Scanned from the collection of Dino Everett Coordinated by the Media History Digital Library www.mediahistoryproject.org Funded by a donation from David Pierce Ai0 $s* >5,°* r s-4 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from Media History Digital Library http://archive.org/details/internationalpho03holl To the Motion Picture Industry For 1931 Twelve Months of Happiness and Prosperity Simeon Aller Wesley Smith and Du Pont Pathe Film Mfg. Corp. January, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER One C O L O R with your Bell & Howell A fact of interest and importance to cameramen and producers— your regular Bell & Howell Cameras can be used for the Bi-Pack color processes. A special intermittent mechanism, an adaptation of the famous B & H pilot pin mechanism, is used to handle the two negatives. This unit is readily interchangeable with the regular, ultra-speed, or silenced mechanisms. Simply by changing this mechanism and, of course, the magazine and the film, any Bell & Howell Camera can be converted for color from monochrome, and vice versa, at a moment's notice. The new mechanism is so constructed that the focal plane of the Bi-Pack films (which are run emulsion to emulsion) is in exactly the same position as the focal plane of the black and white film in the regular mechanisms. There is no necessity for any change or adjust- ment on the camera itself — the focusing ground glass is left in the standard position. ♦ ♦ ♦ The new Cooke Speed Panchro and Panchro lenses are also ideal for Bi-Pack color processes, as they are corrected to the wave lengths utilized by the Bi-Pack emulsions. Their special correction adapts them equally well for modern monochrome work with panchromatic film and incandescent lighting. Write for further information on B & H Cameras or these new Cooke lenses. BELL & HOWELL BELL&HOWELL CO., 1849 Larchmont Avenue, Chicago, Illinois New York, 11 West 42nd Street • Hollywood, 6324 Santa Monica Blvd. London (B&H Co., Ltd.) 320 Regent Street • Established 1907 Tivo The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER January, 1931 Scene from "Morocco" — A Paramount Picture NEW STAR A NEW SUN I N winning popularity for a new star good photog- raphy is as essential as a good play and good acting. National Photographic Carhons give the brilliant illumi- nation and the same quality of light as natural sunlight. The cameraman asks nothing better. Good photography is assured by this new sun — the product of modern research, up-to-date manufacturing facilities and trained technical staff. and the star will appreciate the comfort of the stage — even with the maximum intensity of lighting — when National Photographic Carbons are used. NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC CARBONS BRANCH SALES OFFICES: Proved by test the most economical form of studio lighting. Maximum photographic light per watt of electrical energy. A size for any studio arc lamp. . . NATIONAL CARBON COMPANY, INC. Carbon Sales Division ' Cleveland, Ohio NEW YORK PITTSBURGH CHICAGO SAN FRANCISCO Unit of Union Carbide I I ■ ■ and Carbon Corporation irt \T/ JKSJ QI\P Qm> w Wi (WTO Vf7 wtsft ,6 ■. ZI\P mi Qrx$> \T/ \T/ WESV IN TE FNATIONA L PHOTO GRAPHE R Official Bulletin of the International Photographers of the Motion Pic- ture Industries, Local No. 659, of the International Alliance of The- atrical Stage Employees and Molt- ing Picture Machine Operators •/ the United States and Canada. Affiliated with Los Angeles Amusement Federa- tion, California State Theatrical Federation, California State Fed- eration of Labor, American Fed- eration of Labor, and Federated Voters of the Los Angeles Amuse- ment Organizations. Vol. 2 HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA, JANUARY, 1931 No. 12 "Capital is the fruit of labor, and could not exist if labor had not first existed. Labor, therefore, deserves much th( ' higher consideration."- — Abraham Lincoln. C O N T E N T S Noiseless Recording Gets Nearer.... 4 Varges Flies Over Mount Fuji .19 Technicians Pass Wide Film and Chicago .24 Discuss New Recording 4 By Harry Birch By Fred Westerberg Thirty-Three Years Old Films Regulating Density of Sound Track . . o Product of Eastman .27 By H. C. Silent Wherein We Set Forth Our Regrets. .28 A Couple o' Columns 8 Amateur Department .29 What Happens When Cameraman Has Day Off 9 Real Romance of "Home" Films .29 Hoke-um 11 With Portable Reproducer Operator By Ira In Memoriam — William Stuart Adams .12 30 With Films Men's Club Finds Way Looking In on Just a Few New Ones. .14 to Boost Church Treasury .31 By George Blaisdell How Old World Artist Home Grew The Joys of a Location (Cartoon) . . . 