Automatic Age

24 AUTOMATIC AGE October, 1940 BI GGEST HOLLYWOOD “ KI CK- OFF” MEETI NG FOR MILLS|PANORAM and SOUNDIES P rem iere S ho w in g a n d Convention a n U nprecedented Success in M ovie C a p ita l’s A n n a ls ; N a tio n a l Press Experts A c c la im it New H ig h in S h o w m a n sh ip ; Jam e s Roosevelt a n d M ills O rg a n i­ za tio n Hosts to 9,000 Guests W h o S aid “ O k a y ” W it h $3,000,000 W o r th of Orders. TT0LLYW00D, three thousand miles away from the coin machine industry center, wit­ nessed a “sock” merchandising event the likes of which it had never dreamed about in its long history of extravaganza and superlative showmanship. What transpired in Hollywood, Sep­ tember 16, 17, 18, and 19, 1940 during the formal debut of Mills Panoram Movie Machine and James Roosevelt’s Globe Production, Inc. “Soundies” has given the coin machine in­ dustry additional tone and pres­ tige of an immeasureable worth. Door count of guests was 9,000, admission limited to hold­ ers of invitations. Official count on Monday evening (Sept. 16) party was 5,000 guests, authent­ icated by Ella Wickersham in Hearst syndicated column. This large crowd of customers and friends, which packed the Hollywood-Roosevelt Hotel, enjoyed a marvelous time. its present state of perfection. SOUNDIE FILM proper number of Soundies, each about three minutes in length, automatically play. The reel has no beginning, middle, or end. When one Soundie is fin­ ished, the next one is ready to play. There is no rewinding at any timeno waiting. A Soundie is a strip of sound on film, 16 mm. in size, which Mills Panoram Soundies are plays on the Mills Panoram made under the direction of Movie Machine. Eight of these James Roosevelt’s Globe Produc­ Soundies make up one reel and tions, Inc. They represent a new consist of approximately a thou­ motion picture art, specialized sand feet of film. Patron places one or more for the first time by James dim es in the coin chute a n d the Roosevelt, who has been study- HOW PANORAM WORKS Mills Panoram is a coin ma­ chine. It operates automatically upon the insertion of a dime, in a split second it goes into action. No attendant is necessary to start it, stop it, or see that noth­ ing goes wrong. After the pa­ tron drops his dime, he has nothing more to do but enjoy the Soundies. This movie masterpiece has been developed by Mills Novelty engineers and mechanics, heirs to a fifty-one-year-old system of machine development, which has produced many astonishing in­ ventions. More than three years were spent to bring Panoram to Fred Mills, President, Mills Novelty Co., Manufacturers of the New Panoram Movie Machines, and James Roosevelt, President, Globe Production, Inc., who furnishes “Soundie” Films for the machines, snapped during Preview Party at the Hollywood-Roosevelt Hotel. © International Arcade Museum http://www.arcade-museum.com/