Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1935)

Thursday, August I, 1935 MOTION PICTURE DAILY New Hammond Sound Device Nearly Ready (.Continued from page 1) producing. In his experiments Hammond has been aided by RCA and RKO engineers. Ellison Purington has been the engineer in charge. Because ■ of his close affiliation with RCA and RKO Hammond indicated that he does not intend to form a new company to market the system. It has already proved itself, he says, in the Bell Laboratories, in Madison Square Garden, in film theatres, and has been demonstrated to musical celebrities. Two elements are contained in his invention, Hammond revealed. The first automatically changes the amplifier so that it varies according to the intensity of the recording. The second changes the filtration, so that when high frequencies occur in the recording, the system automatically allows these to pass through. When there are no high frequencies, the system stops of its own accord all parasitical noises from being heard. "The first element gives life," Hammond pointed out. "The second gives variety to tone color." Chapel Is Testing Ground He demonstrated the system in the stone chapel of his place on the North Shore, using records. Instead of performing like the usual amplifier system that amplifies at the same maximum, no matter what the subject matter, this system dropped to pianissimo when the music softened and blasted forth, crystal clear, when the music arose to fortissimo. Then Hammond switched out his device. The usual scratching and static background was evident. The device had not only automatically adjusted the amplification to the sound itself, but it had eliminated most of the surface noise. "As you know, I have always hated canned music and canned voice," wrote Ethel Barrymore to Hammond after a similar demonstration. "Since hearing your 'Dynamic Amplifier,' I am forced to entirely readjust myself. And do let me tell what a marvelous thing you have — what it will mean to the speaking film seems to me incalculable." "All that I can say now is this," wrote Ramon Novarro. "You not only have reproduced nature — you have improved it." Claims It Is Different The main point of his invention, Hammond explains, is that it gets away from present systems in which amplification is linear — at a constant degree, that is. Instead of being held within certain limits, the "Dynamic Multiplier" contracts and expands to automatically give actual ranges of sound that occur in life. The new sound system will be of particular value in recording, also, its originator states. For one thing, it may be used so that the sound apparatus will pick up only noises on the immediate set. If an aeroplane should happen to pass by at a distance, this would not affect the film. Furthermore, the device would discriminate among sounds of certain low intensities. The value of these possibilities is self evident. It could also be used in editing film and in renovating old film. As the film is being screened a new sound track may be made. The original track may be modified or increased at any point. Any mistakes in the original may be corrected in the second print. By this method, re-editing is simple. Films will be insured of longer life, in addition. Musical films will be especially benefited by the "Dynamic Multiplier," Hammond believes. It will also aid the phonograph industry, he is convinced. Because it would emphasize such phenomena as fading, he is skeptical of its value to radio, however. "The system incorporates a listening circuit that listens to the record as the men in an orchestra watch the leader," Hammond summed up. "When the signal comes, it automatically energizes or softens, as the case may be, whereas present systems remain at a constant degree. The 'Dynamic Multiplier' gives discriminating amplification." Hearing for Katz's Claim Set Sept. 18 A hearing on exceptions to Special Master John E. Joyce's report recommending disallowance of Sam Katz's $281,000 claim against Paramount was tentatively set for Sept. 18 after being referred to Federal Judge Alfred C. Coxe by the U. S. District Court here yesterday. In his report Joyce held that Paramount could not be held liable for the unexpired portion of its contract with Katz. The outcome of this ruling is believed to have a bearing on similar claims filed against Paramount bv Jesse L. Lasky and Sidney R. Kent. Commonwealth Expands Kansas City, July 31. — C. A. Schultz of Commonwealth Theatres, Inc., says Commonwealth has taken over the Dreamland, 675-seat house at Herrington, Kan. C. L. McVey, who operated the house previously on an individual basis, will stay as manager. This gives the chain 20 houses. Noted inventor who is active on a new sound system which is being developed on his estate at Gloucester, Mass. To Remodel in Cincy Cincinnati, July 31. — M. Chester Martin, owner and operator of the Orpheum, 2,100-seat suburban, which went dark early in the summer, is contemplating a remodeling program, to include improving the lobby. The house is expected to reopen in the fall. The Strand, downtown independent first and second run, has inaugurated a series of weekly amateur nights and screeno nights. Senate Votes Early Action On Copyrights By BERTRAM F. LINZ Washington, July 31. — Overriding protests of Senators Copeland and Wagner of New York, the Senate today made the Copyright Bill its unfinished business and listened to an explanation of the measure by members of the Senate Patents Committee. It is expected the bill will be passed early next week. Declaring the measure to deal with a "trivial" subject on which there is no national demand for legislation, Senator Copeland protested that for five years there has been pending a bill for treating with safety of life at sea, on which it has been impossible to get any action, "and now suddenly we find that the most important matter that can engage the attention of the Senate is a copyright bill.* "I feel we are losing our sense of proportion when we spend our time considering trivial things," he said. "Here is a bill that is so controversial that I hold in my hand a brief covering 50 pages pointing out weaknesses and defects in this bill. This is not a time to bring up controversial matters of so little general consequence as this." Admitting it was controversial, proponents of the legislation declared it had been on the calendar for some time. The committee, it was said by Senator McAdoo of California, chairman, had found it almost impossible to reconcile the divergent interests, but had attempted to secure as good a measure as was possible. MOTION PICTURE DAILY* HOLLYWOOD PREVIEW "She Gets Her Man" (Universal) Hollywood, July 31. — Burlesquing crime crushing, this broad comedy takes Zasu Pitts, a dumb waitress, whose foiling of a bank robbery accidentally elevates her as a front page celebrity via Hugh O'Connell's high pressured press agenting and follows Miss Pitts, barnstorming the nation, making speeches to women's clubs to stamp out crime. A mob of roughnecks led by Edward Brophy, realizing that Miss Pitts is their greatest menace, kidnap her, but her evangelistic crime orations convert Brophy's heathens to a better life and off they go to jail, singing merrily. Produced at a reasonable cost from Fred Meyer's idea as the first production of his regime, the film blends satire, slapstick and hokum for laughing purposes only and as such it achieves its objective. Its original title was "Gee, Woman." Besides the new comedy team, Miss Pitts and O'Connell, with Brophy, Helen Twelvetrees, Lucien Littlefield, Warren Hymer, Ward Bond and Bert Gordon add competent support. Particularly amusing is Brophy's love scene with Miss Pitts, a highlight howl. William Nigh directed from an original by Aben Kandel and David Diamond, with Diamond producing. As a topical, pleasing, laugh show it should team well with a serious offering. Production Code Seal 1071. Running time, 67 minutes. "G." Screen Television Is Shown in Phila. Philadelphia, July 31. — Reproduction of films on a television screen produced what observers believed to be by far the most satisfactory results attained in a demonstration here today of the latest television equipment of P. T. Farnsworth, young inventor who heads the technical staff of Television Laboratories, Inc. The demonstration was made with the use of the cathode ray tube and reproduced on a nine-inch screen of a combination vision and sound broadcast console receiver condensed in size for home use. A Mickey Mouse cartoon and a song and dance film were used in the demonstration and produced uniformly clearer and more constant images than other subjects of transmission employed in the demonstration. Farnsworth said he had licensed the Philco Radio Co. to manufacture receiving equipment under his patent, and predicted that commercial television would be established "within a year." David Sarnoff, RCA head, recently estimated that it would take about 10 years to develop television for practical commercial use. The greatest obstacle to this development is said to be the erection of transmitting stations. Farnsworth declared that this problem was nearing solution with the erection of transmitting stations planned for New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco for experimental broadcasts.