17 on Bleak Wasteland .36 By Glenn R. Kershner Picture Photographed by War Pigeon .37 Technical Editors The International Photographer is published monthly in Hollywood by Local 659, I. A.T.S.E. and M. P. M. 0. of the United States and Canada Entered as second class matter Sept. 30, 1930, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, Calif., under the act of March 3, 1879 Copyright 1930 by Local 659, I. A. T. S. E. and M. P. M. 0. of the United States and Canada Howard E. Hurd, Publisher's Agent George Blaisdell Editor Lewis W. Physioc 1 Ira Hoke ------ Associate Editor Fred Westerberg \ John Corydon Hill - - - Art Editor Subscription Rates — United States and Canada, $3.00 per year. Single copies, 25 cents Office of publication, 1605 North Cahuenga Avenue, Hollywood, California. HEmpstead 1128 The members of this Local, together with those of our sister Locals, No. 644 in New York, No. 666 in Chicago, and No. 665 in Toronto, represent the entire personnel of photographers now engaged in professional production of motion pictures in the United States and Canada. Thus The International Photographer becomes the voice of the Entire Craft, covering a field that reaches from coast to coast across the nation. Printed in the U. S. A. i^siH^2 at Hollywood, California. Four The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER January, 1931 Noiseless Recording Gets Nearer Western Electric Announces New Process It Declares Greatest Advance in Talking- Pictures in Last Four Years ANEW system for the recording of talking pictures, designed to eliminate extraneous sounds, hissing and scratching noises, has been announced by Electrical Re- search Products. It is known as the "New Process Noiseless Recording," and is claimed to be the greatest ad- vance in talking pictures in the last four years. The new process will soon be in use by many of the major producers. The first picture using this new process of recording is Paramount's "The Right to Love," starring Ruth Chatterton, now being shown. The development of the process is a result of many years' work on the part of sound engineers to elimi- nate the "ground noises" which have marred the perfect enjoyment of talk- ing pictures. Now it is possible to re- cord and reproduce in theatres the faintest of sounds without having them "masked" or covered up by these extraneous, hissing and scratching sounds. Every syllable of even the softest spoken words, whispering and the sobbing of a distressed heroine now will become clearly audible. The new process produces a greater realism and is a great step toward perfection of the talking picture. Problem of Loud and Soft "One of the major problems con- fronting sound engineers has been the extension of the volume range of sound recording and reproducing," ac- cording to H. G. Knox of Erpi. "This means the ability to reproduce both louder and softer sounds. "There are, of course, two ways of widening the volume range in record- ing and reproducing. One is the re- cording and reproducing of higher volumes, which means the handling of louder sounds. One obvious way to do this is by increasing the amplifier power and the capacity of the loud speakers to handle it. This presents practical difficulties in that it would require new and more powerful the- atre equipment. "The second method is to broaden the volume range by making it pos- sible to record and reproduce sounds of lower volume. To do this necessi- tates reducing the extraneous electri- cal, mechanical and photographic noises heretofore recorded which mask or cover up the desired sounds. "In the theatre this means simply the refinement and better maintenance of its sound equipment. In recording- it means the reduction of the electri- cal and mechanical background noises commonly called 'ground noise' so that every syllable of very soft sounds, such as whispering and sobbing, will become clearly audible. "One hushed gasp out of utter still- ness may climax a dramatic crisis. A single low word after a long silence will startle the waiting audience. It is the successful solution of this prob- lem that makes the new process of noiseless recording possible. Increase in Sensitiveness "The new method of recording re- quires some additional equipment and changes in the present recording sys- tem, which produce a tremendous in- crease in sensitiveness to sounds that are to be recorded. "Motion picture audiences are well aware of the hissing or scratching sound which becomes audible as soon as the sound apparatus is switched on. In other words, during the silent introductory title of a picture every- thing is quiet. Just before the record- ed portions of the film start listeners are warned of the coming sound by the scraping ground noise coming from the screen. "While in good recording this ground noise is not particularly offen- sive, it nevertheless means that any whispers or low level sounds on the film must be raised artificially to a relatively high volume if not to