Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1931)

Record Details:

Something wrong or inaccurate about this page? Let us Know!

Thanks for helping us continually improve the quality of the Lantern search engine for all of our users! We have millions of scanned pages, so user reports are incredibly helpful for us to identify places where we can improve and update the metadata.

Please describe the issue below, and click "Submit" to send your comments to our team! If you'd prefer, you can also send us an email to mhdl@commarts.wisc.edu with your comments.




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.

M a V 2 3. 1 9 3 1 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 41 ''■lillllPilHII $€IJND CEPCCDLCTICN /fl!|I','l jlill-yi illiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiill The BLUEBOOK School Answer to Question No, 78 By F. H. RICHARDSON BLUEBOOK SCHOOL QUESTION NO. 83— Exactly what amount of space on the film does the slit beam illuminate? Is the light from the slit of unvarying brilliancy when it reaches the film soundband? What happens to the beam of light after it has passed through the sound track? Is it still of unvarying brilliancy? What will the light beam on the photo-electrc cell side of the film be a reproduction of, insofar as concerns its brilliancy? Explain all this fully, please. 77ii,' question zi'O.s: Slwuld tlic theatre manager or projectionist feel obliged to alter tlie horn setting without the assistance of a service engineer, what sJionld he done first? What is the best sound projector location? Tell us just how you zvould proceed to locate horns in a zi'ide auditorium. This one brought such a flood of correct answers that it seems impractical to print them all. I have had the matter checked up and find that every one of those credited from week to week with answering rightly are correct on this one, so I will just print the names of those who made good this time only, trusting the others will understand and excuse my action, taken to economize space. The list of additions to the usual one is as follows : Thomas Dunbar, Steven R. La Crosse, D. L. De Forest, L. Conrad, Peter Dobbs, R. T. Dennison, Tom Alexander, Tom Ackton, F. K. Post, R. D. O'Brien, Dan Tomlinson, Richard L. Rallins, Dick T. Bann, Joe Simmons, Alex D. Conklin, R. H. Diston, H. Howard, P. G. Lennox, D. T. Power, Andy Birdsal, Tom Hobert, Dan L. Michel, James D. Daniel, R. S. Alexander, Howard G. Shelton. Toot Lavenburg, D. L. Palmer. Dick E. Randall, U. S. Tandy, T. H. True, Dan H. Frazier, Rand T. Jameson, R. J. Billings, George Hardin, Elime Hardin, Don R. Shafer, Bob Thompson, F. D. Richards, F. F. Rogers, T. Saperstone, D. H. Macy, T. K. Johnson, A. V. Reilly, R. O. Fortell, G. J. Chambers, D. Goride, F. C. Sanders and Charles Weymouth. I have selected the reply of Bill Doe as perhaps, everything considered, best for publication, though man\ of the answers were essentially equal in the matter of correctness and excellence. Brother Doe says : ■'There is an excellent general rule which says sound projector positions should never be altered except when a service engineer be present, which applies of course only to such theatres as are regularly serviced. However, like all rules, this one may be deviated from, provided such diviation be carried forward carefully and only after it has been made possible to replace the projectors in their exact original position in event the experiment is not successful. "This latter may be very easily done by marking the exact position of each projector (horn) before altering its position. It is best that the above quoted rule have this possibility of change, because of the fact that, though usually service engineers are well trained men who give good service, still there nevertheless are exceptions. Anyhow they have not the time for as extended an observation as have the theatre people themselves. I would answer the first question, therefore, by saying the first act before moving any sound projector should be to carefully mark its position in such manner that it may be returned to its exact original position should it seem best to do so. "The only correct sound projector position is that one which will give the most even possible sound distribution throughout the entire seating space of the auditorium, save possibly in the case of a very wide one having little front-to-back depth, where complete servicing of the extreme front side seats might result in relatively dead spots elsewhere. "As to the last question, my own pro cedure would vary with the auditorium. If there were a balcony I think I would first experiment to see at just what up and down position the best results might be had for both the main floor and the balcony, favoring the main floor somewhat if it be found impossible to secure evenness in sound volume for both. "Next, if the auditorium be a wide one I would position the sound projectors in such manner that the left ones would service the right side and vice versa. I would then proceed to so position the projectors (sound) that the most even possible sound be obtained all over the auditorium, leaving any lowness which may seem necessary at both the right and left, and evenly distributed as between the two. This I would do for the reason that seats there are occupied last of all as the theatre fills up, hence usually remain empty if there be empty seats anywhere. "The foregoing, Mr. Richardson, is not designed to be anything except a rough outline_ of the main points. To treat of these subjects in complete detail would, I realize, require very much more space than is available in our most excellent department, from which I want to say I have derived a very great deal of benefit. My employer, Mr. Sam T. Roberts, reads both the weekly and monthly departments. He swears by' both of them and the Bluebooks." Note: Due to error of the makeup man the questions were left out for two weeks. He has been properly spanked, fed on bread and water for two days and has to go to bed early for a week. As to that last, I trust the strain will not prove too great ! INCANDESCENT EQUIPMENT B. R. Johnson, Orpheum theatre, Kerrobert, Saskatchawan. Canada, says : "I will appreciate the benefit of your advice on the following : Am using incandescent equipment, the primary voltage of approximately 120 volts AC being used to 32 volts by a Sunbeam transformer. The 900 watt lamps are wired in series, and a special changeover device or rheostat permits of two primary steps of 18 and 20 amperes before the full amperage comes through. "My experience with new lamps is that a great many, in fact two out of every three, burn out immediately they get the full amperage, notwithstanding the fact that they are carefully warmed up on the lower amperages. The lamps that survive the initial lighting last indefinitely, therefore I have put the cause of the trouble down to defective lamps. It is, however, practically impossible to get refunds from the factory, and it is a bit hard on the pocketbook. "Do you find this the general experience with these lamps or is it that there is something defective with our methods?" First of all, I do not see why the lamps