The Cine Technician (1953-1956)

July 1955 CINE TECHNICIAN FILM AND T.V. ROUND UP Kill REMOTE TELECAST UNIT : Stephen McCormack, head of special events for Associated Reddifusion, has a new mobile unit, called the Mobile Telecast Unit, which has just successfully carried out its indoor and outdoor transmission tests. The crew consists of an engineer in charge of the van, producer, three camera control unit operators, sound mixer, three cameramen and a microphone assistant. DOME OF DISCOVERY : Ralph Tubbs, who designed the Dome of Discovery, is designing the giant Television Centre, which Granada TV Ltd. are to build in Manchester. The Granada group have brought Sol Cornberg over here on a five-year contract, to help get things going. He was technical expert for N.B.C. in America. He handled their three top shows " Home ", " Today " and " Tomorrow ". Cornberg says that his methods have helped to bring the preparing stage of a one-hour show down from 37 hours to 27. His aim, he says, is to give the artistes every chance and he is determined that no amount of equipment shall be denied them, so that they will have every opportunity to exploit their talents to their best advantage. How does this interest us? The more equipment they have the more technicians will be needed. WHAT'S MY LINE? A.C.T. member Dicky Leeman, who for the past six months has been working for C. J. Lytle, the advertising agent, has been released from his contract. He is joining the Associated Broadcasting Company as producer of their Saturday evening programme " Around the Town ". CAMERA SECTION : The Committee report that their meetings are still well-attended despite members being busy and enjoying full employment. The section has devised a method for new entrants into the camera department, which seems to be working out quite well. Edited by Morton Lewis MONOPOLIES COMMISSION: There is a lot of talk going on about this commission. It could work wonders in the film business and give the independent Producers a chance to get their films a better showing. A good thing all round. WHAT'S IN A NAME? "CineTechnician's " front cover picture shows Tommy Trinder in an action still taken from Adelphi Film's new production You Lucky People. This picture has caused considerable interest in Wardour Street, the reason being, that, Arthur Dent has taken a bold step and produced Britain's first full-length feature with a screen ratio of 2.35 to 1 and called it " Camerascope ". This, of course, has no connection with 20th Century Fox's 2.35 to 1, which they call " Cinemascope ". The picture was made at Beaconsfield Studios. The technical credits are : Producer — David Dent; Director — Maurice Elvey; Production Manager — John Workman; Assistant Director — George Pollard; Photography - Gordon Dines; Operator — H. R. Smith; Focus Puller — Robert Davis; Sound Mixer — Len Page; Boom — E. C. Otter. THIRTY-THREE YEARS AGO : Cameraman Billy Williams, " a well-known figure around Wardour Street ", was hired to photograph the European Welterweight Championship fight between Ted (Kid) Lewis of England and Marcel Thomas, of France, in London, September 1922. According to Billy's version of the story, he was hired along with three other cameramen to film the fight, but he was the only one to turn up. The fight began and Billy started to crank the handle. In the third round he ran out of film and during the fourth round he was in the changing bag when Lewis knocked Thomas out! The producer went crazy when he found out that the knock-out was not in the can. Two days later a double was brought in for Thomas, and in keeping with that old saying " The show must go on ", Lewis knocked the double out, thus saving the day for the producer ! The other version, which came from the producer via Lewis, was that the fight became fast and furious in the fourth round and the cameraman got so excited that he stopped turning the handle. Immediately after the knock-down the producer, thinking that he had a scoop in the can, turned to Billy and saw he wasn't cranking the handle. Billy, thinking quickly made the old excuse that he had run out of film. We asked Billy about this, and he said " I never get excited! " But Billy was 33 years younger at the time — So you can judge for yourselves. COLOUR AND FOOT-CANDLE METERS : We have had an enquiry regarding the different makes of meters. Can anyone give any information on this? Our enquirer would like to know the different makes of colour temperature meters and their cost, also all types of foot-candle meters. Your replies will be welcomed by the Editor. PEN PICTURES : Commencing in the August issue, this column intends to bring you a pen picture of A.C.T. members of old standing. We propose to make this a monthly feature, so that members may get to know a little more about each other. It is always hard to choose who should be first, but, upon reflection, it was quite obvious that the first member we should write about should be cameraman Arthur Graham. One good reason is that his membership number is Number ONE. PLEASE NOTE : In the July issue we gave a list of Studios that were making TV programmes and commercials. Unfortunately we omitted the name of Telefilms and Recorders (London) Ltd., Nascreno House, Soho Square, W.l. Gerrard 5969, managed by Charles W. Green, A.M. Inst. B.E. Mr. Green, please accept our apologies.