be masked by the noise of the system itself. During normal dialogue or music the presence of the ground noise fades to relative unimportance and, of course, during loud dialogue or heavy passages of music it is com- pletely covered up. It is, therefore, a question of making 'silence' silent. Removing the Mechanical "While the problem can be simply stated, the method for its solution has been many years in the making. At last, however, the film recording ma- chine has been so modified that all audible evidences of its mechanical nature have been removed, and under the new process it is possible to record the lowest whispers in thrilling si- lence. "Fortunately this innovation comes at a time when audiences are demand- ing more realistic sound and at a time when producers are using less dia- logue and more silence. To be effec- tive the silence must be complete. During dramatic periods the ex- pression will soon be true, even in a talking picture theatre, that 'it was so quiet one could hear a pin fall.' "As with every startling improve- ment higher standards of perform- ance are involved. A standard of de- veloping and printing of films higher than the already exacting technique of sound pictures is demanded. The reproducing equipment in theatres will likewise require most careful grooming and maintenance if it is to handle noiselessly pictures recorded in this new way. By and large, how- ever, noiseless recording is the great- est advance in talking pictures in the last four years." Technicians Pass Wide Film find Discuss New Recording By FRED WESTERBERG A MEETING of the technician's branch of the Academy of Mo- tion Picture Arts and Sciences was held at Universal City on the evening of Dec. 11 under the chair- manship of J. T. (Ted) Reed. The meeting was held for two rea- sons. One was to give further consid- eration to the wide film problem, the other to demonstrate noiseless record- ing, a recent development of the Western Electric System. The salient features of silent re- cording were demonstrated by H. C. Silent of Electrical Research Prod- ucts. Mr. Silent's complete paper will be found elsewhere in this issue. Mr. Reed stated it was his experi- ence that the practical elimination of ground noise had not increased the problem of camera noise. No added sound-pr-oofing of the camera blimps was found necessary, at least at his studio, he said. Another point brought out was that somewhat closer adherence to a gamma of unity seemed advisable from the standpoint of sound. The problem stated in simple terms is this: The sound technicians want to develop the print to a lower gamma, which means less time of development and hence less contrast. They would rather put their contrast into the neg- ative. Siamese Twins The cinematographer, on the other hand, from long experience has found that contrast in the negative is not desirable, that a soft negative and a fully developed print produce the best results photographically. However, as long as sound and pic- ture are Siamese twins these condi- tions will have to be compromised as well as possible. Under the circum- stances one cannot very well tell the other to jump in the lake. The proposed discussion of wide film faded out quickly when it was found that the demonstration reels had not arrived. Mr. Reed and Mr. Du Bray spoke a few kind words for the deceased. Mr. Reed sounded a faint note of encouragement to the cinematographer when he said that perhaps after the current depression is over and all phases of the problem have been thoroughly sifted and vari- ous groups persuaded to relinquish their pet panaceas, then perhaps some standard might be adopted. Believe it or not, but the meeting closed with a reel showing among other things how to catch a goe-duck, which is reallv not a duck at all. It is a clam, but what a clam! January, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Five Regulating Density of Sound Track By Automatically Doing That at the Recorder Technicians Have Reduced Materially Effects of Ground Noises By H. C. SILENT Development Engineer Electrical Research Products, Inc., in Paper on "Noiseless Recording Western Electric System" Read Before Academy Technicians Copyright 1930 by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences IT IS common knowledge that, when a sound print of the variable den- sity type is played in a reproduc- ing machine, the volume of the repro- duction is low if the print is dark and if a compensating adjustment is not made by turning up the fader. In ad- dition, the ground noise of the film is also low. It has been a problem to take ad- vantage of this latter fact with the former methods of recording, because the mere act of printing the sound track dark, while it reduced the ground noise, also reduced the volume of sound from the film. This, of course, was