
Philly Musicmen Ele-ct
PHILADELPHIA.- Local operators' as-
sociations wound up a rather busy month
in November. On November 5, 1942, they
held their regular monthly dinner meeting
at the Embassy Club at which time the or-
ganization entertained Shep Fields, who was
making a personal appearance at the Earle
Theatre, and members of Raymond Rosen
Company. While this dinner meeting was
primarily an association function, it was
also a farewell party for Harry Bortnick,
Philadelphia representative. of the REVIEW
for the past seven years and popular adver-
tising manager of the Raymond Rosen. Co.
who was leaving to enter the armed serVICes.
During the course of the eveoing a rat.her
heated discussion came up on the subject
of the record situation. Jack Cade, busi-
ness manager of the local association, al?ain
emphasized his contenti~n that ther.e I~ a
definite need for a natIOnal orgamzatlOn
of phonograph operators capable of acting
as a central clearing agency for all matters
vitally concerning this industry. Cade point-
ed out that Petrillo has never been ap-
proached by the phonograph industry due
to the fact that there has not been any re-
sponsible representative capable of speak-
ing for the operators as a whole.
Jack
emphasized that Petrillo was being made
the target for personal abuse and persecu-
tion, when he is only attempting to exercise
the instructions of his union_ Cade stated
that it is his personal opinion that Petrillo
has never been in possession of the true
facts concerning the music business. He
went further to state that in Philadelphia
less than 30 percent of the locations cov-
ered by music machines fall in the category
of taprooms and night clubs. He pointed
out to the operators that without exception
every logical user of live music talent in
this group is now employing musicians. He
showed that actually 90 percent of the li-
quor dispensing establishments in Philadel-
phia have no facilities for .dancing or for
the employment of live musicians. He stat-
ed further, that a survey discloses that if
these places of business were deprived of
music machines they could not possibly af-
ford to employ even an occasional piano
player. The main reason for this is two-
fold. First, the expense of licenses and
secondly that business itself was not of suf-
ficient volume to warrant the expense of
employing talent. Cade stressed the fact
that the radio broadcasting industry has
been attempting to cast the burden of the
so-called Petrillo situation to the juke box
field. He brought out the fact that the
combined dollar and cents volume of rec-
ords purchased by broadcasting stations in
Philadelphia in a year's time could not pos-
sibly equal in dollar and cents volume pur-
chases of the members of the Phonograph
Operators' Association in one week.
Cade stated that this was conclusive
proof that the radio industry is not bene-
fitting either musicians or the record busi-
ness_ He stated that the royalties received
from records used by the phonograph oper-
ators in locations where no live musicians
could ever be employed was far greater
than the amount of money that could be
possibly paid by the number of musicians
who could be actually employed in places
where phonographs are operating. He
pointed out that the radio industry could
very easily pass the buck to the phonos,
because they are well organized with plen-
ty of financial backing and capable of em-
ploying a sufficient amount of publicity to
swing popular opinion to their side. On
the other hand, while the phonograph busi-
ness is organized in the various localities
throughout the country it has no central
body capable of using concerted action to
( See P HIL LY MUSICMEN, Page 16)
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CHR'ISTMAS GREETINGS from
SHELLY
RADIO
j}:
COMPANY
Western Distributors: KEN-RAD TUBE AND LAMP CORPORATION
645 South Sepulveda Boulevard. West Los Angeles
Jl
ARizona 38065
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COIN
MACHINE
REVIEW
13
FOR
DECEMBER
'942