The Moving picture world (January 1926-February 1926)

748 Moving Picture World February 20, 1926 Paramount Exchanges Respond to Protect-the-Print Questionnaire Efficient Print Protection Aim Achieved; Branch Managers Backed Up by Home Office; . Bell & Howell Splicing Machine Plays Part IN reply to a letter and questionnaire sent by YOUR EQUIPMENT to Film Exchanges, the Paramount branch managers came in both promptly and handsomely — and since the greatest Protect-the-Print factor in these exchanges has proved to be the installation of Bell and Howell Film Splicing Machines, these letters naturally place emphasis on the performance of this, as one exchange terms it, "miracle of the inspection department." G. M. Spidell, General Purchasing Agent for Famous Players-Laskey Company, has shown keen interest in YOUR EQUIPMENT'S campaign to protect the print, and this letter voices a general opinion which is borne out surprising in the other letters written independently by the branches. Mr. G. M. Spidell writes: "You are indeed to be congratulated on your Protect-the-Print Campaign. Too much thought cannot be given to the care and handling of prints to insure the bigger and better presentation which the industryis striving for daily. "As a step forward towards this goal, this company has in the past year and a half equipped all of its exchanges with Bell and Howell Splicing Machines, thereby eliminating all hand splicing and insuring delivery of prints with uniformly made splices. Complimentary criticisms which we have received from exhibitors on the condition of our prints since the adoption of the mechanical splicer have been most gratifying. The life of our prints has been increased, thereby enabling us to serve better prints to accounts using older service. Further, the actual work and working conditions in our Inspection Department has been very i.iaterially improved. "The results obtained have fully justified our investment and we feel that the adoption of the Bell and Howell Splicer for exchange use is really the most forward and constructive step we have taken in our campaign for better care in the handhng of film.'' — G. M. Spidell, General Purchasing Agent, Famous Players-Lasky Corp. "Beg " to advise that we are very well pleased with our new Bell and Howell film splicing machines, which were recently installed in our Inspection Room. We feel that these have been very helpful in keeping our prints in the best of condition, and have cut down to a minimum the possibility of bad prints." — Ben Glotcky, Branch Manager New York. "We are pardonably proud of the condition of all prints in this exchange. The Bell and Howell machines have undoubtedly facilitated the rapid inspection and repair of prints. Splices are absolutely accurate and last longer than those made by hand. All Prints, New or Old, Are inspected "All prints, whether new or old, are always carefully inspected upon their arrival in this exchange, before again being shippca "Replacements in either new or old prints are promptly ordered and the result is that prints on subjects a year old are in just as good condition as prints on the current releases. "It is seldom, indeed, that we have a complaint from an exhibitor on the condition of film. This we attribute both to the careful methods used in this exchange, also to the fact that the standard of projection ma chines used in this territory is steadily improving!"— H. E. Pickett, Branch Manager, San Antonio, Texas. ■'Relative to the Bell & Howell film splic ing machines, we are pleased to advise that since this equipment has been installed, we have yet to receive one complaint as to bad patches. "Bad patches used to be the one thing that we were in trouble with all the time, and by eliminating them with the Bell & Howell film splicing machines, we naturally reduced the cost of replacing film with a bad patch which was quite often necessary to replace seams that were torn because of bad patclies, but this has all been eliminated. Operating Overhead Cut 20 per cent. "It may also interest you to know that the operating overhead of our Inspection Department has been cut over 20 per cent, since these machines were installed." — A. Bcvan, Branch Manager, Portland, Maine. "We have, at the present time, three Bell & Howell Splicing Machines that have been in operation since December 30th, 1924. "Our Inspection Department has been able to do more rapid and proficent work since the installation of these machines than prior to that time. "We have, since using the Bell & Howell Splicing Machines, also had less damage to our prints. These machines enable us to definitely know how many patches are put in our prints by the various projectionists throughout the territory. "In connection with the above, I feel that we have been greatly helped by the use of the Bell & Howell Splicing Machines." — Roy E. Heffner, Branch Manager, Oklahoma City, Okla. "Just a word to tell you that we are enjoying wonderful results from the Bell & Howell Splicing Machine which fs a part of our equipment in our Inspection Department at this exchange. Tends to Lengthen Life of Stock "It enables us to give the film the proper attention, which tends to lengthen and preserve the life of the stock, and gives a far better quality of film to the exhibitor, even on the older prints. In short — we are extremely pleased with it.'" — F. E. Wagoner, G. M. SPIDELL General Purchasing Agent for Famoiis-Players-Lasky Corp. Branch Manager, Indianapolis, Indiana. "We are pleased to advise that the Bell & Howell Film Splicing Machines have proven very satisfactory and more economical, inasmuch as each inspectress can properly examine from 50 per cent, to 65 per cent, more reels daily." — P. A. Bloch, Manager, Philadelphia, Penna. "We have found that about 70 per cent, of all film trouble lies in bad patches and our Bell & Howell equipment has completely eliminated this and where thirty to forty reels per day was the maximum that could be properly inspected by hand, this has been increased to sixty per girl through the use of these machines and bad prints have been completely eliminated in this exchange." — J. B. Dagger, Branch Manager, Dallas, Texas. Giving Exhibitors 100 Per Cent. Service "For your information, I wish to advise Bell & Howell Splicing Machine has eliminated the majority of our trouble on film splices. The work turned out is perfect and the service we are now giving our exhibitors is 100 per cent. This is verified by the many comments we are receiving from exhibitors in the small towns."— H. W. Braly, Branch Manager, Denver, Colorado. "Please pardon my delay in answering your letter of January 18, as I have been out of town a great part of the time, consequently the delay. "I believe that the Bell & Howell Splicing Machine is a big improvement on the old way of patching the films. They not only do the work quicker, but better and keep our film in good condition at all times.'' — M. W. Kempner, Branch Manager, Buffalo, N. Y. "I want to write you at this time of thp wonderful progress made at this exchange by using the Bell & Howell Splicing Machines. These machines are the miracle of the Inspection Department. After using the Bell & Howell machine for two years, our overhead was reduced to a minimum and we are getting 100 per cent, efficiency in splicing."— J. L. Harris, Boston, Mass.