undesirable. In the method of recording which is now being employed, these undesir- able effects are overcome bv regulat- ing the density of the sound track at the recorder automatically. It is well known that there is a par- ticular value of density or transmis- sion of the photographic emulsion which permits of the loudest volume from the film without exceeding the photographic limits of good quality. Deviation from this point is possible without distortion if the volume or percentage modulation applied to the film is reduced. This can be taken advantage of by causing the film to be dark on low volume modulation, and as modulation becomes higher we lighten the film to the point where it has the greatest possible carrying ca- pacity. Noise Worst in Quiet If this can be done without distort- ing the volume of sound reproduced by the film, then we shall have a con- dition where the ground noise from the film is low during periods of low sound. Thus quiet intervals in the sound will be quiet, and the ground noise, even though it rises with the sound, will always be more or less drowned out by the increased sound, so that there is an effect of consider- ably reduced ground noise. In other words, there is produced a constant signal to noise ratio in which the signal is always very predominant over the noise, and since the noise is most noticeable in the quiet intervals, there is a very real reduction in the amount of the ground noise. There are a number of methods by means of which this variation in the transmission of the film can be effect- ed. If we examine for a moment the light-valve employed in the Western Electric system of recording we shall see how one of these methods can be applied. In the past this system has employed a light-valve in which two ribbons were normally spaced .001" apart. These ribbons were vibrated by the sound currents, movin" but a slight distance on weak currents and a con- siderable distance on loud currents. The strongest currents would just bring the ribbons into contact as they vibrated. The space between them was therefore greater than necessary to permit the free vibration of the ribbons on weak currents. Vibrating Ribbons A sound track recorded under this method had a constant density cor- responding to the one mil spacing be- tween the ribbons and this density was caused to vary with the voice cur- rents but maintained always its con- stant average. Under the new system of recording an auxiliary electrical circuit is asso- ciated with the light-valve, so that when the sound currents are small and the ribbons need vibrate over but a very small amplitude they are brought close together and this small vibration almost entirely fills the space between them. Then as the sound increases in loudness, so that the ribbons are required to vibrate k; *> I Id 2 Vb DEN SIT* 3 1 .2 .3 4 5 S .7 .0 9 10 U 12 0 I* L 5 I 8 0 100 90 80 '0 60 50 40 / / / / / / / / / T LV RJLL OPEN A 1 7 y 4 and in real honest Hollywood lingo I explode: "Say, what the Sam Hill language do you talk?" "English," is her snappv answer. I die. And Thus Endeth the Lesson So you see the life of a traveler is quite interesting. (This doggone German typewriter has the letters set differently from ours.) I have just got through shooting exteriors for a big German film, "The Man Who Killed." We got some beau- tiful stuff. I have been in many slow countries, but Turkey takes the cake. Nobody works. Half of the week is holydays. Friday Turkish, Saturday Jewish. Then comes the Sunday when nobody does a thing. Besides, they keep all holydays of every nation. This morning I saw a man who ped- dles brooms. I watched him. He sells one, goes into a cafe, drinks his cafe Turc, and in a few minutes is sound asleep. The street cleaner is sleep ing while sweeping the dirty street. I go into a store and ask for some- thing. "Tzz," the clerk says, which means no, and sounds as if he is clean- ing his teeth. Just too lazy to look for it. Let's Hear from Assistants What a life this would be for some of our assistant cameramen! I attempt to send in my dues, but find out that in order to send money out of this country one has to have the permis- sion of the War Department and the Department of Interior. If the weather is good we shoot some of the exteriors. So I shall postpone the sending of dues. As soon as I get out of here I shall mail it in. Inclosed you will find some snap- shots. They were developed in Tur- key, so don't blame me. From here I am to go to Jerusalem, via Syria. What a trip! Thence to Egypt, where the people are still more Oriental and the odor still more appetizing. My best regards to the gang. JOHN ALTON. Stamboul, Oct. 11, 1930. T h e Came ra m a n From Hollywood Filmouraph DAY by day the status of the cinematographer in the talkie business is increasing. With