Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1936)

Tuesday. April 28, 1936 MOTION PICTURE DAILY SMPE Meet Opens; Shearer Is Absent Chicago, April 27. — The Society of M. P. Engineers met here today in the i first session of its four-day convention. The day was featured by the reading of a number of dissertations on the technical phases of the industry subnutted by prominent figures in the scientific field. A note of disappointment was sounded, however, in the announcement that Douglas Shearer, who was to demonstrate his new M-G-M sound recording, has been held in Hollywood on a retake of Romeo and Juliet. He cannot attend the convention. RCA had spent §2,500 on preparation of equipment for the demonstration. Decided advances in professional and amateur photography, in sound recording technique and equipment and in sound reproducing systems for general theatrical use were pointed out in the progress report of John G. Frayne, chairman of the progress committee. Among the outstanding developments of 1935 Frayne noted i the new Kodachrome color film, the extension of three-way Technicolor to features, and improvements in silent cameras. In lighting, the development of new gaseous conductors, new lens spots using the Fresnel type of lens in stuidios, and in sound recording, the improvement in the push-pull recording method, and the use of ultra-violet light recording were stressed. Available to theatres are new methods of pulling film, as well as the new type of multi-cellular horn, known as the Fletcher horn, Frayne's report indicated. Abbott, on the Film Library Reviewing the purposes and work of the Museum of Modern Art Film Library, John E. Abbott, its director, pointed out that until June, 1935, when the Library was established, no organization existed for preserving films of merit or for arranging for their distribution and study by those interested in the screen as a "living art" and its history and development. The functions of the library, as explained by Abbott, are to trace and preserve important films, American and foreign; edit and assemble them for educational and non-commercial juse; arrange critical appraisals of them ; make available information concerning the artistic, dramatic and historical aspects of the films ; assemble a library of book and data on the screen. The 1936 series includes : The Development of Narrative (18941911), The Rise of the American Film (1912-15), D. W. Griffith ("Intolerance"), The German Influence The Talkies. M. F. Jameson and T. E. Shea of the Bell Telephone Laboratories in Xew York, in their paper on "Photoelectric Cells and their Method of Operation," explained the laws gov erning the release of electrons from photoelectric surfaces, their collection at anodes, and the creation of ions in the photoelectric cell gases by the "ionization" process. The questions of spectral selectivity of various photo electric surfaces, the influence of spec tral characteristics of illumination and the dynamic characteristics of vacuum ! and gas-filled cells, were considered. The various operating features of photoelectric cells was demonstrated in conjunction with the paper. Reading a paper on "Harmonic & Looking 9Em Over "The Drag Nef (.Continued from page 6) is the playboy member of the law firm headed by his father and does little for the name. He is given a job with the district attorney's office and while celebrating his appointment has the murder of Miss Compson dumped in his lap. With the aid of Miss Nixon, a newspaperwoman, he gets himself into the workings of a gambling outfit responsible for the killing. The tale rambles from this point and involves such items as crooked politics, a jail break and another near assassination. Eventually the case is solved by La Rocque. The production bears the marks of taste and expenditure, evident in the sets and other accoutrements. It is definitely for dual bills. Reviewed without production code seal. Running time, 65 minutes. "G." "Women in White" (Guaranteed) Furtive romance in hospital corridors and a typhoid fever epidemic are the factors of the plot which, treated in an amateurish manner, projected in dialect and poor sound recording, lend neither interesting drama nor effective entertainment. The film, an Irish importation, deals with the struggles of a young doctor with his emotional life among the nurses in the hospital where he pursues his career and how he finds his true love after being stricken with the disease he had successfully fought in a small town. The acting and production bear the touch of too much "art." The angle which may draw an audience into the theatre is that many of the players are from the famous Abbey Theatre troupe. Otherwise it sadly lacks what it takes. Production Code Seal, No. 0864. Running time, 55 minutes. "G." Distortion in Variable Density Records," Burton F. Miller of the Warner studio showed that the distortion in second and third harmonic prints at low frequencies is almost exclusively due to the departures of the overall gamma from unity, while distortions at high frequencies are mainly dependant upon the velocity of the light valve ribbons. In a second portion of the paper Miller presented data obtained from variable density frequency films, and compared it with that obtained from the theoretical analysis. G, A. Morton of the RCA Mfg. Co., in Camden, in a paper on "The Electron Tube Image, A Means for Making Visible, Infra-Red Images," described the construction and theory of operation of the electron image tube, and illustrated various applications of this type of electronic device. Discussing in detail the electron optical system used