The Moving picture world (February 1920)

978 MOVING PICTURE WORLD February 19, 1921 Projection Experience MOTION PICTURE HANDBOOK For Managers and Operators By F. H. RICHARDSON The recognized standard book on the work of projection. Complete descriptions and instructions on all leading machines and projection equipment. There isn't a projection room in the universe in which this carefully compiled book will not save its purchase price each month. Buy It Today $4 the Copy, postpaid Moving Picture World 516 Fifth Avenue, New York City Garrick Building, Chicago, 111. Wright & Callender Bldg, Los Angeles, Cal. To save time, order from nearest office. put on high class work with butchered up film; the latter because they pay to see a photoplay, not a series of white, disillusioning flashes of light on the screen. Once in III Years Just to prove that the aggregation of stem-wind, stem-set, all-round guardians of the screens of the Great Board Walk, known as Local Union 310, International Association of Theatrical State Employees and Moving Picture Machine Operators of the United States and Canada has not gone bluey, Charles B. Lafferty, its press correspondent, has chased his pen all over two whole sheets of paper, with this result : Brother Richardson: We have the habit of writing about once in three years, which, combined with the desire for practice in literary matters by the press correspondent, accounts for this letter. If it escapes the under-the-desk receptacle for budding ambitions and the grave of blasted hopes, the aforesaid P. C. will feel that life hath not been lived in vain. After our regular January meeting had ceased meeting, its component atoms were most pleasantly surprised. One brother, F. R. Reckard (long may he wave), provided a banquet, which I can honestly say was the simon pure real thing in the way of what that word banquet implies. That it was thoroughly appreciated, every single member of 310 is willing to hold his right paw up to high heaven and solemnly affirm. Open Club Rooms The reason for the high Jinks was the celebration of the opening of our new club rooms in the Central Theatre Building, Atlantic and Florida avenues. We have Just moved to the new place and it's all to the classy, even to the name of the street it Is on. The old place was not satisfactory because, apparently, all the unions in the world met there, and we could only meet once a month and had not chance for any sociability at all. The brilliant minds for which 310 is so Justly celebrated (huh!) conceived the idea of securing a place where we could not only hold our meetings, but which could be used BLUE SEAL FILM MENDING SHEARS (Pat. Oct. 21. 1919) Prict $4.75 by All Dealers or Direct Illustrated Circular on Request Another Product of the BLUE SEAL PRODUCTS COMPANY ENGLEWOOD, N. J. The Gold King Moving Picture Screen Co. will ship you a screen on ten days' trial In your own theatre under the condition In which you operate. Try before you buy and be convinced. Stock sizes: »xl2— 11x14— 12x16. No. 1, 11.00 per sq. foot. No. 2, .71 per sq. foot. Stretchers Included in the above prices. 327 EAST CALIFORNIA OKLAHOMA CITY. OKLA. MACHINES THEATRE EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES WRITE FOft CATALOG. ERKER BROS. OPTICAL CO. ST. LOUIS. MO. by the men at any time. Well, we got busy, furnished the place and — here are we. Have two large rooms which are handsomely outfitted. For those who wi«h to progress, a complete projection library is supplied. It contains all works on projection and, of course, a complete file of the Moving Picture World. A Victrola enables us to make Caruso and Paderewski Jump through a hoop at will, to say nothing of the canned dances, etcetra. There are checkers, tiddle-winks, old maid and — um, well perhaps we'd best leave a little for you to imagine, Just to lend zest. Flock of Fox-Trotters I might add that 310 has a flock of fox trotters, of which your old friend Billy Read is premier at this time. We will soon have a pool table, and then let Joy be unconflned. That is all we now need to complete a home where union projectionists visiting the City of the Great Board Walk will always be welcome. That last is intended to be an invitation to all I. A. men, as well as to any member of the Moving Picture World staff. It was decided to have little luncheons every month. Joseph Jordan, Assistant Manager Virginia Theatre, was our guest at the first blow-out. Insulted By golly, I'm insulted. You didn't even ask me down to your darned ole bank yet. Don't believe it was such a much anyhow! Huh ! Well, anyhow, I'm real tickled that you have a place to hang your unionorial hat, and that you're fixed so comfy. Think mebby I'll have to take a run down there after a while and see how Billy Read is behaving himself, and if he has learned how to thread a projector and make a patch yet. He has only been projecting for a mere trifle of twenty-five (25) years — and he's one man who can say that without throwing the bull, too. And now, gentlemen, your new union home will be fine, and will last indefinitely, PROVIDED (and don't overlook the "provided" either) you keep it decently and in order. By this I mean you must allow no rough stuff. Games of chance for money will break it up, just as surely as the sun rises in the east. May take a while to do it, but take it from me it WILL do it. I've seen a lot of 'em go that route. By this I don't mean that pool for ten cents a cue, loser to pay, should be barred, or things like that. What I mean is games that mean, or can ever mean more money than the boys can afford. Of course I well know you won't allow anything of the sort, but I'm just telling you what has happened to those who have been foolish enough to permit games for real money in their club rooms. Well, this is 1921. Don't forget you're due for a repeater in 1924, though you might speed up the ole habit a little. Get a lil pep in it, as it were, and write say once in three MONTHS. Who Is to Blame? Bert E. Fahrney, Manager Electric Theatre, Curtis, Nebraska, says: M. P. World Projection Department: Recently we ran "Under Crimson Skies," and at times there was a most disagreeable and eyetiring fluttering while Interior scenes were on. We traced the trouble to what we consider to be defective film, sample of which Is attached. Is this the producer's latest idea of "art" (?), like the abominable fuzzy close-ups, or is it unintentional and caused by using A C in the studio? What excuse has a big concern for putting out such work, particularly on a big special? Trouble Seems to Be The trouble seems to be in the development of either the positive or negative — in all human probability the first named. The use of A C in studios has no effect at all — injurious effect, we mean. The producer, in this case the Universal, has, from your viewpoint, no legitimate excuse under the sun, but there nevertheless 15,012 Motion Picture Theatres la Um Umrtad atatas— ao am*. Cat oar attaatfaa or txm awrte. and aon M to M% la r— »ic» Aim Uata of nuu Hunts Bwn. Bupplj rnliil and Pvoitaaom Motion Picture Directory Co. 144 Wast 42nd Street. Now Tork. N. T. Phone : Bry.nl tilt is a more or less valid excuse, in that with labor conditions as they are it is next to impossible to secure uniform efficiency. Formerly it was the employer who made no bones of telling labor to po plumb to ? * I" :, and to lump that which it did no* like. Now it is labor which tells the employer what amounts to the same thing, with net result that the employer is literally compelled to condone many things which would have called for immediate investigation and punishment under former conditions. But this fact remains: You rented a certain set of films from the exchange. You paid a price based, among other things, on films in condition, insofar as applies to photography, at least, to give a good screen representation. You did not get films in that condition and, by all rules of right dealing and common justice, are entitled to rebate on the renting price. We are sending your letter to the Universal, with carbon of this article and the clipping. Most likely no good can be accomplished, since the condition confronting the producers is as above set forth. On the other hand it can do no harm, and perhaps will help the Universal to locate at least this particular fault, and to prevent its recurrence. And, by the way, there is another element to be considered in matters of this sort, viz., the situation as applies to chemicals, which is a pretty tough proposition these days. The producer who can obtain pure, reliable chemicals for development is, we believe, to be congratulated.