Moving Picture World (Nov-Dec 1923)

PR.OJ ECTiON EDITED BY F. H. RICHARDSON Amusing or — What Recently the editor was consulted by a widely known exhibitor who is at the head of a company proposing to erect a new picture palace in New York City. He asked me as a favor to go to his downtown office and examine the theatre plans, and though to do this ordinarily involves a fee of not less than twenty-five dollars, for certain reasons I was sufficiently interested to do as he asked, without charge. I found that, as usual, the architect had planned the theatre and placed its “heart” in the most convenient place, regardless of what the net result might be on the screen when it was all finished. In other words, he had planned a beautiful theatre, as such, but had, AS USUAL, made it entirely impossible ever to put a perfect result on the screen, though it so HAPPENS that the result will not be nearly so bad as some. I place “happens” in capitals because it is evident that the fact that the condition is no worse is NOT due to any thought for projection results on the part of the architect, but just the USUAL clear-back, up-as-highas-we-can-get-it location is in this case only 150 feet from the screen and something like thirty feet above its center. The near amusing part is that the party in question asked me to see his architect and discuss the matter with him. This I promised to do, but due to an error the visit was delayed, and I again saw the exhibitor before I saw the architect. I found him apparently fairly well convinced that what I had brought to his attention amounted to little. Why? Well, here is the laugh: HE HAD TALKED WITH A SUPPLY DEALER, WHO HAD ASSURED HIM THAT EVERYTHING WAS ALRIGHT, clinching his argument with : “What’s the matter with the * * * Theatre?” Should one laugh or swear at this? This exhibitor means well. There is not the slightest doubt of that. He spoke of me to others in the highest terms, BUT he nevertheless CONSULTS A SUPPLY DEALER ON PROJECTION PROBLEMS, and is inclined to believe him rather than a projection engineer, partly because he cites for comparison a big Broadway theatre in which the problems have very little similarity. The supply dealer in question knows the supply business very well indeed, but in the name of all the gods why go to a supply dealer with a problem in projection engineering? The Real Problem Here is what I hold. The conditions in the proposed theatre under discussion are not really very bad, though there will be considerable distortion if present plans are carried out. What further handicap may be imposed when the room itself is built remains to be seen, but I’ll bet dollars to bad eggs that there will be at least some, though the room may be a good one AS SUCH ROOMS GO. But the whole procedure is WRONG. The architect should be obliged, when the original agreement is made, to call into consultation a competent, capable projection engineer, not connected in any way with any one who has ANYTHING in the way of equipment to sell. Recognizing that the whole theatre is being built to sell to the public a certain thing which must be placed on its screen, the first problem is to plan a projection condition which will enable a per fect picture to be projected (which involves many things), and then the theatre should be planned around that condition. As the matter now lies, practically every architect places the cart squarely in front of the horse and hitches the aforesaid horse into the shafts backwards, by first planning the theatre and then letting projection get by as it may. The results are very often pretty awful. I don’t so much blame the exhibitor in question. He figures that every one else “goes ahead backwards” in matters of this sort, so why should not he also? Cannavan Says International President Cannavan tells me locals are really, as a general proposition, making a real effort to improve the screen results put on by their members. I most sincerely hope that is true. If it is true it is splendid. I know some locals are making a real effort, but was not aware that a considerable number of them had got energetically busy in that direction. Let the good work proceed. “Operator’s” A friend in Iowa, asks : Will you kindly inform me with regard to any operator’s organization there may be. Is there a national operator’s union? How should I proceed to obtain an operator’s license? Certainly there is an operator’s national organization, several of them, in fact. There is a national union of operators on ladies waists ; also one on straw hats and another on men’s overalls. There is, I think, an organization of coal mine operators. Whether the bucket shop operators have one or not I don’t know. However, forgive my little joke and I’ll tell you what you want to know, viz : Is there a national organization of motion picture projectionists? Yes. There is such an organization, known as the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and Moving Picture Machine Operators of the United States and Canada. Some name, if you ask me. Write to William Cannavan, President I. A. T. S. E. & M. P. M. 0., World Tower