The Bioscope (Jul-Sep 1931)

ii THE BIOSCOPE time. For instance, it can turn off the emergency night lights and turn on the heating equipment, and generally can control circuits on or off, together or singly, at any predetermined time. In spite of its amazing complications, the switch is only a small one, about 10 bv 5 by 5 in., and weighs only 6.1 lbs. Compare with Ours These figures, relating to the way America makes use of modem electrical inventions, are suggestive. There are approximately 13,500,000 homes in the States with telephones installed, and between fourteen and fifteen million homes where radio is installed. The telephone service has been in operation for 53 years, the electric power industry dates back for about 49 years, and there have been only ten active years of radio development. The figures show that in all three branches there has been a greater proportionate acceptance of the new devices than in this country. Incidentally, the world’s production of electricity last year has been calculated at 300,000,000,000 kilowatt hours, of which the States produced about 41 per cent. This shows a reduction on previous estimates when America’s proportion was nearly 50 per cent. Compliment to " Ship ” Kenneth Paterson, director of the film section of the British Empire Trade Exhibition, Buenos Aires, in the course of a letter to Messrs. Chas. H. Champion, says : “ May I take this opportunity of informing you how exceedingly pleased both my operators and I were with the performance of the ' Ship ’ Carbons which you provided. In their long journey of 7,000 miles they did not suffer the slightest damage, and it was remarked by everybody what excellent pictures were on view in our cinemas, which, after all, were only improvised for the period during which the Exhibition lasted. A great deal of this credit is due to the excellence of your carbons, and I should have no hesitation in recommending them to potential users anywhere.” Deeper and Deeper Yet ! The deepest hole man has ever made in the earth has recently been drilled in the oilfields of California. It was a marvellous engineering feat, for this hole goes down no less than 10,000 ft., approximately two miles. Our pessimists are invited to take comfort from the fact that the film business has not sunk as deep as that yet ! MODERN CINEMA TECHNIQUE Light, “ ad lib ” ! The Brooklyn Edison Company has just completed an industrial film of its Hudson Street, Brooklyn, plant and it is chiefly notable for cinematographers, because the cameraman has been given a most unusual amount of illumination to enable him to secure satisfactory results. He has been backed up by a pair of Hall & Connolly 180-ampere High Intensity Searchlights with 100,000 candle-power burners. Used in conjunction with standard U.S. Navy 36-in. parabolic reflectors, the lights each produce 325,000,000 beam candle-power. It is said that this light, if used as a modem searchlight, would be sufficient to pick up a big-gun target at a distance of 18 miles. The film will show the interior of the plant in operation and the progress made in the installation of new equipment. It will be used to educate the employees of the company in the functions and management of the different items of apparatus and also to give the public an idea of the vast sums and skilled labour necessary to establish and run a modem engineering station. Noteworthy Progress The list just to hand showing recent installations of British Thomson-Houston talking apparatus reminds me that quietly, and without any fuss, this excellent equipment has established itself as the second best seller in this country, a fact all the more surprising in view of the relatively brief period in which it has been available. The number of installations is now round the 500 mark and establishes a state of affairs of which British Thomson-Houston must be justi&ably very proud. The installations announced this week include : Picture House, New Milns, N.B. ; New Palace, Leyland ; Hippodrome, Bo'ness ; Picture House, Rowlands Gill ; Star Picture House, Huddersfield ; Heaton Park Cinema, Manchester ; Garrick Cinema, May bole ; Picture House, Sheringham ; Radway Theatre Sidmouth ; Palace Cinema, Irlam. Keeping Volume Right In the main, the control of volume is maintained from the projection box, with the monitor speaker as a rough guide to the volume necessary. Even where auditorium controls have been installed they are not commonly used after their novelty has been outlived. Carl Dreher, director of the R.K.O. Sound Department, points out that the man September 9, 1931 in the projection room is often severely handicapped in his judgment of quality by the fact that he is listening in a noisy place on a loud speaker which does not give him an accurate impression of what is happening in the theatre. For several years Dreher says that it has been his conviction that the only solution of this problem in large theatres is direct adjustment of volume from a representative seat in the house. The thing cannot be done with the requisite speed and finesse through a signal system. It is too much like driving an automobile by signals from the back seat. Of course, the future may see a development of automatic means of adjusting volume in projection, but as long as manual equipment must be used it would appear that remote volume control in the large theatre is a desirable adjunct to the usual facilities and with it a competent technician possessing knowledge of music and practical acoustics. New Stethoscope I hear some interesting rumours regarding a new electrical stethoscope which Western Electric have been demonstrating to some New Zealand medicos. This instrument is said to have made revolutionary strides in assisting auscultatory diagnoses. So far no details are available but the context of the paragraph suggests that use has been made of amplification. Cooke Lenses Lenses by T. T. & H. — -which everyone knows means by Taylor, Taylor & Hobson — are enjoying remarkable success. They are fitted as standard on all Bell & Howell cameras, both professional and amateur, and their success in the latter field has been exceptionally marked. Most projectionists have had experience with these lenses and so need no real prompting as to their merits. And every studio is well aware of Cooke lenses and the fine results they give. So when I add that many of the optical systems used in sound heads are the product of this British firm, perhaps you will remember to take your next lens problem to them for solution. Taylor Hobson will find you a good solution. Obliging Assistant Cameraman (hinting for a raise) — -My wife and I are finding it increasingly difficult to live on my salary. Studio Manager — Well, what do you want me to do ? Arrange a divorce for you ? F.F. THE LATEST AND MOST UP-TO-DATE SYSTEM OF DECORATION ,iu.e, hre I ECLIPSE PAINT OR I can Be Tr°:> UQU,D WALLPAPER I Plain or Most Lustrous Schemes in all Classes of Decoration Full Particulars From : — LINDUM ENGINEERING CO. LTD. 39, VICTORIA STREET, LONDON, S.W.I Phone: VICTORIA 1540