Canadian Film Weekly (Nov 24, 1943)

Page 2 Address all communications—The Managing Editor, Canadian Film Weekly, 25 Dundas Square, Toronto 1, Canada, Canadian FILM WEEKLY ————__ November 24, 1943 = eae oe Explosions Damage ~The Managing wait, —*| © ONORtO Film Centre (Continued from Page 1) Published by Film Publications of Canada, Ltd., 25 Dundas Square, Toronto, Ont., nada. Phone ADelnide 4317. Price 5 cents each or $2.00 per year. Entered as Second Class Matter That Fire The comparatively light damage done to the Film Exchange Building by fire and explosion is proof that safety is a full-time habit that pays off in lives saved at one time or another. Though film and theatre men were saddened by the death of Herb Naiman, popular in the trade, who died of shock after being rescued, the possibilities of a great tragedy were there and were only avoided by a rigid adherence to almost every measure of safety, architectural as well as personal habit. There is no doubt that the news of the fire will not do us any good in the eyes of the public, although it did not take place in a theatre. The public goes by impressions and has no knowledge of what a triumph of vigilance the comparatively small damage represents. The explosion and fire is only the second in Canada of its kind. Dozens of other types of accidents take place daily throughout the Dominion and several shared the daily papers with the Film Exchange fire. But the public will remember this accident in Toronto long after the others are forgotten. The idea of theatre safety must be planted in the minds of the patrons at all times and replanted whenever something has caused it to be lost. It’s Up to You The Ontario Motion Picture Bureau has definite rules of construction that apply to theatres and film exchanges. These have been adhered to but it is the human element that really counts. Theatre safety is something that requires the constant attention of everyone and anyone who serves in the field. The rest depends on the patrons. These are very uncertain days in the matter of trained personnel and the habits of the patrons. Older employees must check the tasks of those new to the job and the manager should make a thorough survey each night. Vandalism in theatres today is a serious problem and some of it takes the form of fire carelessness by patrons “sneaking a puff,” and other rubbing the fire off butts against upholstery in the ladies’ and men’s rooms. Employees of film exchanges are fully aware of safety requirements and lmow that they are faced with immediate sacking if they should so much as smoke in a forbidden place. Not one life was lost in film exchanges and theatres through fire in 1942. Fire damage was very low and the theatres’ alertness won the praise of the Dominion Fire Prevention Association. This break in our record is regrettable but we can take satisfaction in our general effort. It remains for you who are employed or engaged in any field of theatre activity to help us maintain our standard. Safety, like liberty, requires constant vigilance. Don’t you be the slacker. Despite the seriousness of the fire, it may be regarded as an indication of safety as well as danger. There is no more danger in entering a film exchange than there is any other type of building and in most cases there is less. There are hundreds of types of businesses which have a greater amount of peril attached to them than film exchanges. Theatres are probably the safest kind of structures in the country. Certainly no business has greater safety supervision than the motion picture industry. accident, due to special construction of the building and the general vigilance of film workers, was that all but the one vault remained unaffected and very little film was lost in the fire. Had not the possibility of such accidents been taken into consideration by the Ontario Motion Picture Bureau, which makes certain safety requirements in construction, the damage and loss of life would have been much greater. Film and theatre men were relieved to discover that shipping rooms and vaults were affected only slightly. They were up all night worrying about scheduled programs and trying to make rearrangements but so far as known not one theatre went dark because of the accident. A great piece of fortune in the midst of misfortune was the fact’ that the explosion took place at 8:26 in the evening, just before several screenings were scheduled to begin. None of those invited had entered the building. Some who had gathered outside were sprinkled with glass and retired to @ considerable distance to avoid the intense heat. Regal Films’ staff screening was held earlier in the evening. The screening rooms were almost untouched by damage, although a panic might have occurred. The Film Exchange Building was started in 1924 and completed in 1930. It was designed by Molesworth & Secord, Toronto architects, who did their job so well that there is no structural damage. The greatest harm was done by water, although the explosion blew out most of the front windows and fire seared the woodwork. Important records survived because, according to specifications, they were contained in steel cabinets. Vault ventilators did their work perfectly, as did dry and wet sprinklers. Ventilators reach up from the vaults and open on the roof. Fumes exploded and were directed out of the building, being 80 powerful that they reached 50 feet away and melted copper sheeting. Nearly 120 firemen fought the three-alarm fire, which attracted 5,000 people to the scene. The entire building was hidden by a great sheet of fiame that soon vanished because concrete and steel provided little encouragement. Transformers outside the building were put out of action and the power went off in the vicinity. Companies occupying the Film Exchange Building are Regal Films, Mavety Film Delivery Service, Perkins Electric Co., Empire-Universal Films, Alliance Films, Independent Poster Supply, Producers Releasing Corporation, Associated Theatres, Odeon Thea-~ tres, RKO, Monogram Pictures, Pioneer Films, United Artists, Canadian Theatre Chair Co., Cosmopolitan Films, Hanson 16 Mm., Canadian Premium Distributing and Canadian Moving Picture Digest. Exchanges and theatre offices located elsewhere in the area have made their facilities available to all. Film Exchange Building, Toronto pee ree A RE J Be BS A a aR BS -~ ay =~ ae BS ei ms * | ~ oe” ——— a a : pon Shown the morning after a fire caused much damage to the offices but failed to reach films stored in vaults. ¢