The Film Daily (1930)

DAILV Sunday, July 20, 1930 Theater Equipment By WILLIAM ORNSTEIN NEW HEAT RESISTING TRAPS BEING MADE BY BLUE SEAL Blue Seal Products of Brooklyn has kept pace with projector accessories and is manufacturing a new line of heat resisting film traps foi Simplex machines. All traps are made of an iron alloy and are guaranteed not to warp under the intense heat of the arc spot, a necessity for perfect projection of sound pictures. List of the different traps are: Film traps with sliding double round corner apertures, one aperture for disc and silent film and one cut proportional for Movietone film to be used with Blue Seal adaptors; Sliding double aperture plate; Film trap with individual mats for silent, movietone and magnascope effecttraps come with complete mats; Master plate to hold the mats stationary; standard aperture with square corners; proportional Movietone aperture with square corners, and blank mat (can be cut any size aperture). Minusa Cine Screen Co. Has Gold Fibre Product St. Louis — A new type of gold fibre sound screen is being manufactured by the Minusa Cine Screen Co. The screen is composed of the same products that is used for other Minusa materials. MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS of Every Type Consult Us and Save Money REPAIR SHOP with Experts on Professional Cameras Right on Premises uiicxoasHBys ▼▼ 110 West 32"St. New *>rk.MY «* Phone Penna. 0330 Motion Picture Department U. S. and Canada Agents fov Debrie Projector History By P. A. McGUIRE International Projector Corp. HPHERE is a faint reference to 1 something similar to motion pictures dating back several thousand years ago in China and other Asiatic countries. Egyptian, Roman, Italian, French, English and writers of other countries also have item of similar nature. Persistence of vision was recognized centuries ago and the illusion of motion was secured through the rapid revolving of drawings which gave an effect similar to what we secure today in motion pictures. Many noted scientists and of course thousands of other men became interested in the illusion of life secured through mechanical means, but nothing resembling to what we know today as motion pictures was accomplished until the coming of photography. That is such a vast subject, I must entirely ignore it in this particular article to make some quick jumps, and, in connection with motion nictures, simply mention such noted names as Wollaston, Sir Humphrey Davy, Wedgwood, Brewster, Farraday, Roget, Stampher, Miller, Plateau, Uchatius, Du Boscq, Beale, Devignes, Sellers, Dumont, Ducos de Hauron, Edwards, Hubert Lincoln, Brothers Hyatt. Then came the invention and development of the motion picture projectors and the following men must be given credit for much work and important improvements: A. B. Brown, Huyl, Marey, Muybridge, Moscrop, Reynaud, Goodwin, LePrince, Levinson, Adams, FrieseGreene, Anschutz, Mortimer Evans, Edison, Demeny, LeRoy, Latham, C. F. Jenkins, Blair, Gray, Riley Bros., Paul, Dunn, etc. There is a difference of opinion and much legal argument as to who deserves credit for the invention of the projector, but we will have to leave this to NETSCHERT'S TRUE to NATURE Art Flowers and Shrubs for Lobbies, Foyers, Stage, Orchestra Pit and Auditorium FRANK NETSCHERTJnc. 61 Barclay Street, New York, N. Y. Write for Catalogue 3 judges and readers who are interested to carefully investigate the matter and make their own decisions. Anyone who does make a decision can be assured that he will find many to disagree with him. The next stage covers what we may call the commercial history of motion picture projectors, closely allied to the commercial history of the motion picture industry. Historically the Edison projector, beginning in 1896, receives the most attention, but whether it was the first or the best at that time I do not know and I do not think anybody will ever know. Two names, Nicholas Power and Frank B. Cannock, stand out so prominently in the commercial history of the motion picture projector, I feel assured that the facts will justify my giving them preeminence in this phase of the development and wide use of the motion picture projector. Thousands of owners, managers and projectionists are aware that their first and practically only knowledge of projectors was through their use of Powers and Simplex. There were other projectors it i^ true, but I think it is a safe assertion that these two projectors were used by 75 to 90 per cent of motion picture houses in all the years that cover the tremendous development of the motion picture business from he first days of the Nickleodeon up bo the dazzling expansion that came with the DeLuxe theaters. To Nicholas Power should be given credit to the development of cafety devices and improvements which made projectors dependable and Frank Cannock undoubtedly 'dded those refinements, which gave higher standard of efficiency to he motion picture projector. The Simplex projector was developed at time which permitted higher engineering methods, but Nicholas Power accomplished much which was of great value to the motion picture industry, because he had an intimate knowledge of the requirements of the motion picture operator, or projectionist as he is known today. The industry grew like "Topsy" and the For Projection — Stage and Sound Installation IRWIN D. RATHSTONE Projection Booth Specialist 152 West 42nd St. New York Tel. Wisconsin 1721 beginning of all its great leaders wal certainly modest. The knowledge they developed was secured in a practical way and often through bit-l ter experience. It is, therefore, in-l teresting to know tnat the motion picture projector owed a tremendous amount of its development tol the manufacturers of projectors and practical projectionists. It is difficult to find any impor-! tant improvement in projectors, which was not the work of practical men. Engineers in the professional meaning of the word seem to have done nothing of any importance. Visual projection, upon which the motion picture industry was founded, continues to have the greatest value as a source of public entertainment and remains in the hands of practical men. The Grandeur projector is the result of 10 years' development work by the manufacturers of Simplex and Powers projectors. Few people, even in the industry, were aware of this when Grandeur pictures were introduced about a year ago. Few people have any knowledge of the vast experience and expenditures of time and money, which were required to produce the first Grandeur projector. Putting the projector on a production basis is also a gigantic task. Much time and thought is required to select with judgment from manyoriginal ideas, which are considered in the development of any mechanism. Many seemingly good ideas are not practicable, because of the financial or mechanical difficulties found in the way of putting them on a practical basis. Back of all the work done in the plant of the International Projector Corp. is a practical experience dating back over 25 years and a general knowledge of the entire history of motion pictures. It is doubtful that there is any phase of the improvement of visual projection, which is not considered by the officers and engineers of our company, and I think it will be assumed that we are better informed regarding the requirements of the industry than those who give ideas casual thought and do not see the obstacles in the way of practical accomplishment. The requirements of the industry are constantly studied by us and advancement is secured, limited only by the financial and mechanical difficulties to which we have already referred. I have been an advertising manager in this field for nearly 11 years, and do not claim to be a technical expert. If I may be permitted, I will, however, refer to myself as a publicity man, and upon that basis will indulge in a little enthusiasm and waving of the American flag. American motion picture projectors have the same basic superiority which has given American motion pictures international supremacy.