International projectionist (Jan-Dec 1935)

Erpi Presses Service Plan; Attempts to Minimize and Misrepresents Craft Opposition James J. Finn DEVELOPMENTS during the month in the fight being waged by organized projectionists against the electrics, and in particular Erpi, in their attempts to take over the physical operation of theatres from roof to cellar, centered on an effort by Erpi to minimize the extent of craft opposition to the extended servicing plan. Thoroughly startled by the formidable opposition to the plan mustered by Labor, supply dealers and manufacturers, plus the necessity for keeping a wary eye on the impending Federal investigation of sound picture companies, Erpi apparently experienced a trying thirty days. The organized craft has come to understand that it has nothing to fear from extended servicing operations on the part of RCA, this company's position of having been forced to follow Erpi's lead in the matter and its announced intention of abandoning the plan should intense craft opposition develop thereto, being very well understood throughout the field. The battle from now on apparently will center on Erpi. Chief among the month's developments was the vain attempt of Erpi to convey the impression that there is no "operator" opposition to their new service plans. Erpi representatives are known to have feverishly sought, and finally obtained, a conference with I. A officials, during which Erpi's plans were discussed at length. It is understood that the conference was unproductive of any assurance by the I. A. that Erpi's plans would be permitted to go through as desired by the latter. Misleading Press Releases Almost immediately following this conference, however, Erpi caused to be published in a daily trade paper the statement that there had been no "official operator" protest and that "operators" (as Erpi termed them) were in fact in favor of the extended servicing plan. The statement went on to say that no major circuit other than Warner Brothers had dropped Erpi servicing since Jan. 1 last. Prompt refutation of this statement by International Projectionist was ignored by the paper in question and by Erpi. Scores of letters in the possession of I. P., plus the lack of any statement from the Labor headquarters in support of Erpi's assertion, reveal that craft sentiment is directly opposite that which Erpi asserted it to be. Also, I. P. cited the recent action of Loew's Theatres in dropping Erpi servicing in 63 New York City theatres; but this citation was also ignored. This publication has received a report that only recently the Dallas Interstate Circuit, comprising 60-odd theatres in Texas, has paid off its Erpi obligations in full, cancelled its Erpi servicing contracts and embarked upon a servicing program of its own. RCA will continue to service the Photophoneequipped theatres in this circuit. This report ties in with the statement made in these columns last month that several large theatre circuits — including Dallas Interstate, Balaban and Katz. (Chicago) and Fox West Coast — had recently contracted with independent manufacturers for tubes, cells, etc., which otherwise would be supplied under the well-known Erpi R. & R. contract. Reports from the field to I. P. indicate that Erpi field men, in sharp contrast to their feverish activity of some weeks ago in surveying theatres, have dropped this work and are now doing only routine servicing work. Many units of the organized craft report that Erpi field men More Erpi Servicing Propaganda Reprinted from Motion Picture Daily for April 10 Erpi to Reach Decision Soon on Servicing Erpi's experiments in connection with the servicing of all phases of theatre engineering are expected to be concluded within the next 60 days, at which time a final decision will be made on Erpi's entrance into the extended servicing field on a permanent basis, it was stated yesterday . . . It was again stated that if a decision is made to make the extended servicing a permanent adjunct of Erpi's activities, no merchandising of parts or equipment other than that having to do with sound reproduction, is contemplated. Contrary to reports, it was stated that operators' locals not only have made no official protest to the contemplated servicing by Erpi engineers but, in situations where the current experiments are being conducted, have regarded the new service as an aid to operators and favored its continuance, it was said . . . The new contracts offer either 12, 17 [12] or 26 service calls per year, with correspondingly reduced charges for the lesser number of calls. The old contracts were for 26 calls exclusively, except for the special 52-call contracts made with large deluxe houses, which are still being offered. The new contracts are being made for one, two and three-year periods. Competitive Servicing Bids With the simultaneous expiration of a large number of service contracts in the Detroit area recently, Erpi was faced with competitive servicing bids made to the local theatres by Allied of Michigan, the Allied States exhibitors' unit headed by H. M. Richey, and the Detroit operators' local. New contracts were closed recently, however, between Erpi and the ParamountTrendle theatres and the Butterfield circuit. Paramount theatre operating partners nationally are also in the process of closing new servicing agreements with Erpi. Since the first of the year the only large theatre group not to renew has been Warners, which developed its own service department.