the many complications aris- ing with the introduction of sound, the task of the cameraman has been more difficult. Despite this, the re- sults of the einematographer's work are constantly getting better. This is evident in the beautiful photography that has distinguished recent pictures. While the work of the players, the director, the sound men a^d the others who make a picture is always import- ant, yet, in the last analysis, it is the cameraman who produces the actual results on the screen. It has been the habit for the indus- try to overlook the importance of the cameraman, but the fact that he is contributing a very vital share of the talkies' success is now becoming more and more apparent to the men who have the destiny of the motion picture in their hands. The next time you see a picture well done, give a thought to the man behind the camera. Judge for your- self the value of his artistry. And, again, a cameraman has often saved an otherwise tedious picture by the very beauty of his work. Jack Alton on a day off — in Stamboul Ten The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER January, 1931 Al Brick Tells of 1925 Eclipse Shooting OUR Brother Al Brick, writer of this com- munication, is not only a first class cine- matographer, but he is a veteran and ex- pert aviator. He was formerly an instructor of flying- at both Kelly and Mitchel Fields, and has to his credit more than 900 after-war hours Charles Lehman at his camera. Inset, Al Brick flying with passengers and on photo- graphing trips. Here Brother Brick tells interest- ingly of his experience photograph- ing the total eclipse of the sun, in New York City, January 24, 1925: Two months before the eclipse I started working and getting informa- tion on it. I first went to see Dr. David S. Todd, professor of astron- omy of Amherst University, and what he told me about the sun was surely a lot more than I ever learned in school. To show this astronomical event on the screen, he said it would be necessary for me to have a 50 inch lens. This took my hat off, as where could I get a lens with a 50 inch focal length? He told me and I got it. Then I begged another brother cam- eraman, Charles Lehman, of Local 644, to help me. We secured a Debrie camera and mounted this F. 4.5 lens on it. This lens had no diaphragm, so we made one with about an F. 16 stop ; also used a red filter, as every- one knows shooting the sun was a bright subject; then when the total- ity came we had to shoot wide open and take the filter out, as it was so dark that it looked like night and there was nothing on the film, shoot- ing with the lens and shutter wide open and one picture cranking. 117 Seconds to Work The totality from start to finish was less than two minutes (117 sec- onds). As the sun started to show from behind the moon we had to put our filter and diaphragm back again; we also had to crank it all one picture cranking, as we had only 400 foot rolls of negative. The time the eclipse started was 8:05 a. m., and finished at 10:08 a. m, just a little over two hours The totality was at 9:14 a. m., and we had to get it all in on 400 feet, so we had to space our cranking, and this was done very successfully. Next our problem was to pan and tilt the camera so it would stay with the sun as it traveled. We put two motors on this and it was some job, as we had to gear it so that it would move with the sun at this time of day, so it will be seen that we could only try it out every morning between 8 and 10 when the sun would shine, and we surely lost a lot of mornings with clouds. The clouds gave us something else to worry about, for if it should be cloudy on the day of the eclipse there would be no pictures from the ground and the movie fans could not see the eclipse. As T understand it, the eclipse happens only every 100 years in the same place, therefore, to make sure we would get a picture of it, I ar- ranged for a plane from the army field to fly above the clouds and get what we could with a 12 in. lens on an Akeley, which would be very small. We made the lens solid to the frame of the camera, so that it would not vibrate. When everything was all set for the morning of January 14, I let Charles Lehman run the camera with the 50- inch lens on the ground while I went up eighteen thousand feet in the army plane. Well, it was a very fine morn- ing, clear and cold, and Lehman got very good shots, while I got shots you could not see and two frozen legs. The camera used by Lehman, as I have said, was a Debrie and a box tube with the lens mounted on it. I had light rings in the wooden box- like tube and the lens was centered to the aperture of the camera. We drove the camera with a motor that would flash one pcture at a time, as we de- sired, always stopping with the shut- ter closed. GOERZ CINE LENSES/ are optically