Motography (Jan-Jun 1917)

1374 MOTOGRAPHY Vol. XVII, No. 26. C. J. Allenbaugh, inventor of the "Allenbaugh proccess" of preserving film. The Hedwig laboratories are to employ this process during the , coming year to all films of 1,100 feet or more which go through their plant. Allenbaugh has been called a "second Edison" because of the number of his film invent tions. NEW FILM PROCESS Allenbaugh Method to Preserve Films Perfectly— 100-Day Stuff as Good as First Run Under New Treatment Aii important invention in the film industry which promises to revolutionize the entire production of moving pictures, and which in a short time will affect every foot of film, has just been brought to the attention of Motography through a contract signed during the past week between Shepard and Van Loan, Major O. J. Allenbaugh, of the Film Renovating Company, and W. C. Fields, president of the Hedwig Laboratories. This contract provides that the Hedwig Laboratories are to use the "Allenbaugh Process" on all of the films they handle. For three years Major Allenbaugh, the inventor of this process, has labored night and day trying to perfect it. A couple of weeks ago, while the major was discussing other business with Harry Shepard and Van Loan, he described his latest invention to them. They at once entered into a contract with him to act as his agents, and got in touch with the big laboratories throughout the country. They were soon besieged with requests from various printing, developing and cleaning organizations for the exclusive rights to the process. Finally the officials of the Hedwig Laboratories became interested. They requested permission to put the "Allenbaugh Process"' through various tests. The results were so excellent that President Fields and his colleagues became enthusiastic. They realized that the laboratory that could obtain the use of this process, and apply it to the film as it was being printed, would be able to defy all competition. At a joint meeting of the board of directors of the various companies interested, a contract was signed between Major Allenbaugh, Harry J. Shepard and W. C. Fields, wherein it was agreed that the Hedwig Laboratories should have the right to use the "Allenbaugh Process" for a given length of time. At this meeting it was further agreed that every reel of film handled by this laboratory, averaging more than 1,100 feet, should be put through the "Allenbaugh Process." This means that any feature picture, or any film, of more than 1,100 feet will be just as good one year from the day it was printed as it was the day it left the laboratory. Every reel of film will read : "Treated by the Allenbaugh Process," with the signature of the inventor, and none will be genuine without it. In discussing his invention the major said: There have been a great many attempts during the last seven or eight years to devise some means to preserve the film, but they proved inefficient, in that the film treated by these various methods become more or less brittle and instead of saving the film, had a tendency to shorten its life. I have worked along an entirely different line. I discovered that in treating the emulsion, I had to also take into consideration a treatment for the celluloid itself that would harmon ize with the treatment of the emulsion. This I have succeeded in doing and have proved that the emulsion is hardened, yet it it is hardened in such a way as to become practically a part of the celluloid itself and the whole made more flexible and pliable than the untreated film. In hardening the emulsion the sprocket walls are given additional strength. The film treated with this process will run through the projecting machine with absolutely no accumulation of emulsion on the sprocket wheel, tension springs and aperture gate, or in any point with which it may come in contact. This relieves the strain on the walls of the sprocket holes and prevents the numerous scratches and wear and tear that is the usual effect on the untreated film. Some operators use oil, candle and bees wax to relieve the tension springs so that the film may run through more smoothly. This is damaging. I believe the day is coming and that, too, in the near future, when every exhibitor will demand that the film that he books, be treated with this process. This especially applies to the exhibitor who is using the 60, 90 and 100-day stuff. Major Allenbaugh was formerly an exhibitor in Baltimore, and entered into the exchange business in that territory, handling the program for the old Famous Players. He was one of the original Paramount men and later helped to form the Metro company and was president and manager of the Washington exchange. New Military Educational Picture Feeling that the answer to all America's query on just what happens to a boy taking military training, would make an interesting and compelling picture, the Cameragraph Film Manufacturing Company, through general manager, Frank R. Abrams, requested Colonel Sebastian C. Jones, U. S. A., one of the foremost experts in methods of military training for the youth, and now supervising such training at an important military school, to contribute his ideas in picture form. The scheme was to -give an answer by an authority. Colonel Jones had spent years in the work and was the logical person to supervise such a film. So "What of Your Boy?" was produced in seven reels and what happened to the boy under training "caught" from every angle. To make the picture easy for the motion picture exhibitor to show at any time, regardless whether a feature was on the day's bill or not, the Cameragraph Company has a three-reel feature on the subject also. Here's a little lone bather who is just as attractive as a whole block of ordinary beach nuts would be, for even Venus in a bathing suit could be no more aesthetic than Mary Thurman. She is one of the Sennett-Keystone lorclcis. That's why she likes to lie by the seashore.