Reel and Slide (Jan-Sep 1919)

REEL and SLIDE 23 Non-inflammable Film—How and When? The Leading Makers of Projection Machines Will Voice Their Views^on This Important Question in the Columns of REEL and SLIDE. ' This Is the Sixth Article. By A. McMillan (American Projecting Company, Manufacturers of the American Projectoscope) NO maker of projection machines to-day can afford to overlook the much mooted question of non-inflammable film, though there appears to be a wide divergence of opinion concerning its application to the needs of the day. I do not favor special width film and this mainly because 95 per cent of our film subjects to-day are printed on inflammable stock and the available library would be entirely too small for practical purposes of the educator. While there is danger in the use of inflammable film, the best modern projectors reduce this danger to a minimum and in nearly every case of fire it is found that the operator caused the fire outside of the machine by means of a cigaret or other agency rather than any feature of the projector itself. I favor non-inflammable film. I believe we are coming to it — much more rapidly than people realize ; and I believe that if it had not been for the war we would have been using nothing but non-flam stock to-day. In France, where non-inflammable film got a fairly good start prior to the war, it is against the law to use the inflammable stock and this law is fully enforced. Machines Not to Blame For the motion picture industry to change over from the present basis to the non-flam basis would cost millions of dollars and would disorganize the industry. The only practical method would be to prohibit the manufacture of the inflammable film by national regulation on a certain date and permit the present prints to be used until they are worn out. In this way we would find ourselves on what would practically be a non-inflammable basis within a year or eighteen months. And any law looking to the creation of this condition must be put into effect along those lines for the reason that only five per cent of the available film in the United States is of the slow burning variety. Projectors can be made fireproof and are being made fireproof. Film that will burn is never safe when in the hands of an irresponsible person and the projector maker cannot control the machine after it has left his hands. All he can do is to warn the buyer fully of the danger from the film. Makers of most machines eliminate fire danger so long as the operator does not go out of his way to ignite the print. Things are so arranged on the Projectoscope that the reels are encased in fireproof magazines at all times and even if the short strip in the mechanism should be ignited in any way, the fire could not extend to the balance in the magazines. There has been a great deal of argument unfavorable to the slow burning film as to quality. It is claimed that it gets brittle and has no lasting power. I understand that there is a nonflam stock now available which is of good quality and which fills the bill satisfactorily. Manufacture No Problem For the purposes of the educator and the advertiser, noninflammable stock is a necessity and its general use will greatly accelerate the use of moving pictures in lines of activity outside of the theater. Irrespective of what the general industry may eventually do in regard to the use of slow burning stock, in the branch of it with which we are chiefly concerned there can be no reasonable division of opinion, though opinions may vary as to the most effective means of achieving the result. I believe all makers of projection machines concede this point. The war quite naturally stopped the importation of non-burning stock into the United States from France and the supply of such stock made in this country is extremely limited, though, of course, it can be secured when wanted, though not always in the quantity desired. I am certain that the film-making agencies of the United States, now that the war is over, will see the light and change the industry over from the present basis to the noninflammable basis. Problems of manufacture no longer bother the laboratories, and while there undoubtedly would be some objection on the part of certain elements in the industry, in the, long run the change would be better for everybody concerned. (iniiiiiiiimiiiiiiiuiiiuiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiin Department of Labor Asks Motion Picture Help in Its Reconstruction Labors David K. Niles, chief, Motion Picture Section of the United States Department of Labor, has addressed the following letter to the country's leading film producers : Gentlemen : The Department of Labor is very anxious to stimulate production in order that we may find employment for our returning soldiers. The situation is critical and Secretary Wilson feels that a good deal can be done by stimulating the building of homes. I am therefore sending you copy for trailers, which I trust you can and will use in connection with your releases. Let me call your special attention to the trailer on building roads. We are very anxious to create enough public sentiment so that we may be able to build roads and public works in order to furnish employment. Thanking you for your co-operation in the past, we remain, cordially yours, DAVID K. NILES. The "Trailers" mentioned in the Niles letter each are preceded by the introductory line, "Secretary Wilson, of the Department of Labor, says." The trailers to be screened follow : Build ! Build now for the greater and better America : A billion for roads; two billion for public works; three billion for a million new American homes ! Construction adds to the wealth of the country. Build now. Peace, like charity, should begin at home. Petty disputes should be avoided. Own a home for your children's sake. The employer and employe have a mutual interest in increasing production. Let this building be built so well and so quickly that the owner will be encouraged to build another. I want to see every wage-worker own his own home. During the war it was patriotic not to build, best show our patriotism by building. Let's not quarrel over what another should do. Now Would Reserve Term "Educational Film" for the Future Editor, Reel and Slide: Thank you for your editorial in the last edition of the Reel and Slide. What you say concerning the word "educational" is the point. We may truthfully say that many sins have been committed in the name of religion, but with equal truth we may say the same concerning the word "education." I was much interested some months ago to look over a list of educational film sent out by a trade journal and therein I found all kinds of stuff, ranging from a slapstick to melodrama. I claim the place for the "educational film" is in the school room. If the film may not so be used we had better call it something else. Very truly yours, CHAS. ROACH, Visual Instruction Service, Iowa State College. Albert E. Smith, president of the Vitagraph Co. of America, will soon begin production on a series of educational moving pictures to be used for instruction in lip reading in various schools for the deaf. At a concert given recently by the War Camp Community Service in the Auditorium at Atlanta, Ga., motion pictures of an educational nature were included in the program.