accurate and photographically effective. Kino-Hypar f:2.7 and f:3, 35 to 100 mm. focal lengths. Simple in design . . . con- sists of only three lenses . . . affords microscopic definition in the image. Free from flare or coma. Fine covering power. Telestar f:4.5, V/& to l3l/2" focal lengths — an ideal telephoto series for long distance shots and close- ups . . . excels because of practical absence of dis- tortion. Cinegor f:2 and f:2.5, a Superspeed series; ideal for work under unfavorable light conditions. A new catalog listing the com- plete line of Goerz Lenses and Accessories will be mailed on request. C.RGOERZ AMERICAN OPTICAL Co 319 B EAST 34™ ST. NEWYORKCITy Wants to Know What's Said According to a recent report from Trade Commissioner George R. Canty, in Paris, with the absence of the French and German "talkie" the Am- erican film is non-existent in Switzer- land, except for the films of certain well known stars, states a German press report. The Swiss public is asking for talkers in a language it understands, naturally. In Italian Switzerland the Italian film is popular, but the French and German film finds a ready market in all other parts of the country. Pratt Will Boss West George C. Pratt, for many years vice president, director, member of the executive committee and general counsel of the Western Electric Com- pany and also a director and general counsel of Electrical Research Prod- ucts, has resigned these appoint- ments and offices. He has been elected a vice president of Erpi and will also assume new duties as special counsel for that company. Pariche Flies to San Juan Esselle Pariche, who is spending the winter in the South, writes from San Juan, Porto Rico, that he made the trip from Miami by air and will return to that point through the West Indies. He says he is getting some worthwhile material from the air and on the ground. January, 1931 T h Plane Language Lyman Broening's young son, Al- bert, recently experienced the misfor- tune of dropping his dad's pet cast iron plane on the cement floor of the workshop. The result was disastrous. That afternoon when quiet reigned once more on the Broening homestead his mother asked Albert what his daddy said when the plane was broken. "Shall I leave out the swearwords?" "Certainly," said his mother. Albert pondered a moment, then sprung this one: "In that case he didn't say anything, Ma." And Sweet Sixteen? Nowadays a girl is never "fat." She's 70 millimeter. Dog Star? Amateur Astronomer — Can you name a star with a tail? Amateur Photographer — Sure. Rin- Tin-Tin. Those Hollywood Boys First Chorus Girl — Gosh, that ham actor is vain. He's been in front of that make-up mirror for an hour ad- miring his good looks. Second Chorus Girl — That ain't vanity, Betty. That's imagination. Figures Don't Lie Director — Cleopatra is one of the most remarkable figures in all history. Actor (coming out of trance) — Is, or had? Them Days Are Gone Forever Advertisement in Newspaper — No one has ever lost a penny in the Guar- anty Building and Loan Association. Supercargo Editor Blaisdell — Yeah, I'm going out to plav golf Thanksgiving morn- ing, and then by way of creating an appetite shall hit up the fresh wine — INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPH — — -_ „ IT. E R Eleven Hoke- urn By Ira although that will be what the cub re- porters call a work of supererogation. John Hill (almost audibly) — You mean superirWgation? Scarcely Ambidextrous First Cameraman — Jimnr- the as- sistant, says he wants a wife like Venus de Milo. Second Cameraman — Kinda par- ticular, isn't he? First Cameraman — Not exactly. He says when they come like that they can't throw things at him. Quick, Watson! Assistant Cameraman — That second cameraman told a pack of lies about me. First Cameraman — You're lucky. Assistant Cameraman — Whadda ya mean lucky? First Cameraman — Certainly. Just suppose he had told the truth. What Part? First Actor — I played the father of the heroine in that famous play, "Money, Mortgage, or Sink." Second Actor — Was it much of a part? First Actor — I should say so. I was supposed to have died twenty years before the play began. The Good Old Days Sign on steam shovel excavating one-half of Sunset Boulevard for new paving. "Quit kicking — This was once a cowpath. The Height of Something The night following the closin"- of the doors of the Guaranty Building and Loan Association the janitor evi- dently forgot to turn off some of the lights, for above the building in its accustomed brilliance flamed all night long the big electric sign "Guaranty Pays 6% on Your Sav- ings." Best Seller First Cameraman — I hear Jimmie quit the camera game. Did he inherit some money? Business Agent — No. He invented a radio device which turns off the set whenever a jazz orchestra comes on. This Is a Hard One First