Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1931)

June 6 , 19 3 1 MOTION PICTURE HERALu 43 BySCLND CEt)CCDIJCTI€N , The BLUEBOOK School Answer to Question No. 79 By F. H. RICHARDSON BLUEBOOK SCHOOL QUESTION NO. 85 — Note: At the suggestion of several of our correspondents it has been decided to include a plain projection question occasionally. I believe one out of every four should be about right. Here is the first one: (A) Explain just how you deternnine when your intermittent movement Is in need of adjustment. (B) Describe, in minute detail, just how you proceed to adjust the intermittent movement of your projection, telling us what make it is. (C) Just atwhat point do you ask for a renewal, or make a renewal of your intermittent sprockets, explaining, in detail, how you determine whether or not they need renewing. The question was: (A) Under what condition is it desirable to have two sets of sound projectors — horns? (B) Wluit shoidd be done when the horns are flown to clear stage? (C) When sound projectors are mounted upon horn towers or dolly trucks, what should be done to secure correct relocation after they have been moved? {D) Why should the theatre manager make periodic inspection of horn location 'where they are subject to being moved about the stage? The following made substantially correct replies. Lester Borst, Leslie Yates, S. Evans and C. Rau, Herman Billings, Ed HoUister, Samuel Kay, Richard Singleton, Bill Doe, P. L. Toeping, George Thompson, G. E. Doe, N. D. Garling, Tom Turk, William Bogert, F. T. Earneman, L. MacArthur, John Williams, Nic Granby, Frank Gardner, T. Van \'aulkenburg, Thomas Peters, William Gibson, Alonzo Zerach, G. In the Bioscope, London, England, I just read an account of what seems to me to be a decidedly excellent stunt. It seems to be a British invention. At least, the makers are the Electro Products, Ltd., presumably of London. The thing consists of a lowpriced device, by means of which, according to the Bioscope investigator, an excellent phonograph record may be made by the theatre manager himself. This record may then be used on the non-sync, and thus the manager is himself enabled to make personal announcements to his audiences. The making of a record, which is permanent, is, according to the Bioscope investigator, accomplished with no difficulty and consumes only a few seconds of time. I would presume that, taken as a whole, that would probably mean a minute or two. Bioscope says : "There are several uses to which such home-made records may be put. In the motion picture theatre many exhibitors are still using silent trailers. An ingenious manager may often make use of the talkie L. Walker, D. T. Wyley, Lewis Henderson, B. G. Anden, S. Hackett, James McGuire, Robert Lester, Robert Manning, Frank D. Broyce, T. T. Tittling, James Pendone, G. Morgan, R. B. Whitnath, Roy D. James, D. Johnson and Paul Danning, L. Jameson, L. D. Lansaw, George Peterson, F. D. Tipping, Alex Tipping, Lory Wright, Andy F. Boe, Robert L. Banning, T. D. McCarthy, Peter Cermak, D. Fausett, J. L. Whitman, G. Leissler and Charles Kane. These were all very good answers. I have selected the replies of Herman Billings, Evans and Rau, Lester Borst, L. MacArthur, Tom Turk, G. E. Doe and Bill Doe as of about equal excellence. Laid them together in a pile, shut my eyes and pulled out Brother Billings. Here it is : "A. In theatres where a combination policy of vaudeville and pictures is in use it is often necessary to use a screen in one. while a set is being placed behind it. If it is necessary to run a whole feature on record for announcements of forthcoming productions. It is of course possible to do that now by means of a microphone, assuming no objections would be made to the connection of a mike to the equipment. However, this obliges the manager to be present in person every time an announcement is to be made, or to delegate the duty to some substitute, and substitutes are not always dependable. "In the same way records may be used in making announcements at regular intervals in the foyer, or even outside the theatre, as well as special announcements to be made from the stage. "The record outfit can be used on any sort of gramaphone." It seems to me that this device is most excellent. As I understand it, the thing may be attached to any gramaphone. The records are six inches in diameter. They will run for from 80 to 90 seconds. Eightinch records may be procured if desired. They are of aluminum and double sided. The blank records retail at 6d, or 6 pence. the screen in front it will be necessary to use a second set of horns. If, however, just a single reel or so is to be run, the horns on the rear screen can be used. "B. When horns are flown to clear the stage, some way of marking its location is necessary. Such a way is to knot the ropes to show the height from the stage. "C. Horns mounted on horn towers or dolly trucks should be marked so that their exact location can always be found. A method used most generally, I find, is to run a rod down opposite corners of the truck and into holes in the floor. This insures the horns being in the exact location each time they are moved. "D. In the theatres where the horns are moved around the stage it is good policy for the manager to visit the stage and inspect the horn placement. The average stage crew does not realize the importance of replacing the horns in their exact locations." ONE which is, I believe, about equal to six of our own cents, though I am no expert in British coin values. The record is placed on the machine, lightly covered with a special lubricant and the needle lowered into position. After the needle has made one revolution the recording may begin. No subsequent treatment of the disc is necessary. It may be instantly played back on any gramaphone, either with or without amplification, provided only that Electro-color needles be used. The record may be played a great many times. In fact, the Bioscope investigator declares that there is no wear whatsoever on the record. He also says that results of astonishing quality may be obtained after a little practice in modulating the voice. A disc prepared in this way by a member of the Bioscope staff was tried out through the talking equipment. The manager made the statement that the amount of ground noise was no greater than that presented by the majority of talking discs he receives. He also declared that there is ample volume and that the sound is clear. ▲ ▲ A ENGLAND INTRODUCES