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difficult to acquire, they have kept and alarm how to fight the fire until such
maintained their theaters in excellent time as the equipment arrived.
condition. This system is also used throughout
Throughout Australia the fire and the streets of Adelaide and many lives
safety regulations are similar to ours. have been saved - pedestrians as well as
Only in rare situations can one find a firemen - by not having to send out full
theater with poor exit facilities. equipment. When an automobile is on
However, their fire-alarm systems, fire, a person can go to the box at the
particularly in Adelaide, the capital of corner, push the button, and report the
South Australia, far surpass, ours. There extent of the fire, and adequate rather
they have the latest type of warning than full equipment is sent out.
system thoughout the city. In each False alarms are prevented because
The Man From place of business and on street corners if someone rings the alarm and is
where a fire-alarm box is stationed a asked, “What’s the matter?” and the
Paramount. loudspeaker microphone is built into person does not say what is wrong, the
the box which is hooked directly into fire station immediately turns the
Paramount sent engineer Clement the nearest fire station. amplifier on full, so that the fireman’s
Crystal on a world study tour in 1948 In the rear of the Paramount branch voice will reach blocks away
to report trends in cinema construction. office, right by the film vaults, one of throughout the neighbor- hood, with the
He presented his findings at the Society these fire-alarm boxes was on the wall. control officer at the fire station calling
of Motion Picture Engineers We pushed a button and within a out, “Catch the person who turned on
Convention. Here is the full text of second a voice came back over the the alarm!” In this way, the Fire
what he wrote about Australia , with loudspeaker from the fire station: Department is prevented from turning
original spelling “What’s the matter, Paramount - what’s out equipment because of a false alarm.
Foreign Theatre Operation. wrong?” This enables one immediately Throughout Australia we found big,
By Clement Crystal to tell the Fire Department how serious beautiful theaters in the suburban areas,
the fire is, and the type of fire that it is. so designed that in the rear of the
Paramount International Theaters
This method gives the Fire Department orchestra on one side there is a double-
Corporation, New York.
the opportunity of telling how to fight it glass partition which gives clear vision
No matter where one goes in this and exactly what to do. In turn, the Fire to the screen and a door which opens
world, people in general are much the Department knows exactly what type of from the lobby into a room
same. They all have the same impulses apparatus to send out. This system is approximately 15 to 20 feet wide by
as ourselves, like to live well, look also hooked on to the sprinkler system, about 8 feet deep. They call this room
well, eat well, and have all the luxuries so that should a sprinkler go off it their “Crying Room” and they keep it
possible, all of course governed by causes a flash in the main fire station - exclusively for mothers who are forced
local custom and supply. the minute the circuit is broken, you to bring their infants and children to the
In Australia, the people are perhaps hear a voice coming over that same theater. The room has its own amplifier
more like Americans than anywhere speaker saying, What’s the matter, horn and the mothers are able to see the
else in the world. They are gracious, Paramount?” In this case, should no picture through the double-vision glass,
hospitable, and great movie fans as well one answer, certain apparatus is and nurse their babies. Should a child
as motion picture builders and dispatched immediately. Should a fire cry, the rest of the people in the theater
operators. The Australian theaters in break out and one be unable to remain will not be disturbed.
general are large, well constructed, well near the fire box, they can speak to you In the theaters that have no “Crying
designed from sight lines as well as over this microphone from a distance of Rooms,” they render the following
acoustically. It is not unusual to find better than a hundred feet. service in order to attract the mothers to
3000 to 4000 seats in even the At the fire station, in order to the theater: A patron comes in with a
neighborhood houses. They are usually demonstrate the qualities of the system, baby in a carriage - she buys her ticket
constructed of reinforced concrete, of a button was pushed which sounded in (and generally speaking all seats are
modern design with beautiful patios the rear of a theater. A voice came reserved). She gives the usherette the
surrounding their lobbies; the walls are back, asking the FireDepartment what baby's bottle and tells her what time the
of plaster and the acoustical materials was wanted. The fireman said an child should get it; the usherette takes
well thought out in design, with American was looking over the system her ticket, fills out a slip which gives
indirect lighting. The foyers and aisles and he wanted to show how it operated. the woman’s name, location of her seat,
are usually carpeted and a real de luxe Whereupon the fireman turned more hour of feeding, and pins it on the
form of decoration is used throughout. power on the microphone and the child. At the proper time, the usherette
Some theaters even were carpeted voices of the actors from the screen heats the bottle, goes to the seat, gets
under all seats. could be heard. It was pointed out that the mother and the mother comes out
During the recent global war (which a large fire, which most probably would and gives the child the bottle - returns
physically crossed Australian shores) have caused extensive loss of life and to her seat and the usherette takes care
their theaters were kept in operation. It millions of dollars in damage, recently of the child. This was really very
is true, replacements were hard to was prevented, due to this alarm amusing because we thought we had
obtain, but they did a splendid job and system, as the Fire Department was enough to do to operate theaters and
even now, with replacements still very able to tell the people turning in the take care of our public, without arriving

32 2006 CINEMARECORD