Asst. — See that actor over on "B" set? Second Asst. — Yeh. What about him? First Asst. — A town in Massachu- setts is named after him. Second Asst. — No foolin'! What town? First Asst. — Marblehead. Couldn't Help It Assistant — My eyes are weak. Cameraman — That's not strange. They grew in a weak spot. Shocking M. Hall — This is my electric suit. Henry Prautsch — Your electric suit? M. Hall— Yeh. I wired for it, and had it charged. Recorder Not Ready- Mixer — I don't know whether to go to the wedding or not. Electrician — Who's getting married ? Mixer — I am. Page Beesemeyer Maury Kains will now sing that favorite Scotch song entitled "For Two Cents I'd Throw This Penny Away." May Be All Right in Russia, But Don't Try It in America A RECENT number of the Kras- nafa Gazeta, of Moscow, carried an item in connection with cine- mas that may seem somewhat aston- ishing to persons unfamiliar with present-day conditions prevailing in the Soviet State. The item, in short, consists in the announcement that admission to cin- emas may now be secured at certain houses in exchange for payment in kind. Old galoshes are prominently men- tioned in this connection. Old clothes, bags, small amounts of potatoes, eggs, flowers, etc., also are accepted. It is for the box-office cashier to judge whether or not the various odds and ends presented are sufficient to jus- tify the admission of the prospective patron. Such conditions are probably par- ticularly prominent in the rural dis- tricts (covering practically the en- tire country), where the shortage of currency is most felt However, the extraordinary gen- eral poverty of the population and the enormous prices of every victual or manufactured product (a worn- down second-hand pair of shoes often costs more in Moscow than a pair of brand new ones in Europe) probably has been contributory in creating this situation. stalled two American sound and talk- ing film outfits. A new theatre is to be constructed by Arnaldo Roco in La Plata. It will have a seating capacitv of 1500 ana be the largest house in the city. It is expected to be open to the public by the end of Febiuary. South America Building An important new motion picture theatre, the Broadway, has just been opened to the public in Buenos Aires, bv its proprietors, Emsesa Augusto Alvarez. The theatre has a seating capacity of 2000, is provided with a modern American installation cost- ing 30t>,000 pesos of ventilating and air heating and cooling machinerv de- signed to insure the comfort of the patrons in all seasons, and has in- No. 15 Men on Job Director Monta B^ll is making scenes for "Fires of Youth," the drama which stars Lew Ayres with Genevieve Tobin featured, and the ac- tion takes place in the mailing room of a metropolitan newspaper. To ob- tain the utmost in realism, Bell is not depending on regular motion picture extras for the scene, but has engaged an entire mailing room crew. These fifteen men are all members of Mailers Union No. 9, and are seen in swift action, wrapnin an entire edition of the paper for mailing. A number of the men will be heard as well as seen. Twelve The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER January, 1931 In zJXCemoriarn William Stuart Adams, died December ■1, 1930, following a relapse believed to be due to the effects of jungle fever contracted while in the East with "The White Captive" company and which caused his return home before the completion of the production. A widow and two children survive, as well as a brother, J. Stuart Blackton. Mr. Adams served overseas in the Signal Corps. He was a member of Clinton Lodge of Brooklyn as well as of Local 659. Burial was in Holly- wood Cemetery with Masonic rites Wilcox Now Vice President in Charge Erpi Operations AT A MEETING of the directors of Erpi, Herbert M. Wilcox was elected vice-president in charge of operating-. Wilcox has been operat- ing- manager of the company, having had charge in that capacity of In- stalling and servicing Western Elec- tric talking picture apparatus. Wilcox has been associated with President J. E. Otterson for fifteen years. When Erpi was formed in Jan- uary, 1927, Wilcox went along with the new organization as operating manager. In this latter connection he has seen the department grow from a nu- cleus of six to a present day nation- wide organization with a personnel of 1250. It maintains offices in 38 cities from which are serviced some 4800 theatres equipped with sound systems. Crabtree Names Committees Appointments for the personnel of the committees to serve the Society of Motion Picture Engineers for the fol- lowing year have been made by J. I. Crabtree, president. The committees and their chairmen are as follows: Color, W. V. D. Kel- ley, DuChrome Film Systems, Holly- wood; convention, W. C. Kunzmann, National