The talking machine world (Jan-June 1928)

75 The Talking Machine World, New York, April, 1928 Company Formed to Exploit RCA Photophone Apparatus Announcement of Formation of "RCA Photophone, Inc.," Made by Major General James G. Harbord — Photophone Synchronizes Film and Voice Formation of a new company to be known as "RCA Photophone, Inc.," is announced by Major Gen. James G. Harbord, president of the Radio Corp. of America, who will act as chairman of the Boatd of Directors of the new subsidiary company. The enterprise has been entirely financed by the Radio Corp. and the General Electric and Westinghouse companies, and there is no public offering of its securities. The RCA Photophone, an apparatus for synchronizing motion pictures with voice and music, will be sold to motion picture theatres, schools, churches and other institutions. Engineers of the radio group are now at work in their laboratories on a simplified photophone "Here's the best aerial to use with that set you've bought Just connect it to your set and plug into the nearest light socket. This little device uses absolutely no current, requires no lightning arrester, and cuts static down to almost zero. You will get the same perfect reception as you've just listened to here — because we always demonstrate with the Dubilier Light Socket Aerial. Expensive? No, sirl Only $1.50." More dealers than you can count are showing off their receivers to best advantage with this unique aerial, and then selling them at good profit with every set. Others are including the Dubilier Light Socket Aerial in the purchase price of equipped sets as an added inducement. Have you tried out either of these plans? If you're not equipped to collect on this nationally advertised aerial, phone your jobber today for a trial supply. Packed individually in attractive counter display cartons of ten. They are available through any good radio distributor. Dubilier Condenser Corp. 4377 Bronx Blvd. New York Dubilier LIGHT SOCKET AERIAL device suitable for use in the home, which will make it possible, it is stated, to reproduce "talking movies" in the home very much as the ordinary radio broadcast programs are now being received in more than eight million homes. General Harbord announced that the other members of the Board of Directors would be Owen D. Young, Gerard Swope, Paul D. Cravath, E. M. Herr, E. W. Harden, Cornelius N. Bliss, James R. Sheffield and David Sarnoff. The president of the new company will be David Sarnoff, and Elmer E. Bucher will be vice-president in charge of commercial activities. Doctor A. N. Goldsmith will be vicepresident in charge of technical matters. The other officers of the company will be George S. DeSousa, treasurer; Lewis MacConnach, secretary, and Charles J. Ross, comptroller. A board of consulting engineers has been created and its members are: A. N. Goldsmith, C. W. Stone and S. M. Kintner. In discussing the formation of the new company Mr. Sarnoff pointed out that although the Radio Corp., General Electric and Westinghouse had been preparing for several years to market apparatus synchronizing voice and music with motion pictures, public introduction of the apparatus had been delayed until the engineers had achieved "complete practicability" so that it would be as simple to operate as a radio set, and, at the same time, highly perfected. "The Photophone," said Mr. Sarnoff, "is both simple and practical. The essential principle is the recording of pictures and sound on one film. While various methods have been devised for 'talking movies,' experience has shown that the most practical is that of recording pictures and sound on the same film. This is the method employed by the Photophone. It is now possible to photograph the President of the United States— voice as well as action — and to distribute films reproducing the event throughout the country. "Easily -operated reproducing apparatus for use in theatres, schools and churches will be nationally available. An entire opera, musical comedy or drama can be electrically recorded on the film, just as it is seen and heard, and then reproduced from the same film. Whatever can be seen or heard, whether it is a nightingale singing or an army in battle, can .now be recorded and reproduced for both the eye and the ear. Moving picture dramas with complete orchestral accompaniment, or with music and speech, will be available for nation-wide use. "Standard films without the sound can be used without any change in the machine. The only thing the operator has to do is to close one switch when he is projecting pictures with sound, and open it when he does not want the sound. Any type of 'talking film' can be used in the machine. The type of sound reproducer to be used will vary with the size of the room in which the pictures are to be shown. The reproducer embodies some remarkable new developments in acoustics. "Sight and hearing have been the two avenues of approach to the human mind for education, religion and entertainment. Now one medium combines the appeal to sight and hearing simultaneously with universal accessibility and availability. The complete practicability of the new ait has already been demonstrated, and there remained only the need for an intelligent and serviceable system of manufacture and distribution. "One can only guess at the many varied uses of this invention as an instrument for the spread of knowledge, for bringing the peoples of the w orld closer together, and for the advancement of civilization. "It is entirely possible, and I may say probable, that the new device will be used to stage . debates on great national issues. Presidential candidates, photographed while speaking, can be shown the same evening on the same film, one earnestly presenting one side of a national question, the other eloquently presenting the other side." Mr. Sarnoff stated that the new company would make its products available to the entire motion picture industry, as well as to individual home-users. Through the National Broadcasting Co., another Radio Corp. associate, it will be able to obtain programs and artists which can be recorded and reproduced by the RCA Photophone. Experimental motion picture laboratories at 4-11 Fifth avenue have been established by the Photophone Co. for the development of "talking movie" technique. With 20,000 motion picture houses, 150,000 churches and 270,000 schools in the United States, the new company expects to develop a very large market for its Photophone apparatus. Los Angeles Trade Interested in Exposition and Radio Trade Show Many of the Leading Manufacturers Have Taken Space at the Pageant of Music and Exposition to Be Held in June — F. B. Simpson on a Trip to Hawaii Los Angeles, Cal., April 4. — The Victor Talking Machine Co. has secured large space at the forthcoming Pageant of Music and Exposition which will be held at the Ambassador Auditorium, June' 18-30. A. C. Love, Pacific Coast representative of the Victor Co., wired to President Richardson of the Music Trades Association of Southern California, late last month, the definite news that his company had decided to take up the reservation which had been held for some time. The reservation comprises a space sixty feet by twenty feet, immediately adjoining the entrance to the exposition, and permits of eighty feet of window display visible through the scrim — instead of glass, and will enable the thousands of visitors to view the entire line of Victrolas, Electrolas and Combination Victrola-Electrola-Radiolas. Many other large concerns plan to have exhibits at the Pageant of Music and Exposition. F. B. Simpson, general manager of the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co.'s business in Califor nia, left three or four weeks ago for a trip to Hawaii. Irving J. Westphal, manager of the phonograph division in Southern California, has been awaiting the return of Mr. Simpson in order that a final selection of space in the Pageant of Music may be made for the display of Brunswick Panatropes, Panatrope-Radiolas and Brunswick records. Walter M. Fagan, president of Pacific Wholesale, Inc., distributor of Sparton radios, Okeh records and portable phonographs, contracted for two center exhibition spaces in the Pageant of Music and Exposition. H. J. Zeusler, manager, Edison Phonograph Distributing Co., was in Los Angeles last month and accompanied W. G. Carson, Southern California representative, in visiting the trade. Mr. Zeusler spoke very optimistically ol the future and appeared to be much gratified at the results of the efforts of Mr. Carson in interesting new accounts in Los Angeles and the Southland.