Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1948)

BOOK REVIEW THE PREHISTORY OF MOTION PICTURES MAGIC SHADOWS— The story of the origin of Motion Pictures, by Martin Quigiey, Jr. Foreword by Terry Ramsaye. 216 pages. Illustrated. Cloth. $3.50. Georgetown University Press. by DR. ALFRED N. GOLDSMITH The motion picture has a pre-history dating back thousands of years and of particular significance during the past three hundred years. Until the appearance of Mr. Quigley's "Magic Shadows," the pre-history of the motion picture has never been so comprehensively studied. The motion picture field has long awaited such a necessary document. That it has not appeared previously is understandable. Amazing Event For one thing, the existence of Mr. Quigley's book is an unexpected and rather amazing event. To produce such a book required, on the part of the author, a vast enthusiasm for a difficult subject; extensive background knowledge in the field of motion pictures ; willingness to devote years to research and study of sources and archives in Europe and America, and the readiness and ability to decipher musty tomes and ancient manuscripts in various languages, to disentangle historical truth from such manuscripts; and an orderly mind, and literary aptitude enabling the logical arrangement and attractive presentation of a complex saga of human accomplishment. Truly such a book is a happy chance of fate, unlikely to recur. It preserves for the information and education of this generation, and the admiration of later people, the story of the basic progress which made possible the entertainment and educational motion picture. In examining this volume, one is at once attracted by the bravery with which the author faced the difficult question : "Where does the pre-history of the motion picture begin ?" Actually this pre-history is lost in the mists of antiquity. Men, now known and unknown, discovered one after another individual and rudimentary optical facts and instruments. This knowledge, far later, made possible the first still-picture projector which was the basic step toward cinematography. Diverse National Origin One is also struck by the wide diversity of the national origin of the early workers in this field. Arabs, Chaldeans, Chinese, Greeks and others took their places in the significant profession of scientists and inventors each of whom added a brick or two to a stately structure. Such names as Alhazen, Archimedes and Aristotle appear among the roster of early workers. Then the scenes shifted almost entirely to continental Europe and England. Roger Bacon, an English monk, greatly contributed to this optical development. So did that eclectic genius, Leonardo da Vinci, in his work on the design and use of light-tight cameras. Scientists Entered Field Still later, scientists of the standing of the astronomer Kepler entered the field of optics. But it remained for Father Athanasius Kircher, a German priest, actually to project the first still pictures in Rome. Thus, more than three centuries ago, came that crucial moment when the motion picture became possible. For, after all, the motion picture is actually the rapid projection of a series of still pictures. It is interesting that, by good fortune, Kircher escaped condemnation as a practitioner of "black magic." Passing over a notable group of men each of whom added something to stillpicture showings, "Magic Shadows" traces the history of the next and inevitable task. It was to introduce the element of motion into the projected picture. Simple as this sounds today, it was actually a most difficult and challenging problem to the early workers. Pioneer experiments, such as those of Musschenbroek, though painstaking, were too limited and rudimentary for the purpose. Such workers as John Paris, Joseph Antoine Plateau, von Stampfer, and von Uchatius came increasingly closer to the goal of meaningful projection of pictures in motion. Struggles of Savants and Quacks And the last half of the nineteenth century carried the story to essential completion. A brief summary of the book leaves to the reader the enjoyable opportunity of following in detail the struggles of savants and quacks, of scientists and rogues, and of the thoughtful and the crackpots who, in one way or another, contributed to the march of motion picture progress during its pre-history. Suffice it to say that the story is clearly and attractively presented. The motion picture industry owes much to such a prehistory of its work. An account of this type adds dignity, and the standing of long tradition to the motion picture. It shows how many important and difficult human contributions were embodied in the present motion picture and how many technical achievements, now taken for granted, were painfully accomplished. It stimulates further work for the future, and it does justice to many little-known workers who, though unrecognized, built up the knowledge and methods of today. These workers are described in so smoothly-flowing a style and with such unusual clarity of expression that they literally "come alive" in the pages of this book. It may be added that the typographical work, paper and binding are in accord with the importance of this volume. It is hoped that motion picture executives, studio officials, cameramen and technicians will find time to read so authentic and stimulating a story of the evolution of their own art — carrying it over the long road from Kircher at Rome in 1644 to Thomas Alva Edison, Thomas Armat and many others in the last decade of the nineteenth century. Such a reading will combine entertainment, instruction and a due appreciation of the evolution of a great field. 16mm Shorts Will Go to Libraries Washington Bureau Public libraries now may avail themselves of 16mm versions of 178 short subjects produced for theatrical showing. These films, distributed by Teaching Film Custodians, non-profit unit of the Motion Picture Association, will be loaned like books to adult education groups, Roger Albright, director of MPAA's educational services, announced this week. The 178 films were chosen from a total of 400 short subjects under the direction of the Commission on Motion Pictures in Adult Education, sponsored by the American Association on Adult Education. A special catalogue lists information on the films. More than 30 libraries in as many cities will be the first to receive the shorts. Representative of the best short subject material of MPAA members, pictures are classified by subjects, including such sections as biographies, citizenship and democracy, health and safety, juvenile and adult delinquency, literature and others. MPEA Plans to Send 180 Shorts to Holland Acting on a request from Arnold Childhouse, managing director of the Motion Picture Export Association in Holland, MPEA is planning to send 180 selected short subjects to that country, it was learned this week. Suitable shorts from all companies now are being screened for that purpose. Holland at this moment is just about the only country where it pays to ship in such a quantity of short subjects. Documentaries and color subjects especially are in demand. In the past shorts also have been sent to Hungary and Czechoslovakia. Arrangements now are being made to ship educational short subjects to Poland. The Dutch have no quota on the importation of shorts. 22 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, FEBRUARY 28, 1948