The Film Daily (1929)

.l-iday, July 19, 1929 VARNERS ENTER SUPPLY BUSINESS ON SEPT. 1 Paramount Ready to Produce Wide Pictures via Magnaftlm (Continued from Page 1) t adjoin the Warner home office on lb St. Rodner, former New York extangcman, who recently returned I'm Germany where he went on a iL-cial mission for Warners, states |kt conferences with manufacturers [licatc that there will he an abundIbe of product available for dispution by the new firm. He de[nes, however, to list any of the Uts to be handled. (herniavsky Claims a New bund Device for Cartoons list Coast Bureau, THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — A new device called 'hythmical Drawings," a method ■be used for the sounding of ani■ted cartoons, has been developed H copyrighted by Joseph CherniavI, director general of music at Unisal. The method claims to make II of the most intricate sounds and lloguc and to synchronize these Hh the animated drawings. Ikn experimental short using the !crniavsky method, was shown a I days ago, showing a horse doi a tap dance. Every break and b was heard and timed even the rtonc of the tap sounds, being ailed for in the execution of the ice by the drawn figure of the nal. Other bits shown were the nals playing various musical inments. omplete details of the method are ig held a secret by Cherniavsky. does explain that the scorings recordings are made before the vvings are, but that the artists k with a cue sheet and listen in the reproduced recordings while :ing the drawings. ward for Vandals in Akron Exhibitor Fight kron, O.— Reward of $1,000 for st and conviction of bombers of Ideal here has been posted by I exhibitors. A reward also1 will paid for information leading to 'iction of vandals who damaged Allen and Dome and placed a b in the yard of Frank C. Buben, ager of the National and Palace, threw stench bombs in other thei and homes of owners. Exhibi do not believe the Dome was aged by lightning, as police have rted. There have been difficulties een local exhibitors and operator the last three months. (Continued from Page 1) 17 ft. wide and 13 ft. high was flashed on the screen. Production via the Paramount process calls for specially built cameras utilizing a film 56 mm. wide as against the present standard film which is 35 mm. wide. Projection, it was explained yesterday, is secured over machines now in general theater use except for a specially constructed head through which the 56 mm. film passes and is then thrown on the screen through a lens prepared for this specific purpose. As an indication of how adaptable Magnafilm and its operating mechanism is, regular performances of "Thunderbolt" were resumed at the Rivoli yesterday approximately onehour after the special wide angle film was demonstrated to prominent figures in the industry and assembled newspaper men. The demonstration, which included shir's of the seashore and a country road, as well as the four reel talking and singing feature, lasted for more than an hour. Wide film is not new, having been used 3.3 years ago. The first recent application, however, was demonstrated on the night of Dec. 6, 1926 when Paramount introduced the Magnascope in connection with "Old Ironsides" in New York. The effect on the audience at the premiere of that picture was electritying when suddenly the screen filled the entire stage width. The increased size of the picture through Magnascope was obtained by the use of magnifying lenses and not from increased film width. It was then that Adolph Zukor had Lorenzo Del Riccio. who developed the Magnascope, begin intensive work on wide film. Work was carried on by Del Riccio and a staff of assistants at the Paramount studios in Hollywood and New York. Just as they were developing their cameras and lenses for wide film, sound projected itself into the picture. This brought forth an entirely new problem. To meet this Zukor had Mr. Del Riccio equip a new laboratory across the street from the Paramount studio' in Astoria, L. I., and there for the last two years he has been working on Magnafilm which was demonstrated yesterday. Zukor set down three points to be given first consideration by Del Riccio in his experiments. First — There must be no change in sound equipment through the use of wide film; second, the screen must not be so high that the balcony in the average theater would cut off the view of the top of the screen; and third, the change in projection equipment should be kept in minimum so that the use of wide film would not put an expensive burden on the exhibitor. With these stipulations in mind Del Riccio developed Magnafilm. It is 56 mm. wide and \9y2 mm. high. The sound track is on the film the same as on the standard size film. The projection equipment has been so built that it can be put on the standard projection machine in a few minutes and can be adjusted to throw a picture on the screen that will fit the special requirements