Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Jul-Sep 1928)

32 EXHIBITORS HERALD and MOVING PICTURE WORLD July 14, 1928 The Status of Synchronized Pictures Today The initial issue of this department carried the first and only complete and authentic picture of the developments in synchronized pictures up to that date. But in the intervening period developments in this newest of entertainment arts have progressed with such surprising rapidity, that that picture is no longer complete. This article, an A B C of synchronized pictures, which begins on page 19, presents the status of synchronized picture developments up to date. The Herald-World, by presenting news, service features on advertising and exploitation and a school of synchronized pictures and amplification, is the only paper in the industry giving every phase of sound picture progress. (Continued from page 19) sented as simply as possible. A brief history — For years experiments were conducted in attempts to evolve "talking pictures," but three factors combined to make the synchronized picture of today commercially advantageous. They were: 1, electrical recording on discs, as developed by talking machine engineers; 2, the microphone, which made it possible to use electrical recording devices; 3, the socalled public address system of horns and amplifiers. Some interesting demonstrations were given, notably one by Lee DeForest, but the first system to enter the commercial field on a bie scale was Vitaphone. By the Vitaphone method discs were made to be operated at the same time and at the same speed as the motion picture projector. Vitaphone Actively Enters Field Vitaphone actively entered the field in August, 1926, when engineers of the Bell Experimental Laboratories, working for the Western Electric and American Telegraph & Telephone organizations, interested Walter Rich of Warner Brothers. Warners, of course, still use Vitaphone. Meanwhile, William Fox interested himself in experiments conducted by DeForest and by T. W. Case, whereby sound was to be recorded on film. Recording was promptly found to be fairly simple, but reproducing presented problems that took some time and thought to solve. The Warners, at that time, were the sole licensees of Western Electric, permitted in turn to license others. They licensed Fox to use the public address part of their Vitaphone system and in March of 1927 appeared the first Movietone, which recorded sound on film and reproduced therefrom. A rearrangement of contracts between the Warners and Western Electric followed. Western Electric got back the handling of licenses and now has the sole right to license producers to use its sound recording devices, whether on film or disc. Other companies were not idle. The Radio Corporation of America, an ally of the Western Electric in many enterprises during the war, became a strong rival. RCA engineers developed the Photophone, also a system whereby sound is recorded on film-, a system with its own strong points. Others came into the field until today new ones are popping up in every corner of the world. Here are some of the more important American systems and the film companies already signed: Western Electric Western Electric, licensing both film and disc methods: 1 — Warner, with Vitaphone, disc. 2 — Fox-Case, with Movietone, film. 3 — Paramount, Movietone by arrang-ement with Fox, which may be made either on film or disc. 4 — Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Movietone, by arrangement with Fox, film or disc. 5 — United Artists, Movietone, by arrangement with Fox, film or disc. 6 — Hal Roach Comedies, expected to use film. 7 — Christie comedies, mostly Movietone, film. RCA Photophone RCA Photophone has signed the following, all using sound on film: 1— F B O. 2 — Pathe, beginning with "King of KlngB." 3 — First National, originally slated to go Western By PETER VISCHER Electric with Firnatone, a disc device like Vitaphone. 4 — ^Mack Sennett Comedies. Cortellaphone Cortellaphone, disc or film, has signed: 1 — Buck Jones Westerns. Vocafilm Vocafilm, a disc method, has begun with: \ — Educational, on a tentative arrangement. Some Not Yet Signed From this list it is obvious that several producers have not yet signed with one system or another. Among them are: Columbia — studying three systems, expects to announce contract with "one of the biggest" in a few days, probably Western Electric, using film; Gotham — also studying several systems, expects to sign with a big company within a short time, prob^ ably RCA. Tiffany-Stahl — studying the market, announcement expected soon; closing with a big organization, probably Western Electric. Universal — will synchronize 18 big pictures, the first two, "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and "The Man Who Laughs" Lieber of F N Warns Against Sound Films Robert Lieber ot First National has expressed strong doubts as to the possibilities of talking Bltns, according to dispatches from Berlin printed in The Bioscope, English Sim journal. According to the story, Lieber, at a dinner held in Berlin in bis honor, pointed out that talking pictures were apt to endanger the internationalism of £lms. already being made by Movietone; full program to be announced soon. World-Wide Films — studying the market here and abroad, announcement expected in a week or so when J. D. Williams returns from Europe. So much for what has already been done. Here Are the Systems The companies that are still undecided may use one of the systems listed here, a list probably not complete when one considers that new ones are arriving almost every day: 1 — Western Electric, disc or film. 2 — R C A Photophone, film. 3 — Cortellaphone, disc or film. A — Vocafilm, disc. 5 — Cinephone, made by Pat Powers, disc or film. 6 — Madalatone, film. 7 — Bristolphone. 8 — Han-A-Phone. 9 — Kaleidaphone, and others. It will be noted that the DeForest organization, the DeForest Phonofilm, is not mentioned as seeking business. This company is at present formulating a policy pending legal actions already under way. DeForest, one of the first to present sound on film, claims basic patents and contemplates an entry into this competition from the door that leads to the law courts. Reproducing System Is Problem The producers and the systems that have been chosen have now been listed. The sound reproducing systems have been listed. What remains, then, is the problem of equipment for the producer. Consider first Western Electric. They claim that 400 installations of their sound projector system, leased through Electrical Research Products, Inc., have already been made. They say that 95 per cent of their theatres are so equipped that film or disc reproduction is available. They say all you need are attachments and wiring, no new projector, but wiring problems vary so that prices range from $5,000 to $15,000 for a 15-year rental. Incidentally, Western Electric will not promise results if their film is used on rival projectors, or if rival film is used on their machines. Then consider the RCA Photophone equipment. Photophone furnishes complete projectors, with sound-boxes built in. They claim more perfect reproduction than any other system, because their reproduction is not afifected by underdeveloping or overdeveloping of film, nor by jumping needles on discs. They promise full-sized pictures. They are putting in demonstration sets at the Gaiety theatre in New York and at the Biltmore in Los Angeles, offering general distribution by September. Their prices run as follows: For a theatre seating up to 750, $7,500 for a 10-year rental; for a theatre seating up to 1,500, $9,000 for 10 years; for a theatre seating up to 3,000, $12,500 for 10 years; for a theatre seating more than 3,000, about $16,000 for 10 years. Has 2,000 Machines Ready The Cortellaphone claims to be a combination device, using film and disc. Scoring is done by a hairline on the film between the picture and the sprocket holes, not interfering with the size of the picture. The machine weighs 300 pounds and can be installed in three hours, promised at less than $500. The company says it has 2,000 Cortellaphones ready for installation between now and December 31. The Vocafilm is a disc system with a horn in front of the screen, demonstrated with success in New York when "Babe Comes Home" was shown, if one will overlook a bad first day. The advantage of this system, it is claimed, is that it promises to be quite inexpensive as compared with some disc machines. Cinephone employs both film and disc, made available through an attachment to the projector. The advantages claimed for the Cinephone lie in a fine quality of tone and an inexpensive installation, with prices not yet ready for announcement. The Madalatone, developed by Ferdinand von Madaler, long an expert with the Columbia Phonograph Company, reproduces sound from a single groove on the film. This equipment consists of two sprockets and a stand placed between the upper magazine and the head, to be sold for $1,000. It uses neither phonographic records, as do the disc systems, nor photoelectric coils, but gets its sound from the film itself. A New York demonstration is promised during the next two weeks. Most of the others are disc devices of one sort or another, with the advantage of small cost. Details are not yet available but will probably be brought forth in the not distant future.