Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1931)

April 11, 1931 Motion Picture Herald 125 as handily as possible. The battery room and the motor generator room do not matter so much, as they are seldom visited while projection is in progress. Great care should be exercised in the location of switches and other apparatus, which must be handled more or less frequently during the progress of the day's work. A greatly important thing sometimes given inadequate attention by architects is the matter of providing means by which all smoke and gases may be quickly carried away to the outer air in case of a film fire. To accomplish this purpose the vent flue or flues must be of ample dimensions. However, save in exceptional cases where the room walls or ceiling abuts the open air, something more than mere size will be required if smoke is to be prevented from seeping out into the auditorium through the crevices around the doors and the port shutters, thus quite probably alarming the audience. In addition to mere amplitude in dim_ensions, there must be sufficient fan capacity to pump out smoke and gas as fast as formed — and, in fact, create a slight vacuum in the room itself, to the end that air be drawn in from the auditorium, in stead of smoke seeping out. This additional fan capacity should be so arranged that it will be cut in automatically when the port shutters drop. The points brought out in this discussion do not, of course, cover conditions that may be met with in specific cases, but they represent fundamental considerations in any effort to improve the projection room, or in the laying out of a new one. In most cases it undoubtedly would be well for the architect or exhibitor to consult some recognized projection authority before deciding on just what is to be done in remodeling the projection quarters. A WORTH WHILE JOB WELL DONE AWAY BACK in the fall of 1924, up in The Bronx, New York City, a couple of chaps by the name of T. Hall and J. Connolly joined forced and started a "one-horse" manufacturing plant (though perhaps I really should substitute "halfhorse" for "one-horse"). These men had been with the Sperry Company, then engaged in developing the "Sunlight arc." They had ideas and believed those might be worked into something which would be of value to the motion picture industry. As I said, Messrs. Hall & Connolly started with a very small plant. One almost had to have a microscope to find it. That was in 1924. But you ought to have a look-see at them now, occupying a full half of the floor of one of those great manufacturing buildings on Van Dam Street in New York City. In that space is a mass of machinery which might surprise you. I view these two men with considerable admiration, because from that very small beginning they have grown year by year until their name is known from Coast to Coast, both in this country and Canada. It is not flattery, but a statement of cold fact to say that this firm has advanced to its present position through hard, careful work. The silver in Mr. Connolly's hair supplies evidence that the path to success is not strewn exclusively with roses. There may be some of them, but also there are many, many obstacles, and the path is always up-hill, often very steeply so. Mr. Hall is, at the time I write this, on the Pacific Coast demonstrating the new Hall & Connolly spot lamp, 300 of which have been installed since its introduction about two years ago. I just looked at the box containing one of them all packed for shipment. It is a "trifling" thing, weighing a mere 690 pounds, including the packing case. I could not help mentally comparing it with what we called a "spot" some 20 years ago. Something like comparing an arc light with a match. One reason Messrs. Hall & Connolly have met with such gratifying success is that the firm has always been ready and willing to receive and consider suggestions offered by practical projectionists. It has been the unvarying policy of the company to place all new equipment on trial in four or more theatres of different types before releasing it to the trade. If during these trials the projectionists found fault, the trouble was corrected. AN INTERVIEW WITH A MANAGER WHILE IN Hartford, Conn., recently, I dropped in to meet F. T. Thomas, manager of the Fox-Poli Capitol theatre, with whom a most interesting and valuable conversation was had. I am going to tell you about it. "Business in Hartford," said Mr. Thomas, "is very good considering present conditions. We have in this city eight downtown theatres charging from 15c to 85c. There are also several suburban houses. The union wage scale for projectionists in Hartford so far as I know, is $65 per week, though there may be some variation in that. That, I believe is, after all, about as little as we can expect to get real ability in the projection room for." After some further miscellaneous conversation I asked Mr. Thomas this ques F. T. Thomas Manager Fox Capitol Hartford, Conn. tion: "What is your reaction to motion pictures in color, as matters now stand?" His reply was most interesting. "Color, it seems to me, has great possibilities, but it has not had sufficient advancement to add much, if anything, to realism, from the viewpoint of our audiences. "At the present stage the projection of color on the screen is not sharp and clearly defined, with the result that those seated near the front of the theatre experience considerable trouble with eye strain. I believe, however, that when these difficulties have been ironed out — and they will be — color will add very materially to the pulling power of programs." And now here is something other managers should read carefully. I said, "Mr. Thomas, many theatre managers, in my judgment, miss a great opportunity and lose a very great deal by continually censuring projectionists when things go wrong, and not occasionally giving a word of praise when it is merited." Mr. Thomas answered this as follows: "Mr. Richardson, the men now engaged in projection rooms, at least in the larger theatres, are almost invariably men of considerable experience and training. They also must, in the very nature of things, be men of considerable intelligence, and above all they are human beings. "Realizing this, and knowing that while it is necessary to censure to a certain extent when men do not do their work in a proper manner, or when they become lax, it is also in order to express appreciation when they do their duties well. Strange as it may seem, it is a trait in human nature that men of intelligence, training and ability in many professions value praise very highly. Often it is a fact that men will actually work very hard to merit a little praise now and then. I never forget that fact and I believe other managers Avill do well to remember it. "You know, Mr. Richardson, it is ordinarily impossible for any man, regardless of what his knowledge and experience may be, to give personal attention to all departments of a modern large motion picture theatre every minute of the day. It just can't be done. Managers therefore must to a considerable extent rely upon others for the handling of various things in a ^vay