Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1931)

April 4 , 19 3 1 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 63 with an extra bracket containing a lamp previously adjusted, ready as a spare. "In Western Electric equipment, one lamp is used in the sound head, and another lamp, previously adjusted in its bracket, is on hand as spare. If the lamp in the projector goes bad, the spare bracket may be installed in a very short time. "To adjust the lamp, first place a white card in front of the sound gate aperture on which card will be seen a white spot which must be free from shadows and in sharp focus when the lamp is adjusted in its correct position. "The lamp should be clamped in its socket so that the filarnent is parallel with the slit which is in a horizontal plane. If there are shadows at the top, bottom or side of the spot on the card, the clamping screws of the vertical and sidewise adjustments must be loosened and the lamp moved to the position where the spot is free of shadows, whereupon the clamping screws are tightened. The exciting lamp must now be focused. This is done by loosening the clamping screw, and then carefully turning the adjusting screw until the sharpest possible focus is obtained at the spot on the card." AAA New Lens Turret THE International Projector Corporation is out with a Simplex improvement — a lens turret, concerning which that corporation is doing a lot of talking. Well, that's quite all right, for it really is a most excellent and welcome accessory. And now I will try and tell you exactly what it is. First of all, it may be applied to all models of Simplex projector, so if you have one with more or less gray whiskers, or the whiskers would be gray if projectors that old had any, still you may attach the new turret, and bring it that much up to date. The turret carries, or will carry, three projection lenses. One will of course be the regular silent film lens. The second may be a lens of sufficiently short focal length to cause the sound-on-the-film screen image to just fill the silent picture screen when an aperture mask of suitable 'proportions has been slipped into place. The third lens may be a "Magniscope." With this assembly the projectionist has only to rotate the turret one-third around to bring the next lens into position, which same may be don? in the fraction of a second. If neither silent nor sound-on-disc is used, or if magniscope is not used, then the idle opening may be fitted with a lens suitable for some other effect it may be desired to project. : The device does not necessitate the removal of any of the fire prevention devices, hence the fire prevention properties of projectors equipped with the turret are in no way impaired. The turret is so mounted that it rotates freely, though rigidly supported and entirely free from all vibration. ' There is a stop and suitable lock to hold the turret in the position desired. The change from one lens to another is accomplished bv moving a small lever which releases the lock, and rotating the turret in the desired direction. When the new position is arrived at the lock automatically snaps into position. With the turret a new film protector and gate latch assembly are supplied, which obviates the necessitv for the projectionist placing his hand inside the mechanism to close the gate when threadinar. An arrangement of three mirrors is provided in the rear end of the turret, by means of which the aperture mav be observed, in order to check up and make sure the franiing of the picture is correct after the film is in place over the aperture. The new turret has been so desiqfned that it mav be very easily attached to Simplex projector mechanisms of any model. This mav be done without cutting away anv part of the mechanism. Installation mav be attended to by the projectionist himself. He has only to carefully follow the excellent installation instructions which will accompanv each turret. The openings are made to accommodate "half size' lenses, 'but suitable adapters will be supplied for lenses of smaller diameters. The turret is well designed and handsome in appearance. It may be used on Simplex equipped with either front or rear rotating shutter. AAA Erpi Installations Now Reach 4,948 Total number of installations of Western Electric sound systems in the United States now total 4,948, according to Electrical Research. The theatres installed since the last report was published are; City and State Theatre Seats Kauai, Hawaii Kealia 474 Chatsworith, 111 Virginia 25S Qermont, Fla Reliance Philadelphia. Pa Elite 623 Chester, S. C City New York, N. Y Central Park 1762 Owatonna, Minn Tonna 492 Suisun, Cal Arlington Bristol, Tenn Paramount Buffalo, N. Y Circue Brooklyn, N. Y Nassau 514 Astoria, L. I Loew's Tri-Boro 3276 Newberry, S. C Ritz Hillsboro, 