The Moving Picture World (May 1908)

39° THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD Kleine; public opinion seems to be with you, and that alone counts for a great deal, even in the jury box and on the bench. • * * * "EDISON. PATENT WINS!" This is a bold display heading in a contemporary, re- ferring to the decision against a Chicago exhibitor in favor of Thomas A. Edison, the details of which are printed on another page. On asking a member of the Independent forces what the import of this decision amounted to. he said that it could not be considered serious, as to the best of his belief the judgment was obtained by default. If the defendant did not consider it worth while to enter a demurrer or avail himself of the free offer of competent counsel, there was no other course open to the Court. * * * THE FILM SUPPLY AMPLE. The manufacturers working under the Edison patent license have more than made good their promises to produce sufficient new subjects to meet the demands of the Film Service Association. Last February some doubt was expressed as to the ability of the seven American manufacturers who entered into the agreement to meet the test with the aid of but two foreign producers, but to-day they are producing- more than many of the asso- ciation members can handle. Some of the manufacturers are making two shipments of new subjects per week, but many in the association find themselves able to handle only one. On the other hand, the Independent forces, while being equally well supplied with subjects from foreign sources, complain at the scarcity of American subjects at their disposal, but from authentic sources we learn that in a very short time this want will be well supplied by the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company and other American manufacturers who are to enter the field. * * * TALKING MACHINES. The fertile mind of the exhibitor is in full operation and moving pictures are now heralded as "talking pic- tures." a coinage of recent date. The new name has proved misleading to many and managers in all parts of the country are sending in queries to the various head- quarters as to when they are to receive the "talking pictures." They are under the impression that the simultaneous reproduction of voices and pictures which has been in the course of experiment so long, can now be had at "popular prices." Such is not the case. The "talking pictures" are like the famous old sacred white elephant of the circus. They are only pictures retouched, as it were. Instead of relying upon the orchestra or piano, many exhibitors are making liberal use of "props," and men and women behind the sheet add realism to the productions with their voices. In several theaters that we have visited this idea is carried out to a high degree of perfection. "Talking pictures" are a reality, however, without the "props." The Cameraphone, an American invention,-and the Chronophone, a European invention, have both been introduced in various theaters throughout the country with distinct success. But these machines use specially made films in conjunction with a soecial phonograph and the necessary cost of such an outfit places it beyond the reach of the average nickelodeon manager. ■ Those who have obtained such outfits, however, find in them a draw- ing card which makes their competitors sit up and take notice. THE SAFETY OF MOVING PICTURE THEATERS. Dedicated to the daily press of the country. By Dr. William B. Ely. There is one point in connection with the standard moving picture theater upon which the public cannot be assured too strongly, for the reason that the facts relating to it have been distorted out of all recognizable shape by a seem- ingly united press, and, as a consequence, there is a general misapprehension upon it. I refer to the dangers inherently associated with a moving picture show; peculiar to it and not a danger common to all assemblages. And because of this widely disseminated misapprehension. I wish to state as emphatically as the language permits that, taking all the elements involved, the standard moving picture theater is by all odds the safest of all places of public entertainment or general assemblage. But I wish it to be understood clearly what I mean by "standard" moving picture theater, for, unquestionably, there exist a good many which fail of reaching the standard I have in mind and which all the best moving- picture managers agree should be made compulsory by city ordinance or State law. That standard involves the employment of none but the best of the recent innovations designed to protect the film from the heat of the arc lamp —and there are several that leave nothing to be desired and are easily within the reach of any one—together with fire- proof steel boxes from which the film is fed in its passage through the machine, ?nd within which the full reel is ex- pected to be kept at all times when not in use—and there are several of these on the market, either one of which accomplishes its design with practical perfection. The em- ployment of .these two devices, together with a competent operator and assistant capable of judging the effectiveness of the insulation of the cable conveying the electric current to the lamp wherever it is in any sort of relation to wood- work, as well as of the proper use of the resistance coil that holds the current down to that which is necessary to give a good light, and an -operating booth unuer -rigorous regulation regarding the use of matches and smoking, as well as of general cleanliness and order, constitute, all to- gether, a "standard" moving picture theater. Of course, there are the usual regulations respecting the details of man- agement of theaters which are common to all such places of entertainment. Such a "standard" theater, to all intents and purposes, is absolutely safe from the occurrence of fire originating in the operating booth. Nothing short of criminal careless- ness that ought to be made a penitentiary offense by State law could start a fire there. My own judgment is that a match should never be permitted to gain entrance to _ the operating booth, and all smoking, by anybody, at any time, should be rigidly interdicted. Then a fire originating in the operating booth would be as impossible as in a washtub. And if both manager and operator were made criminally liable by State law for a fire started in any way in the operating booth, they both would be on the qui vive to attend strictly to business. Granted conditions such as I have described, there is no more need for fireproofing the inside of the booth with sheet iron or asbestos than of fire- proofing an average kitchen or oarlor. For there are but two ways for the film to take fire—yne by a somewhat long exposure to the heat of the arc light used, and direct application of flame, as by a match, or even intense heat, as from a piece of carbon or contact with the top of the lamp-house. Now, the automatic shutter does away completely with the first source of danger, fot it acts with absolute certainty every time, and it shuts on the light an instant before the film stops moving, for it drops the instant motion slows down, and there is no ex- cuse whatever for flame coming in contact with it. Prac- tically the only way for it is the careless use of matches. But this source of possible danger is amply and perfectly provided against in the fireproof reel boxes. Should the film be ignited, only a foot or so could possibly burn, as the throat of the reel box extinguishes it on the instant it is reached. So that there is no source of danger from fir* except in an utter fool for an operator who would open the door to the fireproof box and permit the film to run out in a tangled mass around his feet upon the floor—for which there is no possible excuse. Such a fool might take it into ms silly head just at that moment to light up his pipe and have a quiet smoke, throw the glowing match in among the tan- gle of film and so start as pretty a fire as any idiot could wish. But it would have to be an act of sheer wantonness that ought to send him to. the pen for a long term. Of course, a fool might do anylhjrjg, But moying pi c * ure