of the individual theater. The subjects which were demonstrated yesterday were photographed by a specially built camera. "In building this camera one of our most important problems was to get the proper photographic lenses," explained Del Riccio. "This was necessary because heretofore, lenses have not been designed that cover an area greater than the standard film, which is approximately one inch. In the past special prisms, revolving lenses, and auxiliary elements have been employed, but none have given the same quality as we have obtained on standard film. "This meant that a good deal of time had to be spent in research and lens development and we have now a new type of photographic lens as well as projection lens equipment. "For the first time in the history of the motion picture business, projection lenses have been made which correspond in formula and design to the type of lens used in photographing the picture." The picture shown yesterday "You're In the Army Now," was produced at the Paramount Long Island studio. Plans are now being made to produce Paramount Magnafilm features. Jesse L. Lasky has already ordered the organization of a force of mechanics for the purpose of building new cameras and equipment. U. A. SELLS 6 EXCHANGES IN FAR EAST TO M-G M (Continued from Page 1) Aomori, Kiushu and Osaka in Japan from which is handled not only lu l3.1*," .comPa"y b"t India and the Philippines as well. I„ Java> M-G-M secures the U. A. office in Weltevreden and in Straits Settlements, the exchange at Singapore which also operates all through the Federated Malay States, Indo-China and Siam. Universal Planning to Wire AH Houses of Chain Universal theaters are to be 100 per cent equipped for sound reproduction via the Western Electric system, states Fred A. Flader, general manager of the chain. Louis Cohen, who is in New York from the Coast, is carrying on real estate operations, disposing of houses considered strategically poor for the circuit, and mapping plans for expansion m various sections. Efforts Declared Made to End Strike at New Haven New Haven— Efforts are reported being made to settle the differences between local suburban exhibitors and operators. Downtown houses are operating with union help, meeting demands for two operators in the booth of sound houses. Theaters running open shop are the Howard, Whalley, Pequot, Garden, Dixwell, Lyric, Lawrence, Whiteway, Apollo, Dreamland, Winchester, Strand and Cannon's. Remodeling Lynn House nn, Mass. — E. M. Loew circuit anning to remodel the Pythian ale and increase seating capacity 200. When the remodeling is deted, the Loew chain, it is unood, will relinquish interest in Capitol, lease of which has been ubject of litigation. Solution to Sound Ills Sought by Jersey Unit (Continued from Page 1) will be stressed in his annual talk by Seider. Abram F. Myers, president of Allied States Ass'n, is scheduled to address todav's session. Whether Seider can be induced to run for reelection is problematical. Paramount Gets N. Y. Property Property behind the Criterion theater, on West 44th and 45th St., New York, has been acquired by Seneca Holding Corp., affiliated with Paramount. Winston-Salem House Remodeled Winston-Salem, N. C. — Remodeling of the Ideal here has been completed. Paramount Has 4 Omaha First Runs by New Deal (Continued from Page 1) Riviera, atmospheric house constructed by John Eberson, and the Rialto. There 'has been intense competition between the World, particularly, and the Paramount houses, since the World set in Fanchon & Marco presentations. Paramount tried operation of its houses on a straight sound film policy, but discarded this policy after a several weeks' test. Death Threat Made in Memphis Operator "War" Memphis — Labor troubles here are blamed for the series of outrages experienced by local theaters, culminating in a death threat against operator of the Ace theater. The operator is a member of the National Ass'n of Projectionists, operating under a Tennessee charter, but not affiliated with the American Federations of Labor. A bomb recently was discovered, following an incendiary fire at the Madison. An operator employed at the Country Club quit after he said two attempts were made to burn and bomb his automobile. Reward for Montgomery Vandals Montgomery, Ala. — Reward of $100 has been posted for conviction of vandals who placed stench bombs in three theaters here. New Milwaukee House Planned Milwaukee — U.rtattached Chicago and New York capital is said to be backing a project for the erection of a new $500,000 lower East Side theater here to be known as the Sienkiewicz, after the Polish author. Work on the new house will start this fall or early next spring, according to S. F. Kadow, Milwaukee architect, who has been retained to draw up the plans. Marion, O., House Reopens Marion, O. — The Orpheum, closed for some time, has been reopened under the management of George Malles.