Moving Picture World (Jul - Aug 1918)

396 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD July 20, 1918 Projection Department Conducted by F. H. RICHARDSON umi&L)X& ka ji»& j&yi^m.mjMt ,mjMLu>gumj^j^j&&AftM( ?MumiMiMlMUMMLMJfe^ Richardson Saves the Bacon. AT the request of the officials of the I. A. T. S. E. and M. P. O. unions the editor of this department went to Washington on the "Work or Fight" order as affecting projectionists and had a talk with Colonel Warren with favorable results. Read the story on page 365 of this issue. equally well, as applies to the conditions of projection, hence it will, as a matter of plain common sense, work BETTER, It being a more highly corrected lens. The only trouble Is It is more expensive as to first cost, and is apt to be more expensive In operation, since, as I understand the matter, it cannot be had in large diameters. Important Notice. Owing to the mass of matter awaiting publication, it is Impossible to reply through the department In less than two to three weeks. In order te give prompt service, those sending four cents, stamps (less than actual cost), will receive carbon copy of the department reply, by mall, without delay. Special replies by mall on matters which cannot be replied to In the department, one dollar. Both the first and second set of questions are now ready and printed la neat booklet form, the second half being seventy-six In number. ■ Ither booklet may be had by remitting 25 cents, money or stamps, to the editor, or both for 40 cents. Cannot use Canadian stamps. Every live, progressive operator should get a copy of these questions. You ■my be surprised at the number you cannot answer without a lot of study. Insult to Projectionist. I'. rry Sherman, Corpus Christl, Texas, is with us again with the following : I was a bit puzzled by Friend Miller's statement. Concluded hi id. but was a little out of date as to some points. He says thi eniscus lens is us. d liy some advanced pictorial photographers. This I am not able to agree with, nor with the statement that they are used in any of the leading studios. So far as I am informed they are used only !>y small, country photographers. They are \ . ry cheap, costing around five dollars for the lani itsrlf. As for the rapid rectilinear leneea they ar.' not trn As to the Circle of confusion modern tod for this down to 1 l.'iOO of an inch. As applies to the motion picture industry the only lens. WOttl Of II the anastigmnt. It being the only one which will give a perfectly sharp Image with any size opening, which means that it will pass more light, as It can be worked with a larger aperture than can the meniscus or rapid rectilinear. I would also Inform l"t Miller that the true anast iinnat is an expensive lens— that Is the really good ones are. The Glauker Models range from flSO.OO to $325.00 in price. It has long been my contention that the lenses ordinarily supplied with projectors are an insult to the intelligence of the projectionist. By the use of cheap lenses we are forcing Inferior screen results on the public and doing Injustice to the work of our producers. Although the camera departments of our studios Invest small fortunes In fine lenses and line work in developing, printing, and tinting combine to produce some marvels of photographic excellence It is all shot onto the soby CHEAP lenses. The lens manufacturers of England are planning better lenses for the trade after the war. It Is to be hoped that our own manufacturers will do the same. The Germans were turning out really splendid lenses when Bill the Kaiser started on his murderous career. The German supply stopped short, of course, and today our own optical manufacturers are forging to the front, and we will soon be teaching the German his own game In lens making, as we have In other things he thought before the war he owned. And by golly he pretty nearly did, too. But the day of German superiority is Past (observe the capital P. please). In future, in the U. S." will be the hall-mark of excellence. Don't know where you got your dope on the English manufacturers. Hope It is right. As to our own lens makers, I was talking with one of the head men of the Gundlach-Manhattan Optical Company recently, and he made the positive statement that they were right now making the best possible lens for projection purposes ; that if I or any one could buow them a better one they would gladly produce It. But with this, I take serious exception. That they are making a very wonderful lens for the money I freely grant. But that a very much better lens cannot be made for more money I dispute. Or at least I firmly believe a better lens can be made for more money. I fall back on the proposition : Why pay large sums of money for a camera lens if its work is to be done In reverse by a cheap lens? Maybe I'm wrong, but they have got to prove that fact to me before I'll believe it. I am not a lens man, and don't profess to be. But I do know that one plus one makes two, and common sense applies In lens problems as well as in other matters. An anastigmat lens is a more highly corrected lens than is the lens ordinarily used for projection. There is no reason why It won't work ern His Lonesome Life. P. L. Boardwell, Hood River, Oregon, arises to make the following pertinent remarks : For the first time in my lonesome life I am going to bust Into the Projection Department. Have been in the business two years and am projecting pictures at the Liberty theater, this village. Hood River is a town of about 2,500 souls, and claim to have the best theater for a town of this size in the entire west. I have sufficient nerve to say that no theater In the west puts up a better projection than we do. Yes, that's saying a whole lot, but allee samce I firmly believe that it Is true. And. by the way, when are you coming to Portland again? That Is the only place I oould hope to Bo to hear you. It is sixty-live honest miles away, but when you come again I'm going to be there. W« have a Simplex and Motiograph I'.l.uxe and I like the latter machine very well indeed, but 1 also like the Simplex very well also. They both put on a rock-steady projection, and I think that is Jake. (Say, are you from rjn Like'' is Chicago slang for "good" "allright." |Oat construeted one of the e ten -minute rewinds, and It too Is .lake. I took the regular tfotlograpfa rewind and r,.^, put an s inch pulley on the rewind and a I.,,,, motor, which latter turns up to 1,700 r. p. m. qu,i, | iblfl classy! I also second the mo tion that manufacturers put nut a left-i H would. I think, be a very ace. p table improvement. Am sending small phot,, ol the Motiograph as it Is Installed in my projection room. I have a jake noss. It 1b only i I k for sup pH, a of your handbooks and a set of Hurklni l,alh of wnlch :I"' Invaluable, If you claim that you can equal the work ol the large v I Boardwell, you certainly havo a good. n.rve, though the thing is not Impossible. Duplicating the projection of some of the San Francisco, Portland. Seattle, and other Coast cities would, how. v. r. be a prett] thing In a town of J. .MX), unless your electric power i low In price. You might duplicate It in every way except brilliancy, how. v. r, as you have the projection equipment to do it. Well, anyhow, I am sure you have high-class results, and that is good. Cannot say when I will como west again. Maybe never. Trips of that kind are very trying, and aside from the pleasure of Ing so many good friends, travel has very little attraction. You have done well to reduce your peed. If more projectionists did that there would not be so much film damage, but It is very hard to get men to realize and land the Importance of such things. They will watch a crooked reel running at high speed, scraping dge of the film, without apparently having the slightest idea that damage Is being done, or that they ought to do anything about it. Time and time again I have showed projectionists their r. wind, r doing this .sort of damage, and have pointed out to them that the standards were not even In lino with each other, only to find later that I i as well have talked to a stone post, for all the good it did. It is Bad enough to have to be told or shown so simple a thing as that, but to