We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
THINGS IN GENERAL
By
THE EDITOR
Retrenchment Necessary
Now that the requiem for wide film has just about died out and the last lingering fragments of that “revolutionary idea” has been safely buried we are looking for the next development that will occupy the attention of the producers, projectionists and theatre owners. Television is still in the short pants stage of development with no prospects of reaching the commercial stage of development necessary for theatre use for many years to come. Optical projectors using no intermittent movement were widely exploited for years. There was a projector manufactured in Germany which was good enough to attract considerable attention in America. It was known as the Mechau and received a trial in America, but was finally discarded as impractical. In short, the story is that tremendous sums of money have been spent in chasing wild ideas up long dark alleys from which said ideas never emerge. It seems that an almost limitless amount of money is always available to promote any idea which sounds reasonably plausible whereas some of the smaller yet more important things are consistently ignored.
For example, a performance perfectly presented with reasonable embellishments such as organ solos, acts, overtures, etc., and capably handled by real conscientious projectionists who really make the best of the more or less ordinary equipment of the average modern projection room, will attract and satisfy more patrons than all the wide screens, optical projectors and similar innovations ever invented. It is not meant to infer that it is not advantageous to increase the size of the picture for panorama out-door scenes. This is
T iv e n ty e i g h t
most effective and is accomplished by the simple expedient of changing to a shorter focal length lens at the projector and cannot possibly be compared with the exceedingly expensive wide film systems.
It occurs to us that much can be done to better please the patrons without huge expenditures of money. A brighter, clearer picture that is steady on the screen and focused extremely sharp seems to be a small order, yet many theatres lack just that and at the same time contemplate large expenditures of money for wide screens, wide film projectors, etc. Our point is: Let’s get
down to a fair degree of perfection in presenting film subjects and stage presentation before wildly searching for newer, faster ways of spending money.
— o —
Appeal to Westerners
It is the desire of this publication to be of service to each individual projectionist in the West. It is impossible, however, for a member of our staff to be present at each meeting of each A. P. S. Chapter in the West. It follows, therefore, that we must depend upon the members of each chapter for our information about their chapter and its members. We believe that the western projectionists will combine to make their Loudspeaker the outstanding craft publication in America. Send in that story or news item today.
Learn to laugh. A good laugh is better than medicine. Learn how to tell a story. A well-told story is as welcome as a sunbeam in a sick room. Learn to keep your own troubles to yourself. The world is too busy to care for your ills and sorrows.