Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Mar 1932)

20 MOTION PICTURE HERALD January 23, 1932 PROJECTION LAMP PROJECTION OPTICAL SVSTEM TAKE UP REEL PROJECTOR SWITCH AND AMPLIFIER, VOLUHE CONTROL RCA Photophoue's 16 luui. sound-on-film portable projector Erpi, RCA Follow Different Channels In 16mm. Selling Western Electric will not merchandise a sound-on-film producer of 16mm width for the non theatrical field, but intends to market a sound-on-disc machine upon the completion of current technical developments. RCA Photophone, Erpi's competitor in the sound equipment field, recently finished laboratory work on a sound-on-film 16mm device for non theatrical use, but Erpi officials are of the opinion that disc, and not film, is necessary for a successful non-theatrical market. Erpi and Western Electric will not effect a unification plan similar to that which was announced this week by RCA Photophone and RCA Victor. Electrical Research cannot market sound equipment in the home field, but must confine its non-theatrical merchandising to class rooms and other educational phases, to churches, clubs and commercial organizations. RCA Photophone has exclusive rights to home sales, in addition to regular nontheatrical business, by the terms of an agreement made several years ago by Radio Corporation and American Telephone & Telegraph. Would Restrict Ticket Sales to Sects Available RCA Equipment in School Contracts have been signed for the installation of RCA Photophone equipment in the new Samuel Gompers Industrial High School for boys, in the Bronx section of New York, as the first step in the city's test of the potentialities of sound pictures in teaching. BY FRANCIS L. BURT The film industry this week occupied a prominent position in the Congressional limelight, with taxes and the "S.R.O." sign occupying the center of the stage. As the House ways and means committee prepared to swing into its hearing on the proposed Mellon admission tax, Senator Robert D. Carey (Rep.) of Wyoming took theatre owners to task with an attack upon the practice of selling tickets when there were no seats available. Senator Carey, after what appears to have been an unfortunate experience at one of his local theatres some days ago introduced a bill which would make it unlawful for any Washington theatre owner or employe to make a false or misleading statement concerning the availability of seats for any performance or to sell more tickets for any performance than the number of seats available, providing a penalty of not more than $100 for violations. Hearings on the bill were held by a subcommittee of the Senate committee on the District of Columbia on January 20, at which the Washington theatre interests protested the threatened legislation. Theatre men contended that film houses do not sell "seats" but admissions. They also declared that every efYort is made to keep approaching patrons advised as to the availability of seats, most of the houses, during the busy periods, having men stationed outside to constantly announce whether, and where, seats are available or how soon some may be expected. RCA Announces A New Portable 16mm Projector Announced as the culmination of four years of development, RCA Victor Corp. and RCA Photophone, at a demonstration on Thursday, introduced a new AC 16 mm. sound-on-film projector. Manufactured by the RCA Victor Company at its plant in Camden, N. J., and referred to as the RCA Photophone Junior Portable to distinguish it from the 35 mm. senior portable which has been on the market for more than a year, the new machine consists of a projector-amplifier unit and a small loudspeaker unit. The entire equipment is operated from any 110-volt, 50 or 60-cycle AC lighting circuit. The projector-amplifier unit is 14 J/2 inches long, 13}4 inches high, 8J4 inches wide and weighs 43 pounds. The equipment is not removed from its case during operation, the interior mechanism being accessible for adjustments, replacement of radiotrons, lamps and photocell. During actual presentation of pictures, the case is closed to reduce to a minimum extraneous noise caused by operation. The projector is equipped with an optical system which projects pictures varying in size from 22 inches wide to 16 inches high at a distance of 10 feet to 67 inches wide by 50 inches high at a distance of 30 feet. The picture size recommended by RCA for good illumination is 52 inches wide by 39 inches high, which is obtained at a projection distance of 23 feet. The exciter lamp is a 4-volt, .75-ampere, Mazda lamp and the radiotrons used in the amplifier are one UX-868 photocell, one UY224, one UY-227, three UX-345s, and one UX-280. All power for the operation of the loudspeaker is obtained from the projectionamplifier unit. The loudspeaker is mounted in an individual carrying case which is 19 inches long, 16 inches high, inches wide and weighing 21 pounds exclusive of film cases, reels and film. Space is provided in the case for the storage of eight film cans for 400-foot film reels. This loudspeaker is of the flat baffle type, with the dynamic speaker unit mounted behind the screened opening in the front of its carrying case. A sufficient volume of sound is available to meet the requirements of rooms having a cubic content up to 10,000 feet. The 16 mm. film employed for reproduction contains sprocket holes on one side only instead of both sides as are required on 35 mm. film. When threaded in the projector, the sprocket holes are on the right side of the film. The sound track, barely discernible to normal sight, is at the left. Zeldman to Distribute on Independent Market Bennie F. Zeldman has decided to release his "Juvenile Court," in which Junior Durkin, Pat O'Brien, Bette Davis and Junior Coghlan appear, on the open market. This decision was reached after negotiations with two major distributing companies and after independent market buyers offered financial inducements to Zeldman. Zeldman has appointed J. D. Trop, his salesmanager with offices at 729 Seventh Avenue, N. Y., and Charles E. Moyer, formerly with United Artists to handle promotion work. Adams Joins Vitaphone Norman H. Moray, in charge of Vitaphone sales, this week appointed Cleve Adams home ofiice representative.