International projectionist (Jan-Dec 1955)

INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST JAMES J. FINN, Editor JAMES MORRIS, Associate Editor Volume 30 MARCH 1955 Number 3 Index and Monthly Chat 5 A Novel Film-Splicing Method 7 British Projectionist Opinion on the Line 10 Water the Leaves — Neglect the Roots 10 Light Sources for Film Projection, III 14 Robert A. Mitchell In the Spotlight < 18 The Development of the Motion Picture Projector 20 Thomas Armat CinemaScope, Wide Screen Lens Calculations ... 22 Joseph F. Holt Ashcraft's New Cinex 170 Arclamp 23 Clarence Ashcraft Toll-Tv Row Spiced by FCC 24 Questions 24 Letters to the Editor 26 Personal Notes 29 Fox Plans to Make 16-mm CinemaScope Films . . 30 IA Elections 30 Obituary 31 News Notes Technical Hints Miscellaneous Items INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST, published monthly by the International Projectionist Publishing Co., Inc., 19 West 44 Street, New York, 36, R. A. Entracht, President. Telephone: MUrray Hill 2-2948. Subscription Representatives: AUSTRALIA— McGills, 183 Elizabeth St., Melbourne; NEW ZEALAND— Te Aro Book Depot, Ltd., 64 Courtnay Place, Wellington; ENGLAND and ELSEWHERE-Wm. Dawson & Sons, Ltd., Macklin St., London, W. C. 2. Subscription Rates: United States and U. S. Posessions, $2.50 per year (12 issues) and $4.00 for two years (24 issues). Canada and Foreign countries, $2.50 per year and $4.00 for two years. Changes of address should be submitted four weeks in advance of publication date to insure receipt of current issue. Entered as second-class matter February 8, 1932, at the Post Office at New York, N. Y., with additional entry at Yonkers, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879. INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST assumes no responsibility for personal opinions appearing in signed articles, or for unsolicited articles. Contents copyrighted 1955 by INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST PUBLISHING CO., INC. Mo4dldtf GUat THE EXHIBITION end of this business of ours is daily drawing nearer the jumping-off point as far as the exhibiting pictures is concerned. No more do the producers and distributors of films, grown hog-fat on lush profits gleaned from ruthless rental policies, have the slightest concern for the exhibition branch other than to express deep concern for exhibitor welfare; the while they make moves which can only result in the economic collapse of the average theatre owner. So-called "spectaculars" the roadshowing of which for an extended period of time in a given area at prices approaching those obtained for big-time legit musical productions, thus denuding the area of any worthwhile playing time and box-office dollars, is the definite industry trend today. Additionally, every major producing company, and numerous of the lesser fry, are feverishly at work in readying for Tv-film production. Also, the flood gates of "library" features (already shown in theatres) will soon be opened to pour through Tv outlets an inexhaustible supply of product which is almost certain to obliterate the last vestige of theatre attendance. Drive-in theatres may hold the line for a more extended period of time, but their present status as exhibitors of motion pictures will speedily be altered to that of playground areas. And no extended mouthings anent the "gregariousness" of humans will change by one iota IP's opinion in this respect. Roadshows the Order of the Future Now, producers have a perfect right — in fact, it is their duty to their stockholders — to preserve and even improve their economic well-being. But since the demise of the theatre affects the economic well-being of those who derive their livelihoods therefrom, it is no less the duty of IP to sound the alarm in behalf of its own people. Todd-AO, Cinerama, CinemaScope wide gauge, VistaVision wide gauge, Disney spectaculars, and such ilk, are all roadshows which leave sliver-thin pickings for the average theatre, even if the latter could afford the mass of new equipment already looming on the horizon. Within the past few weeks IP has had reports from numerous equipment supply people which state bluntly that it is almost impossible to sell new and badly needed replacements to the bewildered exhibitors who are already impoverished by the "paper" they still are paying off on prior equipment purchases. The dazed exhibitor can only mumble that he might be interested but is afraid of what he will be forced to buy next week or next month. Not once since this economic madness set in has there been an all-industry conference to plot a course which might insure some degree of sanity in procedure. Nor will there be. Instead there will continue the flow of platitudes about industry cooperation "for the common good." We in the exhibition field should assay these mouthings for what they are worth — which is nothing. / Some degree of cooperation, however slight, might be expressed by the producer-distributers in an agreement which will permit the showing of their feature films only after 10 or 10:30 p.m. on Tv. This we have to see. INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST • MARCH 1955