The Moving picture world (November 1922-December 1922)

366 MOVING PICTURE WORLD November 25, 1922 house electrician, I think it was — was "going to fix these faults." I hope he does. The projection room location is such that the angle of projection is 24 degrees and 41 minutes, which is two degrees apd forty-one minutes greater than the maximum projection angle approved by the S. M. P. E. It is sufficient to give an appreciable distortion on a vertical screen. It is the old policy of architects, who know nothing of projection and apparently care less, selecting a projection room location wherever there is space which has little or no value for any other purpose. Due to the long distance of projection in the Eastman Theatre, which operates to minimize the effect of a too-heavy projection angle, coupled with the extreme unpleasantness of being compelled to criticise anything at all in so beautiful a house builded by a man for whom I have great admiration, I would let the too-great angle pass without comment, since the injury to the screen image is not serious, were it not for faults in the projection room itself. But surely, in a theatre which, it is the proud boast, cost five millions of dollars, we may, in the very nature of things, expect to find a well appointed projection room of ample dimensions. At least we may certainly expect to find a room with something more than just barely sufficient space in which to do the work. But such, I am sorry to say, is not the case. Imagine, if you can, a five-million-dollar theatre with a projection room six (6) feet from front to back wall at one end and a bit less than nine (9) at the other. Though, as I remember it, there is an offset in the rear wall at the wide end which makes about three or four feet of that end quite a bit deeper. You could set the Eastman projection room down in the projection room of the Capitol Theatre, Xcw York City, and still have pretty nearly as much room left as the Eastman men have to work in. I am informed that J. E. Robin, projection engineer. New York City, who equipped the room, had plans drawn up for a really good room, but apparently the architect discarded them and substituted what I saw. In the matter of equipment the room is very complete. Nothing to be desired there. There is a separate rheostat room and rewinding room and a huge motor generator. Simplex projectors are used. I met L. M. Townsend, chief projectionist, who impressed me as an able, energetic projectionist. Had a long and pleasant chat with him. In conversation with one of the other men I was a bit amused at his assertion that he was "an operator" and "didn't want to be nothin' but an operator!"^ I asked him what the angle of projection was. He did not know, so promptly I conceded his right ^to be dubbed "an operator." Now, gentlemen, mind you, it is decidedly unpleasant to be compelled to criticise anything at all in such a magnificent theatre — a most unpleasant task indeed. But what Harry Brophy, Cal. Bomkessel, William H. Levine and Lewis Levine. I don't know which one is "an operator." (Continued next week) WARNING Do not let anyone sell you a subscription to MOVING PICTURE WORLD or any other paper, offering either a special bulletin service of projection helps or Richardson's new Fourth Edition Handbook of Projection as a premium. Such a proposition has never been authorized by the publishers of MOVING PICTURE WORLD and anyone making such false representation is liable to arrest. is one to do? The Eastman has betn fct up as a model for others to follow, and certainly others should NOT follow it; projection room location and size — particularly its size — nor the orchestra lighting which I saw. Those two things are most emphatically NOT models, though the rest of the theatre just as emphatically is, and the projection room equipment s. I forgot to say the theatre has two well equipped screening rooms. The projection room staff is composed of L. M. Townsend, chief; Frank Brift, G. From Reno, Nevada W. J. Neff, P. O. Box 366, Reno, Nevada, writes : P. H. Richardson: _ Dear Sir and Brother — Received my copy of the "Blue Book of Projection" some time ago and have gone through it very carefully. I certainly want to congratulate you on the excellence of the work. I have been in the game ever since the days when the first little gray covered edition made its appearance (1910 Ed.), hence am in position to appreciate the progress which has betn made in projection, credit for which IS very largely due to the Projection Department and the Handbook. Anyone having examincd the new book cannot help but admit that to be master of the specialized business of motion picture projection requires consld• rable study and knowledge. Your method of handling the indexing Is to l>e highly commended; also the questions have been incorporated very nicely indeed. The book will undoubtedly have a very large sale, which same it certainly deserves. Why not adopt the idea or suggestion made by a brother some time ago and publish it in other languages? The Reason The reason why the handbook is not published in other languages is that it would be next to impossible to get such a work translated correctly, and then too the cost would be so great that the limited number of theatres a work in any other one language would serve would almost certainly make the venture a losing one from the financial \iewpoint. Moreover, different lands have different equipment and different methods. The translation proposition has been carefully gone over,not once, but many times. Incidentally the Fourth Edition really should be the Fifth Edition, and would be were I to call the little vest pocket edition published in the spring of 1907 my "first edition." 1 did and do not think a vest pocket book was entitled to the dignity of being called a "First Edition," although many, many thousands of them were sold, it being the very first work on motion picture projection ever published, so far as I 1 ave been able to find out. PERfECT PROJECTION Upontlie sound jourxlation of" PERfECT PROJECmCJl^ Rests Picture Success Rg sts Theater Success RGstsyOU R Success RlCHXRDSdN'5 y^fJ-?^^"" H>^E«GDK/PRO]ECTI^ Can makoAjpu monev PRICE |0« chMMers pub. CO. 516 nrxH tm^y. PRICE $6.00 CHALMERS PUB. COMPANY 516 FIFTH AVE., N. Y. HAtoBOflKfPROIECTKtS: FHRICHARDSON