The international photographer (Jan-Dec 1930)

New B. & H. Device AMAZINGLY simple and practical, a new device for automatically cleaning 16 mm. motion picture film, as it is being projected, is announced by the Bell & Howell Company. No longer will the homemovie projectionist need to clean his film laboriously and ineffectively by hand. The B. & H. Film cleaner, as it is called, not only prolongs the life of film by removing grease, oil spots and dirt, but the new screen brilliance resulting from film scientifically cleaned is a tremendous factor in securing perfect projection. This new device, which weighs only 14% ounces, is quickly attached to a Filmo projector and is as quickly detached. The film is thoroughly cleaned on both sides as it runs through a pair of tapes moistened with Filmoleen, an especially prepared cleaning fluid. Under wellregulated pressure, the dirt and grease are automatically wiped off. Then in passing through the projector mechanism, the film becomes perfectly dry before it reaches the takeoff reel. Clean tape is brought into place at a turn of a knob whenever the old tape gets dirty. A 3-foot roll of tape is supplied for each side of the cleaner — enough to clean many feet of film. Rounding Out First Year The firm of Ries Brothers has completed its first year as Hollywood Eastman representative in the professional as well as the amateur field of photographic supplies. Both Park J. and Paul were cameramen before entering business for themselves ten years ago, first at 6035 Hollywood boulevard, then in Western avenue, and for six months past in commod:ous quarters at 1540 Cahuenga avenue. One of the features of the new home is the darkroom, one of the best equipped in the city. The Entire 16 mm. Industry Is Going Talker THE entire 16 mm. industry is going talker just as the professional 35 mm. industry turned to sound practically overnight, declares Walter W. Bell, manager of Cine Art division of Hollywood Film Enterprises. This is the report the Hollywood man sends from New York, which city he reached early in August after a six weeks' trip across country in the interest of Cinevoice, the 16 mm. talking device distributed by his company. Bell traveled 5842 miles from Hollywood Boulevard to Times Square. He rode with or on the heat wave, where records for high temperature were being steadily broken, but in snite of the unfavorable conditions he says dealers he was meeting for the first time met him with open arms and also with smiles when they learned he brought with him a sample of talking 16 mm. films. STRONG FOR 16 MM. SOUND Among the cities in which the major dealers looked over Cinevoice were Salt Lake City, Denver, Kansas City, St. Louis, Detroit, Toledo, Cleveland, Buffalo, Rochester and Philadelphia. Results from the viewpoint of orders were practically 100 per cent, the Hollywood man reports in a note to International Photographer. The manager of the Cine Art division of the Hollywood company is in fact one of the pioneers of the 16 mm. field — was putting all his eggs in that small basket when the world and his wife could see nothing in this tiny stuff. He had had much experience in the 35 mm. field before he started in a minor way in the home field, opening offices in San Francisco. That was about four years ago. One day Bell wrote Bill Horsley regarding 16 mm. matters, unwittingly revealing to the local laboratory man that the writer knew something about 16 mm. Horsley had been looking for just such a person. He hopped into his machine and started post haste for San Francisco. JUDGMENT VINDICATED The result of that visit was the removal of Bell and his business to Beachwood drive in Hollywood. The volume of orders increased so rapidly that the 16 mm. product submerged the 35 in the lab. Some time since Cine Art was taken< over by the Horsley company. Ever since the coming of sound upset conditions in the professional field Bell has been working to find a satisfactory device for the amateur trade. As soon as the demonstrations on Cinevoice convinced him it was "right" he wasted no time in setting out across country, meeting for the first time hundreds of dealers with whom he has been corresponding for several years. The Hollywood man writes that finding practically all dealers interested in the talking phase of home pictures affords him a great deal of Hot Points Conducted by Maurice Kains ONCE in every blue moon the time comes when you wish you had a camera jack or two, and they invariably can't be obtained or located. I noticed Ed Hammeras of the Fox miniature department using a clever substitute for a camera jack, and it works. Take a turnbuckle and cut it in half with a hacksaw. Now cut the hooks from each end and sharpen the remaining ends on the grindstone or with a file. Keep both of the jacks, because you'll need two jacks on a free head. Just drill a hole through the pointed end and tighten jack with a nail. Isn't that a dandy idea? Now you send a hot point in to me and get credit for it. Clever Camera Car A certain transportation company here in Hollywood rents the cleverest camera car I have yet seen. I wonder why the studios don't copy it. It is a Ford chassis with a body similar to a laundry truck body. There are three doors on each side of the car. The interior is arranged in shelves. The equipment that is not likely to be needed is stored on the upper shelves, while the lower shelves are used only for the cases that have to be opened occasionally. The front compartment, just behind the driver's seat, is generally empty when on location and is used for an emergency darkroom and loading room or for developing tests. The car follows the cameras on practically each and every setup. Getting Even Pressure J. P. Van Wormer has a stunt for making the Mitchell pressure plate safer for assistants. Van finds that sometimes when loading the cameras in a dark place there is a possibility of pushing the spring which holds the pressure plate too far into the camera, thus causing an uneven pressure on the plate, which could throw the picture out of focus on one side. Van's idea is to mill out a tiny slot in the back of the pressure plate, just in the center. As the spring is pushed over the end of the spring snaps into the slot and holds the plate correctly, securing an even pressure over the entire pressure plate. Come on, guvs! Let's have more and hotter "HOT POINTS." We need 'em! Address them to me at the office. personal gratification in that it was a vindication of his judgment. In New York Bell has been negotiating with some of the large producers regarding 16 mm. distribution rights. Indications are that on his return he will have something of large interest to tell the 16 mm. trade. He is expected home shortly after Labor Day. Tvjenty-one