The Film Daily (1945)

/5 p :J ^^ 10 / / tw^' TT^T? DAILY W>-; Friday, August 10, ll! 'SIratovision' Speeds (ConHnued from Page 1) the first model is being built at a Martin plant — which would include four television transmitters, five FM transmitters, monitoring equipment, and sufficient relaying equipment to carry four tele programs and five FM programs, plus system communications channels. Westinghouse estimates that one plane, telecasting with small transmitters can serve approximately 103,000 square miles or about the combined area of New York State, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, with nine programs. National Network Possible By operating eight planes, over New York, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Kansas City, Western Nebraska, Western Colorado, Salt Lake City and Los Angeles, a nationwide network can be established, and by adding six more Stratovision planes over Durham, Atlanta, Memphis, Dallas, Sacramento and Portland, approximately 51 per cent of the area and 78 per cent of the population of the U. S. will be within the primary area of the nine bands of television and FM transmitters carried aloft. Result of the method is expected to materially hasten the advent of theater television, in addition to moving up the date when national television will be a reality, with attendant advantages to networks able to offer advertisers coverage for their programs, plus the opening of the market for television receiver sales. Charles E. Nobles, Westinghouse radar expert and originator of Stratovision, and William K. Ebel, vicepresident in charge of engineering of the Glenn L. Martin Co., announced the startling development yesterday at a press conference. Much Vaster Coverage Pointing out that the effective operating range of ground bound television and FM transmitters is only about 50 miles, and that difficult tube problems at high frequencies and wide wave bands limit color television even more. Nobles said that the plane, flying at 30,000 feet could deliver the same signal over a radius of about 200 miles with a one kilowatt transmitter that a ground sta Ask Vets, as 25 P. C. Of Circuit Personnel Chicago — Local theater circuits are being urged by James Simpson, Jr., president of Industry for Veterans, to pledge jobs to returned service men, up to 25 per cent of post-war employment. Tom Wilhem is publicity director for drive. HOLLYWOOD SPEAKING Br BALPH VfUJL' HOLLYWOOD pOBERT RISKIN, whose first indie production since his resignation as chief of the OWI Overseas Motion Picture Bureau will be "The Magic City," is combing the story marts for a narrative dealing with "hinterlanders." Riskin for his second production wants a motion picture with its basis in communities of less than 50,000 population. • • QTAYING on at Universal, Franchot Tone ^ will be seen with Deanna Durbin and Charles Laughton in "Because of Him," earlier dubbed "Catherine the Last." • • Marjorie Riordan, formerly under contract to Warners, has been signed by Universal for the feminine lead in "The Fugitive," a Sherlock Holmes picture. • • Phil Regan, Monogram star, has been booked for a week of personal appearances at the Los Angeles Orpheum Theater, opening August 21. • • Edward Dmytryk has been signed to direct RKO's proposed "They Dream of Home," a soldier rehabilitation film to be based on a novel by-Niven Busch. John Payne will appear opposite Maureen O'Hara in Twentieth-Fox's "Sentimental" Journey," in which William Bendix will also be starred. • • Fred Zinneman will direct "Army Brat" at M-G-M. This is an Army post story in which Jackie Jenkins and Sharon McManus, two of the studio's child players, will be featured. • • Eugene Shuftan, former camera wizard for UFA, has been signed by PRC as producticn supervisor on "The Wife of Monte Cristo," a Leon Fromkess production, directed by Edgar Ulmer. Paul Kelly, who recently completed his co-starring role with Kay Francis and Otto Kruger in Monogram's "Allotment Wives," has signed for his first stage role in 12 years in "Beggars Are Coming to Town," Oscar Serlin's stage production in which he will be featured with Dorothy Comingore and Ricardo Cortez. Kelly leaves Hollywood Sept. 4 fcr rehearsals, and the show breaks in at Bridgeport, Conn., Oct. 5-6, with two weeks in Boston to follow before it opens en New York's Broadway. tion could send over 50 miles with a 50 kilowatt broadcast. Nobles also noted that proposed plans for television networks embrace a coaxial cable network, estimated to cost some $100,000,000 and to be completed about 1950, or a system of 100 radio relay stations to be located about 35 miles apart to link the West and East coasts. Additional services would be required t,o furnish tele signals to stations not located near the proposed trunks. In