Moving Picture World (Nov-Dec 1927)

48 MOVING PICTURE WORLD Spooky “Cat and Canary ’ ’ A highly atmospheric introduction for Universal’s Special, ‘‘The Cat and the Canary” was used at the McDonald Theatre in Eugene, Oregon. The manager, Russell F. Brown, staged a fast-stepping prologue that took exactly four minutes. The orchestra or organ opens with a soft, melodious number. Two thirds through the music and in the middle of a strain, a girl screams offstage. A green flood lamp flashes on and a girl in street clothes backs on stage, frightened, looking into flood lamp. At the same time a boy dressed like Creighton Hale in the picture backs on from the opposite side of the stage. The orchestra picks up a soft, spooky strain, placing to action from now on. The girl and boy back into each other, center, and scream loudlv. The flash boxes (explained below start flashing and all the house lights go out. The boy starts cautiously toward left in the direction of the green flood toward which the girl points. As he hears it, a low moan is started (muffled siren) growing louder as he approaches. Then everything happens 1-2-3. Four Fast Minutes A loud scream is heard from the top of the balcony, a “woozy” bird shoots down a wire and a second later, while the Hall and Connolly Lamps (Continued from preceding page) size. Just don’t be so dumb next time! It’s a clever and a o good arrangement. The lamphouse itself is large enough to provide ample air space and is handsome in appearance. The doors (not shown) are hinged to swing down. The equipment may, of course, be mounted by the usual means upon any make of professional projector. All control handles are conveniently located, outside the lamphouse of course. A simple and practicable arc image projector is mounted on the side of the lamphouse. It projects a clear-cut image of the light source upon a card, which is in accord with modern, approved practice. There is a protective douser which is used to prevent the fouling of the reflector when striking the arc. The usual douser is mounted at the front end of the lamphouse cone. A motor control fuse and terminal box is provided. All wiring is in flexible metal conduit, and is in strict accordance with Underwriter’s requirements. The motor is of the entirely enclosed type; it is mounted as shown figure 2. The lamphouse finish is black crystal heat resisting enamel on all sheet metal, smooth black enamel on castings and polished nickel on handles, etc. Both positive and negative carbons are automatically fed by means of geared rollers, between which they pass under pressure, passing through adequate wiping electrical contacts, which latter are designed to take care of 50 per cent, current overload. The positive carbon is rotated, as in the regular high intensity lamp (which this really is), as it is fed forward. The arc length is automatically maintained in the usual manner. Its length may be altered at wall by the projectionist, by means of a suitable knob conveniently located outside the lamphouse. The negative feed is entirely independent of the positive, but the speed of feeding the positive is dependent upon the position of the negative carbon tip, the latter being fed into a fixed position at all times, regardless of motor speed. This makes the light source practically self focusing, as well as self feeding — a valuable feature. The feeding of the negative is controlled by a pilot tip located near the arc, which causes a relay to operate the feeding mechanism as the negative burns away. The effect is even feeding and maintainance of the light boy stares in horror at the bird, a hairy hand reaches slowly through the center of the curtain and grasps the girl and pulls her, screaming wildly, back through the center split of the curtain. The boy takes one last look at the bird, now almost upon him, turns to warn the girl just in time to see her disappear through curtain. As he grasps for her the bird hits the stage with a terrible bang, the lights stop flashing, the title of the picture is thrown on the plush. The boy jumps back and runs offstage. The green flood goes with him and the show is on. Flash Boxes: Six were made out of one gallon cans, one side being removed and a 100 watt lamp put in. The cans were wired to a pivet switch, the arm of which swings over contacts, each contact wired to a different flash box. Boxes were placed at each end of the pit, one in the footlights, two on each side wall, down front, and one half way up the center aisle. This last one was put in place by an usher just before the prologue started, the aisle being closed until the same usher ran down, at the height of the excitement, and picked up the box, still flashing, and rushed down into the pit with it. The boxes on the floor all flashed up to the ceiling; boxes on the side walls flashed across the auditorium. Some boxes had amber color screens, others were left open (white). A “hot” wire is run from the pivet arm of the backstage switch to all of the boxes. The other wire from each box runs to one of the six contacts over which the arm swings. Boxes should be placed so that flashes will come from opposite sides of the house, a sort of hit and miss effect. source in one fixed position automatically, as before set forth. Should the automatic feed for any reason at any time become temporarily inoperative, the feeding may be done by hand by means of independent feed knobs conveniently located. In the almost impossible event that these also become inoperative, the lamp may still be kept burning, and the picture continued without stop. The emergency features have been incorporated at the suggestion of various projectionists. Figure 3 The manufacturer claims the following outstanding features for the new H. I. R. lamp: Extremely high efficiency. Reliability under all conditions. Convenience of operating. Low cost of upkeep. Efficiency. Gives real high intensity projection at 35 to 70 amperes. At 60 amperes the screen brightness is considerably greater than that obtained from the ordinary high intensity lamps at 120 amperes. The evenness of illumination on the screen is a great deal better than that obtained with the older high intensity lamps. Edges and center of screen are always equally bright and clean cut. Definition of the picture is excellent. Absolutely no out-of-focus effect as experienced with certain types of light sources. Reliability. It’s constructed to withstand rough usuage. It’s designed by men who are experts in their line and who have had many years of experience in supplying reliable lamps for motion picture work, both in studios and theatres. It’s backed up by their service and guarantee. Convenience. It is easy to get at to clean, lubricate, and re-trim. All feed and control handles are located on the right hand side of the lamphouse. When the lamp has been trimmed it can be run continuously until both carbons have been consumed. Can be run continuously for more than an hour and a quarter without re-trim and without hand feeding or hand adjustment. For replacement of parts the lamp can be taken completely apart and re-assembled in a few minutes. Low Cost of Upkeep. It’s free from the constant replacement of condensers, (a big item) as is the case with the older types of lamps. It is our opinion that reflectors will last at least one year without becoming too much pitted. Less replacement of parts than on the large high intensity lamps due to the lower current used.