Motion Picture Herald (1953)

GREGG OF 3-D But Tells British Hollywood Excitement Has Created Good Will by PETER BURNUP LONDON : x\rrived here on what he characterizes as a survey trip, Eugene S. Gregg, head of Westrex, unlnirdened himself of some salutary warnings of the danger of rushing in on 3-D where even sound technicians might fear to tread. It is Mr. Gregg’s personal impression that 3-D and its spectacles might easily outstay its welcome from the customers. He spoke, however with enthusiasm of CinemaScope, and admitted, moreover, that Hollywood’s flurry of excitement had provoked more goodwill interest in the business than any other circumstance since the coming of sound. Fears Marketing Chaos Nevertheless, the Western Electric foreign company chief foresaw marketing chaos and the total jeopardizing of something of lasting benefit to the industry if producers persisted in rushing their fences. Mr. Gregg doesn’t want all those high hopes killed by a rash of half-baked schemes. Understandingly, Mr. Gregg looks upon stereophonic sound as an essential ingredient in anv wide-screen development. He claims that sterophony is a technician’s headache compared with the relatively straightforward technical problems involved in either streoscopy or wide-screen. Until standardization is achieved, not only in screen-ratio but sound, the hands of sound-technicians are tied, Gregg said. He added that the industry simply cannot afford two or three different sound reproduction methods in operation at one time. Mr. Gregg estimates that the cost of installation of multi-channel sound will run from around £3,000 to £5,000 per theatre. He points out that equipment must be tailored to a given theatre’s size and acoustic properties, which entails in turn an individual survey of every house for installation. Sees Finances a Problem The financial aspect of the change-over makes for “a tremendous problem” to the industry, Mr. Gregg concedes. Equipment companies couldn’t be expected to shoulder the whole of the colossal burden. “We consider always the financial position of our customers,” he said. “We visualize that equipment will be made available to British exhibitors on rental terms.” Mr. Gregg told reporters Hollywood producers had still to make up their minds whether to use the double or single film method. Some people, he said, favored five WARNS RFSR tracks and even a nine-track recording had been proposed. Screen illumination posed another problem, he declared. He felt the adequate illumination of a 65-foot screen called for at least 200 amps which was far in excess of the orthodox equipment of a theatre. V W. J. Kupper of 20th-Eox has written a “CineniaScope clarification” letter to every exhibitor in the country. Some of the technical articles he had read since his return from the Hollywood demonstrations had impressed him, Mr. Kupper said. “Some of the comments I have heard have equally impressed me with the fact that very few people seem to know what the heck they were talking about.” Cites Eight Principles His 2,000-word exhortation concludes, on the authority of Earl Sponable, with the enunciation of the eight key principles involved. They include such points as: “If the present lamphouses provide technically ample light on the present screen, then they will provide ample light for CinemaScope” and “The CinemaScope76'ound-head contemplates the pickup of three channels for Cinemascope as well as'^he single channel of the conventional film with one sound-head, one film, no interlocking, no additional cabin personnel, no noticeable additional cost of operation.” V Following the reception of the report of its Television Advisory Committee, the Government is expected to announce about May 22 the terms of operation of the body which will be set up to control commercial television here, which will be quite different from commercial TV in America. It is expected that a network competitive to the BBC will be set up, which will accept advertisements for insertion in its programmes, while the programmes themselves remain completely apart from the jurisdiction of the sponsors. This will also allow participation by small budget firms. Calls Exhibitor the Villain The waspish, politically minded Association of Cine & Allied Technicians was holding its annual general meeting here last weekend, debating everything from Quota and Eady to the Korean War. President Anthony Asquith once again cast the exhibitor as the villain of the piece for failing to meet Quota obligations. He also was lukewarm about 3-D and expressed a distinct dislike for sponsored TV, despite the fact that it may make for fuller employment among the brethren. Union membership in January this year stood at 5,5'66, a rise of 144 over last year. Parawawount Considering 3"D Shorts Paramount will release 60 one-reel short subjects during the year beginning October 1, Oscar A. Morgan, shorts subjects and newsreel sales manager, announced. During the same period 104 semi-weekly issues of Paramount News also will be released, he disclosed. There are 58 one-reel shorts on the current schedule, or two less than will be released in the 1953-54 year. Mr. Morgan asserted that the department is “conscious of the developing three-dimensional and large screen markets, and will be ready with 3-D and large-screen type shorts if and when it becomes evident the market can carry them.” Paramount, he said, currently is experimenting with the making of 3-D short subjects as well as shorts suitable for panoramic screens. Mr. Morgan also reported the company is considering the possibility of producing a very limited number of multiple-reel short subjects which would be in addition to those announced for 1953-54 release. The 1953-54 lineup includes these color cartoons: eight Popeye, six Noveltoons, six Cartoon Champions, four Herman and Katnip, and six Caspers. The subjects in black and white will be : six Headliner Champions, six Paramount Pacemakers, 12 Grantland Rice Sportslights and six Paramount Toppers. Children Launch Cerebral Palsy Fund Campaign New York City’s children and a number of juvenile stars launched the fourth national campaign of the United Cerebral Palsy drive, to collect funds to combat the disease which strikes children, at a rally Thursday in Times Square. The theme of the rally was a pledge by the children of America to help those children with cerebral palsy. The rally was climaxed by the lighting of a 26-foot “Beacon of Hope,” the symbol of the campaign to raise $7,500,000. Texas County Theatre Interests in Merger A number of recently culminated business transactions have led to the merger of all the theatre interests in IMotley County, Texas. Bob Ham, owner of the Rogue theatre. Matador, purchased the Spring theatre. Roaring Springs, from Mr. and Mrs. Frank Gillespie. l\Ir. and Mrs. L. M. Dickinson then purchased a half interest in the two enterprises and the new Matador Drive-In, which is under construction. UA Forms Music Group United Artists has formed the United Artists Music Company to exploit the music used in its pictures. 22 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, MAY 2, 1953