Exhibitors Herald (1927)

22 BETTER THEATRES SECTION OF October 29, 192 7 Sentry Device Offers Exhibitors Freedom from Fire Worry Joseph E. Cohen details development of important safety apparatus for projectors IN the development of the Sentry Safety Control is added another chapter in the development of the motion picture business and at the same time another achievement that is destined to have a far-reaching effect in promoting the popularity of motion picture entertainment. For with the development of the Sentry apparatus has been removed one of the most serious hazards of theatre operation — fire — with its attending horrors of panic, loss of life and financial ruin. The Sentry Safety Control had its origin in a projection room where the need for a device of this type had brought the inventive urge upon two projectionists. The first was crude, but the idea and the potentialities of it were quickly apparent to Joseph E. Cohen, owner of the house, and now chairman of the board of directors of Sentry Safety Control Corporation. In detailing the development from that time Mr. Cohen gives the following interesting facts: “It was almost three years ago that I happened to notice in the projection room of one of the theatres in which I had a financial interest, a contraption which was out of the ordinary. It had been arranged by the projectionists, the purpose being to remove all possibility of fire danger while the booth was in their charge. “Since then I have been in hundreds of projection rooms in all sorts of theatres and I have found that more than a majority of operators have rigged up one sort and another of devices of their own making to accomplish that purpose. “During a period of many years in theatre operation and exhibition of pictures I have been too busy — I am almost ashamed to admit it — to give much thought to fire prevention. As an owner and operator of theatres I obeyed the laws and municipal ordinances regarding fire prevention, I followed all customary safeguards, I protected myself with fire insurance and complained, as all the others did, about the high rates. “Well, when I saw what the projectionists in this particular theatre of mine were attempting to do, it sort of shocked me into action. As long as I can remember, I have made a hobby of mechanics. When I saw that here, right in my own business, there was a mechanical and electrical problem far more interesting than an automobile or radio could offer; that it was not only interesting in itself, but that it offered economic and humanitarian rewards far more interesting than any hobby which had ever enlisted my enthusiasm, I was, as I have said, shocked into action. “It took but a short while for me to be convinced that the projectionists had a marvelous idea at work. True, their weird contraption was crude, but the idea was there. I immediately arranged for a reputable firm of consulting engineers to come in, take over the idea and refine it to the point of general application. These engineers were given a free hand, except for one injunction which was positive: They had to make the device applicable to any. standard projection machine on the market. “They went to work. Months went by in experimentation. The complete history of projection was studied; every device that ever attempted to render fire innocuous passed in review — and you may believe there have been dozens of them — every point of possible mishap in projection was considered — all these in relation to the crude contraption my operators had built with their own hands and with odds and ends of material available. “I might interrupt here to say that one reason our consulting engineers brought their work to such a highly successful conclusion was because they were hampered by no acquired prejudices. Theirs was a general engineering practice; they were open-minded; they had conceived of no ‘impossibilities’ and went to work simply and determinedly to practicalize an idea which was originated by others than themselves. “When success began to crown their efforts, we were not long in seeing what a valuable contribution we were in a po This Theatre Demands the Best Projection and The Management is more than Satisfied with the results obtained with the Intensiflector (High Intensity Reflector Arc) 60 Amperes is now giving better results than before were obtained with 120 amperes. Also saving the theatre 40% on Carbon Consumption. There is only one IntensiEector and that is built by the Ashcraft Automatic Arc Company 4214-16-18 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, Cal. Loew’s State theatre, Los Angeles, Cal., fully equipped with Ashcraft IntensiEectors.