in the image tube, Morton described the methods of correction necessary to reproduce faithfully an image projected on the photosensitive cathode. "Improved Resolution in Sound Recording and Printing by the Use of Ultra-Violet Light," was described by G. L. Dimmick of RCA, Camden, who pointed out that the resolution of sound film records has been increased by the use of ultra-violet light in recording and printing. Because of the absorption characteristics of the emulsion, exposures made by ultraviolet light are restricted to the surface. This reduces the spreading of the image. The fogging of the track is almost entirely eliminated through the use of the ultra-violet light, Dimmick indicated. Louis Lumiere of Paris, France, treated "Stereoscopy on the Screen," saying, "Improvements have been developed in the system of stereoscopic motion picture projection with light beams of complementary colors. The red and green filters normally employed for this purpose produce eye strain, causing fatigue resulting from the difference in persistence of the vision of red and green retinal images." He described a new filter combination by which both eyes receive both red and green light but of different wavelength regions. One of the interesting exhibits was a demonstration of X-ray talking pictures which clearly showed the complex movements of the internal organs of speech as they formed the sounds which we know as "talk." Jack Miller in an amusing address "warned" the assembled technicians against going too far with the development of Television. The fall convention of S.M.P.E. was scheduled to be held in Rochester, N. Y., from October 12 to 15. Tuesday's program follows : 10 A. M. to Noon, East Lounge, Acoustics and Sound Equipment Session. "The Acoustic Design of Music Scoring Stages," C. M. Mugler, Acoustical Engineering Co., Los Angeles, (demonstration), (20 mins.) "Acoustic Considerations in the Construction and Use of Sound Stages," D. P. Loye, Erpi, Los Angeles, (demonstration), (20 mins.) Report of the Standards Committee, E. K. Carver, chairman. "A HighQuality Reproducing System for Small Theatres," H. P. Pfannenstiehl, E. O. Scriven, and J. F. D. Hoge, Bell Telephone Laboratories, Inc., New York, (20 mins.) "Recent Improvements in the Variable-Width Recording System," B. Kreuzer, RCA Manufacturing Co., Inc., Camden. N. J., (20 mins.) "Analysis of Sound Waves," H. H. Hall, Cruft Laboratory, Harvard University, (15 mins.) 2 to 5 P. M., East Lounge, Lighting Symposium, Report of the Projection Screen Brightness Committee, C. Tuttle, chairman. (15 mins.), Report of the Projection Practice Committee, H. Rubin, chairman, (15 mins.) "The Motion Picture Screen as a Lighting Problem." M. Luckiesh and F. K. Moss, General Electric Co., Cleveland, (25 mins.) "Source Construction and Color of Light from Some Incandescent Lamps," R. E. Farnham and R. E. Worstell, General Electric Co., Cleveland, (20 mins.) "Present Trends in the Application of the Carbon Arc to the Motion Picture Industry." W. C. Kalb, National Carbon Co., Cleveland, (20 mins.) "Theory, Design and Use of Photoelectric Exposure Meters," A. T. Williams, Weston Electrical Instrument Corp., Newark, N. J., (20 mins.) Kuykendall Speaks To Arkansas I. T. O. Little Rock, Ark., April 27. — The second session of the semi-annual meeting of the I.T.O. of Arkansas was called to order today by President Morrow, who introduced Ed Kuykendall, guest speaker. Kuykendall, who is president of the M.P.T.O.A., told the delegates that "despite the fact that some civic organizations were unfamiliar with conditions under which theatre owners operate, rapid strides have been made in securing better and more suitable films for the public." Mrs. Scott Woods, president of the Arkansas ParentTeachers Ass'n, also spoke, paying tribute to the "noticeable improvement in pictures," and to the co-operation of exhibitors. R. X. Williams, president of the Theatre Owners of Mississippi, spoke on legislative matters. All officers of the organization were re-elected. They are: Ray Morrow, Malvern, president ; L. F. Haven of Forest City, vice-president, and J. F. Norman of England, secretarytreasurer. Gene Markey Promoted Hollywood, April 27. — Gene Markey was today elevated from writer to associate producer at Twentieth Century-Fox. His first assignment will be an Irving Berlin musical as yet untitled. The second will be "White Hunter," his original. Screen Writers Meet Hollywood, April 27. — The Screen Writers' Guild held its regular meeting here tonight, claiming that definite recognition by producers had been reached as a result of the blast fired by the Producers' Ass'n yesterday. ITOA Dines, Dances About 800 exhibitors and local film men last night attended the I.T.O. A. dinner and dance at the French Ca Wall Street Varying Losses on Board Net High Low Close Change Columbia, vtc ... 35 35 35 Consolidated 5 m 4& — Y* Consolidated, pfd \&A 16 16 — % Eastman 163Vs 157 158 —S¥& Loew's, Inc 46}4 4454 44}4 —ty& Paramount S$i 8 854 — 54 Paramount 1 pfd. 65 6454 65 — 254 Paramount 2 pfd. 10V& 9Ys 9Vs — 54 Pathe 954 8?4 — H RKO 6Y& 534 SJi — H 20th Century, pfd. 32J4 31 H 31& — J4 Universal, pfd ... 98 95 97 —2 Warner Bros. ...10$£ 9*A 10 — H Curb Shows Slight Losses Net High Low Close Change Sonotone VA 2?4 WA Technicolor 2954 285? 2854 —154 Trans -Lux 3% Wa 3J4 — Ya Most Bonds Show Drop Net High Low Close Change General Theatre Equip. 6s '40 .. 2654 24J4 2454 —2 General Theatre Equip. 6s '40 ctf 26 24 24 — 1J4 Paramount B'way 3s '55 56 55 56 Paramount Pict. 6s '55 8654 83 84 —2 Warner Bros. 6s (Quotations at close of April 27) '39 wd 95 9254 9254 -254