American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1941)

Fox was a fellow passenger on the Berengaria as I returned with my demonstration equipment from the Berlin Laboratory, he refused to meet me even to discuss the subject. And when in 1924 he returned to New York and I ed that Phonofilm was actually installed in some six of the Fox houses he peremptorily ordered them all taken out, without even deigning to witness a demonstration. Yet a year or so later, when the farsighted Courtland Smith had, almost surreptitiously, installed the Case equipment in the Tenth Avenue studio, Fox, then very likely aroused by reports of how "Vitaphone would astonish the world," lost no more time in tying up with the invention and launched a program which brought into being an eight million dollar "Movietone City." Even Sam Katz, astute purveyor of the newest and most daringly original acts and stunts for entertaining a blase public, turned in 1926 the glazing eye and the clammy hand to my lieutenants who sought a limited-term contract to roadshow this "short-lived novelty" of the "Talking Picture." Unquestionably it was the absolutely unique prescience and courage of Sam Warner, and later his brothers, which finally resulted in arousing the motion picture industry to the belated realization that here at last science and invention had created a new instrumentality, one which the mute public had long and patiently awaited; and which, once launched on the sea of public acceptance, was destined to sweep over those antiquated studios and half-empty theaters with a tidal wave of irresistible momentum, ruthlessly scrapping their worn-out equipment, outdating their time-honored technic, relegating their priceless art and high-priced artists to an oft-lamented limbo, at a cost in millions which staggered even the intoxicated imagination of Wall Street, in the millennium of predepression "rugged individualism." But although Vitaphone and phonograph-recording got away first in its race with film-recording, the terriffic handicaps of its involved technic, geometrically increasing as its public acceptance grew, inevitably led to its general abandonment in favor of the numerous practical advantages which I regarded at the very commencement of my researches as inherent to any photographic sound-on-film process. And while on the subject of future developments I venture to prophesy an independent volume-control sound-track, shown in an early patent, will, I believe, yet demonstrate its utility in the art. The second track offers certain advantages in dubbing, avoiding all photographic complications of superimposing a loud record upon a weaker, or the reverse. In general, the inherent limitations of the emulsion may be entirely eliminated by the use of the double sound-track. Although the author has been for the past five years quite outside of the then too crowded talking-picture activities, yet to look back upon all this history of invention, this genuine social revolution, this Caeserian birth of a national industry, in which it was his fortune to pioneer — is to me now at least a source of grim satisfaction, impossible to express. END. Academy Honors Still-Men Marking the first time in the history of the motion picture industry that official recognition has been extended the work of studio still photographers, the Public Relations Institute of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is sponsoring the First Annual Exhibition of the Artistry of Motion Picture Still Photographers. The exhibit opens on April 14 at the Academy's Review Theatre, 1455 North Gordon Street, Hollywood, and will continue until the night of April 27. Special gold medals will be awarded to the winners in the seven exhibit classifications. These groupings include: (1), posed portrait studies (male or female) made with 8x10 camera; (2), action portraits (male or female) more with either miniature, 4x5 or 8x10 camera at discretion of entrant; (3), posed production stills made with 8x10 camera; (4), action production stills (exterior) made with 8x10 camera; (5), action stills (any type) made with miniature camera or 4x5, with or without flashlights; (6), fashion stills (feminine) made with either 4x5 or 8x10 camera, and (7) most original idea in still picture, made with any type of camera during the filming of a motion picture or in a photographic studio on the lot. Entries in this latter class may be symbolistic, modernistic, futuristic, etc., but must be from a single negative rather than a montage or enlargement "trick" still. A total of 58 studio still photographers turned in 615 entries in these various classifications and, with six prints permissible in each entry, the judges have been faced with the huge task of analyzing 3690 individual prints. When the exhibit opens, all entries will be shown. It is stated that never before have so many photographs been assembled for pulicexhibition. Requests are reported coming in from art museums, camera clubs, etc., in all parts of the country, asking that the exhibit be sent to them for special exhibitions. The officials of the Academy are planning to send the exhibit on tour to these various museums. Present plans point to the exhibit traveling throughout the United States for the next tv. months. When the second annual hibit starts it is then planned to send this first one on a tour of South America. Committee in charge of the exhibit consists of Perry Lieber, chairman; John Joseph, Howard Strickling, George Brown, Louis Smith, Harry Brand, Robert Taplinger, Frank Seltzer, Jock Lawrence, John LeRov Johnston and Donald Gledhill. The classification committee is comprised of Gene O'Brien, Leo Leftcourt, Charles Goldie, Harry Cottrell, Mike McGreal, Dannie Thomas, John LeRoy Johnston, Perry Lieber and Hal Hall. Judges are: Peter Piening, Life: Vernon Pope, Look; Tom Maloney, U. S. Camera; Mike Kennedy, Chicago Tribune; Thomas Sherman, St. Louis Post Dispatch; Stanley Kalish. Milwaukee Journal; Arch Luther, Philadelphia Inquired; Warden Woollard, Los Angeles Examiner; Charles Judson, Los Angeles Daily News; Stanley Gordon, Los Angeles Times; Gene Withers, Los Angeles Herald-Express; Harold Swisher. Hollywood Citizen-News; George Watson, Acme Newspictures; Don Brinn, N. Y. Times-Wide World Photos; George Reineking, International News Photos; Dick Strobel, A. P. Photo Service; Gregg Toland, A.S.C., Cinematographer; Farciot Edouart, A.S.C. Technical Expert, and Ken Clayton, Des Moines RegisterTribune. The exhibit exhibit will be open to the public, and the committee announces that amateur camera fans will be permitted to bring their cameras and flash bulbs and photograph everything. END. CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING FOR SALE THE WORLD'S LARGEST VARIETY OF Studio and Laboratory equipment with latest improvements as used in Hollywood at tremendous savings. New and Used. Mitchell. BellHowell, Akeley, De Brie, Eyemo, animation process cameras, lenses, color magazines, adaptors, lighting equipment. silencing blimps, dollies, printers, splicers, moviolas, motors, light-testers, gear boxes, synchronizers. Guaranteed optically and mechanically perfect. Send for bargain catalogue. Hollywood Camera Exchange. 1600 Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood, Calif. NEW. USED. REBUILT. STUDIO, RECORDING AND LABORATORY EQUIPMENT. Cameras, Printers. Splicers. 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Hollywood WANTED TO BUY FOR CASH CAMERAS AND ACCESSORIES MITCHELL. B&H. EYEMO. DEBRIE. AKE1 EY I ALSO LABORATORY AND CUTTING ROOM j EQUIPMENT CAMERA EQUIPMENT COMPANY 1600 BROADWAY. NEW YORK CITY CABLE: CINEQUIP •JUL! April, Mill American Cinematographer