Moving Picture World (Jan-Jun 1910)

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4<»4 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD OPERATORS' COLUMN. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. Conducted by F. H. Richardson. Best Projection Surface. — Grove City, Pa., want to know if white plaster is suitable for a curtain and what preparation lie should put on it. an, white plaster is, in the writer's humble opinion, the best curtain possible on which to project pictures. No preparation is necessary, but the plaster must be clean and white. Any spots may be easily removed by lightly sandpapering with No. OO sandpaper wrapped cm a block of wood. * * * Calcium Light. "Countryman" asks how to use calcium light to get the best results. My friend, you are putting me up against a task that would take at least one, if not two, pages of this paper to answer. 1 would suggest you write to some of the manufacturers of calcium light projection apparatus, asking for the instruction pamphlets they semi out with their outfits, enclosing stamps, of course. One or two things, however, 1 will mention, as they are of vital importance, bo regulate your two gases that the light burns without hissing. It has been some time since I have handled calcium, but if 1 remember rightly, the hissing indicates too much hydrogen. The flame should show a reddish fringe at its top. Don't let your lime get pitted too deeply before turning it to a fresh spot. Sorry 1 cannot give yon detailed information covering the whole matter, but it is out of the question. * * * Focal Length of Condensers. — Owosso, Mich., writes, in part, as follows: Regarding the focal length of condensers as related to projection lens, I am showing a picture 9x4 — 12x8, at 70 feet. What focal length condensers should be used? Get Rood picture, but don't know what focal length lens we have, as we seldom break one. • Presumably you mean your picture is 9 feet 4 inches by 12 feet 8 inches and this would, at 70 feet, indicate about a 5J/2-inch projector (equivalent focus). For this you should have, 1 think, two 7J2 lenses. As soon as possible I shall compile and publish a table of focal length condensers to tit any focal length projection lens. You may measure your present lenses as directed on page 424, March 19 issue, under heading "Getting a White Screen." Your remarks concerning Judge O'Sullivan and other matters are well put. Many thanks for your kind words. * * * Power's No. 5 Shutter Adjustment.^— Hagerstown. Md., asks how to measure focal length of condensing lenses, also how to properly adjust shutter of Power's No. 5 mechanism. You will find directions for measuring condensing lenses on page 424, March 19 issue, under heading "Getting a White Screen." To adjust the Power's No. 5 shutter, loosen the shutter on its spindle and turn the flywheel in the direction it runs until the intermittent sprocket has completed its movement and the cam pin is just half way out of the star slot. Now turn the shutter in the direction it runs until the lower, left hand corner of the aperture is open about a quarter of an inch, or until the ed<re of the shutter strikes a trifle less than half way up the side of the aperture opening and about half way across the lower edge. The frameup lever must be set in central position before you do this, however. As the star stops traveling a little bit before the pin leave the star, this adjustment mean that the shutter just begins to open as the intermittent stops movin and that is as it should be. As there is some lost motion in the shutter you may not strike it precisely right the first time. You may also set the shutter at the beginning of the star movement, which is the way I do it, but this requires some experience. The aperture must be about two-thirds closed when the star begins to move. I have given two methods in these pages in the past for setting shutters absolutely correct, but they are too lengthy to repeat very often. The method I give will answer your purposes, 1 believe, for the Power's No. 5, but is applicable to no other machine. Pittsburg, Pa., who asked for help last week, writes that he has made the experiments as I directed without result. Says paint is off a part of the shutter which is shiny and asks if that would affect the picture. It would not. Have sent by mail directions for setting the shutter and advised that, if the trouble is not eliminated after setting, the mechanism must be sent to factory for examination. The Great Eastern Vaudeville Exchange, who, on January 1. 1910, entered the field for supplying moving picture theaters with first class vaudeville acts, have located at 250 West Forty-second street, and under the guidance of Mr. K. K. Saenger as president and general manager and Mr. L. Flounlacker as vice-president, feel as though they are in a position to more than take care of the wants of their numerous patrons. Assemblyman Orson J. Weinert, of Erie, introduced a bill, on March 15, in the Senate, at Albany, to amend the penal law by the inclusion of vaudeville and moving picture in the list of amusements forbidden on Sunday. The bill would make guilty of a misdemeanor every person or corporation supplying electricity or gas for the prohibited performances, and broaden the law so as to make the operator of a picture machine or the performer in a forbidden exhibition guilty with the producer. A very excellent idea in announcement slides is being brought to the notice of motion picture theater exhibitors by the Plampin Slide Company, of 64 East Fourteenth street, New York City. This company makes feature announcement slides of the associated manufacturers' pictures. And it does it in this way. It takes the litho of the subject, photographs it and makes a slide of it. including the title and the announcement that it is to be seen at the theater the following day. In other words, these slides, specimens of which we have -ecu and of which we think highly, are used by motion picture exhibitors in their theaters to tell their audience s what is to be seen on the morrow. This is. as we have said, a very excellent idea. The slides made by the Plampin Slide Company are of good quality and we recommend moving picture exhibitors throughout the country running associated film to get in touch with the Plampin Slide Company. PATENTS COMPANY GET TEMPORARY INJUNCTION. Judge Noyes, on Thursday, March 17, granted a temporary injunction against the Independent Moving Pictures Company and the Pantograph Corporation from using cameras that infringe on the patents owned by the Motion Picture Patents Company. He denied contempt proceedings under the order until the case is finally settled by the Court of Appeals. The manager of the Independent Moving Pictures Company assured us over the 'phone that appeal would immediately be taken: meanwhile. Imp films, lie said, would be regularly released as usual. "HALLBERG" EQUIPMENT IN WASHINGTON, D. C. Mr. E. B. Thompson, of Washington, has installed, for the Circle Amusement Company, the newest and most up-to-date moving picture theater in Washington, including a special "Hallberg" Automatic Electric Economizer, together with the Motiograph No. 1 dissolving flickerless moving picture machine and stereopticon. This installation is also interesting because it is equipped with the new Mirror Screen, which increases the brillancy and clearness of the picture at least 100 per cent. The combination of the "Hallberg"' Economizer, the Motiograph flickerless machine and the Mirror Screen, together with Electra carbons, makes this exhibit the most up-to-date and the most efficient which could possibly be secured. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THE MOVING PICTURE BUSINESS, YOU SHOULD SUBSCRIBE FOR THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD. $2.00. LONG LIFE FOR THE GENERAL ELECTRIC RECTIFIER. A recent advertisement in The Moving Picture World. 111 which Howard Graham, a prominent moving picture man of Chattanooga. Tenn.. claims that the life of 2.600 hours for his General Electric Mercury Arc Rectifier was unusual, has stirred up the jealousy of a Pacific Coast man. D. II. Rockwell, manager of the Coast Theater. Tacoma. Wash., in a letter dated March 5. says: "Mr. Graham isn't in it. W'e have a tube in commission that to-day we credit with 3,315 hours, and the Lord only knows how much longer it will stick." As the General Electric Rectifier is being adonted by moving picture men all oxer the country. Mr. Rockwell's comment is of :_reat interest. Tn every instance where this device has been installed, a saving in cost of curreut has been effected, as well as a betterment in picture quality; the proof of very long life for the only "wcaroutable" part of the Rectifier is a jurance to present and prospective users of complete utility.