Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1930)

48 Better Theatres Section 20/40 to 100/200 Ampere 2-Bearing Actodector Arcs of Uniform Intensity Projection arcs of unvarying brilliance and uniform intensity — even during change-overs — are assured by the use of Roth Actodectors. They are particularly suited to sound equipment because of their quiet operation which results from proper design, liberal proportions, dynamic balance and exceptional commutation. Furnished in both 2-bearing and 4-bearing types — Various sizes from 20 to 600 ampere capacity — Standard voltages of 75, 85 and 100 volts. ROTH BROTHERS AND COMPANY Division of Century Electric Company 1400 W.Adams St. » » » » Chicago, Illinois THEY KEEP A-RUNNING" ,-*»***,„ Proper projection PURGED SCREENS TfifeKHr* P»y only that "«■ Sole by , 250, LJa* ^Corporation M Toledo, Ohio 1 * White Light | November 22, 1930 go into it as a regular thing, but it sure is hard to make the union in Rochester. They offer no encouragement at all. Of course I don't blame them. Times are hard and theatres are closing up, but I think that if I learn all that I can I'll get a chance sometime. Mr. Lewis Townsend, who was chief projectionist at the Eastman theatre in Rochester, says that there is a lot of room in this field yet. Do you think that it is an opportune move on my part to plan on entering it? "I hope that all this hasn't bothered you too much and take this opportunity to thank you in advance for the information." I, myself, am not, and never have been, so very certain as to the value of a monitor horn. My own view is that it would be far better if some sort of a speaking tube arrangement be run from the horns themselves to the projection room. That would, it seems to me, be not at all difficult to do, nor a very expensive one either. It need be only a sheet metal pipe, perhaps two inches in diameter, which could be run either through the basement or over the ceiling. It could be joined to the horns by means of a rubber hose attachment and could end in the projection room in a mouthpiece so that the projectionist could listen to the sound at any time he wished to, without the annoyance of the continual bla-bla-bla of a horn located in the room. I don't know through just what length of pipe sound would be most distinct, but I do know that one time when I was engineer at a coal mine, I ran a two-inch iron pipe more than 200 feet and used it as a speaking tube. It had one right angle bend and worked perfectly. I agree with Friend Allen, that the monitor horn is more or less of an infernal nuisance. I merely offer the foregoing as one possible satisfactory substitute. As to the second question, there is, in my judgment, no good reason for sending out reels as short as those referred to. They are a nuisance to the projectionist, and as far as I am able to understand, they serve no really good purpose. With the projection room properly ventilated, so that all smoke and gas will be carried away in case of fire, it seems to me that there is no objection to the 2,000-foot reel which overbalances its many advantages. I do not believe the 2,000-foot reel should be discarded, if it is possible to retain it. Of course, it must be remembered that the length of a reel is now partly dictated by the considerations of disc recording. With discs there is not only a changeover of film, but a separate changeover of sound record, and the disc record is made to end at the most advantageous place. With regard to question three, the only thing one could do would be to install a narrow cloth curtain on the left side to match the screen border in color, so arranged that it can be moved in and out. A manager certainly should co