International projectionist (Jan-Dec 1946)

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PRESENTING: MIKE BERKOWITZ (Continued from page 22) Museum, which effete name belied the basic roughness of the place. In short, a joint. Mike's First Projection Setup The film used was made in France and was about 50-mm wide, Mike recalls. It was in 100-ft. sections, being run at the very slow pace of 25 feet per minute. The projector, of the Frenchman's own design and manufacture, weighed about 25 pounds, had no upper sprocket, and employed a hand-fed carbon arc. No film magazines were available, of course, and Mike rigged up a bag as a crude receptacle. An ordinary bedsheet served as the screen. Everything went well for a while and young Berkowitz waxed opulent on his munificent $12 weekly, a sizzling pace for a 16-year old. Then one day the Frenchman, obviously greatly excited, rushed into the Museum, hurriedly packed his gear, made his adieus, and took off — to Philadelphia, Mike thinks. Seems that Uncle Sam was extremely interested in Frenchie's immigrant status. Mike thereafter neither saw nor heard of his French employer nor does he recall his name — if. in fact, he ever knew it. Mike regrets keenly that he was not more inquisitive concerning the Frenchman's Yes, what about sound equipment service? It's a must on all progressive theatre owners' lists, because an RCA Sound Service and Parts Replacement Contract gives you regular checkups of sound equipment and needed parts replacements for both sound and projec tion . . . keeps equipment in top shape . . . is reflected at the box office, too. And the cost adds up to but a few admissions per day. Ask your local RCA Theatre Supply Dealer about it or write: RCA Service Company, Inc. Dept. 43-1, Camden, New Jersey. Scheduled Checkups Emergency Service Regular Maintenance Valuable Technical Data Insures Peak Performance Complete Parts Replacement Emergency Sound Systems RCA SERVICE COMPANY, inc. A SERVICE OF RADIO CORPORATION OF AMERICA background, no less than about the origin of the projector and the film that was used, because there isn't the slightest doubt that his employer, the equipment and the film are of terrific importance to the history of the motion picture. It must be remembered that this incident antedated by several years the appearance of the first Edison projector and film, popularly but erroneously credited with having launched the art of motion pictures. Mike recalls that this old projector, with all its obvious faults, reflected a competent understanding of the requisites for motion picture projection, his .surmise being that the original model probably was produced in Germany. So it was back to the brass factory for Mike, and there he stayed until 1894. Then destiny intervened in the person of Al Harstyn, pioneer motion picture man and, incidentally, a cousin of Mike's. Harstyn obtained a job for Mike at the Vitagraph plant at 16 Nassau St., New York City, which was producing the Vitagraph projector. Mike was engaged to operate a foot-power lathe. Association with Frank Cannock Mike quickly won the fancy of Vitagraph's chief machinist and "operator." and thus was sealed by enduring friendship a combine that not only determined the course of Mike's life but also was to exert a profound influence on the technological development of motion picture reproduction. The name of Mike's newfound friend was Francis (Frank) B. Cannock. Cannock's wizardry in mechanics is perhaps best described by his statement that "The requirements of machine fitting place the thousandth-of-an-inch as the limit of latitude; on important parts a ten-tousandth is the requirement." The contributions of this genius to the motion picture art have been described in detail in a recent issue of I. P. Mike was in excellent hands, for Cannock infected him with his passion for only the finest mechanical work and also taught him the art of good projection. Soon Mike was running a Vitagraph projector on his own at Inman's Cafe. Coney Island. (Motion pictures and saloons were seemingly inseparable in those days.) One of the films was the CorbettFitzsimmons fight. Following the Coney Island stand, Mike turned down a Vitagraph road job because his English still was as remote from intelligibility as was Odessa from New York. Instead he became an "operator" at the Eden Musee, famed showhouse which is accurately referred to as the birthplace of the motion picture theatre, where Cannock was chief operator. But Cannock had much larger fish to bake. Enlisting the aid of Mike. Cannock designed and built in rapid succession the Cinematograph and the Edengraph projectors. The duo then pulled off their greatest coup — the design and manufac 1 "Case History of the Simplex Projector." by Mark Stephan, I. P. for July, 1946, (Section 2), p. 33. 26 INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST September, 1946