Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1945)

THE NEEDLE'S EYE A department on motion picture projection and sound reproduction "No other art or industry in the world narrows down its success to quite such a needle's eye as that through which the motion picture has to pass — an optical aperture — in the continuous miracle of the screen by a man and his machine, the projectionist and his projector." — TERRY RAMSAYE. Conducted by DONALD W. COLLINS, Member SMPE, Local 273 IATSE & MPMO there always has to be a first time for everything — and now I am a "colyumist." At least, I am heading in that direction. What happens is largely up to you projectionists and managers for whom these columns are written. It is my opinion that a "colyum" of this sort should be made up almost entirely of subjects suggested by the readers thereof. That is to say, it should deal as helpfully as possible with their problems, especially those which are of possible interest to a large number of readers. I am therefore asking you to write us, asking questions, giving us your ideas. Getting around to a lot of different theatres constantly, on what are troubleshooting missions, I may have encountered the very thing that is giving you trouble. I won't know anything about that, however, unless you tell me. Then, too, I hope that these columns' will be able to give you the dope on equipment developments from time to time, possibly before the equipment itself has got into theatres, at least extensively. Some of it I probably will run tests on, to learn their characteristics under conditions of operation in the theatre, and the experience thus obtained will be passed on to you. Anything that is of interest to practical projection and sound is, of course, grist for this mill. What's on your mind ? Write me at Better Theatres, 1270 Sixth Avenue, New York, 20, N. Y. • Some Lessons from Experience with Suprex STARTING OUT Cold, without any topics to talk about that you fellows have suggested, I have thought it might be interesting to discuss suprex carbon arcs in the light of our experience since lamps of this type first came on the market more than ten years ago. DONALD W. COLLINS With these suggestions on such diverse departments of projection as the arc lamp and the sound system. Donald W. Collins expands his activities to those of a writing fellow. To this sort of work he brings broad experience in the affairs with which his columns deal. He studied electrical e n g i neering at the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, N. Y. Then he preoccupied with World War I was in France handling that strange and formidable new weapon, the tank, during most of 1918. Home again, he went to work for the electrical power company in New York. But soon after the sound picture was introduced, he was hired by Electrical Research Products as an installation and service engineer. In 1934 he joined the sound and projection department of W arner Theatres. From then until 1944 he had charge of sound and projection, plus general maintenance, in New England; last year he was transferred to the home office in New York. — G. S. was -he Let's look first at the way in which tl lamps have stood up in comparison with sor of the more complicated lamphouses we we J using just a few years ago. It happens th WHEN the representatives of the United Nations meet in San Francisco on April 2 5th for a World Security Conference, it will offer a GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY to peace loving nations in the form of aid to rehabilitate civilian life, exchange of developments and material aid to a better living for all people in the society of humans, and by the same token exhibitors of motion pictures will also be able to participate in GOLDEN OPPORTUNITIES offered by the ever faithful engineering staff of WEBER MACHINE CORPORATION by sharing these GOLDEN OPPORTUNITIES in the form of fine precision Sound Reproducing Equipment that will make any screen attraction a real entertainment. Let SYNCROFILM solve your post-war problem by planning Today for your needs of Tomorrow. WEBER MACHINE CORPORATION 59 Rutter Street Rochester, N. Y. Export Department — Rocke International Electric Corp., 13 East 40th Stret, New York, N. Y. Cable — Romos QUALITY PRODUCTS TO THE INDUSTRY 12 BETTER THEATRES, APRIL 28, 19