Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1947)

Guarantees long, dependable, troublefree performance. Now being installed everywhere by discriminating theatres. Decide now to replace your obsolete equipment. Write for free literature or see your Independent Theatre Supply Dealer for a free demonstration. MOTIOGRAPH, INC. 4431 W. Lake St.. Chicago 24, III. Export Department FRAZAR & HANSEN, LTD. 301 Clay Street San Francisco 11, Calif. A DEPARTMENT ON PROJECTION & SOUND REPRODUCTION EQUIPMEN1 & METHODS FOR THEATRE OWNERS, MANAGERS AND THEIR STAFFS "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 GEORGE F. MILLER Chief projectionist and head of maintenance, St. Cloud Amusement Corporation, New Jersey; president of local 365, IATSE & MPMO PRODUCING THE BETTER PROJECTORS FOR OVER 50 YEARS Changing Volume Levels To Suit Your Customers A letter came in the other day which set me to wondering what one of those "Gallup Polls" would show as to public reactions to sound volume. The letter is from Lawrence Underwood of the Hiram College theatre in Hiram, Ohio, and it is accompanied by a clipping from an issue of Akron Beacon Journal in which the theatre editor deVotes her column to complaints from "moviegoers." Among these are criticisms of the sound in Akron theatres, especially of volume. The column refers to this as "acoustics"; what is clearly meant, however, is fader changes for various scenes of a picture. Remember the discussion that went on in these columns for several months, a year or so ago on the question of whether the projectionist should lower or raise the fader seating to change the level of sound for certain scenes from what the producer had intended? Two of Akron's first-run houses get a ribbing from one Beacon Journal reader about their "acoustics," one of them being cited for having "the particularly nasty habit of lowering the sound track whenever a very tender love scene is being flashed on the screen." Then, she adds, when the "guns and bombs give way, the ear drum comes close to being shattered." Apparently that's a vote for riding the fader; only this patrons wants her love scenes up, and the shooting stuff down. The director of the picture, of course, wants each just the way it was recorded. Commenting on such complaints, Mr. Underwood remarks that they show that there must be something to the question of fader-riding "other than projectionists' notions," and he continues: "I'm ashamed to say I must ride the fader constantly for the reasons stated in this paper. It seems to me that there is one good reason why a speaker system should not attempt to reproduce loud sounds at original volume. The speaker is a point source, relatively, and in reproducing the sound of an orchestra which in the flesh is distributed over a whole stage, it creates to the ear a decidedly different effect from the original. "Stereo sound may help to overcome this handicap. In playing 'Razor's Edge' I had to nudge the sound for the intimate low conversation, and tone it down for the loud dramatic music. And my good wife says the effect was fine. Our sound system is good, so I don't think the reason for having to do this goes back to the equipment, as it might if we had a single unit speaker." Brother Underwood says that in writing about this issue now he hasn't meant to "revive the argument." I think it might well be revived. You will recall that I expressed myself as being against altering the volume to change the relative levels What to Do in Case of Film Fire Burning nitrate film is dangerous. It can kill — it has killed. The slower it burns, the more dangerous it is. Burning nitrate •film produces nitrous gases which, when breathed into the lungs, combine with the water of the body to form nitric acid, which burns the lining of the lungs, causing injury likely to endure for years if it does not soon result in death. When film is ignited in a theatre projection room, only one proper course of action remains for the projectionist. GET OUT — INSTANTLY! [Originally published in Better Theatres of Feb., I945] BETTER THEATRES, AUGUST 23, I947