Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1938)

COMMENT ON PROJECTION AFFAIRS and answers to inquiries By F. H. RICHARDSON PROVIDING EFFECTIVE DEFENSE AGAINST FILM DAMAGE CLAIMS probably an average of six samples of damaged film reach my desk each week, accompanied by a request for an opinion as to how the damage was inflicted, and whether or not the theatre should be compelled to pay for the film. Such samples are not always accompanied by adequate information upon which to form an opinion based upon certainty; moreover, it is by no means always possible either to locate the source of damage, or to say it was caused in the theatre accused. Before me lies a roll of damaged film about 30 feet in length. It comes from a theatre in an Illinois town of about 1,700 people, with a request for an opinion as to cause of the damage. The damage consists in one deep, thin scratch mark extending through the entire 30 feet, plus several shorter scratches of varying length and at different positions in the width of the print. In addition, at many points the film is cracked clear through for from two to five sprocket holes, along the inner edges of the holes. At some points from two to five sprocket holes are missing. At three or four irregularly spaced points chunks of film one to one and one-half inches long by an average depth of half an inch, have been torn away. The film is relatively new. The exchange, of course, asserts that the theatre in question did the damage and has billed it for 543 feet of film. Little information is supplied except that since the theatre has projected many prints before and after showing this picture, with no indication of, or claim for, damage, their projectors cannot be at fault. The reader may see what I am confronted with in such cases. However, let us discuss this damaged print under the light of cold common sense and known facts familiar to every projectionist of experience. First of all, since the scratch marks are Section of the projection room of a modern theatre in Buenos Aires, Argentina — the Cine Sran Rex, owned and operated by A. Cordero, J. Lautaret and P. Cavallo. Projectors are Simplex, lamps are Peerless Magnarc, and sound is RCA. all on the cellloid side of the film, we may omit deposits of film cement or emulsion as the cause. Unquestionably, the long scratch mark is due to contact with some tiny point of metal somewhere along the path of the film through the projector, or while being pulled through a film measuring machine or some sort of film cleaning device. Much the same conclusion applies to the shorter marks, except that the effect is intermittent. As to the broken sprocket holes, there too a most careful examination discloses no indication pointing to the probable cause of damage. The same is true concerning the large pieces ripped out. In the whole film there is nothing that would justify expression of an opinion, save only that we may say with every confidence that a projector that would inflict all this havoc on one reel of film most emphatically would not project other prints faultessly. And now to the point of these remarks: The projectionist who wishes to protect himself and his employer from the possibility of unjustified claims by the exchange for damaged film has just one possible course open. When a print is received, even before it is placed upon a projector, he must carefully inspect it, reporting all damage worthy of note to the theatre manager in writing. If the damage be serious, as in this case, the prints should be shown to the manager. If a damaged print be projected just once before this be done, there is no protection. The exchange can and probably will say the damage was done during that projection. Many years of experience has conclusively demonstrated the fact that the only real protection in cases of film damaged before its receipt is the course above described. With such an inspection and report on file in the manager's office the projectionist is safe — and so is the manager and theatre operator. HOW TO OBTAIN CERTAIN TOOLS E. w. witle, projectionist of Marion, S. Dak., writes, "Regarding the recent article on projectionists' tools, may I ask a few questions ? Where can I get offset screwdrivers, a soft jawed vise, rawhide hammer and watchmakers' screwdriver? No local hardware store handles anything like that. Omaha would be our closest source of supply and that's quite a jaunt, even in a good car. Another thing: are the patented preparations for cleaning glass okay for lenses? I have tried one on port glasses. It worked fine, but I'm afraid to try it on my lenses. 'And now here is a point on which I am seeking your advice, rather than informa 40 Better Theatres