The Independent Film Journal (1955)

Metro Announces 65mm. Process Deadline Extended For Pay-TV Issue ( Continued from page 13) of pay-to-see TV. President De Witt Emery asked : . since the dual source of both advertiser and subscriber revenue gives us more and better newspapers and magazines, why not subscriber income for television1?” He argued that the FCC bad allocated spectrum space for more than four times the number of stations actually in existence, and yet new stations are not being built, and some older ones are closing down. “Something is still missing in the economics of the TV industry,” be said. “If, as is reasonably claimed, subscription television has the potentials of making more TV stations economically supportable — especially in the smaller towns and cities — then it certainly will help all business,” Emery asserted. The Madison Suare Garden, in a statement signed by John Reed Kilpatrick, president, also allied itself with subscription video, and predicted that pay-to-see TV and free TV “can develop and prosper side by side.’’ Toll TV would definitely “expand sports television coverage, rather than restrict or limit it,” the statement said. It cited audience reaction to theatre TV, indicating that the box office draw of closed circuit video shows that people are willing to pay to see worthwhile programs, and will even leave their homes to see the right program. Only the economic law of supply and demand will determine the future of toll TV, the statement concluded. On the other hand, Father Duffy Post, Catholic War Veterans of America, speaking on behalf of thousands of hospitalized veterans in all parts of the country, petitioned the FCC and Congress to refuse requests seeking approval of Pay-To-See Television. ( Continued from page 12) most gigantic of all screens and at the same time provide negative from which improved CinemaSeope, wide screen and standard prints may be made. The new system will reportedly be filmed with cameras having conventional-type mechanisms adapted to handle double-sized film. The special camera lenses developed for the system by Panavision Incorporated will provide for simple operation, minimum weight and photographic images with a sharpness of focus and freedom from distortion not hitherto achieved in large-screen presentations, it was stated. Experiments with the new process, it was explained, dates back to the early wide-screen effects used in the first “Billy The Kid” film made by M-G-M nearly 25 years ago. The early development and scientific study of wide-screen processes was continued by the studio’s technical staff in order to produce an eventual system capable of the finest photography and projecton to meet the M-G-M demand and which at the same time would result in a system readily adaptable to future variations of picture exhibition, if they should occur. It was pointed out that any improved method of photography and projection of motion pictures which would not provide a potentially equal improvement in flexibility in the presentation of sound would be incomplete. Therefore, M-G-M’s new 65mm. system was designed so that the exhibition prints, whether of the type for the largest screens or the CinemaSeope and standard screens, will accommodate sound tracks of the present standard types whether optical or magnetic, as well as super-stereophonic sound for the largest screens in either magnetic or optical forms, according to Wesley C. Miller, in charge of the sound department, who advises that these super-stereophonic forms of recording will be incorporated into his department with a minimum modification of present recording equipment. Mannix announced also expansion of studio facilities, including redesign of the industrial center under direction of William Spencer, increasing by 200 per cent the productive capacities of carpenter shop, mills, machine shop, paint department and other units in this important group. With completion of the redesigning plans approved by Spencer, rebuilding of the industrial center is already underway and is being rushed to readiness to meet the production program scheduled for this summer, said Mannix. At the same time, J. E. Tucker has completed installation of new processing equipment in the laboratory, reconverting these facilities to increase the development of color film to a capacity of three million feet a week, enabling M-G-M to not only process its own production negative of color films but also supply release prints of uniform quality to the world market. Important innovations also are reported as being carried out in sound techniques by Wesley Miller and include many developments in recording and projection of greater simplicity and improvements never before possible. In this scientific field, it was said, Miller and his associates have achieved technical advances that contribute importantly to the utilization of the 65 mm. film process now to be adopted by M-G-M. Miller also has directed installation in the M-G-M British studio of similar conversions. Write! Wire! Phone for information ! Factory and Western Office STEWART-TRANS-LUX CORP. 1111 W. Sepulveda Blvd., TORRANCE, CALIF. Eastern and Foreign Office TRANS-LUX CORPORATION 1270 SIXTH AVENUE, N.Y. 20, N.Y., Circle 7-4970 THE INDEPENDENT FILM JOURNAL— April 30. 1955 23