Hollywood Filmograph (Jun-Aug 1929)

HOLLYWOOD FILMOGRJPH 21 Technical Experts to Set Up Theatre Standards Attack Started on Present Chaotic Variation of Projection AN ATTACK on present chaotic variations in the way motion pictures are projected will be started by the concerted action of technical experts who will set up standards to affect every theatre in the United States, it was decided at a meeting held in the Assembly room of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Thursday evening, August 15. On the basis of a survey covering all Hollywood production studios and 1500 theatres throughout the country appoinment of a standardization committee was authorized by a joint session of the Technicians' Branch of the Academy with the American Society of Cinematographers and the Pacific Coast branches of the American Society of Motion Picture Engineers and American Projection Society. The technical organizations also voted to refer to a joint committee of the Producers' and the Technicians' branches of the Academy a resolution deploring the probability that the introduction of wide film within the next year may lead to ruinous rivalry between producing companies and urging that the wide film be made interchangeable for whatever equipment is designed. "Three companies are already in production with wide film, each using a different size," J. T. Reed, chairman of the meeting, declaerd. "If nothing is done to get the different people working on the development together to some extent at least the non-interchangeable and competitive machines will work as great a hardship on the theatre owners who must install them as did the revolutionary introduction of sound." The survey of theatres and studios conducted by the Academy in cooperation with the technical societies revealed that the great majority of theatres are still showing soundon-film pictures in a shape that is nearly square, it was stated in a preliminary report. However, a strong tendency backed by the weight of the Publix and Fox West Coast chains is toward the restoration of the 4 by 3 proportion so that the image will fill the usual theatre screen. The larger Publix houses are all using the reduced "Publix Aperture" and this will be extended to others as fast as possible, tabulation of the survey data showed. The Fox West Coast chain is abandoning the movietone square at the rate of five theatres a week. Only 5 per cent of R. K. O. theatre are using full screen now, although Photophone equipment when first issued provided for this. Of the 306 theatres in eight western states equipped by E. R. P. I. only a small fraction are using the reduced aperture. However, it was stated that a movable sub-base is now being worked on in the E. R. P. I. laboratories. Photographs of a sub-base being used by Publix were shown at the meeting as well as types of holders for lenses and aperture plates that make a quick change possible. The restoration of the full screen proportion from sound-on-film frames is accomplished by theatres which wish to do it through the use of a smaller aperture in the projection machine, a shorter focal length lens to give the picture additional enlargement and a device to center the image on the screen. The Academy survey showed that when the theatres first began to use a smaller 3 by 4 proportion aperture on pictures which were photographed with the squared frame, the tops of the heads and the feet of the characters were often sliced off on the screen. The studios have attenipted to adjust themselves to the practice of some of the theatres by composing for a smaller area but data secured from eleven studios showed that each one is using a slightly different limit. This combined with wide variation in the size of aperture used by theatres has resulted in urgent need of correlation, the technical experts declared. The different ways in which it has been found theatres show the motion picture image on the screen were demonstrated by Sidney Burton, president of the local chapter of the American Projection Society. The problem of the cameraman and art director in composing to meet the theatre practices and arrange the same grouping so that it will look well on the full silent frame, the Movietone frame, and the smaller aperture area was .illustrated with a special reel by Karl Struss, winner of an Academy award for cinematography last year. R. H. McCullough, supervisor of projection for Fox West Coast theatres; F. M. Sammis, Pacific Coast representative of R. C. A. Photophone; representatives of Electrical Research Products, Inc., and technicians of the various studios took part in the discussion. OUR DAILY MAIL (Continued from Page 11) whether it is true that she is returning to America to make more pictures.— Pete Strickling." Editor's Note: Miss Negri is terrifically busy abroad inhere she is contracted to make a hundred and twentyseven super-specials in four months. Some of her features will be made in Paris, others in Moscow and the rest in between. She has just finished her tenth feature but has not started work yet on account of the fact that her contract was made out in German instead of Polish. Miss Negri is now far behind schedule and will not be able to leave Vienna for many years but is now on her way back to America — no! not to work — but to spend the weekend at Agua Caliente where she will be the guest of Mrs. Coff E. Dann. It is to be hoped that Pola will be prevailed upon to sign for just one picture while she is in our midst, but she has let it be known that she 'is merely "slumming" while here — just slumming. Ira Wolfe After being connected with Coffee Dan's in an executive position for many years, Ira Wolfe has now taken over the famous playground for the show folks at 719 South Hill street, where he will be glad to meet his friends nightly and prove himself the real host that he is. Ira has m any friends and while he is looking after Coffee Dan's here, John Davis, who formerly owned and operated it, is now living in San Francisco where he is looking after Coffee Dan's place ROY DEL RUTH HAS A FINE CAST Quinn Williams — the "big Boy" Williams of yesteryear — has been signed for another of his famous hard-boiled roles. Darryl Zanuck, associate executive of Warner Brothers, announces that Williams is to be a member of the cast of "Hold Everything." the Vitaphone production which is about to be filmed by Roy Del Ruth, and that he will be seen as the trainer of a prizefighter. Other players already engaged for this important all-talking production are Joe E. Brown. Georges Carpentier, Sally O'Neill, Lilyan Tashmann and Marion Byron. Robert Lord wrote the story. Don't B© S<orry Later 9 9 9 9 9 9 . . . . buy your next automobile from a company that has served the public faithfully for 10 years Over 200 Nearly New Cars of practically every make and model always in stock Every Car Sold with a Guarantee — That Means Something VERY LIBERAL TERMS Kelley Kbt €© 1225 So. F5gM©ir©a 'Where Better Cars Cost Less"