Year book of motion pictures (1951)

developing in theater carpeting toward less color, simple designs and more texturous fabrics, the firm says. This is especially so where architects and decorators are called in to do a complete redecorating job. Tackling the house as a whole, they are able to tie in their own decorating ideas. In many cases they are reported leaning toward more home-like, intimate atmospheres that give a feeling of quiet and restfulness. Gulistan contract carpets will feature many new weaves, patterns and colors during 1 95 1. Though signs seem to point to greater simplicity, many theaters, because of their patronage and location, will continue to find the large-scale, brighter colored patterns more suitable to their needs, Karagheusian asserts. LIGHTING Ross Increases Stock of Equipment for Fix, Video ^TILL BETTER facilities for the production of films, whether for theatrical showing or for video, were made available in the East when Charles Ross, Inc., of New York added further to its extensive stock of equipment. President Charles Ross said the decision to expand the firm's equipment catalogue was based on the fact that the firm saw a good season ahead. The new equipment placed the company in "a much better position to handle indoor and outdoor jobs," according to Ross. Expansion of the firm's line-up of lighting and grip equipment and generators was carried over into 1951. Additional equipment acquired by the Ross outfit, which is one of the nation's biggest producer anH distributor of lighting equipment in the fiel'^ nf show business, includes generator trucks fo ■ field work and new and improved type of equipment for TV studios made by the Mole-Richardson Co. of Hollywood, for which the Ross firm is sole Eastern agent. Spotlight for Small Houses Made Available by Strong ^NEW INCANDESCENT spotlight called the Trouperette has been developed by the Strong Electric Corp. especially for use in small theatres, night clubs, schools, TV studios, industrial shows and conventions where physical dimensions and price are factors and where the tremendous volume of light of an arc lamp is not necessary. A highly efficient optical system enables the Trouperette to project far more light th-^n is possible with any conventional incandescent spotlight. This increased brilliancy is made possible by a variable focal length objective len' system, a J'/^-inch silvered glass reflector and Fresnel lens used with a standard 115-volt, 1000watt prefocused projection type bulb. As contrasted to the conventional incandescent spotlight, with which the spot size is varied solely by irising, to result in substantial light loss, the Trouperette utilizes all of the light through most of the spot size range. The brilliance of head spots is as much as six and a half times that possible with conventional lamps. The variable focal length objective lens system affords the advantage of re Spongex Market Widened Through Deal With RCA 'TpHE MARKET for Spongcx carpet cushion manufactured by the Sponge Rubber Products Co. of Shelton, Conn., was widened when the product was made available to exhibitors through independent RCA theater supply dealers. The improved Spongex is held capable of increasing the life of carpet substantially providing a new measure of luxury and comfort. The quarter-inch and three-eighths-inch weights are recommended for general theater use. In order to meet the requirements of special applications, however, RCA theater supply dealers will be in a position to supply a wide range of weights. EQUIPMENT taining the same sharply defined edge of any size spot, from head to flood, without refocusing. The Trouperette projects a minimum spot diameter of one one-hund-edth of the length of throw and a maximum of one-third the length of throw. It is provided with a horizontal masking control, which can be angled at 45 degrees in each direction, and a fast-operating color boomerang which accommodates six slides. Horizontal sweep of the spot is possible throughout 3 60 degrees. All operations of the lamp are extremely simple. Since the 1000-watt bulb pulls only 10 amperes, the Trouperette can be plugged into any 110-volt convenience outlet, without requiring any special wiring. Spotlight for Film Houses Brought Out by Genarco ITHE METRO-LITE Vaudeville Model ME-5, a spotlight specially designed for film houses, was placed in manufacture last year by Genarco. Inc., of Long Island City, N. Y. Less powerful than the Metro-Lite ME-4, which is intend?! primarily for use in arenas and extremely large auditoriums, the ME-5 is the firm's new spotlight model for 1951. The ME-5 Is suitable for theiters where the throw ranges from 75 to 250 feet. The ME-4 is capable of a maximum throw of 400 feet. The Metro-Lite Vaudeville is operated in the booth with the same rectifier or generator used for the projection lamp. No extra operator is required. Like its big brother, it is credited with a versatility that permits the casting of a spot small enough to light only the face of a performer and large enough to flood the entire stage. The same high degree of brilliancy of Illumination is claimed for the ME-5 and the ME-4. Rollocolor Provides New Theater Lighting System Ji^ NEW SYSTEM of stage and decorative lighting for theaters was made available las' year by the Color Lighting Corp. of New York under the name Rollocolor. This is a method of lighting controlled by means of a smill compart unit. By the mere rotation of a dial the four colored light sources — red, blue, green and white — can be controlled to produce more than 500 dif