International photographer (Jan-Dec 1934)

Twenty-six T h INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER July, 1934 THE IMMORTAL PAL (Continued from Page 3) him "on the lot." One morning he stopped me. It was his birthday and he took from his pocket a button with the number 66 on it and pinned it on my lapel. I told him I was going to keep it until he was 99 and turn it upside-down. He thought that a good joke for he always boasted he would live to be a hundred. He was an inveterate chewer of tobacco — as he said, he couldn't think properly without a chew (he was a good running mate for my dad). But he was always too busy to bother about buying it and had to resort to much "mooching" from Jim, the laboratory janitor. One day Jim became so bold as to complain. "You know, Mr. Edison," he said, "I don't get much pay for this job of mine, and tobacco costs money." Shortly afterward, Jim received an envelope in which was a twenty dollar gold piece and a simple note that ran something like this: Dear Jim : This ought to buy us enough tobacco for a while. One day, during the time he was working on his Diamond machine, he called our department and asked them to send over the long-haired fellow who played the "bull fiddle." He wanted me to listen to a couple of records and compare them and gave me to understand that I must not be afraid to say what I thought. He put a record on his disk machine and sat close to it with his megaphone up against the sound box. He watched my face closely as I listened. It was very fine — a record made by one of the celebrated cellists, beautiful quality, smooth and free from surface noise. Mr. Edison knew of my interest in the 'cello and of my knowledge of the difficulty in recording the instrument by the old mechanical system. He questioned me about all those points, surface noise, volume and quality and was pleased at my enthusiasm. He then turned on a competitor's machine — another 'cello record. I immediately recognized it and became worried. It involved the reputation of another of my idols, an eminent virtuoso. Mr. Edison noticed my uneasiness and demanded that I "speak up!" I told him it was not a good comparison. "Why?" he asked. "Because you happened to pick a poor record." "How do you know?" I explained that the artist who had made the record had expressed great dissatisfaction over it. "H-m-m!" he grunted, as he looked around for a place to expectorate. He gave me a funny look which I couldn't determine to be a rebuke for my impudence or an approval of my sincerity. "Very well," he continued, "you seem to know so much about it, find me a better one." I did, and we both agreed that the Diamond Disk was a beautiful piece of work — and it really was. He was very positive about abandoning anything that didn't show prospects of success. He once said: "There are some things that j-u-s-t w-o-n't w-o-r-k, and the sooner you give 'em up, the sooner you can start on something else." And nothing short of perfection satisfied him. When we showed him the final tests on the Kinetephone he was not satisfied, but generously said : "Well ... I believe you boys have got it as good as How Many Times have you Failed or Spent a Fortune trying to model your Light Beams to these shapes! NOW . . so easily performed . . with these "KLIEGLIGHTS" new i/fRAMING SHUTTER >,UPPER HORIZONTAL IHTENSITT CONTROL .FRAMING SHUTTER LOWER HORIZONTAL FRAMING SHUTTER RIGHT SIDE VERTICAL NO SPILL LIGHT without spending an extra penny Aside from their extraordinary efficiency — the new Klieglights offer several entirely new features, including — variable beam control, of exceptionally wide range and usefulness . . . and intensity control, without using a dimmer — both these controls are an integral part of the unit. These new Klieglights permit remarkable economies in studio lighting. You can do trick lighting, easily, and at no additional expense. They are unmatched for performance, versatility, and low operating cost . . . far in advance of anything you have ever used. Let us acquaint you with the facts — then judge for yourself, and you will be fully convinced of their outstanding merits and practical values. Write today for detailed information. LtEGL BIOS Universal Electric Stage Lighting Co., inc. 321 West 50th Street N EW YORK. NY. California Representative: Mr. R. F. Gretsch, 6521 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, Calif. Please mention The International Photographer when corresponding with advertisers.