The international photographer (Jan-Dec 1935)

November, 1935 T h INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Five 1,299,729, "Picture Projecting Apparatus," from an application dated October 25, 1917. Subsequently the moviola was patented in Canada, France, and England. The first moviola was a far cry from the present device; in fact it was a home movie projector enclosed in a victrola-like cabinet. The first cabinet utilized a Motiograph projector head of the vintage patented in 1909, and threw pictures to a 12 by 18 inch screen. The screen when not in use folded into the cabinet. After the first experimental moviola was demonstrated as practical, Mr. Serrurier wanted "a projector that would run backward as well as forward" for his home movie equipment, so he 'went to Chicago and then to New York, trying to locate a suitable movement. He knew the public wanted to run short home movies, to rewind them, and he also knew of the necessity of having a small, durable intermittent. Not being able to find the desired device in the United States, he went to Europe, 'where in France he located two makes of projectors, the Guilbert projector, of which he bought four, and the Mollier, of which he bought a number. Twenty cabinets were made and equipped with these projectors, which sold to various individuals and to the movie studios during the period prior to 1924. Some of them are still in use in the studio executive offices for viewing "dailies'' and other film. In fact in October of this year four of them which saw constant use since 1924 at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer were overhauled. While contacting and selling the cabinets in the studios, he saw the need of a small direct viewing device for the cutting rooms. He set out to make such a device. Because the foreign projector intermittents were noisy, Mr. Serrurier decided to use parts made for a standard American projector which he assembled for the moviola movement. Within a short time business increased and Serrurier designed and started making his own Geneva movement which he has continued to use since. The Maltese cross of the intermittent is made of "yellow label" carbon tool steel, and is ground in a special jig, after which it :s polished and carefully fitted by hand. That accounts for the long life and silence of the moviola equipment. The wearing parts that come into contact with the film are made of bearing bronze, while the parts such as sprockets and other precision parts that are handled and subject to the rusting and corrosion due to the hands are white nickel plated. The paint on the body parts is of the hard crystal finish with an undercoat of baking japan, and both are baked on the equipment. The moviola factory is not a factory in the conventional sense of tht word. Out in front of the manufacturing part of the concern is a court. It is hemmed in on all sides by large buildings and has ping pong tables, palm trees and places to sit in the sun and philosophize if one is so inclined. On one side is a group of ten fully equipped cutting rooms. In front, for the convenience of the cutters and moviola makers, is a restaurant. A novel feature is an underground concrete vault for film storage. Space in this vault, with its constant underground temperature and other conveniences, is rented to outside individuals. Whoever rents a section has available a lock arrangement that safeguards his film cans. Within the factory proper is a heterogeneous mass of steel tools, lathes, milling machines, radio, chairs, and moviolas. Seventeen men are employed making moviolas and all the other tools needed by the cutter for all parts of the world. Just now a large order is being filled for Russia. China, Japan, India, England, France, Australia, and other countries use the moviola. "In fact," Mr. Serrurier says, "it would be easier to name the countries that do not use them." Some of the earliest moviolas are still in use. Harmon Weight, a cutter, has one of the very first moviolas which he bought in December, 1925. It is still in use, and Mr. Weight says, "I am going to keep it in the family." Two of the experimental models made before the moviolas were offered for sale are on display in the Motion Picture Gallery of the Los Angeles Museum. The Importance of Hair in Films By Max Firestein, General Manager, Max Factor Studios |T WAS just a year ago that Mr. Max Factor made the statement at an executive conference that the coming year would see hair playing such a prominent part in motion pictures that even the film critics would be mentioning -wigs and hairdressing along with story construction and acting performance. He declared that hair would be of as much importance as make-up. A year passed and — "A Midsummer Night's Dream" came to the screen with one of the most brilliant openings in the history of Hollywood. The following morning found an enthusiastic review in Variety in which the critic declared that Max Factor wigs were outstandingly effective in creating the absorbing illusions. But that is not all. Two weeks previous "The Three Musketeers" was previewed, and a critic on the Hollywood Reporter included in his review the statement that "the wigs lend finesse to the picture." Mr. Factor was right in his prediction. During the past year the industry HAS become hair-conscious. During the past year more wigs have been used in films than during any other similar period in the history of picture making. Firm in his belief that hair would increase in importance, Mr. Factor set about to meet the industry's needs in this line just as he has been doing for twenty-seven years in the make-up field. Already, our organization had gone deeply into the wig field. It had developed the "hair lace" creations which made it possible for the cameramen to photograph wigs so they look as natural as though they had grown on the players' heads. But we wanted to do still more. We wanted to give a service as nearly perfect as is humanly possible. So, from England we brought James Barker, and from his own exclusive salon we brought Fred Fredericks to round out our hair department. Barker, for many years in Hollywood, had gone to England with Alexander Korda and in addition to heading his make-up department, designed all of the wigs for Korda's great films, such as "Henry the Eighth," "Katherine the Great," and "Don Juan." He became England's leading hair expert. Because of his allaround knowledge of make-up and color values, important to tho cinematographer, Barker can be of valuable assistance to the cameraman. Fredericks, too, is a make-up artist as well as hair expert. We feel that this combination of knowledge is necessary for the best film results. You cannot transfer a brilliant hairdresser from private practice into the studio field and expect him to be of great value, for he does not know the technical needs of film making. He does not think of the photographic values when he is working. He thinks only of how his work is going to look to him. Hair experts in films must always work with one idea in mind — will it photograph well? In our organization we try to give service that will aid the technicians and save the company money. It is for that reason we have a research department and a hair library that makes it possible for us to reproduce the hair style of any period in history, and place upon it the absolute stamp of authenticity. It is because we believe in service that our experts discuss with the cameramen the photographic problems of certain stars so that we can create a hair style for them that will blend with the facial contours that lend to the best photographic results. We believe in building the hair style for the camera, as well as for the star. We do not want to create a design that will present photographic problems and cameramen will find our experts anxious to work with them, to co-operate in any way that will bring about more photographic beauty. Many are the problems that face a hair department. For instance, in the "Last Days of Pompeii" we had to guard constantly against making the men look effeminate in the curly wigs of that time. It takes intelligent co-operation between make-up artist, cameraman and the wig maker to put curls on a man and still keep him masculine in appearance. No so long ago a certain studio handed us a problem. A shade of red hair was wanted that would photograph white when filmed through a particular red filter, but which -would photograph the natural dark shade when shot through a blue filter. The solution came about by using exactly the same shade of red as was the filter. It is service such as the above that a hair department must give if it is to be of value to the industry. We 'welcome such problems and are hoppy to work with the cameramen and others in achieving new screen triumphs. Our experts delight in working out styles that will help the cameraman in his efforts to enhance the beauty points and eliminate the defects of the players. Please mention The International Photographer when corresponding with advertisers.