Motography (Jul-Dec 1917)

July 14, 1917. MOTOGRAPHY 97 The Man Inside the Booth PROJECTION DEPARTMENT, CONDUCTED BY E. C. SCOBEY THIS department is a permanent featurrc of Motograpiiv. Its editor, Mr. Scobey, is a former secretary and treasurer of the Motion Picture Machine Operators' Local No. 194, I. A. T. S. E., and was formerly associated with the Central Film Service Company of Indianapolis. Pie has been elected vice-president of the Central Labor Union of Indianapolis, the first operator to be so honored. The idea is to make this department just as helpful as possible to operators and exhibitors. Send your questions and problems to Mr. Scobey. He is sure to give you some valuable information. Address, Motography, Chicago. Thinks Inspectors Have Film Over Eyes Enclosed you will find a sample of some film taken from "Pass the Prunes," a Victor one-reel comedy from the Film Service. It is a shame that film exchanges send out such stuff and call it inspected. But they cannot get by with it. I have written the manager of the exchange, telling him of the condition of the reel and also about A No. 1 inspection tag. I am not having much trouble with punch marked films, but I get my share of those that have had a sweet oil bath. It would be a wonderful thing if some one would invent a machine that would not need oil. I am a reader of the projection department of MOTOGRAPHY and it has been a great help to me. We are all working here under a great set of managers. They fire their help every Wednesday night. Our local union is only six months old and we are getting along fine Jimmie Smitli, Bijou Theater, Coming, New York. Local No. 480 /. A. T. S. E. & M. P. M. 0. One of the samples of film complained of by Operator Smith. From the looks of the film that you sent I think you have all the rodm in the world to complain of the inspection (?). I do not know how much of the reel was in the condition of this particular piece, but I am satisfied that the part I have was never inspected. Some of the film exchanges keep a few boys or women to rewind the film when it comes into the house and pay them the lowest kind of wages. Exchanges in Indianapolis pay women from $6 to $8 per week, and then tell theater managers and operators when they object to the condition of the films, that they have first class inspection. I do not know how the exchange serving you handles its film, but I do know that they are not inspecting it when they send it out in the condition this is in. There are times when an exchange has to send out a film without giving it the proper inspection because of getting it in late from the last customer. As a general rule, however, they enclose a notice with the film which explains the reason and asks the operator to inspect the film before using it. That is one thing that I think every operator should do anyway. I admit it is not a pleasant job, but the operators that refuse to do it would avoid a lot of trouble and stops if they would inspect the film first. I had six years' experience in Indiana and Kentucky as an inspector for a film exchange. My duties were to hunt up the causes of film destruction. Every time I went into a booth on a complaint from the exchange and asked the operator about the trouble, he would declare that it couldn't have happened on his machines. Then I would ask him if he had inspected his film before he had run it and he would have to admit that he hadn't. If he had inspected his film and noticed the damage that had been done he would have saved himself and his manager the annoyance of answering correspondence from the exchange and at the same time he would be helping the exchange locate the trouble. When a film comes back from a theater to the exchange and the exchange notices that it is damaged, the blame is naturally placed on the theater that used the film last. If an operator wants to play safe he should start in and inspect every reel that he uses. When he comes across a bad patch or damaged film, he should cut out the bad part and give it to the manager with a request that he take up the trouble at once with the exchange. This will protect the operator against stops, helping the next man who has to use the film, and at the same time wake up the film exchange. I am very glad to hear that you operators of Corning are organized, and that you are getting along so fine, I hope that you will be able to convince the managers of the house you spoke of that they are on the wrong road and should get right. Machine Keeps Knocking I am having trouble with one of the two Power's 6A machines that I am using. Can you tell me what to do with it? For some time it has been knocking, and although I have adjusted it time and again I cannot stop the noise in the intermittent movement. It will stop for a day or two and then begin again. I should like to know what to do with it. Also will you please tell me what to use on the working parts of the lamps? I try to keep them clean and have been using oil on them, but they are so stiff after they get heated up. — Louisville, Kentucky. If I were you I would have the mechanism sent to the factory or to some good repair man and have new parts put in for the intermittent movement. The knocking that you speak of is caused by a worn cam and cross. It might also be caused by a worn bearing or from the set collar on the intermittent shaft working loose, allowing the shaft to slip back and forth through the bearing. I would not lose any time in sending the mechanism to some reliable man or to the factory. As to the working parts of the lamps, do not use oil or grease of any kind on them. Take the lamps apart except the insulated joints, and dip the screws and all the working part in oil, then wipe them