addition, he said, signal distortion multiplies at each relay point. Says Color Is Practical Airborne transmitters offer the solution. Nobles claims, by reducing the number of relay points required and increasing the area covered by smaller-powered transmitters possible with today's tubes. Even color television, now handicapped because of tube limitations, is practical from a one killowatt transmitter in a 30,000 feet high plane, he said. Nobles' claims for economy stem from the nine transmitters to be carried in each plane, in addition to a similar number of bands of relay equipment. With four television programs and five FM broadcasts charged against operating costs of one airplane, costs are figured at |1,000 per hour for each band, compared to a cost of about $13,000 per hour for equivalent coverage from ground stations. Other advantages include the channelling of television to many people in small urban and rural districts who would never receive it otherwise because they live in districts too sparsely settled to support a station; immediate placing of highdefinition color television on an equal footing technically with present black and white low-definition telecasts; increased sources of program ma terial, and the elimination of complicated antenna and "ghosting" problems with all programs coming from one direction at any receiver. Sees Problems Solvable "We at Westinghouse feel that the technical problems involved in putting this system into operation are capable of solution," Nobles concluded, "and are easier than those involved in the presently planned system. We also feel that the economic problem is much more attractive and that it is the only television system yet proposed which will make television available to millions of listeners in rural districts and small towns." In explaining Martin's part in the development. Ebel pointed out that the company had considered such problems as weather and reliability of service, before designing the Stratovision plane. As the plan is worked out, two planes will be in the air over each area at all times, with planes taking off at fourhour intervals remaining at 30,000 feet for eight hours each. Can Overcome Weather Martin holds that weather at that altitude can be overcome by wardeveloped radar equipment methods developed for preventing ice formation, and that planes will be able to land and take ofi" in what laymen consider impossible ground conditions. On the rare occasions when thunderheads affect an area, a plane will be able to cover its territory by slightly shifting its normal position, Ebel claims. Planes will each require an operation crew of three, including pilot, co-pilot and radar operator-navigator, with the broadcast equipment to be handled by six operators. A lounge will be provided for relaxation. Surplus Film Equip. To SdiooISc Colleges! (Continued from Page 1) be the policy of the Surplus Prope Board, it was disclosed here yest day. A survey of the needs for itiB of film equipment, which/'^.be made by the U. S. Office of L j'lati with co-operation of State Boards Education, will form basis for ' disposal program. Surplus films of subjects suita for school showing will also be av! able to educational institutions, pri ably by a circulating library systt It was stressed, however, that th( films will not nearly satisfy the creased demand which wlil res from a wider distribution of proj tion equipment. This demand v have to be met by commercial p: ducers. Confidence was expressed in b( the Office of Education and the Si plus Property Board that the pol; of preferential treatment for edui tional users of all this equipment v react to the advantage of the fi industry in widening their marke i Second RKO Regional Tees Off in Cincinnati (Continued from Page 1) and salesmen from Cleveland, I, troit, Indianapolis, Dallas, Atlan; New Orleans, Charlotte, Oklahoi City and Memphis. Ned E. DepUi will preside. Attending from the home office S\ Depinet, Robert Mochrie, M. G. P, ler, Harry Michalson, S. Ban McCormick, Terry Turner, A. Schwalberg, Leo Samuels, Nat Lei and Charles Levy. Subsequent meetings will be h( in Chicago Aug. 14-16 and Los -Ai geles Aug. 20-22. Sol Schwartz, manager of RI out-of-town theaters, will be host the delegates at a cocktail-buffet 1 morrow and at the Blackstone Hot! Chicago, on Wednesday. New Cuban Flesh Decree May Slash Film Rentals (Continued from Page 1) the same proportion paid for p: tures. In the opinion of some foreij managers, rentals in Cuba may cut at least 50 per cent. New D. A. on Films Arbitration Panel Albany — George J. Beldock, Brooklyn attorney, appointed by Governor Dewey as District Attorney of Kings county, to fill the unexpired term of William O'Dwyer resigned, among other attributes, is a member of the Motion Picture Arbitration PaneL