Coin Machine Review (& Pacific ...)

Here Is Your ' Customer •
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• A Last
Look At
Then the pattern changed, as it did
for Pyt. Harry (right) , first of the fa-
mous Mills Broth ers Quartet t o enter
He re was your customer . . .
three, four , five years ago. The
cigarette machine was part of
a familiar patte rn . Chances are
the service . The reception center WUf-
IIlzer auto-phonograph was a link with
home.
he also played your marble
games and phonographs.
As war moved nearer, men moved
out. The post exchange at Trini-
dad, British W est Indies, was sut-
ficlent/y near th e U.S . to have
the latest model Mills Empress
The War!
music vendor.
COIH
.IACHIHI
REVIEW
And In the opposite direction ,
There were games still farther out . . . in New
a post exchange in Hawaii 01-
Caledonia , for example , and coin-operated ,
fered a pair of counter skill
games, along with marble games
at the other end of the room.
ture above. This was virgin operating territory.
too, even If the money isn't shown ;n the pic-
but probably not very profitable.
Photomats? Sure, like this one,
complete with umbrella and
highly porlable to hunt down
the customer. Operated by a
coin slid across the palm of the
hand.
Almost as modern was thIs hurdy-gurdy
in Palermo, SIcily. No coins, just arm·
power. Preferably that of a pretty Red
Cross girl. The GI lob was fighting , but
rest and recreation helped keep him In
trim.
Some men drew London. Money
and equipment were different ,
but at least there were arcades,
like this one on Charing Cross
Road , to attract customers to
the "Cinespect. "
Coca-Cola , happily, appeared on
every tronf to pick up spirits.
This wa. a German edition. After
It was captured-lust reach In
and help yourself.
(Photos from U.S.
Army Signa l Corps.)
The pretfy legs of fap-dancer
Marlon Ol/Yer, of USO Camp
Shows, broughf whi.fles and ap-
plause. Sometimes your customer
got nearer fhan fhe lasf row.
Af Rome Resf Cenfer your cus-
fomer wa. a knowing bafhing beaufy
;udge. AT RIGHT , your customer is
back In c/vyles. If's flme the two
of you gof fogether again.
If there was a liye band and dance
partners, the phonograph at this
Italian club for Grs stood by.
OtherwIse It got no rest. Europearr
coin devices were scrapped 10 male ..
things for the war.
The farther out the men went, the
fewer coin machines there were. But
stili there were sqch familiar thIngs,
even In strange surroundings,
open .. a/r movies In New Guinea.
OJ
17
Foa
FEBRUARY'
1946