International projectionist (Oct 1931-Sept 1933)

10 INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST Projectionist Servicing Plan Sweeps The Country Many Local Unions report enthusiastic exhibitor acceptance of plan. Many theatres already using projectionist service GENERAL approval of the plan for projectionist servicing of sound motion picture equipments as presented in International Projectionist is indicated by the number and tenor of letters received from all sections of this country and Canada. Comment was had not only from projectionists but from several exhibitors as well, all of whom unqualifiedly endorsed the plan. An exhibitor organization also gave its approval. No definite information anent the attitude of sound equipment companies toward the plan was received. A surprise was provided by the news from nine Locals to the effect that they already have several theatres on their respective servicing lists, the work having been handled to date to the complete satisfaction of the theatres. Other Locals indicated that the article in LP. provided the spark which transformed thoughts about the matter into action, with surprisingly fine contacts resulting from the initial organizing efforts. Typical of the more enterprising Locals is a letter from San Francisco Local Union 162, which has repeatedly proven its pioneering abilities in the advancement of the craft's interests, stating that projectionist sound system servicing is a matter which has had their serious thought for more than a year and that the plan actually had been put into operation some six months prior to its general release in these columns. From W. G. Woods, Secretary of 162, came the following informative letter: We were very much interested in your article on projectionist sound servicing for the reason that we had "beaten you to it" by about six months and therefore knew your arguments to be sound and timely. Not only on this count were we interested but also on the score of a desire to lend impetus to such a movement on a national scale. You have removed this latter worry. When RCA announced its policy of outright sale and the abolition of compulsory servicing, we took over one of the engineers who had been doing service work in this territory, paid him a regular salary from the Union and, with the knowledge and consent of RCA, advised all exhibitors whose contracts were out or nearly out that we would take over this service and furnish them with equally good service by the same man — and at a greatly reduced price. Needless to say, this propo-al evoked considerable enthusiasm among exhibitors. At first we went into "the red" in this matter, as we fully expected to do, but included in this "red" was an item of several hundred dollars for a complete test set which we had built for our engineer. This engineer was an LA. projectionist of ability, a member of an Eastern local, and we could therefore use him for short jobs and relief work — all of which added to his income. We know that this move will prove to be a good investment as time goes on and other houses avail themselves of our service. In addition, our own men now feel absolutely no hesitancy in approaching this man for advice and help on any sound picture problem, a condition which was by no means general previously. Forgetting all this, the fact remains that you hit the nail on the head when you said that such a move is purely defensive, in that it serves to keep outsiders out of the projection room. This advantage alone is worth whatever the cost may be. Eight other Locals approached the San Francisco record of early action, while other units, notably Pittsburgh, announced that plans are practically complete for early assumption of servicing work. Scores of Locals sought advice as to the best method of organizing a sound servicing department, the lack of competent manpower being particularly {Continued on page 22) January 1935 Two-Men Operation Looms As Sizzling Controversy Bankers launch well-organized drive to eliminate second man from projection room. Report in preparation LEGISLATION compelling the use of not less than two men in projection rooms is now pending in seven states within the United States, and the topic is being considered by the National Research Council for the entire Dominion of Canada. This is the answer of projectionist organizations to the frantic efforts of producer-exhibitor organizations and bankers to lower costs through the elimination of manpower in projection rooms, irrespective of the strict requirements of good projection and safety. Current labor disturbances in Canada may be traced directly to the fact that Canada was selected as the first scene of operations for a combination which is seeking to jam the one-man shift idea down the throats of both the amusement industry and the public which pays the bills for that industry. Canada was the locale chosen for the first big push against two-men shifts, and it was there that the first dollars out of a preliminary appropriation of $100,000 to fight for one-man shifts were spent. The hokus-pocus started in Canada last July, and the sponsors for the one-man shift thought that certainly by January 1 last this territory would have been nicely cleaned up. But they were mistaken: for the Canadian projectionist organizations fought back and hung on to their hard-earned conditions with an amazing tenacity. There exists in New York City today a law firm which handles only banking accounts. One department of this law firm concerns itself exclusively with labor matters, and it was to this department that the original plans for the oneman drive were sent. Mr. Banker has many millions o£ dollars invested in this so-called amusement business of ours (a business in which the leaders provide more amusement than could possibly be crowded onto even the largest theatre stage), and Mr. Banker is very anxious to get as many of his dollars out of this industry as he possibly can. One man projection shifts is one of his ideas for protecting all these invested dollars. In the Kaplan court cases recently concluded in New York City there figured a representative of this law firm previously mentioned. Every day, no matter what the occasion or which the court, this legal representative of Mr. Banker was in court — and not as a spectator. He worked — to no avail, probably — but work hard he did. That which definitely showed the hand of this smooth lawyer was his ability to approach and induce to testify those people who previously had resisted all attempts to get them to tell what they knew - and their resistance invariably stiffened in the presence of a Grand Jury. But when Mr. Banker's lawyer visited them and possibly recited the difficulties attendant upon operating a theatre circuit or getting along generally in this world without the aid of a bank, these dumb witnesses suddenly became very voluble and trooped off to court without further urging. This little recitation served its purpose in the case of several witnesses. It costs money to operate any business, and it seems desirable these days that an alert business man maintain excellent contact with bankers. These statements are based on facts, not fancy. Everybody {Continued on page 22)