The Moving picture world (January 1926-February 1926)

our Squipment Service for yow-^-Jheatre Ownjer^Builder^StudiD^ Caboratort^ ~ Sxchanqe ixecative -Jrota yourJacjle Sdiied bij d. Dm Buren PocudL Paramount Sure Does Protect the Print SINCE beginning this Protect-the-Print campaign, no single phase of such activity has stood out more than the result of a questionnaire sent to exchanges by YOUR EQUIPMENT in an effort to discover exactly how much is being accomplished in this all-important branch of film handling. PIowls in plenty have gone up from exhibitors concerning the rotten prints they have had to jam through their projectors — and the exchanges have "come back at them" with the yell that it's all the exhibitors' fault. That sort of quarrel never got anybody anywhere. You can't make a man any more self-respecting by calling him a "bum." It has been the policy of YOUR EQUIPMENT to build up rather than to tear down — to praise the man who's doing much and saying little, because it may happen that this will shame the other fellow into a sense of his responsibility to the industry. So a questionnaire and letter were sent to exchanges. They're not all returned yet — but a marvellously prompt and full response came from the Managers of the Paramount Exchanges — and for the thoroughness of the coordinated Protect-the-Print effort evidenced, this company is entitled to a lot of credit. Purchasing Department Deserves Bouquet No matter how anxious an exchange manager may be to augment his protect-the-print equipment, he is only successful in proportion to the far-sightedness of those in charge of purchases of such equipment. The thing which has enabled Paramount to grow to its present magnitude seems most to be the ability of its sponsors to choose executives who can look ahead, who realize that having superlative productions is only a part of the business of making pictures — after all, they simmer down to a set of prints, and the men responsible for the future of those prints have evidently been selected as have directors, stars, cameramen, or film editors. G. M. Spidell, general purchasing agent for Famous Players-Lasky, is a man who has clearly realized that to protect the print he must co-operate with exchanges, give them what they need and the best of everything they use to keep prints in perfect physical condition. From the letter he writes, as well as from those of the men on the firing line — which are all so good that they are worth all the rogm they can get in this protect-the-print campaign — it is clear that no move has been made of more signal importance than the installation of Bell and Howell Film Splicing Machines in all the exchanges. Service Brought to Fullest Value But of all the -letters that came in from Paramount ex■changes, the one that stands out most vividly is that from J. L. Harris, of the Boston Exchange. Mr. Harris doesn't stop at using a perfect mechanical ■contrivance so as to secure fullest print protection. He goes further — renders a real service to the industry. He can tell you best what it is — so, let Mr. Harris finish this page with something genuinely commendable in exchange contributions to print protection : Mr. Harris Does It Up Brown However, in srettinsr the best possible results with these machines, one must follow^ out other details of film inspection. We, in the Boston exchange follow the method of co-operatinsr with the projectionist. In the past years there always was some misunderstanding between projectionist and the film exchange in handling the film. At present we trv and make the proiectionist who handles our product part of our organization as they handle the film more in their possession than we do at the exchange. At present we have overcome some of the bad obstacle* we had in the past such as pimch holes, large paper stickers, cross scratches and other mutilating practices for signal devices at the end of the reels in order for the projectionist to shift from one machine to the other. No doubt this is a very destructive practice. In a short time we lost the continuity and action of the film. In most cases the punch of the film is directly at the very ends of the parts. I can truthfully say in the past two years we cleaned up this situation. At present our film is in remarkable condition. When a film is returned damaged to this exchange we immediately write the projectionist where to locate his trouble according to where film damage registers. Some of our accounts do not know how the film was damaged and don't know what it is all about. In order to prevent future damage to our production we write to him explaining what to do and ta return he is interested to know what caused the damage. This understanding it to our mutual benefit. For your information it is known among the projectionists that Boston office has the best film condition in New England. It is common talk to hear one say, "When you get a picture from Famous Players you don't need to worry." Bell & Howell Film Splicing Machine with which Paramount Exchanges protect the print.