The international photographer (Feb-Dec 1929)

Sixteen Th, INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER August, 1929 (genera/skip on a ^ound £et Surpassing in size any set ever constructed for a talking motion picture, the concert hall sequences in "Lummox," an all-dialogue, allsound screen version of Fannie Hurst's novel, recently were filmed and microphoned at the United Artists studios as the great climax in Herbert Brenon's lavish production. A battery of twelve cameras in sound-proof booths and scores of microphones, photographed and recorded the action on the vast set. The stage and auditorium of the concert hall took up every bit of space in the world's largest talking picture building — 225 feet long, 132 feet wide, and 73 feet high. An army of technical experts and carpenters worked more than three weeks to build the concert hall, which was de signed by William Cameron Menzies, art director for the Joseph M. Schenck organization. A seventy-five p'ece symphony orchestra, under the direction oi Dr. Hugo Reisenfeld, one of America's best known musical conductors, played for an audience of several hundred extras, who were well paid for listening to an all-day concert that ordinarily would have cost them perfectly good money to hear. The concert figures in the plot of "Lummox" when the title character (Winifred Westover), a servant girl, sees her son (William Bakewell), for the first time since childhood in his triumph as a pianist. Brenon directed the big scene from a vantage point in a glass-enclosed cupola that surveyed the whole area of action. He kept in constant touch with his cameramen, directorial assistants, sound engineers and Dr. Reisenfeld by means of a specially constructed telephone system. Although the scene will occupy only a few minutes' time on the screen, it required from 8 a. m. to 9 p. m. to complete, before Brenon was satisfied with the sound and action. "Playbacks" — the studio term for reproduction of sound through loudspeakers a minute after the scene is microphoned — enabled the company to immediately hear the orchestra and the applause of the studio audience just the way audiences will hear them in theatres during the showing of "Lummox." (See Opposite Page) STUDIO OUTFITTERS MERGE Company With $67,000,000 Capital Formed to Take Over Concerns Making Equipment revolutionary devices, prominent among which is a new projector which gives the illusion of a third dimension. (Press Dispatch from New York). Formation of General Theatres Equipment, Inc., to effect a $67,000,000 combine of manufacturers and distributors of motion-picture equipment and theatre supplies was announced today. Important units in the consolidation are International Projector Corporation, which produces over 75 per cent of the motion-picture projectors used throughout the world; National Theatre Supply Company, which distributes equipment and supplies through thirty stores spread throughout the United States; Grandeur, Inc., which will distribute, service and lease projectors; Mitchell Camera Company, which makes cameras for both silent and sound pictures; J. E. McCauley Manufacturing Company, Hall & Connolly, Inc., Strong Electric Company, and Ashcraft Lamp Company, which manufacture substantially all of the projection lamps used in theatres, and Theatre Equipment Acceptance Corporation, a financing company. The new corporation now has control of International Projector and National Theatre Supply, and has made an exchange offer for the stock in those companies which it does not yet own. The new concern will acquire all of the stock of Theatre Equipment Acceptance and 50 per cent of the stock of Grandeur, Inc., which will acquire the business and assets of Mitchell Camera. General Theatres will take over all of the business and assets of the remaining companies in the merger. The new organization will manufacture and market several new and SPORTS Brother James R. Palmer, assistant to Business Representative Howard Hurd of Local 659, has been appointed chairman of the Sports and Entertainment Committee and will hereafter carry a column in this magazine under the heading of SPORTS. He opens thusly: Come on fellows and put those Plus S'xes to the use for which they were intended. That much talked of golf tournament of Local No. 659 is about to make a landing so lets clear a field for it. This is no endurance contest to see which of you can hold out the longest. Bring or send in your entries along with one qualifying score card. Qualifying rounds can be played on any course of par 71 or 72, and must be played with a brother member of this organization with his signature attached for verification. Entries will close August 25 to allow time for handicapping. Any member holding a P G. A. handicap will not be required to hand in a qualifying score card. Also no refund on entry feei which will be kept to a minimum. Any member, in good standing with this organization is eligible and I'll check the cards on the location so as to make all the boys feel at ease during the game. Prizes will be awarded by various film concerns. There will be a Perpetual Trophy to stay with the organization and the winner of each annual tournament will have his name inscribed thereon. There will be other valuable low gross, low net and foursome prizes, including spe cial prizes for those digging up the most turf and a dandy prize for the strong man able to make the most strokes. Don't you timid fellows hide in a corner thinking this is an all pro. game, for it is not. I will also assure on Sunday, September 1st, the date decided upon, of a gala time, whatever that is. The Golf Committee consists of Reggie Lanning, Ira Morgan, William Foxall, Johnny Miscal and William Snyder. I also come in here somewhere. Professional Golf Association rules will be followed in handicapping, also counters attached to all clubs. All guns will be barred and no magnetic balls used on the greens. I'll have all the dope, as to location of course, entry fee, etc., in the September issue so don't hold up the parade. Get your name and score cards in to me at this office as soon as possible. Let's go. P. S. (Pretty soon) Want to get in touch with all baseball playing members. Call me up boys. A MASTER OF EMULSIONS (Continued from Page 8) When Col. Stuber went to Kodak Park, he found there a community of not exceeding sixty-five workers. Today this group has expanded into an army of over seven thousana and there are in the entire Eastman organization upwards of 23,000 workers including the employes of all the Eastman stores, traveling salesmen, etc. Col. Stuber is easily as big as his job — big as that is, but the biggest thing about him is his spirit of fairness in his attitude toward all men and in his delightful unassum no-ne'ss. Hollywood likes him and he will be welcome whenever he has time to run out and look us over.