The Exhibitor (Jun-Oct 1939)

BM-24 BETTER MANAGEMENT (IIULITV . . . dictated the choice of INTERNATIONAL The THEATRE CHAIR of Tomorrow -AND TODAY! In the 1800-Seat BYRD THEATRE, Phila., Pa. The owner, Mr. William Greenfield, and hundreds of smart exhibitors throughout the country recognize the economy of purchas¬ ing, the sturdy, well constructed best. • Write for Our Latest Catalogue INTERNATIONAL SEAT CORP., UNION CITY, IND. Eastern Sales Offices: 1501 Broadway, N. Y. Stage Settings, Screen Curtains, Front Curtains, Cycloramas, Draperies, Wall Coverings, Exit Drapes, Decorations, Tracks and Rigging. Estimates and layouts furnished without obligation PREMIER SCENERY STUDIOS 340 West 41st Street New York, N. Y. A large stock of new curtains on hand for RENT or SALE. "The subject of lenses is closely connected with those of film and lighting. Very little is known, in the final sense, with regard to mobile equip¬ ment, and further developments must be awaited. Problems of background projection are similar to those for the motion picture, except with regard to the light required. The television pick-up screen size is not yet definitely stan¬ dardized, and although television projectors use standard sizes of film, they are modified to ac¬ commodate the different rates and methods of projection.” See Tele Direction By "Remote Control” The story of how a television director com¬ mands his studio staff and makes changes in program enactment by telephone as he sits in front of his television receiver at home, several miles away, was unfolded to the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, recently in convention assembled, by Harry R. Lubcke, of the Don Lee Broadcasting System. By watching the dramatic action as it appears on his own home television receiver, Lubcke is able to polish a television show by telephone and in this way he can ask the producer in the studio to give the approximate arm signals to cast and technicians, outside of the camera’s range. "Defects in lighting, camera technique, microphoning, television control or transmitter ad¬ justments are instantly apparent and are judged by the dierctor more advantageously in the home than in the studio,” Lubcke said. "For after all, that is the only way I can tell exactly what the television audience sees.” The Don Lee television transmitter (W6XAO) went on the air on the ultra-high-frequency of 44,000 kilocycles on December 23, 1931. Pro¬ grams are non-commercial, as advertising of any kind is prohibited under an experimental license issued by the Federal Communications Com¬ mission. Live talent is transmitted four times a week and motion picture films twice a week. More than 11,000,000 feet of film have been telecast locally, Lubcke said. He estimated that several hundred in southern California are tuned to the regular television transmission schedule. Derby Televised for Cinema The biggest event on the English racing cal¬ endar, the Derby, to be run next week (May 24), will be broadcast by the Baird Television Company for Gaumont British’s London, subur¬ ban theatres. Broadcast over the Baird system via the British Broadcasting Corporation’s new high al¬ titude television station is expected to give even better results in diffusion than even recent firstclass transmissions. The GB-Baird-BBC arrangement will enable thousands of people who otherwise would not see the Derby to view the whole Epsom Downs scene in comfort at London’s movie theatres. Preview Equipment Described for SMPE With the likelihood that motion pictures will make up a major part of the television enter¬ tainment that will be broadcast into the home, E. W. Engstrom, RCA research director, de¬ scribed for the Society of Motion Picture En¬ gineers’ convention, the development of a simpli¬ fied television "preview” system which enables producers to determine in advance the films most suitable for television transmission. He also told about an apparatus which automatically adapts the 24-frames-a-second speed of motion picture film to the 60-interlaced-picture-persecond standard speed of television scanning. With the development of both the new tele¬ vision adaptor equipment and the previewing sys TELEVISION’S HEART. Here are two types of cathode-ray tubes developed by the DuMont Laboratories for use in television receivers. Pic¬ tures are formed on the broad end of the tube. tern, there are now no serious practical difficulties in the way of utilizing present-day motion pic¬ ture standards for television purposes, according to Engstrom. This immediately opens up two important motion picture sources for television entertainment: first, films that have already been made for theatre audiences; second, films made especially made for television broadcasting. Films in the latter class need not deviate from existing cinematographic standards, nor will they require any extra processing. The "preview” apparatus is contained in a com¬ plete console, measuring only 44 inches high, 3 4 inches wide, 21 inches deep. A standard iconoscope television pick-up camera and film projection equipment are used in connection with it. English GB, BBC in Television Expansion Following the recent successful exhibitions of television in Gaumont British theatres in London, Director General Olgivie, of the British Broad¬ casting Corporation, stated recently that the company was on the verge of undertaking televis on on a nation-wide scale as against the present London diffusion only. Increased govern¬ ment appropriations will make this expansion possible. Isidore Ostrer, GB chairman, announced that his company is in readiness to follow without delay with the installation of Baird television equipment in all GB theatres in every district in which the BBC will erect television transmitting apparatus. Meanwhile, Ostrer is leading the fight for competitive television transmission in co-opera¬ tion with the British national exhibitor and distributor societies which have already petitioned the Postmaster-General to this effect. Without this competition, he believes that the U. S. will soon pass Great Britain in the television race. SIGNAL GENERATOR. A practical, portable means of supplying a direct video signal for in¬ vestigating circuit characteristics is this DuMont Type 202 Phasmajector signal generator. May 17, 19)9