Motion Picture News (Jul-Aug 1916)

ACCESSORY NEWS SECTION Vol. 14. No. 3 Perfect Light Control Easy As Turning Gas Up Or Down When a film demands more or less light, you can always get it as you need it with Transverter equipment. At the will of the operator, the amperage can readily be regulated to light or dark pictures as easily as turning gas up or down. At the same time, the voltage lowers or increases automatically in proportion to the changing length of the arc. The Transverter is the last word in projection equipment. It insures a perfect arc, a steady, bright, white light, and more artistic projection of pictures without waste of current. If you want better pictures, larger attendances and bigger profits, you need the Transverter. Write today for the folder"The Perfect Arc" THE HERTNER ELECTRIC & MFG. CO. 1905 W. 114th St. Cleveland, Ohio KATHOL, AN EFFICIENT PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPER OF AMERICAN MANUFACTURE VV/ HEN the European war broke out in the summer of 1914, W photographers and chemical supply houses felt no apprehension concerning their supply of developing chemicals. The dearth of high-class imported photographic developing reagents which ensued is now, of course, well known to all persons connected with photographic or motion picture enterprises. One of the first to anticipate the coming shortage of developing chemicals was Dr. C. J. Thatcher, an organic chemist, who had secured his training in German universities. . Bearing the extensive requirements of the motion picture industry in mind, Dr. Thatcher set to work to evolve a photographic developer which would possess similar characteristics and chemical action to the extensively used reagent Metol. The result was the product " Kathol," on which a U. S. patent was granted to Dr. Thatcher on October 26, 1915. In perfecting the formula of the compound Kathol, an endeavor was made to produce a compound which could be used in the place of Metol in existing formulas, and in the same quantities as the Metol which it was designed to replace. A photographic developer, to be considered valuable in a motion picture laboratory, must possess speed of action — in other words, it must develop the films to satisfactory density in a short time. This is accomplished with the developer Kathol by adding to the bath when making up some sodium hydroxide. This latter is added in a proportion amounting to 1/10 to 1/30 of the amount of alkaline carbonate incorporated into the bath. The exact amount of sodium hydroxide to be used varies with different formulae, but when the correct amount for a given formula has been ascertained by test this amount remains a constant in preparing future solutions according to the same formula. Kathol first appeared on the market in the latter part of 1915, and since that time has found its way into use in numerous film laboratories, in addition to being used by the regular photographic profession also. It has been found that when a developing bath (as used in filni laboratories) compounded with Kathol begins to slow down, it can be accelerated two or three times by the addition of some sodium hydroxide before becoming entirely exhausted. Such well-known concerns as the American Press Association,. National Photographers, Inc., and the Defender Photo Supply Company are regular users of Kathol, and this developer is being extensively used by some hospitals for the development of X-Ray plates. A New York corporation was formed in March of this year,, with Dr. Thatcher at its head, to manufacture and distribute Kathol to the photographic and motion picture trades. The aim of the Kathol Manufacturing Company, whose plant is located at 230th street and Riverdale avenue. New York City, is to supply their product at as reasonable a price as possible. Kathol is selling at present at about one-half of the price of genuine Metol, and the price will be further lowered as soon as the prices on raw materials will permit. This action of the company in keeping the price of their product within reason is no doubt appreciated by those engaged in photographic work of all kinds. GODFREY BUILDING, SEVENTH AVENUE, NEW YORK, BECOMES FILM CENTER THE Godfrey-Backer Building at 729 Seventh Avenue, is being rapidly filled with film exchange offices and feature film concerns, making it a very popular centre for motion picture exhibitors to examine films. Quite a number of the concerns have put in projecting rooms. T. H. Hallberg has equipped among others, the projecting room of the Keen Cartoon Company and the public exhibition room of the building with Power's motor driven machines, 6-B's, and hasclosed a contract with the Clara Kimball Young Corporation, for two Simplex machines for their new projecting room on the fourteenth floor. Be sure to mention " MOTION NASHVILLE OPERATOR ANSWERS WAR CALL IB. HIME, motion picture operator, Strand theatre in Nash• ville, has answered the President's call to arms and will' leave Nashville within the next few days for the war zone. Mr. Hime is the first operator in Nashville to offer his services tO' his country. Manager Shelton has announced that should any: mere of his employees desire to enlist, their pay will still go ott. " PICTURE NEWS" when writing to advertisers.