Boston moving picture projectionists are deeply interested in the action that was taken at Providence on Sunday night, at a meeting of moving picture operators' union, at which it was voted to protest to the proper authorities regarding the speed at which motion picture film is run through the projectors in the cities and towns of the state. They plan to seek some sort of legislation, either by State Legislature or by the city or town governments, whereby the speed of running films will be restricted to not more than 1,000 feet in twelve minutes.

They also voted to recommend the appointment of a practical operator by the mayor of each city, or by the town council in each town, where moving picture theatres are located, whose duty it shall be to inspect both projecting machines and films, and to decide upon the fitness of applicants for operators' licenses.

It also was decided to file a protest against the attendance at moving picture shows of children unaccompanied by adults.

Taking their text from the first last week at Music Hall, Pawtucket, which originated in a faulty projecting machine, destroyed 4,000 feet of film, caused considerable damage to the theatre property, and barely escaped causing a bad panic and a considerable loss of life, the operators declared that imperfect film and excessive speed both constitute a fire menace and, when the two are in combination, a positive danger. They assert that if a fire should happen in any of the larger theatres, during the busy hours of the day or night, and the flames succeeded in getting outside the projection booth, a disastrous panic would result.

There is a strong probability that the Boston operators' union may seek similar drastic action from the Great and General Court of Massachusetts.

"Projectionists Say Film Run at High Speed May Cause Fire," Moving Picture World, January 27, 1923, page 322.

© 1998, David Pierce, on editing and revisions (if any)

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