Boxoffice-November.24.1951

DRIVE-IN
THEATRES
"m
Clears,
YOU CAN BUILD A DRIVE-IN
UNDER NPA RESTRICTIONS
by GEORGE M. PETERSEN
Materials for Outdoor Theatres for 500 Cars
Remain Within the Allocations
w.HEN THE NPA restricted the cost of
drive-in theatres to a $5,000 maximum a
year ago the erection of
this type of operation
appeared at an end.
Though numerous appUcations were submitted
to the NPA for authorization to
construct drive-in theatres at a cost exceeding
the maximum of $5,000, the majority
of these applications were rejected,
only a few were approved.
The original NPA restrictions actually
accomplished little in the conservation of
critical materials as the exhibitors who already
were in operation decided to reinvest
$5,000 per year in order to reduce their
taxes and, at the same time, increase the
desirability of their theatres. This situation,
in all probability, caused the use of
more critical materials than would the construction
of many new operations.
.screen structures as even the one side billboard
type of steel screen requires a considerably
greater tonnage than is permitted.
Therefore we must go to a wood screen
structure or one of concrete blocks. With
labor rates as high as they are today the
use of concrete blocks is rather prohibitive
as to cost so that we are left with wood as
the material to use.
At this point I would like to call your
attention to an engineering fact—almost
any material can be designed to support a
given loading if the structure is properly
designed for both the loading and the material
which is to be used. Many structures
of both wood and steel have been destroyed
through improper design or faulty erection
and in neither case can the failure be
blamed to materials but must be charged
to ihp inexperience of the designer or the
indifference of the erector.
A wood screen structure 49x54 feet, having
a screen area of 40x30 feet, can be designed
to u.se under two tons of steel and
the actual tonnage would be as follows:
Ba.se connections 816 pounds
Anchor bolts 288
Machine bolts and washers 840
Reinforcing steel in footings.. ..2,007
or a TOTAL of 3,951 pounds
The copper situation is al.so under control
as the 200-pound allotment is ample
for the.se smaller theatres. Two conductor
No. 14 wire, bare, weighs approximately
20 pounds per 1,000 feet and the underground
requirement for in-car speakers is
about 5,700 feet, or 114 pounds of copper
for a 325-car drive-in theatre so that there
are still 86 pounds of copper available for
miscellaneous wiring.
The screen structure may be enclosed
with transite board, and the concession
building should be of cement block, and
neither of the.se items are controlled.
The grading and surfacing of the ramp
area requires no controlled materials. The
ticket office may be of wood construction
or it may be of cement block, brick, glass
block or other non-critical materials. The
fences may be of wood posts and rangers
covered with transite board, roofers, plywood
or other uncontrolled material. Our
'Continued on page 65
A BETTER CONTROL ORDER
The original NPA Order M-4 prohibited
the construction of both drive-in theatres
and conventional type theatres but the
new NPA Order M-4A approaches the subject
from a more intelligent and effective
angle by controlling these types of construction
through limiting the use of certain
critical materials.
This new NPA Order M-4A prohibits
starting theatre construction that will require
the use of more than a specified
quantity of critical materials. This order
definitely prohibits the use of aluminum,
stainless steel, or alloyed steels but it does
permit the use of a maximum of two tons
of carbon steel and a maximum of 200
pounds of copper.
At first glance these limitations appear
to continue the prohibition of theatre construction
but an analysis of the problem
proves that we may again erect the smaller
drive-in theatres (300 to 500-car capacity'
and remain within the allocation of the
critical materials.
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25k«ace cafe PUYCROUHDS loooISs
RESTRICT ONLY STEEL AND COPPER
There is no restriction on lumber, concrete,
plumbing fixtures and fittings, concession
equipment, projection and or sound
equipment, etc., so the only items which
actually concern us are those of steel
and copper.
The two-ton restriction on steel certainly
eliminates the erection of steel
A screen picture, 80x60 feet, is featured by the Lakes/iore
Drive-ln Theatre, recently opened on the shores
of Sloan's lake in outlying Denver, Colo. The new
1 ,000 -cor drive-in has provided a special ramp area
for trucks, and can accommodate 200 walk-ins. For
the latter group of patrons a bicycle rack is available.
In car tpeakers and in-car heaters have been
installed for year-round operation at this drive-in.
Excellent playground and concession facilities have
been designed to blend with the natural surroundings
of the beautiful Colorado lake.
The Lokeshore was opened by A. P Archer and Joe
Dekker, who have operated the Civic Theatre group
of five motion picture theatres in Denver for years.
BOXOFFICE 61