International projectionist (Oct 1931-Sept 1933)

24 INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST June 1932 NEWS and VIEWS A collection of random thoughts, and some not so random; fact, fancy and opinion pertaining to the projectionist and projection matters. The free-for-all forum. SEVERAL unions, harrassed by competition, have rushed into print in defense of their organizations. Letters to the editor and paid display advertisements extolling the organized labor body are appearing with increasing frequency. That which we said in our October, 1931, issue still holds good: people don't want to buy the Union, but they are customers for that which the Union should represent— quality work and safety guaranteed by a responsible organization. Newspapers seldom, if ever, attack a labor organization as such. They can't afford to, circulation figures being what they are. Usually the press rails against the direction of a labor body, and a socalled browbeaten minority is induced to bear testimony against their own brother members. The point of this item is that Unions should be particularly careful in distinguishing the focal point of any attack by the press — whether it be against the organization (which seldom is the case), against the individual or the directing group. Naturally, advertising copy intended to offset unfavorable publicity should be based on the point or points at issue. Otherwise, advertising money is wasted. • The few copies of I. P. which go to France each month have already gotten in their deadly work. News Item: "Motion picture machine operators here (Paris), have formed an organization known as the Association des Operateurs de Projection Sonore." Two organizers, please. • Magnascope (enlarged screen), is old stuff. Yet, this is the one projection "stunt" that always draws the "Ohs" and the "Ahs" from any audience. Perhaps the foremost exponent of Magnascope is Harry Rubin, of Publix Theatres. As these lines are written Rubin is employing Magnascope in two Broadway theatres with marvelous results. One of the pictures, "The Doomed Batallion," is enhanced in entertainment value by about 25 per cent (in our estimation), through clever employment of Magnascope. Great Care Necessary The use of Magnascope calls for the utmost discretion and faultless execution. Sloppy use of the idea, or bad spotting within the feature, can do more harm than good. While we are on the subject, Rubin deserves much credit for the splendid special projection and effect work he employs to set off the Jesse Crawford organ presentations at the Paramount. When in New York don't' fail to catch some of this work. • Bausch & Lamb Optical Co. are supplying a zippy catalogue of their projection lenses which contains valuable information for the projectionist. The screen image table on p. 11 should be ignored in view of the new standard aperture dimensions. A note to 691 St. Paul St., Rochester, N. Y., will do the trick. • It probably isn't news any longer to many Alliance members, but we mention the resignation of William F. Canavan as a member of the staff of Publix Theatres Corp. Future plans not announced. NOW that the social season for Local Union parties is over, the truth can be told. We have numerous letters from projectionists which tend to prove that our estimation of organization affairs as strictly members' parties is correct. Evidently some of the boys have long had in mind the idea which we spilled herein recently — that such affairs have been "packed" with outsiders and that much harm resulted therefrom. We just can't help it if we have the power to read the boys' minds. • Our erstwhile "boy friends," Messrs. Fred A. Jewell and Lester A. Smith, who for the past three years have been interested in "educating" the projectionist via Projectionist Sound Institute, of Easton, Penna. ; Electrical Sound Institute, National Sound Service Bureau, Photo-Electric Research Laboratory and a few other Sound-this and Photo-thats, have just been convicted in New York Federal Court of using the mails to de fraud. Our first foray against Jewell, et al, was three years ago, and we wound up our campaign against him in our November, 1931, issue. Then came the "'pinch." We don't know how much money we have saved members of the Alliance by our devotion to duty in this campaign, but certainly all locals should vote us a small donation apiece. On the right, please. Incidentally, Mr. Jewell (himself), who tried first to bribe us and finally to punch us, is now on his way to Atlanta— glorious spot. Merry Xmas, Mr. Jewell — covering all three years. IT doesn't require much neck-craning to discern the renewed interest in rear projection in this field. Most of the inquiries come from exhibitors who naturally are interested in the process because it appears to hold promise of a reduction in manpower. They're for it. Anyone who has watched the progress of the intimate newsreel theatres which Trans-Lux has spotted about the country will have noted a marked improvement in the quality of rear projection. There is nothing mysterious about rear projection. Regular Simplex mechanisms are used (although it is rumored that Trans-Lux is building its own mechanism ) . The Trans-Lux screen is neither metal nor cloth; it has a gelatine base. The Trans-Lux Lens For years Trans-Lux has enjoyed a monopoly (through patent rights), on a special wide angle lens with prisms which gives a foot in picture area for every foot the projector is removed from the screen. Conversely, one could get a 2-foot picture at a 2-foot distance, a 5-foot picture at 5 feet, a 10-foot picture at 10 feet, etc. Considerable trouble was experienced with this lens at first (mostly a "lens spot" in which most of the available light would be concentrated), but this difficulty has been overcome and even illumination is now obtained. It is doubtful if Trans-Lux will continue to enjoy a monopoly in the rear projection field, as good screens for this work are now available and Bausch & Lomb has recently developed a lens which also gives a so-called 1-to-l effect. WARNING ! INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST has no Subscription Agents ONE J. J. Farrell, representing himself to be an authorized subscription agent for INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST has been operating in Eastern states — notably in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. This man, and all others making similar claims, are fakes, irrespective of how many "authorizations" or "introductions" they exhibit. LP. has no subscription agents, and all subscriptions should be made direct to the publisher. All readers, and particularly Local Union officials, are requested to be on the lookout for these fake agents and to report their whereabouts immediately to INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST.