Great posts, you two! Kirby On Jul 21, 2004, at 8:53 PM, Bruce Hershenson wrote:
Vaughn
I think you are slightly confused, but are also 99% correct. I have talked with many former theater owners, and their stories are all very similar to each other.
I think you will find that the truck you described was not going to NSS, but rather to another theater just about to show the movie. Your theater would have the movie on say, Sunday to Wednesday, and it would go on Wednesday night (after the last show, as you said) by either truck, car, or Greyhound bus, to the next theater, AND THE POSTERS WOULD GO WITH IT (just as you said).
That's why it was so important the theater not give the posters away, and why the posters arrived to you "used". If you didn't get the posters to that next theater, they had nothing to put on their walls!
Of course, in the biggest cities, there were poster exchanges the theaters would deal with directly, and some theaters were the first to get a film so they would get mint posters, and some were last in line, so they didn't have to return them, but those were the exceptions.
Bruce
At 08:36 PM 7/21/2004, Vaughn K. Mann wrote:
Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2004 21:36:00 -0400 To: michael king <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> From: "Vaughn K. Mann" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [MOPO] NSS questions
Hello All,
I do remember as a very young man, after the last show of the evening and the last show date for that title, bringing the film down from the booth, down a long flight of marble stairs, after the last show in two metal cases. Each containing 3 or 4, 20minute reels. We would sit them in the outer lobby where the "film truck" would pick them up.
More to the point, my father, who managed the theatre would put all the advertising paper, including one sheets, on top of the film cases, so that all would go back to Boston. I do remember that the paper was supposed to be returned to NSS in Boston. I clearly and fondly recall my father telling me to pull the one sheet down, so that we can get it out with the film. How it got there via the "Film Distributing Truck" eludes me, but...........recall vividly that it was headed back to NSS for use somewhere else. I also know that many of the one sheets and other styles were not necessarily mint when received from NSS.......I put enough of them up in the framed case. Thus used before.
What does the above support........not sure, but felt, at least, it was worth mentioning. Mike appears to have a great deal more knowledge than myself in regard to NSS activities, however, just wanted to relate this experience and perhaps it can be explained or refined..........All I know is that I enjoyed the trip back...................Have a good evening, Vaughn
At 06:49 PM 7/21/2004 -0400, you wrote:
Hello Ethan...
NSS Locations:
In a form letter from NSS dated 6/14/84, which I received from them, having had an account there since 1948, they list the branches that were closing as of 6/25/84:
Boston, MA - to be serviced by NSS Camden, NJ - a sad day for me, indeed.
Cincinnati, OH - to be serviced by NSS Kansas City
Seattle, WA - to be serviced by NSS Los Angeles
Dallas, TX (which served LA, MS and southwest AL) - to be serviced by NSS Kansas City
Atlanta, GA remained open. Included in the letter are the addresses of the four operating locations: Camden, Kansas City, L.A. and Atlanta.
Returned posters:
In my experience, NSS did not expect One Sheets to be returned. Many times they were cut up for use in marquee displays, etc.
The Lobby Displays (40 x 60s, Half Sheets, LCs, Inserts, etc.) were expected to be returned for re-use. Some branches were more lenient than others in this regard. The older paper would be kept as long as there was room in their storage spaces; then periodically "cleaned out" to make room for new material. The Boston Branch kept the older paper well into the 70s, because of the number of college film societies and revival houses in town.
NSS owned Consolidated Litho, which printed the Warner posters. Fox and MGM used Tooker Litho; Paramount, Republic - Morgan; etc. In these cases, the NSS info is sometimes printed into the plate by hand by the various litho companies. If the NSS number is not in the lower corner margin of the poster itself, it is sometimes printed on the back by hand in black crayon by NSS staffers.
I hope this answers some of your questions.
Best,
Mike
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