Home Movies (1954)

OLD TIME MOVIES CONSUMER REPORT By JOE STEIN <«it6 SOUND Mary Pickford in a scene from "The .\ew York Hat", directed by D. W . Griffith for Biograph in 1912 (Photo — Museum of Modern Art). Here's an exclusive in-use report on the new General Electric Color Control meter and Variable Filter. Tested b\ Home Movies Research Staff and CHECKED IN ACTUAL USE for the first time after exposing nearly 3,000 feet of Kodachrome and Ansco Color, the meter is heartily recommended to anyone — amateur or professional, who uants to produce perfectly corrected color motion pictures. This is the most useful accessory to photography since the invention of color film. Home Movies and Pro Cine Photographer recommend it with no reservations. —Ed. li 7 hat is it? (The Meter) An instrument for checking the color balance of any scene, with an exact indication for correction by the addition of a specific filter, plus required increase in exposure in f-stops. Is it useable with all color films? Can be used with Kodachrome Daylight and Type "A"; Ektachrome Daylight and Type "A"; Ansco Color Daylight, and Tungsten. Hon can the meter "see" color? By the use of two cells — a red and • See "REPORT" on Page 421 Subject at left requires no color correction for color filming. But girl at right will be recorded uith purple shadows in the face unless correction filter is used to eliminate the cold tones. Illustrating the correct way of obtaining color exposure with the new GE Color Control meter. Dial at rear of meter is used to check what correction filter is to be used, the increase in exposure and the R/B number. See story above. Do you have an ill-defined feeling that something is lacking when screening home movies? Some amateurs have stumbled on to the fact that the missing element is sound, to which we have become accustomed. Thus a new branch of the hobby was born : the matching of appropriate musical backgrounds and sound effects with film scenes. A number of long lists of records have been published from time to time, with suitable passages for various types of scenes indicated. If we go back through the nearly sixty years of the movie's history we find that it was probably only at the very beginning, even of the "silent" era. that films were presented in silence. W hen the first American story film. The Great Train Robbery of 1903. traveled as a tent attraction boys were hired to produce sound effects behind the screen. For example, cocoanut shells were beaten on stone blocks to simulate hoof beats in the chase scenes. When the first store room "nickelodeon" opened in Pittsburgh in 1905 (again featuring The Great Train Robbery ) piano accompaniment, staple for many years to come, was introduced. At first the "professor" was left to improvise his music as the story progressed, adapting volume and tempo to the action on the screen. A love scene would bring forth "Hearts and Flowers," and while the posse chased the villain the "William Tell'" overture would thunder. Later on cue sheets for the guidance of the player were issued and sent along with the films. Large theatres had elaborate pipe organ "effects," and some time super feature "spectacles" were carried along with full orchestra. Then came sound. The presentation of the old silent films (in reduction prints) with the authentic atmosphere is my own hobby, and for those interested I have several suggestions growing out of experiment in this field. Some few films, particularly old westerns and Charlie Chaplin subjects of the 1917 Mutual series, are available in sixteen with sound tracks of music and commentary. If one has sound equipment, nothing more is needed. One subject that I know of, namely • See "OLD MOVIES" en Page 436 418