International projectionist (Jan 1963-June 1965)

Record Details:

Something wrong or inaccurate about this page? Let us Know!

Thanks for helping us continually improve the quality of the Lantern search engine for all of our users! We have millions of scanned pages, so user reports are incredibly helpful for us to identify places where we can improve and update the metadata.

Please describe the issue below, and click "Submit" to send your comments to our team! If you'd prefer, you can also send us an email to mhdl@commarts.wisc.edu with your comments.




We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.

Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.

Letters to the Editor Editor, IP Dear Sir: While making magnetic sound installations for various theaters in the past few years I have become aware of the great amount of confusion among exhibitors, distributors, and the public in general about current motion picture sound. For instance; one exhibitor of my acquaintance, on the strength of three mag-optical prints in a row culminating in the 35 mm. release of "Ben-Hur," invested several thousand dollars in stereophonic equipment in 1960. In 1961 he was not able to get a single magnetic print and has had only one in 1962. In this respect the exhibitor is at the mercy of the distributor who is often equally uncertain as to which pictures are available in stereo. Here are some questions I have which might serve as a guide to a future article on soundtracks in your magazine. 1. Is magnetic stereo sound being soft pedaled or phased out by the major producers or is there still a general enthusiasm for this type of sound? 2. Where can one obtain a listing of the type of sound that is available on current and future releases? In this regard the various trade publications such as Greater Amuse ments, Variety, Box-Office, Exhibitor, and even the press books and advertising copy carry no mention of stereo sound when such is available. 3. How is six-track sound re-mixed to four-track and single track sound for the 35 mm. version? 4. How much actual stereo is contained in current release tracks, that is, is only music recorded using three channels with dialogue and effects recorded mono and then shifted to follow the action during re-recording? 5. Are there any general rules that producers use in determining what material to put on the fourth or effects track? Sincerely, William E. Lobb * * * The views of this writer anent the present-day neglect of magnetic stereophonic sound for CinemaScope motion pictures closely parallel those implied by Mr. Lobb. In an article published in the February 1962 issue of INTERNATIONAL' PROJECTIONIST I wrote: "In view of the demand for stereophonic sound, we cannot refrain from wondering why the great majority of movie producers have so neglected the CinemaScope magnetic sound process. The magnetic reproducers in thousands of theatres remain idle most of the time. ALLEN SMITH HONORED— Allen G. Smith of National Theatre Supply Co., recently featured in an IP profile, is shown above receiving a presentation from W. J. Turnbull, left, president of National Theatre Supply Co. On the right, Arthur Baldwin, vice president in charge of export and New York operations, looks on. 12 and in their failure to utilize fully a stereosound system already at their disposal, all too many movie moguls are guilty of the shortsightedness for which Hollywood is notorious." To reply specifically to Mr. Lobb's first question, we can say that the neglect of stereosound by the major producers is deliberate. The moviegoing public is far more enthusiastic about stereophonic sound for panoramic pictures than the producers, themselves, appear to be. Hollywood film producers have a well-known tendency to consider immediate costs rather than the quality of their product or long-range results in the theatre. It might be assumed that the great popularity of stereosound in the home through the media of binaural phonograph records, multitrack sound tapes, and dual-channel FM radio broadcasts would stimulate the use of magnetic 4-track prints for stereosound in the theatre. As things actually turned out, producers began to neglect movie stereosound from the very moment that multichannel reproduction of music in the home soared to the zenith of popularity. CinemaScope stereosound admittedly suffered from technical ineptitudes which proved distracting to audiences, but some of the early attempts in this sound medium were pleasing and effective. We know that optical-track recording is more serviceable than magnetic for monaural motion-picture sound, but the 4-track magnetic process is more convenient than multitrack optical for stereophonic reproduction, and the extra cost of magnetically striped prints is not excessive. Nevertheless, the producers seem unable to look beyond the added costs to the realism of the results and the benefits of patron satisfaction. Stereophonic sound may contribute little or nothing to standard non-anamorphic projection, but it is a definite advantage to spectacular CinemaScope pictures in natural color. Question 2: There are not at present any complete listings of the type of sound available on current and future releases. This lack is just another example of the narrowvisioned. dead-head policies of an industry which goes on and on courting financial disaster through a deliberate process of business stagnation. Exhibitors' trade publications should be pressured into obtaining and publishing this vital information, inasmuch as the thousands of theatre owners who have gone to the expense of installing stereosound equipment have an indisputable right to know of International Projectionist March 1963