International projectionist (Jan 1959-Dec 1960)

In the SPOTLIGHT huckstered on TV for headache-relief symptoms, which could easily be caused by eyestrain from watching TV too much." Exhibitor organizations should promptly engage Mr. White for a nation-wide tour of civic clubs. • Another signal honor has been paid Larry Sabatino, charter member of IA Local 650, Westchester County, N. Y., Iterate and Reiterate Anent Videotape" Technique NOT very many days ago we had the pleasure of a visit by one of the sales engineers for Ampex Corp., Redwood City, California, who, in the course of a lengthy and wholly informal chat stated that our remarks on "Videotape" in this space for the issue of November last could be decisive for the future welfare of the craft. (In passing, he noted that the term "Videotape" is an Ampex trademark.) The opening paragraph of our November commentary stated: "Standing on the pier and watching the boat sail out need not be the experience of the organized craft if it takes a good long and hard look at the onsurge of tape recording and reproduction, aural and visual, and thus sidestep the debacle which overtook them in the formative years of TV when a rank non-show business entry usurped their rightful functions." We went on to recount how the alert and aggressive leaders of both projectionist and film-editor Local Unions were assigning groups of 20-plus of their better men to take a course of instruction in the theory and practice of the burgeoning Videotape processes. "Nothing that you can do for your people is more important than hammering away constantly on this need for immediate and concerted action on their part to acquaint all of their men with at least the fundamentals of Videotape," said the Ampex representative. "While it might be said that we at Ampex have a selfish interest in such projects, because of our position of leadership in the manufacture and sale of such equipment, and while we know that our equipment to function at peak efficiency requires know-how by those who handle it, your function as a craft organ is, so to speak, to spread the gospel in terms of craft welfare." No psalm-singing exhortation this; let the foregoing speak for itself. • HIGH-COURT SENIORITY RULING: The Supreme Court of Minneapolis has ruled that a Union projectionist who was "bumped" off the job on the issue of seniority is not entitled to, nor is the theatre owner liable for, unemployment insurance benefits. In many areas the common practice is for a senior member to "put in for" the job of his preference. The man then "bumped" ordinarily would apply for and get unemployment insurance. Not so, said the court, because the man was "not fired without cause" but rather was "relieved of employment" through no action by the employer. This decision, handed down after a sequence of appeals from three State employment agencies, is expected to have a farranging effect upon rulings in similar cases. • Submitted by the eagle-eyed Eddie Lachman, president of Carbons, Inc. (Lorraine), and recently elected honorary life member of the 25-30 Club of New York is the following: An item from the Newark (N. J.) Star-Ledger reporting that one Edward C. White, president of the New Jersey Pharmaceutical Association said that the "personal health of millions of Americans would be better if they turned off their sets and went to the movies. Pharmacists are experiencing too many patrons depending upon self-medication Larry Sabatino by virtue of his election as president of the Westchester County Federation of Labor, succeeding Ed Doyle (Teamsters) who held the post for the past six years. Sabatino is also a member of the Frank Rea Post, American Legion, and a former judge advocate of Post 1, AMVETS. • Note from W. C. Whitt, who is now the Fire Chief at Red Bluff, Calif.: "Recently I left the projection field after 40 years of service. Many thanks for the privilege of reading IP, the world's finest projection magazine." • Vigorous defense was entered by industry representatives at a recent hearing of the New York State Joint Legislative Committee on "obscene and offensive material." Practically all labor groups joined the producing and distributing forces in supporting the industry's self-imposed regulatory policy, their AT RECENT MEETING OF N. Y. STATE PROJECTIONISTS ASS'N Host for the meeting was Jamestown Local 266. Shown here are (left to right, front row): Charles F. Wheeler, secretary-treasurer; George F. Raaflaub, president; James J. Brennan, 1st vice-president, IATSE; H. Paul Shay, secretary-treasurer, 10th District, IATSE. Back row: James C. Naughton, National Carbon Co.; William Ingram, projection chief, Schine Theatres; three members of Jamestown Local 266: George Sarauelson, vice-president; Donald Lutton, business representative, and Woodrow Wilson, president; William Lange, Mirio Carbons. 16 INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST JANUARY 1959