Theatre Design & Technology - Feb 1967 - 10

The above phenomenon was not always true. Professor
Saxon, in a report that he published in 1953, indicated that
attendance fell generally beginning with 1946 and lasting
through 1952. An examination of data from 1953 on indicates that attendance has reached the 8.8 million mark
and does not vary significantly. There is no real correlation
between the number of people who attend and variations
in prices charged.
This does still not excuse the theatre owner-producer from
having empty seats. It is an obvious loss, since any price
for which an empty seat can be sold is revenue. If we also
assume that there is a community responsibility, attendance
is not as high as it might be. People who possibly would
go to the theatre are not going to the theatre. Here, we
have the two basic problems.
Part of the problem is the producer's view of profit maximization. He regards the output of his firm not as the number of "seats sold" but as the number of "weeks run."

thing is entirely honest, presumably the first person in line
has the right to the ticket. If a black market does exist (in
which you allow price to decide the market), then extra
profit is flowing past the box office.
Mr. Wharton tended to minimize the problem of inelastic
demand for theatre tickets. I think that there is empirical
evidence that demand is inelastic for lowered prices. I believe that only a free-pricing system will be successful.
In the past, single shows or particular seating sections have
lowered price with disastrous results. The disaster stems
from the belief that something is wrong with the lowered
section or show.

Recent Patents

All decision making is really based on this concept.

3,191,024
CAR HEAD LAMP
What I think is really necessary is that the producer-theatre
owner take a different view of the market itself. Obviously,
if one week's costs are above the same week's income,
there is trouble. But within the framework of that week,
there is a degree of flexibility which, in fact, is not being
exploited. The empty seats should be sold for whatever
price they can bring. Summer stock houses, in the '30s and
'40s, discounted tickets when they could not be sold.
Krawitz used this policy.
One way out of the bind surrounding unsold seats is to
tap, much more effectively than is done through the twofer, the elastic market which will respond to lowered price.
One would have to segregate markets, so that a movement
into the elastic area would not spoil sales in the other.
Two solutions present themselves. One is to open theatres
to completely flexible pricing, as is done in the stock market: No fixed prices. This is an ideal; the sale of tickets
through the bid basis. The owner-producer will gain in the
following ways: If demand is truly inelastic, then people
will tend to increase the price through competitive bidding
to a point above where it is now, and even the undesirable
tickets will tend to sell.
The other solution may be slightly more practical. For want
of a better term, it can be called "semi-free pricing."
Here, you still print a fixed price and distribute it in the
standard fashion. However, the unsold seats will go on
flexible-price sale.
So far, we have not discussed the possibility of interference
(such as subsidy). We have addressed ourselves to the
problem of self-help as it might be applied to the industry
on Broadway. I, frankly, am of the opinion that subsidy
will do nothing to help Broadway; but possibly that is the
subject for another discussion.

Jacqucs nardin, Saint-Cloud, nn,l Didier-Abel Fleury,
Paris, Fran,e, usslJ:llors to Sockte Anonyme l.ulllpe
Norma Socicte "Auto-Lampe," Paris, Franc~
Filed May 7, 1962, Ser. No. 192,685
Claims priority, application France, May 10, 1961,

2 Claims.

861,374
(Cl. 240-41.35)

1. An auto headlamp comprising a reflector having two
approximately half parabolic segments provided with foci
spatially arranged along the reflector axis, a source of
light bdween said foci and on said reflector axis, said
reftecto~ segments being offset with respect to each other,
and another atJproximately half parabolic segment, said
other h,.li parabolic segment being mounted to rotate
about said reflector axis and to move through the gap
formed between said two reflector parabolic segments to
block one of the latter from receiving the rays of light
from said light source, the focus of said other half parabolic segment corresponding substantially with the part
of the light source arranged in the lamp intersecting the
reflector axis.
3,232,662
COMnlNATION TRAY Al"D SEAT APPARATUS
Harold C. Gra\"Cs, 2400 Washington St., Amurillo, Tex.
Filed Mar. 25, 1965, Ser. No. 442,709
6 Cl~ (CI. 297--119)

At this point, I should like to address myself to some of
the things Wharton mentioned. Basically, I agree with his
opinion that the Broadway industry has itself to blame as an
archaic system.
However, I find that one point was overlooked. If one holds
ticket prices below the natural market level, the person who
cannot afford to pay the increased rate may, if he waits
long enough, get a ticket. Although Mr. Wharton did not
address himself to this question, I believe that he intimated
an answer. He said that if there is a greater demand for
tickets than there is a supply, there should be some equitable method for rationing them out. The fact is that Broadway has not worked out such an equitable system. If every-

1. A combination seat and tray comprising a seat subassembly, a base subassembly and a bearing subassembly;
said seat subassembly having a width, a depth, and a
height and the width being greater than the depth,
the depth being greater than the height;
said base having a width, a depth and a height, said
width being greater than said depth, and said depth
being greater than the height, the width and depth
of said seat respectively being greater than the width
and depth of said base.

illillD

THEATRE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Feb 1967