International projectionist (Jan-Dec 1957)

New Look for "80 Days" Equipment THAT MIKE TODD is definitely going to concentrate on the 35-mm rather than the Todd-AO 70-mm version of "Around the World in Eighty Days" was forcibly demonstrated in Asbury Park, New Jersey last month, at the Walter Reade Paramount Theatre. At this writing, the Todd-AO firm and Michael Todd Productions have been somewhat at odds, Todd-AO feeling that Todd the man should not go around decrying Todd the process, now that Todd the man has embraced 35-mm and feels that Todd-AO projectors and 70-mm prints are no longer necessary. Mike Todd personally attended the demonstration in Asbury Park, to which over 100 exhibitors were invited, along with other industryites. His purpose was to stress the ability of the 35-mm version to present a good picture, its economical advantages, and the fact that 35-mm could reach many more "typical" theatres much more quickly than 70-mm. The Paramount Theatre is considered typical of the architecture that was being produced in the 20's and 30's. Head-On Projection An improvement that Todd would like to get wherever possible is head-on projection. Such an installation was made in Asbury Park, where a special "platform" was erected. The Walker Hi-Gain white screen is 20 by 40 feet, has only a 3-foot curve, and a brightness gain of 1.5 with only a 15 per cent fall-off. Installation was hurried, being done in less than a week — horns were flown in from Los Angeles, and the screen from St. Louis. Supervising were Allen Smith and William Nafash of National Theatre Supply, New York; Walter Compton of Altec, and Rocco Dillione, chief projection engineer for Walter Reade Theatres. Equipment-wise, the set-up in New Jersey is more simplified than the requirements at the Esquire Theatre in St. Louis, the initial installation for the 35-mm version. Basically, the New Jersey house has put in thj Walker screen, 2 National Excelite 135 lamps with 18inch cold reflectors (11-mm carbons) operating at 110-120 amperes, Simplex X-L projectors with water-cooled gates, 3 Strong selenium rectifiers, a complete 4-channel Simplex X-L 546-322 magnetic sound system, 8 Simplex auditorium surround speakers, 20 Altec Lansing auditorium speakers, plus the usual accessories, including the heavy duty Simplex bases with X-L soundhead arms for level throw. Considering that each theatre presents its own installation problems, this equip ment is not necessarily typical. Those theatres that are already equipped with large screens, an efficient magnetic sound system, and what the Todd firm would consider reasonably level projection can measurably reduce installation expense. Relaxed Requirements Relaxation of previous Todd requirements concerning 35-mm showings indicates that the Perspecta integrator for the sound system and the special Panavision-developed anamorphic unit need not be used, provided a comparable set-up may be acquired. However, Todd is insistent on his reserved-seat roadshow policy. A comprehensive manual concerning this policy is now being prepared by the Todd staff, to be given exhibitors. Also, those theatres that have inadequate or bad seating will have to alter that situation. Popcorn is still persona non grata. In short, theatres showing "80 Days" will operate in much the same way as the legitimate stage houses do. It is not expected that "80 Days" will ever go into general release. At the moment, Todd is involved with the production of his next feature, "Don Quixote," which is being shot in 65-mm, but which will be printed down for distribution. Whether or not there will be large release prints is still in question. Exhibitors attending the presentation were impressed by both the picture and Todd's sales talk. Included was a demonstration of distortion caused by high projection angles — the former projection booth in the Walter Reade Paramount Theatre had an angle of about 23 degrees. The throw is around 80 feet. There are still many exhibitors who prefer the 70-mm version, despite the additional cost. In a public statement, Douglas Netter, vice-president of ToddAO, agreed that the 35-mm print-down of "80 Days" was "probably better than any other 35-mm film around," but added: "it's foolish to pretend that it can compare with the results from a big area negative projected direct to the wide screen." To date, the 70-mm equipment is in 49 houses in this country, and in 6 overseas. Complete equipment costs $13,500. AAagOptical Manual Now Available AN INSTRUCTIVE manual, designed to clarify the alterations necessary for, and the use of MagOptical prints has been prepared by the 20th-Fox research and development department, and is now being mailed to exhibitors. 20th-Fox has announced that all of their CinemaScope product will be available on MagOptical. which carries both four stereophonic magnetic tracks and single optical soundtrack. The booklet, written primarily to acquaint the exhibitor with the characteristics and necessities of MagOptical, also suggests that he pass it on to the projectionist. The following instructions are outlined in the manual: In a theatre equipped for magnetic sound, aperture plates of 0.839 inches by 0.715 inches are to be installed for head-on projection. For high projection angles, under-sized apertures are required, filed to fit the individual theatre screen. The adjustment of the projector should be checked so that the center of the picture is on the center of the screen, and, if necessary, the screen side masking should be readjusted. Small Sprockets a Must In a theatre now equipped only for optical sound reproduction, it is first necessary to change all projector and soundhead sprockets to the smaller CinemaScope type, including intermit tent sprocket pressure shoes and keeper rollers. Aperture plates should be changed as required. Pins on splicers must be changed to fit small perforations. And all metal parts of projectors, tools and film equipment that come in contact with magnetic tracks, including splicers, rewinds and the like must be demagnetized. This is, of course, necessary, since magnetized equipment that comes too close to the magnetic sound tracks will introduce noise into the tracks, although it may not be heard on the running when the damage is done. The manual points out that it is not necessary to demagnetize at frequent intervals. If degaussing is done properly, equipment need not be again completely demagnetized for long periods, unless critical parts are replaced, or strongly magnetized tools are used — these would include pliers, screwdrivers, or wrenches that have been used in the lamphouse near the magnets. Critical parts to be demagnetized are the intermittent and other sprockets, intermittent shoes, gate rails, and sound reproducer drums. The booklet cautions against using old sprockets which have been modified to fit CinemaScope sprocket holes, except in emergency, since it is reported that reworked sprockets shorten film life by reason that they are too small in diameter, and the teeth have incorrect spacing across the film. A base diameter of 0.950 inches and 0.953 inches is given 24 INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST SEPTEMBER 1957