Exhibitors Herald (1927)

22 EXHIBITORS HERALD September 17, 1927 Yates Issues Ten Suggestions On How to Preserve Prints Campaign of Education Launched by Executive of Consolidated Film Industries to Hold Wear to Minimum (Special to the Herald) NEW YORK, Sept. 13. — Herbert J. Yates, the dynamic personality who has made Consolidated Film Industries one of the biggest factors in supplying the picture theatres of the country with good picture film, always can be counted on to do things differently. No “beaten path” for him. And to no small extent can the great success of his company be attributed to this “doing different.” WITH a long and successful career in the merchandising business before entering the film business, Mr. Yates applies the principles of good merchandising to the business of his film laboratories. The business of a film laboratory is to develop negatives and print positives. Naturally the bulk of this business in the film industry is the printing of the positive films that are shown on the screens. Herbert J. Yates These prints wear out from usage, and naturally the more wear-out the greater number of prints. Following the same line of reasoning, the more prints the greater the business of the laboratory. But Mr. Yates does not figure it this way. Service and long life of the prints are more important to him than the additional business caused by the wearing out of prints. And with this thought in mind, he seeks in many ways to prolong the life of the prints made by his company. The latest form of service, promulgated by Consolidated Film Industries, is a campaign of education, aimed at the people who handle the prints after they leave the laboratory. Consolidated has had printed and distributed broadcast, among the handlers of prints, ten tips to serve as useful suggestions. Here they are: Tip No. 1: The First Ten Years The base of motion picture films is made from cotton. Remember that with reasonable care it will fulfill the requirements of commercial use but that it has definite physical limitations. No. 2: Saving Time and Money Investigation indicated that a part of the burden of print mutilation begins at the exchanges due to lack of inspection to discover defects which cause damage later. The exchange does start the damage but it often fails to stop it. Inspections are frequently too rapid to be thorough. No. 3: Perfect Splicing The perfect splice is one that is welded. To make a perfect splice the emulsion must be thoroughly scraped on the ends. Sufficient cement must be applied and the splice allowed to dry under pressure. Remember that film must stand more than ordinary strain in these days of high speed projection. No. 4: Rewinding Line up the rewind carefully so that the film will feed from one reel to the other without striking the edges of the reels. Do not use defective reels. Avoid “cinching”; that is, attempting to tighten loosely-wound reels. This causes scratches on both sides of the film. “Cupping” the film to detect damaged edges, perforations or loose splices is very apt to crack or split the film. Do not “cup” film when rewinding, particularly after it has been projected on machines of high amperage and becomes dry. No. 5: Fair and Warmer Do not store film in a warm, dry place and at an average temperature of over 70 degrees. Under no circumstances store film under high temperatures as this causes the film to dry out and become brittle, subject to shrinkage and susceptible to cracking. No. 6: Watch the Leaders Keep your reels amply protected with leader. Dirty beginnings and ends of reels are frequently seen due to carelessness in this respect. No. 7: Standing Room Only Tell the exhibitor that good projection adds patronage and increased revenue, and that is only possible through the careful handling of prints. Worn and poorly adjusted projectors quickly ruin prints and cause unfavorable comment from patrons. No. 8: Watch Tension Springs, Sprockets Tension spring on sprockets should be adjusted evenly and not too tightly. Excessive tension will cause nicked and pulled out perforations. Heavy tension on one side (uneven) can be caused by poorly adjusted, weak or broken springs, and results in an uneven pull-down star on the film. Sprockets are frequently left on projectors until the teeth develop bad hooks and knife-like edges. Film is practically ruined after one or two showings if run on a projector equipped with such sprockets. No. 9: How to Ruin Print at One Showing New or green film should not be put on projection machines without being waxed. When unwaxed film is run, it is necessary to clean the shoes frequently, otherwise the accumulation of hardened emulsion on the shoe acts as a holdback, causing a greatly increased pull-down strain which always results in mutilated perforations. A new print can be completely ruined in this manner at one showing. No. 10: One Drop of Oil Per Day The excessive use of oil due to flooding mechanism of projectors is unnecessary. Aside from the intermittent case, one drop of oil in each oil hole is ample for the average day’s run. Oil getting on the film causes dust to adhere, making projection impossible. Negri Gets New Story ( Special to the Herald) HOLLYWOOD, Sept. 13. — Paramount has purchased “The Black Virgin” by Lajos Biro, for Pola Negri. It is a story of revolutionary Russia. Engineers Push Plans for Meet September 26-29 (Special to the Herald) LAKE PLACID, N. Y., Sept. 13.— Plans for the convention of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers September 26 to 29 at the Whiteface Inn, rapidly are nearing completion, under the chairmanship of J. I. Crabtree. A Movietone demonstration will be given the opening night. J. C. Kroesen is lining up a golf tournament for the second day, with an entertainment by Max Mayer in case of rain. Dancing will follow the banquet the third night. Mrs. J. H. Theiss is arranging special trips for women guests. A synopsis of the program to date shows: President W. B. Cook of Kodascope Laboratories will open the convention, followed by addresses by Carl E. Egeler, National Lamp Works, Cleveland; Eric T. Clarke, Eastman theatre, Rochester; H. Rosenberger, Rockefeller Institute. In the afternoon speakers will include L. T. Troland, Technicolor; E. I. Sponsable, Fox-Case; Prof. A. C. Hardy, Massachusetts Tech; and N. M. Trapnell, Western Electrical Instrument Co. A. C. Downes, National Carbon Co., will speak Tuesday. Wednesday’s speakers include F. H. Richardson, Moving Picture World; L. M. Townsend, Eastman theatre; Arthur Gray, Lancaster theatre, Boston; V. A. Stewart, Fox Films; J. I. Crabtree and C. E. Ives, Eastman Research Laboratory. In the afternoon there will be talks by T. E. Finegan, Eastman Kodak; Fred Waller, Dolphin Akwa Skee Co.; J. A. Norling, Loucks & Norling; C. Tuttle, Eastman Co., and J. B. Taylor, General Electric. Thursday will bring papers by R. C. Hubbard, Consolidated Film Industries; F. R. Watson, U. of Illinois; S. E. Sheppard, Eastman Co.; William A. Johnston, Motion Picture News, and K. Hickman, Eastman Co. In the afternoon scheduled speakers include Peter Mole, Mole-Richardson Corp. ; J. G. Capstaff and R. A. Purdy, Eastman Co.; A. S. Newman, Newman-Sinclair, London; G. E. Matthews and J. I. Crabtree, Eastman, and by C. E. Ives and J. I. Crabtree. The committee is making further additions to the program. Two Theatres Are Threatened by Fire (Special to the Herald) BRISTOL, CONN., Sept. 13.— Fire in a grain warehouse adjoining the Bristol theatre caused the theatre to be emptied of its 1,200 patrons in less than three minutes last Tuesday night. A 12-foot driveway, separating the two buildings, probably saved the theatre from heavy loss. At Boston, Waldron’s Casino had a close call from destruction by fire Thursday night when a four alarm blaze gutted the adjoining building. The theatre was saved through a fire wall and the work of firemen, several of whom were injured. British Advertising Men Resume Meetings (Special to the Herald) LONDON, Sept. 13. — After a lull of the summer months, the British motion picture advertisers resumed their monthly open meetings recently. The speaker was Jeffery Farnol, novelist. The subject of book tieups came in for a deep probing. J. Fred Hartman Dies (Special to the Herald) PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 13.— Word has been received from Brussels of the death of J. Fred Hartman, for many years active in theatrical and motion picture circles here and for the past few years private secretary for Fred G. Nixon-Nirdlinger.