"That is my new jerk-absorbing device," stated Mr. Iwan Serrurier, owner of the Moviola Company, who was showing me through his factory over at 1451 North Gordon Street, in Hollywood. "It is designed to fit in the valve of the magazine, " Mr. Serrurier continued, "so as to prevent damage to the film from the jerking due to the sudden starting of the equipment."
The little device with its simple roller and spring piston arrangement was like the rest of the Moviola line. It was designed and made from the dictates of actual experience to fill a need. So cranking the pictures were viewed on a 9 by 12 inch screen. The film went from the projector through a hole in the table and into a basket. There were a number of other attempts to do something about a film editing tool, but in each instance the device was a makeshift using discarded equipment.
Then along came Iwan Serrurier with ideas and ability to see the ideas realized. Although he was born and raised in Leiden, Holland, he received his college education in Zurich, Switzerland, because, us he says, "they offered the kind of mechanical training I wanted."
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