Moving Picture World (Jul-Sep 1913)

3i8 THE MOVING PICTURE .WORLD A Classic Wreck. ir. J. Howard Newell, Bloomfield, Iowa, contributes the following: Enclosed find post card showing the ruins of our theater, which was destroyed by fire Tuesday morning, May 26th. The unique feature of this fire, and the reason for this communication, is that everything about the theater was destroyed except our Power's 6A machine. The roof fell on the machine, but only smashed the top magazine. Not more than 5 feet away from the mechanism, five reels of film were burned. The wood knobs on the crank and the lamp house door, and the wooden slide carrier were burned, but, strange as it seems, we took the head off and soaked it in kerosene for about an hour, cleaned the gears, polished the tension shoes and two days later it was projecting as good a picture as it ever did, and has been doing so ever since, in our airdome. The arrow points to where the machine stood under the metal roof. From the looks of the picture I suppose it was the operating room of your airdome that burned, and it certainly is a classic wreck all right, neighbor Newell. One would not suppose it possible that a mechanism would withstand the heat of such a fire sufficiently well to be used afterwards without extensive repairs. Usually, any considerable degree of heat will warp a machine frame and raise thunder with the gears, at the very least. Believes in Good Projection. Mr. James Shipton, Jr., Sherman Texas, remits $5.00 for two copies of the Handbook and says: Enclosed find photo of the operating room I preside over. This is my first attempt, so don't be mean with me. I have been cranking for five years now and still have many things to learn. My manager believes in good projection, and nothing else will do, so I am compelled to keep a sharp lookout and deliver the goods. This is my seventh month on my own hook, as I spent four years working under another operator. The equipment of our theater consists, as you will see, in two motor driven Edison Model B machines. The operating room is 16 x 10 feet 10 inches with a 654 foot ceiling. Now, don't kick about the vent, as it was not in when this picture was taken. The boss is having one made, however, and it will be completed shortly. Two windows supply ample fresh air meanwhile. The other chap in the picture For Managers and Operators. New York City shoots the following wad: — Will you kindly explain the why and wherefore of the heading "For Managers and Operators" in the handbook? I am of the opinion that there is absolutely no necessity for mentioning managers, either in the hand-book or in the department. In support of my opinion, will say that I have scarcely found a single manager who desires to thoroughly understand projection. Most of them don't care to know anything about the handbooks, or to read the department, therefore why flatter the managers? If you want your name to become as popular among managers as among operators, you should change the title of the department to read, "Salary Departraenl; How to Reduce Operators' Salaries." You can then bet your last pair of old gum-shoes you would be known quite as well among managers as among operators, for the manager's task is to increase profit and reduce expenses, and in this operation, the first item is to reduce the salary of the operator, not being bright or well-informed enough to understand that if the operator is underpaid, he doesn't pay very much attention to the excellence of his projection and the show thus suffers. The greatest difficulty is that the average manager is hardly able to judge between good and bad projection. If they would read the department and study the hand-book, they would soon learn the value of good projection, and would also absorb the idea that higher salary to the operator means better work and greater box office receipts. I admit that many letters have appeared from managers asking all sorts of information as to ventilation, film service, etc., but never about projection. There is considerable truth in what the brother says. However, he is in error in supposing that all managers are of the bone-heado type. He is also in error in supposing that this department has had no effect on the manager. For his information, I will say that a considerable proportion of the managers do read the Projection Department, and read it very thoroughly. I can also tell him that a great many of them have, in the past, voiced strenuous objection to my taking sides with the operator and insisting on increased salaries. I can also tell him that a great many managers who formerly opposed me in this matter, have through the medium of the department, seen the light, and now recognize the fact that increased operator salaries serve to attract to the business a better class, of men, who can and will produce superior results on the screen and that, as a general proposition, in the long run, $10.00 per week increase in operator salaries will return $40.00 per week in increased box office receipts. The reason of the title "Managers and Operators" on the hand-hook lies, as I have said before, is the very fact, which you recognize, that the average manager is not in a position to check up the work of hia operator, because he doesn't know good projection from bad projection. He cannot distinguish the difference unless the results on the screen are either very high class or absolutely rotten. Then he can tell the difference. I take the position that the operator should receive increased salary. He should receive $40 per week at the least, and more than that in high class houses, but he should be compelled to produce absolutely high class results and the manager should be able to tell whether those results are perfect or imperfect. Every manager ought to own a copy of the hand-book and study it. To prove that your contention is not altogether right, some general managers controlling several theaters, have ordered copies of the hand-book for themselves and for each one of their operators and managers. It must be freely admitted that, taking moving picture managers as they come, there is a very large percentage of them who, similar to a very large percentage of operators, know very little about their business, and don't seem to care two whoops in the New Jerusalem about leaving more. Well, the dear hoys will have to learn or get out. He will, in the end, eliminate himself or, putting it another way, the man who pays in the nickels and dimes will eliminate him. Slowly, but surely, the public is becoming discerning and discriminating. It is demanding better work. All these things take time and the business is yet young. Ten years from to-day, the moving picture manager will be asking the applicant for an operator's job what he knows instead of how much he will work for, and he will be in a position to check up the work of his operator and demand that shadows and other faults be eliminated from his screen. The title on the Handbook is not flattery to the manager. The manager hasn't any flattery coming to him any more than has the average operator. The title stands because the manager needs the Handbook just as badly as does the operator; in fact, in some cases, more. Operator Vice-Presidents. I believe that the average operator member of the I. A. T. S. E. does not know or understand that three of our present vice-presidents are operators, as follows: Fourth vice-president. Charles O'Donnell, Business Agent, Toronto M. P. M. O-, Union 173. Fifth vice-president, Mike Carney, member of the Newark Local. Eighth vice-president, Charles Crickmore, member Seattle M. P. M. O., Union 154. is the operator in the theater next door, your humble servant being the one in fronL You see, our boss owns two shows. The other book is for him. I have one of the old $1.50 hand-books which Brother Day ordered for me two years ago. It's good dope too. Brother Day will be in bis new place in about a month. He is some fellow all right, and sure believes in high class projection. We are members of Local 280 and, by the way, 280 voted you thanks and other things, and de.:lared that The Moving Picture World to be the best in the country. Salaries are good here, as is also projection. Sherman operators don't have to grow whiskers their face so the managers can use them for door mats either. I Shipti think good salaries and good projection usually go hand in hand, friend pton. Glad to know that the Sherman local is doing well. Yes, Neighbor bay is quite a chap all right, but if he sends in any more letters 9 feet long, with the sheets pasted together to emphasize that fact, something will happen to him. Operators Are you perfectly satisfied with the results you get on the screen? The new second edition of the MOTION PICTURE HANDBOOK FOR MANAGERS AND OPERATORS By F. H. Richardson will be the standard textbook on the subject for many yean to come. Have you got your copy? 430 pages, (a.50. Address all orders and remittances to MOVING PICTURE WORLD,