Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1944)

November 4, 1944 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW 59 iTelevision Still Speculative SMPE Papers Reveal Guests at Speakers Table at SMPE Banquet. Left to right: Mrs. E. A. Williford, E. A. Williford, Mrs. D. E. Hyndman, D. E. Hyndman, President-elect, SMPE; Dr. T. Y. Lo, Member of Chinese Supply Commission, Washington, D. C; G. E. Matthews, L. E. Muehler, G. T. Eaton, J. I. Crabtree, Mrs. H. Griffin, Herbert Griffin, SMPE President; John G. Capstaff. Over three hundred of the motion picture industry's technical experts, research engineers and scientists attended the three-day, 56th semi-annual SMPE technical conference held in the Hotel Pennsylvania, New York, October 16 to 18. Thirty-eight papers were presented covering research and developments in the fields of television and its economic relation to the motion picture theatres, film manufacture technique and processing improvements, projection, sound recording, production of war training films, and the motion picture camera used in filming combat results. The conference was highlighted by a dinner dance attended by several hundred members, guests and their wives at which SMPE president, Herbert Griffin, presented the president-elect of the society, Donald E. Hyndman, Eastman Kodak executive who will serve during 1945. Mr. Griffin also presented the Progress Medal Award for 1944 to John George Capstaff of the Eastman Research Laboratory and the Journal Award for 1944 to Messrs. John I. Crabtree, George T. Easton and Lowell E. Muehler, also of the Eastman Laboratory. SMPE Vice-President W. C. Kunzmann presided over the reception lounge, with press relations handled by Julius Haber and L. W. Bidwell. Presiding over the various sessions were Herbert Griffin, Wallace V. Wolfe, Donald E. Hyndman, Ainslie R. Davis, Capt. Lloyd T. Goldsmith and Lt. Gordon A. Chambers, USNR. Television, a topic most pertinent to practical showmen, was covered to a limited degree at the conference. H. S. Osborne, chief engineer for the American Telephone and Telegraph Co., outlined the progress made to date in the design and manufacture of Coaxial Cable, now considered the most ABOVE: Herbert Griffin (left), president of SMPE, congratulates Donald E. Hyndman, Eastman Kodak executive, named president-elect of the society to serve in 1945. RIGHT: Groups around the banquet tables at the social highlight of the conference. Among those who may be identified in the groups are A. E. Meyer and P. A. McGuire of International Projector Corp.; Earl G. Hines, head of General Precision Equipment Corp.; Arthur Baldwin and James R. Frank, Jr., of National Theatre Supply. likely means of television transmission. Cables of this type now being made and laid in limited areas for the transmission of telephonic communication have within their closely packed tubes facilities adequate for intra-city television transmission. Mr. Osborne outlined his company's post-war plan of spanning the United States with these trunk lines, which are being projected primarily for telephonic transmission, with provision for television on the basis of unknown requirements. Mr. Osborne stated that his company welcomes and urges suggestions from those involved in the development of television as to their anticipated needs in the matter of transmission facilities. Many listeners feel that even to the "know how" men of AT&T, television on a practical home delivery basis is still a nebulous quantity containing many "ifs." Mr. Osborne also described experimental work now in progress on the repeater radio method of transmitting television broadcasts between New York and Boston, as covered in detail in STR's September 9th issue (Page 38). After listening intently for something concrete, many attending the conference could gain only the impression that even the major networks of radio and the television manu {Contiuucd on Page 70)