111 Orpheum 761 Rockwell City, la Empress North Platte, Neb .Paramount 1196 New York, N. Y B. & B Kansas City, Mo Aladdin 911 Des Moines, la Grand 544 Wakefield, R. I Opera House Orange, Cal Colonial Chicago, 111 Apollo 1478 Brooklyn, N. Y Teatro Gil 578 Kimball, W. Va Rialto 409 Mt. Dora, Fla Mt. Dora 474 Salina, Kans Fox Watson 1485 Amarillo, Tex Rialto 692 New Rochelle, N. Y Cameo 429 Nazareth, Pa Broad Pawtucket, R. I Broadway Hagerstown, Md Henry's 432 Forest Hills, L. I Inwood Helena, Ark Paramount Du Quoin, 111 Grand Des Moines, la Casino 587 Los Angeles, Cal Unique Los Angeles, Cal Fox Stadium AAA New Blood Needed? RECENTLY in conversation with a prominent projectionist of New York City a matter came up which set your editor's think works going. Said this projectionist, who is a man of long experience in the profession and quite prominent in its councils : "We are beginning to very badly need new blood in projection." Now I am least unwilling to pronounce that statement untrue. In fact, I am not at all certain but that it is based upon a solid foundation of fact. Until a relatively few years ago the motion picture industry was constantly growing. The number of theatres was increasing, thus new men were being brought into projection in large numbers. Today all that is changed. Existing theatres are tending to reduce rather than enlarge their projection force. The number of theatres also is decreasing. Instead of men being brought into projection they are now being dropped, and in considerable numbers, too. The projectionist of today finds himself rather well paid, when both the year-round steadiness of the work and the further fact that it is in many ways light, rather pleasant work is considered. This, of course, means that not many men are dropping out voluntarily, and those who do find their places quickly filled by others who have been forced out. Not only does this situation pretty thoroughly bar new blood for a time at least, but, due to the thorough organization of nearly all our cities, it is practically impossible for a new man to break into the city field until or unless an old man drops out by death or otherwise. Your editor does not feel disposed to comment much upon this situation at this time. It is merely briefly set before you, with the suggestion that, while this is perhaps inevitable, still in such work as projection it seems to make for a rather bad situation. New men entering the field of human endeavor have, for a considerable time at least, a rather keen interest in that field. They are "new brooms" and rather like to raise a dust. The very fact that new blood may offer serious competition has a decided tendency to keep the older men a bit on their toes, and anything which does that is beneficial. On the other hand, when men already in the business or profession for a considerable time are made, through the strength of organization or otherwise, to feel that their position is unassailable, they, in the very nature of things, are inclined to more or less lose that keen interest which is so necessary to excellence in any line of work. The business or profession is an old story to them. Its duties have become more or less monotonous and humdrum. They are inclined to and usually do settle down into a rut. The easiest way is to let things slide along, and that usually is just about what they proceed to do. I do not care to discuss this matter further at this time. I do believe, however, that since the time now is here when new blood can only enter in proportion as the old drops out, the unions which are to a considerable extent responsible for the condition, owe it to the motion picture industry, to the exhibitor and to projection as a profession, to find and apply some effective means for keeping interest in projection alive and keen. We will duscuss this particular problem more at length later. / 104 A. C. Units Installed by RCA RCA Photophone reports 104 complete A. C. sound units contracted for by exhibitors here and abroad. Of the number, 61 were domestic and 43 foreign. Of the latter, 26 were in England and 17 divided among houses in Chile, Argentina, the Philippines, India, Venezuela and South Africa. Erpi Staff Covered 5,000 Miles by Airplane in 1930 Service engineers of Erpi covered 5,000 miles by airplane in 1930 in response to 21 emergency calls, according to H. M. Wilcox, operations head. He also reported that service calls have decreased 90% since December, 1928. The greatest demand for plane use is in the West, where train service is limited. Fox Accessory Sales Set Company's Weekly Record Accessory sales of Fox for the week ending March 28, exceeded any previous week in the company's history, officials reported. Lee D. Balsley. sales head, saw the report as indicative of renewal of optimism by exhibitors.