International projectionist (Jan-Dec 1950)

would not be the least danger of a conflagration. The fireproof booth, and the very fact that the magazines are made of steel, acts to confine the effects of the most violent fire to two effects — one is to damage the machinery, and the other is to frighten the audience. The fire, it is fair to say, can do no harm to anyone. It is a misfortune as far as the delicate machinery is concerned, only; it can do no harm to any person." The foregoing statement explains why T. O'Conor Sloane, Ph.D., LL.D., sounds off throughout the remainder of his learned discourse without a word of concern for the man who operates the projector and frightens the audience. "The instant a machine stops working," our belettered misinformant glibly continues, "the operator should shut the dowser; the fire shutter, if it has not been neglected and allowed to become gummed up and sticky, will also shut; the film will burn, not so very fast over the exposed half-inch of area, and the first efforts of the operator after he has shut the dowser should be to light the room, so as to set the people at ease. "But it is hard to know what to do with a crowd of people in a panic. It is a pity that our legislators have educated and trained the audience to be ready to rush for the doors, when a piece of film as big as one's thumb nail ignites and burns rather slowly. Nonsense Unlimited "The film is now so surrounded and framed in metal that if it does inflame. the center of the film alone will burn, a hole thus being made through the film, leaving the edges intact. "As the only danger to be apprehended from a burning film is the panic of the audience, if the combustion can be restricted to less than a square inch of film, the vividness of whose combustion is restrained to some extent by the gelatine emulsion which carries the pictures on it, it would not seem adequate to frighten a theater full of people." The foregoing, obviously translated from the original Kazikumukh, involves a serious contradiction. Were we not told that the only danger of a film fire is to the equipment and the audience, and that the house lights should be switched on — an unmistakable signal to the audience that a film fire has occurred? "An operator will take the ground that a film will never do more than burn out in the center," declares the Doc with reference, apparently, to projectionists ADDENDUM: To the Glossary of Tv Terms which appeared on page 26 of IP for December last should have been appended a credit line for Tele-Tech, outstanding journal in the electronic arts field. IP regrets this inadvertence. who take the advice offered in his book. "This is a comforting idea, but it is better to contemplate the possibility of the whole film going off in half explosion, half combustion, and to take measures to make the ignition of the film as nearly as impossible as can be done." 'No Harm to Anyone' Sensible advice, assuredly; but it seems that the Doc opened his mouth only to put his foot into it. Did he not tell us just a moment ago: "the combustion is not very vivid ... it is without flame and not very rapid . . . not the least danger of a conflagration . . . the fire can do no harm to anyone ... it can do not harm to any person . . . burns rather slowly ... if it does inflame, the center of the film alone will burn . . . the only danger is panic . . .?" Propriety and sheer exhaustion forbid further quotation from Doc Sloane's comic book, but readers with a taste for gobbledegook may obtain same for 89 cents at almost any junk shop. Either T. O'Conor Sloane knew all the answers except the right ones, or else he harbored a distinctly misanthropic grudge against the projection craft — and no bones about it. imPRRT REflL SPARKLE to your presentations with this more brilliant spot THE STRONG TROUPER HIGH INTENSITY SPOTLIGHT A portable A.C. Carbon arc that produces a steady, sharp, uniformly illuminated snow-white spot. Silvered glass reflector and twoelement variable focal length lens system. Draws only 10 amperes from 110-volt A.C. convenience outlet. Adjustable, self-regulating transformer in base. Automatic arc control. Carbon trim burns 80 minutes. Horizontal masking control. Can be angled at 45 degrees in each direction. Color boomerang. Six slides. Ultra-violet filter holder. Mounted on casters. Easily disassembled for shipping. Listed by Underwriters' Laboratories. SEE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING DEALERS OR USE COUPON FOR OBTAINING LITERATURE ALBANY Nafl. Theatre Sup. Co. ATLANTA Nafl. Theatre Sue Co. ATLANTIC CITY Boardwalk Film Enterprises BALTIMORE J. F. Dusman Co. Nat'l. Theatre Suo. Co. BOSTON J. Cifre, Inc. Nafl. Theatre Suo. Co. BUFFALO Dion Products Nafl. Theatre Suo. Co. CHARLOTTE Nafl. Theatre Sup. Co. CHICAGO Abbott Theatre Equip. Co. Gardner Jansen, Inc. Hollywood Stage Lighting Co. Midwest Stage Lighting Co. Midwest Theatre Service & Equip. Co. Nafl. Theatre Suo. Co. CINCINNATI Nafl. Theatre Suo. Co. CLEVELAND Nafl. Theatre Suo. Co. DALLAS Hardin Theatre Supply Co. Modern Theatre Equip. Co. Nafl. Theatre Sud. Co. DENVER Nafl. Theatre Suo. Co. DES MOINES Nafl. Theatre Sup. Co. DETROIT Nafl. Theatre Sup. Co. FORTY FORT V. M. Tate Theatre Supplies GREENSBORO Standard Theatre Supply Co. HOUSTON Southwestern Theatre Equip. Co. INDIANAPOLIS Nafl. Theatre Suo. Co. KANSAS CITY Shreve Theatre Supply Nafl. Theatre Suo. Co. LOS ANGELES J. M. Boyd C. J. Holzmueller Nafl. Theatre Sup. Co. Projection Equip. & Main. Co. LOUISVILLE Falls City Theatre Equip. Co. MEMPHIS Nafl. Theatre Suo. Co. MILWAUKEE Nafl. Theatre Sup. Co. R. Smith Co. MINNEAPOLIS Minneapolis Theatre Supply Nafl. Theatre Sup. Co. NEW HAVEN Nafl. Theatre Sup. Co. NEW ORLEANS Nafl. Theatre Sue Co. NEW YORK CITY Nafl. Theatre Sup. Co. NORFOLK Nafl. Theatre Suo. Co. OKLAHOMA CITY Nafl. Theatre Sup. Co. Oklahoma Theatre Sup. Co. PHILADELPHIA Blumberg Bros. Nafl. Theatre Sup. Co. PITTSBURGH Atlas Theatre Supply Nafl. Theatre Sup. Co. SALT LAKE CITY Inter-Mountain Theatre Sup. Co. SAN FRANCISCO C. J. Holzmueller Nafl. Theatre Sup. Co. W. G. Preddey Theatre Sup. SEATTLE B. F. Shearer Co. Nafl. Theatre Sup. Co. SIOUX FALLS American Theatre Sup. Co. ST. LOUIS City Electric Co. Nafl. Theatre Sup. Co. TOLEDO Theatre Equipment Co. WESTERLY G. H. Payne Motion Picture Service CANADA Dominion Sound Equip. Ltd. Montreal, Quebec General Theatre Sup. Co. Montreal, Quebec Perkins Elec. Co. Ltd. Montreal, Quebec Perkins Elec. Co. Ltd. Toronto, Ontario General Theatre Sup. Co. Winnipeg THE STRONG ELECTRIC CORP. tturer of Projecri Arc Lamps" 14 CITY PARK AVE TOLEDO 2, OHIO Please send free literature, prices and name of the nearest dealer in Strong Spotlights. NAME THEATRE STREET CITY & STATE INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST January 1950 25