Dangerous Home “Movies”

Dangerous Home “Movies”

There is grave danger of Merry Christmas resulting in an unhappy New Year for some New York families, Fire Commissioner Thomas J. Drennan has pointed out in a warning which he sent to the officials of the department stores in this city, in which inflammable motion picture film is being sold in conjunction with motion picture machines for “home movies.” For several days last week a picked squad of Fire Prevention Inspectors made a careful survey of the department stores of New York at the direction of Deputy Fire Chief Thomas J. Hayes, in charge of the bureau of fire prevention. The chief complaint reported was about the toy motion picture apparatus, some of which are illuminated with oil burning lamps which reflect the characters in the inflammable films.

“There is death or serious injury in these toy motion picture machines innocently made for home amusement,” Mr. Drennan declared, “and the fire department is powerless under the law to take any legal action to stop well intentioned persons from bringing such dangerous materials into their homes. It might be better if these ‘movies at home’ machines were labelled ‘Sure Fire’ for after all that is exactly what they are. It may seem cruel on my part to appear in the role of a kill-joy at this joyous season of the year, but just when the fire department was completely rid of the menace of lighted candles on Christmas trees, along come these inflammable film machines with positive death and destruction ever present, despite all the advertisements to the contrary, in which it is claimed that the film is of the non-inflammable material. Tests made by John F. Dixon, chief of the division of combustibles, satisfy me that these ‘home movies’ so called are a positive menace to life and property. Kind fathers and mothers should realize that they are buying their loved ones a toy that will sooner or later bring them sorrow instead of joy."