[Shop-talk] Gophers

[pethier at comcast.net]

Indeed.  It was illegal in the USA to transport movie film interstate without a federal license.

Meanwhile, in England, Alfred Hitchcock put out a B&W movie with a special color effect added that made it look like a piece of film was caught in the gate and catching fire.  There was a special notice attached to each film can explaining the effect to the projectionist.  The film was a commercial failure because it never got shown properly.  Despite the notice, the projectionist would panic when the effect started and flee the booth, pulling that handle on the way out.

Phil Ethier West Side Saint Paul Minnesota USA
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----- "Pat Horne" <pat at hornesystemstx.com> wrote:
> Bob,
> 
> Yup, I worked in one of those booths in the mid to late 60s at Thule
> AFB 
> Greenland. At the door was a pull handle that you pulled on the way
> out 
> if there was a fire that released the shutters on all windows and cut
> power to the whole room. We were told that this was one of only a few
> booths where nitrate film could be shown still left in Air Force 
> theaters. I never showed any nitrate film, but if some came in, we
> were 
> ready for it!
> 
> Peace,
> Pat
> 
> Thusly spake Bob Kegel, On 3/19/2010 2:21 AM:
> >> I doubt you can find celluloid film any more.
> >>     
> >
> > And that's good. Nitrate film is really nasty stuff. I found some in
> an
> > abandoned theater and, having heard the stories, touched a match to
> a
> > piece. It burned in a flash, like gunpowder.
> >
> > The stuff was responsible for numerous theater fires. The
> projection
> > room where I found my sample was lined with sheet metal. The windows
> for
> > the projectors had guillotine shutters with fusible links.
> >
> > Bob K