The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-04
MOVIE INDUSTRY MAY SOON DISCARD. DANGEROUS FILMS.
Non- lnflammabIe Film Being Developed to Take Place of Present Variety-May
 Change Theatres

CHICAGO, March S.-(By Asso- ciated Press)-Radical innovations in movie theatre construction will be possible If Congress passes a bill, now before Congress to bar the in terstate transportation of inflam- mable picture films, according to engineers of the Underwriters Lab oratories here. who have just com pleted a study of the subject and is sued a statement on their findings
 Moving picture theatre architec- ture, they say, has been developed around the necessity of having an elaborately fire-proofed projection chamber, carefully isolated from all fire exits. and equipped with special devices to confine the flames In event the highly inflammable nitrocellu- lose films catch fire.
 Passage of the pending bill, which is sponsored by the Association Of State Fair Marshals, would outlaw the infiammable film in favor Of slow burning film, which is no more dangerous than a roll of ticker tape or any other paper commodity.
 In tests made at the laboratories it was found that strips of nitrocel- lulose film would burst into intense flame when a lighted match was ap- piled, burning to ashes in a few seconds. A match applied to the safe film would light it, but when the match was removed the flame would die out of its own accord. The nitrocellulose film is so infiammable that 1t is subject to spontaneous combustion at a temperature of about 300 degrees, while when once lighted it will continue to burn even though immersed in water.
 The economic future of the movie business, I think" said A. R. Small, vice president of the laboratories. who is in charge of the film investi- gation, Ties not in the professional producing and exhibiting class, but in the development of small portable movie cameras so that every man can take his own pictures and have his own film library at home to prof ect for his friend.
 development of the small, cheap camera. within the reach of every pocketbook. made photographic film production possible on a quantity basis that brought sufficient returns to warrant laboratory research and development for the perfection of the industry. In the same way the home movie camera offers the big field for future development. But safe film is necessary first,
 "The widespread use of films in churches, schools, parish halls, rec oreational centers, offices. depart ment stores, Y. M. c. A. buildings and other places accentuates the same need. For a time we thought that portable f1re-proof booths might solve the fire hazard for such exhibitions, but our tests of various types of these booths show they are not equal to the strain"
 MT. Small cited the case of Y. NJ. C. A. building in the east where tenants on floors rented for business purposes were forced to sign waivers to their insurance policies in case of loss from fire starting from infam- mable film used in the Y. M. c. A. exhibitions.
 The pending bill would become ef- fective January 1. 1925. if passed, in order that the industry might have time to use up existing stocks. Non- inflammable film will come into gem eral use in France on that date, ac- cordng to Mir. Small. because of an order by the prefect of police of Paris forbidding the use of the in- fammable film in Paris after next year.
 The order was originally issued in 1913, to take effect January l, 1915, but was suspended because of the war It has now been reinstated.