Boxoffice-April.07.1958

. . . show
STOP SHORTAGES AT
THE BOXOFFICE
by installing EPRAD'S Car-Counting
and Boxoifice Accounting System!
Here's a practical, foolproof, and
economical system of Boxoffice Accounting
at about a tenth the price
of expensive sets. This system is built
up in sections; yet it will, in one
count transactions
cabinet: count cars . . .
. . totalize car . count (key
reset) . . . totalize transaction count
actual cars in theatre (subtracts
cars leaving, adds cars entering).
MOTOR GENERATOR SET
This new and improved EPRAD Motor
Generator is QUIET! Completely selfcontained
with
ballast and starter
(nothing else to
b u y). Designed
for
specifically
m t i n-picture
use. Slow speed
(1,750 R. P. M.).
Dependable, Trouble-free. Long-lived.
Control panel has ammeter, volt meter,
and start-stop switch.
See Your Favorite Theatre Supply Dealer!
FOR COMPLETE INFORMATION, WRITE:
ELECIilCIl PIIIICIS ICSUICI
1206 CHERRY ST. TOLEDO 4, OHIO
NEW MODERN
AMUSEMENT EQUIPMENT
Write today for
Kiddie Rides
Adult Rides
Miniature Trains
Roller Coasters
Ferris Wheels
Merry-Go-Rounds
Shooting Galleries
Fun Houses
complete catalog.
30 USED RIDES ON HAND
KING AMUSEMENT CO..
INC.
p. O. Box 308, Dept. A. Mt. Clemens, Mich.
TIPS...
. . . ON
PLAYGROUND
MANAGEMENT
• Experience ha-s proved that out of 15
playground ride.s. five will be very popular.
The kid.s ride the other ten just for the
sake of going on something.
Some
• Playgrounds must be supervised.
cxliibitors use more ushers in the playground
than in the field. College students
home for summer or high school seniors
can manage the playground, although some
cxliibitors prefer married men with children.
A well-organized and supervised
playground will be better patronized.
• If properly operated the playground
will get the crowd out early and produce
from 20 to 40 cents per person at the concessions.
USED EQUIPMENT EXPENSIVE
• Don't buy used equipment. One exhibitor
learned this the hard way when he
bought two small kiddie rides from an
old carnival a number of years ago. It was
an expensive purchase as repairs cost more
than new equipment would have. Since
then he bought a new train which holds 60
people and has had no maintenance expense
at all.
• A train is the most popular ride you
can have, as it will empty all the other
rides, if that's all the kids you have, even
the merry-go-round, says a drive-in theatreman.
• Most drive-ins do not charge for rides,
but some believe that tickets given out at
the boxoffice would make the playground
more appreciated and assure every child a
chance at the rides.
WHAT SIZE
PLAYGROUND?
• There seems to be no rule of thumb for
the size of a playground based on car capacity,
but the allocation of space should
be generous. An 1,800-car theatre has an
80xl20-foot playground. Another, the Century
110 on Long Island, with 2,800-car
capacity opened last year with an 80x100-
foot playground in front of the concessions
building and found it could not take care
of the children. It has been enlarged to
80x212 feet and a miniature train and a
40-foot merry-go-round added. So popular
is the playground that the theatre has to
open at 5:45.
The theory seems to be that an exhibitor
should operate on the same formula as
when he installs 2,000 speakers. Patrons
won't use all of them every night, but when
you need them, or when you need a large
playground you want to have them.
• More thought should be given to playground
safety, for there are accidents in
spite of supervision. The accident rate is
now too high for insurance coverage. Separate
grounds for older and younger children
is one an.swer. Safety devices, such
as safety .seats for swings, should be installed.
Rides for children over 12 should
not be installed, and a sign denying admission
to children over 12 will help. The
mechanical equipment mu.st be safe and
the play area itself safe. Rough gravel .surface
is very dangerous. Plain old river sand
is fine.
• Most playgrounds are still located in
front of the screen tower, but space is
limited. Some exhibitors fence it with
chain link and lock it at the beginning of
the show.
SOMETHING FOR THE PARENTS
• It's a good idea to have something of
interest to the parents that they can talk
to the kids about. Sam Gillette of Salt
Lake City kept five to ten chinchillas in
squirrel cages where they played with
treadmills and tree branches. Chinchillas
cost $1,000 a pair, but there are culls from
the herd that can be bought for about $25
or $30 a pair, and they cannot be told by
looks. Cages cost $40 or $50. There is no
smell to chinchillas, but they have to have
a dust bath every day. If cages are kept
clean they will keep healthy. Gillette found
the little animals brought the families out
two hours early.
Six, Sure Attendance Boosters
According to Bert Nathan of Bert Nathan
Enterprises, there are six sure ways to
increase attendance: 1. AU night shows,
four or five features, this will really increase
business at the concessions; 2. Fireworks
for the 4th of July really do business;
3. Horror shows are the greatest thing
in the world, but don't overdo them; 4. Buck
nights help concessions; 5. First 100 cars
in for nothing. They'll get there at 7, the
show goes on at 9, they'll eat in the meantime;
6. Carload passes, flood the town
with free passes when opening a drive-in
to get it off to a good start.
20 The MODERN THEATRE SECTION