He Rowdyism Making

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COVER
STORy
He Ended
By Making the
Rowdyism
Kids
'Dress' for the Movies
Not Only Did Carlton Cobernus Wipe Out Bad Behaviui lor
At His Theatre,
By ROBERT DYMENT
NORTH TONAWANDA. N. Y.—There's an
old saying that "Clothes Make the Man" or
that proper si-ooming has a "good" result on
an individual'.-; personality. There has been
much talk in recent years about rowdyism,
both inside and outside movie theatre buildings—
usually from youths attired in leather
Jackets, dungarees, boots, pedal-pushers or
shorts.
Carlton Cobernus, manager of the Riviera
Theatre in North Tonawanda. New York for
more than 20 years, was encountering a large
amount of this juvenile rowdyism. In fact, so
much so that many adult.s refused to come
to the theatre. The majority of the mischief
was caused by the leather-jacket and dungaree
set.
"This rowdyism had to stop," says Cobernus,
who went on to explain, "so I decided that
anyone, including adults, who wanted to
attend the movies at the Riviera had to be
properly dres.'^ed before admittance would be
allowed. Our theatre wasn't going to be a
place for people who thought they could
come dressed in 'any-old-way.' It is a place
of entertainment and enjoyment and out of
due respect to those who do attend movies
and want a peaceful atmosphere to enjoy
the show, a new policy was instigated."
ST.\RTED IN APRIL ig.'JT
Beginning on April 26. 1957. admission was
refused youths attired in leather jackets,
dungarees, boots, pedal pushers or .shorts.
"We wanted to make the theatre a nice
place to .spend an evening." manager Cobernus
said. "We didn't know^ how well this plan
to curb rowdyism would work, but within a
very short time juvenile pranks and mischief
had been reduced by at least 50 per cent, and
today trouble from youths within the establishment
is almost a thing of the past.
Having customers properly dressed has reduced
the trouble almost completely."
The Star Theatre, a link in the Dipson
chain, in nearby Tonawanda. which borders
North Tonawanda, also set up a simUar program,
with the same satisfactory results. The
Riviera is an independent movie house.
Two weeks notice of this new policy
banning certain types of wearing apparel was
posted throughout the interior lobby of the
Riviera, as well as signs on the outside
entrance doors. Newspaper advertisements
also told of the new policy.
"As far as what people should wear to the
show, we did not set an exact t>T>e of clothing
to be worn, except that young people
had to be di-essed in a clean well-groomed
manner, usually consisting of sports jacket,
But He Upgraded Grooming All Through Town
shirt, .slacks or suits. Girls were expected to
be attired in clothing suitable for young
ladies. The ban on certain types of clothing
also applied to adults. After all, you couldn't
have adults coming into the movie house
dressed in clothing that was banned for
youths. The only exception made in our
policy concerned the tiny children, but even
they now insist that they must be properly
dressed and cleaned-up before entering the
premise. Tliis habit has been passed down
from older brothers and sisters, as well as
from the adults. After all. they want to do
what the older brother and sisters do and
don't want to be left behind."
SPURRED A 'BIGGEST NIGHT'
During the second week this policy was
in operation the Riviera had one of its
biggest nights in the theatre's histoi-y, proving
that the customers didn't mind the policy.
A few youths told them that they wouldn't
patronize the theatre, but within a very
short time the manager found them returning.
"Yes. and bhey didn't look like the same
leather-jacket and dungaree crowd I knew
before. They were all well-groomed and
looked and acted like ladies and gentlemen,"
he said.
Before the program was put into effect,
adults, parents and older persons were being
disturbed by whistles, loud talking and general
"all-around" mischief. This, manager
Cobernus felt had to be stopped. Today, when
a person or family spends an evening at the
Riviera Theatre, they can do .so in peace
and quiet, without any disturbance.
"Many parents who didn't know about the
new policy would come to the theatre dressed
in attire that was banned. We had to turn
them away. There were many cases—as
many as 30 that I can remember—who goodnaturedly
went across the street to a nearby
clothing store and pui-chased a new pair of
pants, shirts, blouses, etc., and went home
and changed and came back to the movie
house—just to comply with our new order.
"Our policy of banning certain types of
wearing apparel in the theatre was and still
is flashed on the screen by a trailer—usually
between double features or before a main
single feature. Also, our code-of-ethics is
flashed on the screen."
The Riviera code-of-ethics consists of the
following
(1) What can't be worn in the movie house.
(2) Suggestions for proper dress and grooming.
(3) No talking. (4) No whistling. (5)
No running around the theatre. (6) No smoking.