Boxoffice-March.04.1950

New Equipment,
New Appearance
For Manitowoc's Strand Theatre
FILM
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CRITICS
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AWARD
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UNITED STATES
AIR CONDITIONING CORPORATION
Como Avenue S. E. at 33rd, Minneapolis 14, Minn.
NLY TWO OF THE OLD WALLS Of the
Strand Theatre, Manitowoc, 'Wis., remained
when most of the building was
torn down for remodeling recently. The
second floor was torn out, the stage removed
and the old lobby and entrance
were replaced to make it one of the most
modern theatres in that part of the state,
complete with glass doors and new ramps
leading from the lobby to the auditorium.
The newest in Trane aii- conditioning
has been installed, the air being filtered
before it enters the building and then
changed about every two minutes. Germicidal
lamps are being used throughout the
auditorium, lobby and washrooms to kill
virus, bacteria and other germs.
The rebuilding program included the
installation of Ballantyne sound. Simplex
projectors, American Seating Co. seats,
Mohawk carpets, plumbing by Koehler Co.
and Zonolite acoustical material. The
marquee and main signs were supplied by
Poblocki & Sons, the latter consisting of
aluminum poster cases and non-illimiinated
attraction board. A chaser in the
nose and front of the marquee producer
a waterfall effect. Two Strand name signs
are in silhouette with letters in gold neon.
The theatre has a seating capacity of
900 and covers an area of 50x115 feet in
the downtown business section of a city of
40,000. The cost of rebuilding the theatre
is reported at $150,000 and the cost of
equipment about $50,000.
Nick Johnson, owner of the Strand, came
to Manitowoc in 1935 to manage the theatra
for Fox 'Wisconsin Amusement Corp.,
but took the house over as an independent
operator five years ago. The theatre's
picture policy changes as required to suit
current films or public demand.
Theatre Party Room Builds Extra Business
One of the most popular features of
the New Fail-field Theatre in suburban
Fairfield, Ala., is a separate room designed
for the use of theatre line parties.
Seating 17 persons, this room is located
in the rear of the theatre and is separated
from the main auditorium by a plate glass
window through which spectators view the
picture. It is equipped with an air conditioning
outlet and speaker.
J. H. 'Waters, manager of the house,
said that the party room has been used
on an average of more than once a week
since the theatre opened last March.
No extra charge is made for the use of
the room by clubs or organizations, but
reservations must be made in advance. A
minimum of ten admissions is necessary
to reserve the room, and children and
unmarried patrons must be chaperoned.
The party room was remodeled from
space originally intended for storage which
Waters decided to make produce revenue.
Directly below the party room on the
first floor is a separate cry room where
parents may take their children.
Another feature of the new house is
its "saucer" main floor. Dipping downward
from the entrance at the rear, the floor
begins rising upward about half way down.
This, 'Waters said, affords patrons on nearfront
rows the same eye-level for viewing
the picture as those in the rear. Waters
is also proud of his 50-ton Carrier
year-round air conditioning system. "You'U
find few like it in this vicinity," he says.
26 The MODERN THEATRE SECTION