Harrison's Reports (1931)

IN TWO SECTIONS— SECTION ONE Entered as second-class matter January 4, 1921, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 187f. Harrison’s Reports Yearly Subscription Rates: United States $15.00 U. S. Insular Possessions. . 16.00 Janada, Alaska 16.00 _exico, Spain, Cuba 16.00 Great Britain, New Zealand 16.00 Other Foreign Countries.. 17.50 35c a Copy 1440 BROADWAY New York, N. Y. A Motion Picture Reviewing Service by a Former Exhibitor Devoted Exclusively to the Interests of Exhibitors Its Editorial Policy: No Problem Too Big for Its Editorial Columns, if It is to Benefit the Exhibitor. Published Weekly by P. S. HARRISON Editor and Publisher Established July 1, 1919 Tel. : Pennsylvania 7649 Cable Address : Harreports (Bentley Code) A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING Vol. XIII 7 SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 1931~ NoH THE COST OF CHANGE TO WIDER FILM Last fall the Society of Motion Picture Engineers held a meeting at the Hotel Pennsylvania, in this city. Among the engineering matters discussed was also that of wide film. The following reference was made in the Society's report, issued immediately afterward. “Plans for the ultimate adoption of wide film have continued throughout the summer as several producers were known to be engaged actively in further experimentation. According to reports from production centres, negatives for several pictures have been made on wide film as well as on the usual 35mm. width. Agreement has been reached among leading producers on perforation standards and sound tracks but there is still a division of opinion on total width and size of frame. One possible solution of the projector problem is to make the negatives on wide film and make reduced prints on 35mm. for showing on the present standard projector fitted with shorter focal length lenses.” In the last two of three months there has been a lull in the activities of the producers about adopting a wide film, but this does not mean that they have abandoned the thought ; they may renew their activities any time, more intensely. One of them may definitely adopt the wide film. Such an act would force the others to follow suit. The question now is whether it will pay the industry to make the change at all ; or, to put the matter more precisely, whether the industry can stand the change without going bankrupt. At present there are two wide film schools : the one favors a 70mm. or a 65mm. size, and the other a 50mm. size. The producer that favors the 50mm. size is Harley L. Clark. President of Fox Film Corporation, for this reason, as I have been informed : Mr. Clark controls the Fear patents, which make possible the running of 50mm. as well as 35mm. size film on the same projector. And the use of this patent will be permitted, no doubt, only upon payment of royalty. So that even if the present projectors should be modified to take a 50mm. as well as a 35mm. film at a small expense, the royalties that will be charged for the use of the patents will, in the long run, exceed the cost of an entirely new set of machines for wide film. The report of the S. M. P. E. recommends that the pictures be photographed on a wide film negative, out of which there may be made reduced positive prints of 35mm. size, so that those who still keep the standard size mav be able to show the pictures by the mere use of wider angle lenses. If a more careful studv were made of the subject it will be found that a change to a wider film of any size may bankrupt the industry. For you to gain an idea of how expensive a step it will prove, let us ennumerate the changes that are necessary. STUDIO: The studios must be equipped with 65mm. or 70mm. cameras (one or the other size will have to be adopted eventually.) The ratio of the picture on such a size film will be 1.8 to 1. PROCESSING: 1. Direct prints on 65mm. (or 70mm.) size. 2. Optical reduction to 50mm. size. 3. Optical reduction to 35mm. size. EXHIBITING: 1. No. 1 will be used for road shows, in largest theatres. 2. No. 2 will be used for average theatres. 3. No. 3 will be used for small theatres. CHANGES IN THE THEATRE A. Every theatre must be equipped with projectors that will project a 50mm. as well as a 35mm. size film. B. There will be two kinds of 35mm. size prints : For features, a picture ratio of 1.8 to 1 ; for newsreels, a ratio of 1.2 to 1 : wide film cameras are too cumbersome and unwieldy to carry around ; consequently, the newsreel cameras in use at present will be employed. C. The circumstances described in A and B will naturally make it necessary for each theatre to be equipped either with two sets of projectors, one set taking the 50mm. size and the other the 35mm. size, or with patented combination projectors, which will be practically a monopoly. D. It will be necessary to install new screens and to alter the procenium in most cases. These are onlv a few of the expense items, which will run into millions, too much for the industry to bear ; one must take into consideration also the difficulties that go with a wider film. For instance, the handling of such film will be entirely different : new vault racks, reels, shipping cans, film members, larger space for storing film will be needed and a million and one other things too numerous to mention in this article. One must bear in mind also the errors in shipment: if an exhibitor should receive a wide film print when he is not equipped to show any other than standard size, he will be compelled to shut down his theatre, as he has often been compelled to do when he received the wrong discs. Taking the cost and all these difficulties into (Continued on last page)