Page 6 - CR-90
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Fox and RKO were the first companies to ship
                 all of their features in steel rectangular trunks.
                 It  wasn’t  until  after  the  war  that  other
                 companies were to follow suit. By this time,
                 the style of trunks followed those used in the
                 USA,  in  that  they  were  not  rectangular,  but
                 hexagonal in shape and in sizes much easier to
                 handle.
                 RKO released many of their films through the
                 Hoyts circuit, as well as others. Surprisingly,
                 there was very little revival of their product,
                 even  the  most  successful.    Being  a  small
                 company  situated  in  a  building  in  the  city,
                 maybe  they  did  not  have  sufficient  storage.
                 Hence  their  continual  use  of  the  limited
                 numbers of spools and trunks by junking the
                 older prints.

                 Fox  had  so  many  successful  films  that  a
                 shortage of trunks took place, and many that
                 were   in   service   gradually   became
                 unserviceable due to damage. I also discovered          70 mm prints in trunks ready for despatch
                 that Fox was the only company to have trunks
                 without a label attached to identify the title of  case  of  Fox,  being  an  American  company,  there were some independents as well. Carriers
                 the print. With time to spare, I started to label  having to give approval if any extra running  returning films from the theatres were required
                 the trunks to rectify this situation.  expenses were incurred in overseas branches).  to deliver them to Dispatch by 10.00 am. This
                                                     Without hesitation, approval was given and a  was a strict rule, because often films would be
                 In Fox’s case, there was the need to consider  workman was brought in to adjust the racks.  required to service other theatres. As well there
                 the  connection  to  Hoyts  and  the  longer                            were  films  marked  to  go  by  rail  to  country
                 retention  of  those  prints  which  were  big  During my time with Fox, I gained experience  areas. All companies had a carrier available to
                 successes. I had the task of suggesting that we  in  all  aspects  of  the  shipping  operation.  I  take these shipments to a railway station for
                 were in need of more trunks. The request was  handled  the  dispatch  of  film  by  rail  to  all  dispatch.  They  would  also  pick  up  all  rail
                 accepted and, for the first time, Fox introduced  country locations. I was also involved with a  returns and deliver them back to the exchange
                 hexagonal trunks. This created a problem; the  number  of  suburban  clients  who  personally  by 10.00 am.
                 storage  vaults  had  a  racking  system  which  collected their films from  Dispatch.
                 provided for the storage of rectangular trunks                          New  films  came  into  circulation  by  the
                 only. Since an average feature would be around  It  was  always  necessary  to  check  the  cards  following procedure. A fine grain negative of
                 five spools, and require two trunks, the new  showing  the  service  record  of  each  print  to  the  film  would  be  shipped  to  Australia, it
                 trunks  would  not  fit  in  the  racks,  as  they  keep  it  in  a  serviceable  condition  before  would then be sent to a local laboratory which
                 required  two  spaces.  This,  of  course,  would  shipping it to other exhibitors. Long service  would make a positive print. That print would
                 result in less storage space, a situation which  prints  would  need  to  be  checked  before  then be viewed by the Chief Censor (with a
                 could not be accepted. I took the matter up with  dispatch.  They  were  split  up  between  representative of the film company present).
                 the Dispatch Manager and, some days later, I  examiners so that they would not fall behind  He would order any necessary cuts be made
                 was  taken  by  surprise  when  the  Branch  in the number of reels serviced each day. Fox  before the print was returned. The same cuts
                 Manager came down and asked me to explain  had at least eight girls working as a team, each  would then be made to the negative. The next
                 the problem with the racking system. Shortly  keeping a carbon book to record the number  step would be for the negative to go back to
                 after  came  another  surprise.  The  Branch  of reels serviced, and this record went to the  the  laboratory,  where  around  twelve  more
                 Manager  invited  me  to  explain  the  required  Booking Department.   positive prints would be made.
                 changes  to  the  racking  system  to  the  chief
                 representative  of  Fox  in  Australia,  the  Next, I serviced all of the suburban clients. The  Occasionally  a  positive  print    would  be
                 Managing Director himself. (I think it was a  major carrier was Preslands Film Service, but  received from overseas. This would be used to
                                                                                         produce a negative, which in turn was used to
                                   Forty four gallon drums of film ready for destruction
                                                                                         to make further positive prints. The negatives
                                                                                         would  then  go  into  storage,  and  were
                                                                                         sometimes shipped to other countries.
                                                                                         Each  new  film  would  be  viewed  in  the
                                                                                         distributor’s  theatrette before being sent to the
                                                                                         exhibitor selected to screen it. The exhibitor
                                                                                         would then also preview it. The two companies
                                                                                         would then decide on the policy for release,
                                                                                         the suitable theatre, and set the rental terms,
                                                                                         publicity arrangements, etc.
                                                                                         Technicolor prints were shipped to Australia
                                                                                         from the USA or England. These were subject
                                                                                         to a duty fee, based on a rate per foot. Prints
                                                                                         were held in government vaults until the duty
                                                                                         was  paid.  Companies  like  Fox  often  waited
                                                                                         until a film went into general release before
                                                                                         spending the money on any more than a couple
                                                                                         of prints for viewing, or city release.


                 6   CINEMARECORD  # 90
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