International projectionist (Jan 1943-Dec 1944)

Peace-Time Planning Means War-Time Projection Room Efficiency This is the saga of Harry Rubin, Supervisor of Projection for Paramount Theatres. It is the story of the pioneer whose vision and skill and whose practical application keep the films turning and the entertainment uninterrupted. His career has been exceptional. He was an early member of New York City Local No. 306, and "chief" when that was a new title in the motion picture field. Later, as Director of Publix Theatres Sound and Visual Projection Department, he traveled widely, visiting all the leading motion picture theatres in this country, Europe, and Canada. He has always been an active and progressive influence, and as a member of the American Projection Society, Projection Advisory Council, and Chairman of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers' Projection Practice Committee, made noteworthy contributions to the technical advancement of the industry. By WALLACE BENNETT SMOOTH operation of the projection rooms in the Paramount Theatres, in effect, is the lengthened shadow of the man responsible — Harry Rubin — supervisor of projection for the big organization, who has a record covering thirty-five years in the field. For twentyfive of those years he has held his post and title, and has been responsible, in his own right, for progressive development of the circuit's projection rooms. He was a pioneer in the industry — and an outstanding pioneer. His vision, his inventive genius and his persistence, have been working from the day he entered his first projection room, and have lifted him to the very top of his profession. He is a man worth knowing, and his ideas are figurative pay-dirt for the qualified projectionist and for the apprentice who has an ambition to achieve bigger and better things. With his many responsibilities, his strongest love, as might be expected, is for the New York Paramount Theatre, stellar unit in the country-wide chain, and what he did and is doing for its projection room always is news. As a man really worth talking to I dropped in to see the master projectionist the other day and, with his multitude of worries, he still had time to tersely tell me something of the behind-the-scenes developments of his smooth-running world. The first thought that struck me as we chatted was that projection rooms that were planned and operated properly and efficiently during the now almost-forgotten peace era are returning dividends in the way of maximum efficiency under war-time conditions. Let's take a look inside the active brain of this supervisor of projection for Paramount: In our conversation he stuck pretty closely to the projection room of the New York Paramount Theatre which he planned exclusively something over sixteen years ago when the structure was in the blue print stage. It was then a model of its kind and after sixteen practical years it still stands as a model and one of the outstanding projection rooms in the world. While it was built in the old "silent" days it was converted quickly to sound films without any major rebuilding. The Paramount projection room has such features as double exits, air-conditioning, a complete wash room, drinking fountain, a clothes locker room and a combination storeroom and workshop. Another feature is a series of vented film cabiets, which are located just behind the three projectors, with doors on that side and additional doors on the other side of the wall in which they are placed. Films may be put in these cabinets on either side, with a minimum of distance being covered with the exposed film, an excellent safety feature. When a reel has been used it is easily placed in a cabinet, located only a few feet from the machine, with the film being exposed for only a few seconds. Then when it is to be re-wound it is taken through the opposite door in the rewinding room, completely segregated from the projectors. We in the trade know that the projectionists at the Paramount do more than "put a picture on the screen." Under Rubin's tutleage they have become showmen, greatly adding to the entertainment value of the show by the regular use, of three projectors, one flood, one slide projector, two spots, and two effect projectors. Duplicate equipment is one of the secrets of the success achieved, and the room always is manned adequately to handle the equipment, with the results outstandingly successful from an artistic standpoint. To those who know the real Paramount Theatre it is not news that this success can be traced directly to advance and thorough planning of all shows presented. The complete show — pictures, stage entertainment, effects, organ music and band — is timed to the split second and presented with the highest degree of showmanship. A number of devices were originated and developed by Rubin, one in which he pioneered being the magnascope, introduced some years ago, which widens the normal 24-foot picture on the screen to 44 feet. Another is the effects — subtly presented and coupled with proper timing— being the only scenery used in Paramount shows. Still another — lately developed — is a carbon receiver which is fitted into the lamphouse. This safety feature is an arrangement which permits a hot carbon stub to be placed in a receptacle in the lamphouse, where it remains until it has cooled off. This origination was designed to eliminate the hazards present when removing hot carbon stubs from the lamphouse, and to avoid the possibility of ignition of film or any of the other highly inflammable materials usually found within the projection room. The value of the third projector is emphasized, as well as additional equipment for pre-setting effects in order to secure a more accurate and smoother performance. Even during war times interruptions are not excusable. Foresight and proper precautions usually Harry Rubin 18 I1VTER1VATIONAL P R O J E C T I O IV I S T