The Film Renter and Moving Picture News (Nov-Dec 1922)

12 THE FILM RENTER & MOVING PICTURE NEWS. December 2, 1922. ANOTHER BIRMINGHAM LIMITATION. What is a Desirable Rate of Projection ? (By our Birmingham Correspondent.) HE speed of projection was the principal topic for discussion at last Friday's meeting of the Birmingham C.E.A., over which Mr. Lewin P. Samuel presided. A Four-Year-Old Agreement. The subject was introduced by the receipt of a letter from Mr. C. E. Barker, clerk to the City Justices, which read :°* At a meeting of the Public Entertainments Committee of the Justices on Monday last it was reported that an inquiry had been received as to the speed at which films should be run, and the suggestion was made that in some cases the items arranged for the program necessitated the showing of the pictures at a greater rate than was desirable. Io owas asked to write to you and to suggest that the members of vour Association should) be reminded of the arrangement made at the meeting of the Joint Committee in January, 1918. As yon will remember in oa circular letter issued by Mr. Wheateroft on March 5, 1918, it was stated that the following matters have been fully discussed and agreed upon with the Joint Committee. No. 4. That. to avoid eve-strain, pictures shall not be run at a speed exceeding a maximum of 9,000 fect in two hours. I shall be glad to hear that the attention of your members has been called to this matter.”’ Unfair Competition. Mr. W. Devey rather ridiculed the idea that they should be limited to 9,000 feet programs, but Mr. W. H. Bull retorted that the agreement was that 12 minutes should be allowed for 1,000 feet. Mr. J. I. Lyons advised members to be careful taking exception to the justice’s reminder. was introduced for their own protection. The subject was originally brought before the Joint Committee with the full approval of the branch, because certain exhibitors were showing an exceptionally long program which made it bad for rival houses. The agreement was the outcome of unfair com before The agreement (Continued from previous page.) however, is the excepticnally polished acting of each individual player within the lines already indicated, and the magnificently intelligent work done by the crowds. In these latter scenes every individual is an actor—or, at least, appeared to be so— with the result that it was coinparatively easy to reach the standard of perfection attained in the great mass movements of the people in the revolution ecenes, and particularly in’ the impressive finale when Du Barry meets her fate by the guillotine. BADLY MANAGED FIRST NIGHT. To sum up, ‘ Passion ’’ is a great picture and a remarkable production. It has immensely dramatic situations which grip the imagination, and its acting afl round is as fine as anything we have seen upon the screen. Technieally it is perfeet, though here and there the photography is very hard in its strong black and white contrasts. That it will appeal to the public goes without saving, and the fact that it is German will merely give added interest to the picture from the publie point of view. But the entire absence of sentiment, which should have been there in abundance, if the characters had been true to life, detracts from its dramatic value, though it probably will not affect it as an Google petition, and it was no good to turn round after a few vears and say it was all nonsense. They might, however, suggest the insertion of 10,Q 0 feet instead of 9,000. : Improvement in Projectors. Mr. A. E. Parry argued that the projection of modern films at the rate of 4,500 fect per hour would result in great eve-strain, owing to flickering, He sugeested that 6,000 feet per hour was nearer the mark to-day, taking into consideration the marked Lprovement in projection which had taken place during recent veurs, Councillor McDonald reminded the meeting that the agreement arose through exhibitors going to the extreme and introducing twiceenighthy programs of 15.000 fect. While 5,000 feet per hour might be regarded as a moderate speed, they wanted to eliminate the 15,000) fect programs for a two-hour show. Mr. Parry sugeested that the branch should reply to the justices to the effect that. following upon the improvements in the films. and also projectors since the agreement was arrived at that 12,000 feet in two hours was a reasonable speed. Feet or Reels? Mr. Lyons thought the question had been raised again because of reports made by the inspectors that so many reels were shown. Those officers estimated the length of a program by the number of reels, and a reel was not necessarily 1,000 feet in Jeneth. Mr. Bull tavoured the formal acknowledgment of Mr. Barker's letter and the calling of a meeting of the Joint Committee to explain the position to the Justices’ representatives. A Suggested Rate of Projection. Eventually, the meeting accepted Mr. Samuel’s suggestion that a reply should be sent suggesting that the speed should be five to six thousand feet per hour, and that the question might be discussed by the joint committee. entertainment. In this connection we are inclined to think that the rather drawn-out overture and prologue somewhat detracted from the impression which the picture might otherwise have made on its first screening, and we are quite sure that the majority of those present were considerably irritated by the lateness of the hour at which the performance commenced— nearly three-quarters of an hour after schedule time. There is no excuse for unpunctuality such as this. EXPLOITING ‘“ FLAMES.” NOVEL means of exploiting ‘‘ Flames of Passion,”’ A which has succeeded ‘* Foolish Wives ’’ at the New Oxford, has been adopted at that theatre by the placing upon the marquises above the doorways cressets of iron, in which inflammable material burns most vigorously. There are some twenty or so of these fire receptacles, and their presence quickly drew the attention of preoccupied passers-by, who otherwise might not have noticed that the newer British play had deposed its American predecessor.