International photographer (Feb-Dec 1929)

July, 1929 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Five The beginning of the moving picture as it is known today seems to have been the outcome of an American Senator's love of horses and an Englishman's love of photography. While making a photographic survey of the Pacific Coast in 1872, Edward Muybridge, a native of Kingston-onThames, made the acquaintance of an American Senator who was the owner of race-horses, and a discussion arose as to whether a horse in trotting lifted all four feet off the ground at one time. Muybridge's contention was that it did, and to prove his theory he placed in a row twelve cameras, the shutters of which were opened and closed electrically by the passage of the horse. He thus secured a series of pictures in rapid sequence of the actual movements of a horse when trotting. These pictures he succeeded in reproducing on a glass disk and exhibited them on a screen, by means of an instrument which he termed his "Zoo-Praxiscope." Muybridge afterwards portrayed the lifelike movements of many animals, as well as of human beings, for the Pennsylvania University. Professor Marey afterwards established a studio in Paris for investigating the motion of animals by similar photographic methods. A later development of the Zoetrope was the "Praxinoscope," invented in 1877 by Professor Reynard, of Paris. Instead of viewing his pictures through slots he used a revolving double drum. A band of pictures was carried on the interior of the outer drum and reflected in a series of mirrors arranged on the inner drum, and so produced the illusion of lifelike movement. Professor Reynard afterwards produced a larger instrument on the same principle which he called the "Theatrixinoscope," for use in theatres and halls. Edison's moving peep show, which he called the kinetoscope, was patented in America in 1891, but it did not see the light of day until 1893. The instrument gave rise to the Edison standard gauge of film, with the 4-hole perforation as used today. The brothers Lumiere, who had been working in France on similar lines, also exhibited moving pictures in England, and they were closely followed by R. W. Paul, an optical instrument maker in Holborn. The "movies," as they were called, soon became popular as a turn at the music halls. Then enterprising promoters hired empty shops which they converted into cinemas, charging a few pence for a ten minutes' program. While British producers contented themselves with short "comics" or "scenics," the French, led by Charles Pathe and Louis Gaumont, began to make film dramas, and they were quickly followed by films depicting adventures in the Wild West. As the films grew in length, buildings with ample seating accommodation were constructed specially to exhibit them. "THE GREAT GABBO" Lewis W. Physioc has just completed three complex special process shots for Director James Cruze to be cut into "The Great Gabbo," said to be Cruze's greatest effort since "The Covered Wagon." REGGIE LYONS' LAMENT (Heard on the Barrymorc set, as sung by Fred Eldredge). (Not to the tune of Gunga Din) To shoot with a fifty is always quite nifty And a forty cannot be beat. On a loose-head the focus is much too shifty; I'd sooner have a nice soft seat. The three is a fad, although not bad. A set shot with it is great. Fours make me mad and also quite sad; But a five just leads to the gate. A disk and a six never quite mix; They put lots of gray in your hair. Focus changes do tricks that lead to the sticks, And will send you straight to the air. Tony's all right, although it's a fright The raps that he makes me take. He calls me his "looie" which is driving me screwie. I'd rather be back on a rake. Roy Klaffki says his new Ford is faster than Eastman Super Speed. pKlK!K^S(SI^IP:!K";^::c1,;ri:f !)t|)?!yt'SI^!!}t'(:;"!t:;!!:CK':): «!!« !>t;lK k^MhWhW^kM* 'K':):''::'!):l::::::"::"::"):":t'!:; !::'!): k ;t :: x]M[K !« ::t' hW[xTk"h Jf ::'>:":; k '«' :; !>:' ::";: !;t sfHSEj 1 Wm. Horsley Laboratories, Inc. 6060 SUNSET BOULEVARD HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. The Oldest Commercial Laboratories in the U. S. A. and the Only Independent Laboratories Equipped with Spoor-Thompson Developing Machines. s IM2Sl^®lSi3@®SKH@B@®[Si§SHHl]1!1SESHSH@HHHH^ >x :t ;:: :ti ;:| ::/>;. :;; k, k: »] k] k. xjMJtMi?