Carbon, Cleveland; member- ship, H. T. Cowling, Eastman, Roch- ester; papers, 0. M. Glunt, Bell Tele- phone Laboratories, New York; prog- ress, G. E. Matthews, Eastman, Roch- ester; publicity, Will Whitmore, Erpi, New York; historical, C. L. Gregory; sound. H. B. Santee, Erpi; standards, A. C. Hardy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; studio lighting, M. W. Palmer, Paramount, Long Island. Non-Commercial Indies to Hold Convention in Brussels THE second Congress of the In- dependent Cinema — the first meeting took place in Switzer- land last year — was this year held at the Palais des Beaux Arts, Brussels, from November 28 to December 1. The meeting reunited most of the European producers, writers and crit- ics who have devoted some part of their activity to non-commercial film production. Two public festivals, one of which was devoted to the silent film and the other to talkers, were held. The si- lent film festival was devoted to top- ical films and adventure in cinema work. A series of reports was pre- sented. The debates concerned three questions: The international organ- ization of cinema clubs, intellectual film production, and, lastly, the rela- tions between the cinema and intellec- tual life in general. The debates were held in three lan- guages— in English, French, and Ger- man. The Professional Film Press Association and several groups of authors agreed to patronize this Con- gress. Adolphe Osso Extending M. Adolphe Osso, head of the So- ciete des Films Osso, has just re- turned from Brussels, where he is planning to establish the Belgian Societe des Films Osso. The Osso company also will have branches in Geneva, Cairo and Algiers, and agen- cies in the French key cities — Lvons, Lille, Bordeaux, Strasbourg, and Mar- seilles. Gaumont Sends Mission A special mission of technicians has been commissioned by Gaumont of Paris to visit the principal film trade centers of the world. The mis- sion is authorized to study the equip- ment of the ideal sound film studio. The first objective of *~he mission will be London. 77ms striking camera study might have been photographed on African sands, but it wasn't. We have the perfectly good word of Woodbury its subject is none other than Nigel De Bruliere, photographed in char- acter nearly a decade ago in a Hollywood picture the title of which long since has been forgotten. Here is a picture of an occasionally turbulent bit of the homestead of Uncle Sam — in Mount Lassen, his only active volcano within that boundary. It ivas photographed by Edward B. Anderson from Reflection Lake, not so far from the summit of 10,480 feet elevation. E. While location hunting in the high Sierras A. Schoeubn a in pauses a moment and photographs this spot where Rush Creek enters Silver Lake. A fishin' rod and corncob would seem to be indicated — yes, and the right kind of bait. >5^. @ream oth Stills «.*!^?0* °6rk*v Perhaps after all that corncob and fishin' pole should have been reserved for this canal in Phoenix — whether there be any fish in it or not. Paul Ivano surely picked out a paradise for a lazy man, one on which even a go-getter well might stub his toe. And speaking about bait — William Grimes does not propose to be outdone in the way of teasing a loafer; he contributes this alluring bit of recreation ground as he saw it in the private Buseh gardens in Pasa- dena. Don't gaze too long on that settee under the big oak. @ream at ft Stills Bert Lynch shows us the view from the fort at Mazatlan, Mexico, as old Sol fiery departure for the day. getting rendu to put on a January, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirteen It's to Your Interests IT is becoming common knowledge that in Eastman Panchromatic Negative, Type 2, there has been grouped the greatest combi- nation of film qualities ever placed at the disposal of the cameraman, director and pro- ducer. From its remarkably accurate and uni- form panchromatic balance to its tough, wear- resisting base, it offers you every opportunity to convey your art unimpaired from lot or studio to the screen. If you are not already using Eastman "Pan," Type 2, it is decidedly to your interest to try it in your next picture. EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY ROCHESTER, NEW YORK J. E. Brulatour, Inc., Distributors New York Chicago Hollywood Fourteen The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER January, 1931 Looking In on Just a Few New Ones Lincoln Karl St runs, Cameraman GRIFFITH has scored again. He has done more than build a drama and simultaneously to create entertainment. As Arhss did for Disraeli and for England so he has done for the Great President and for the United States. He has made to live again more than sixty-five years after his pass- ing a world historical character; painted him not as he is idealized in the school books, but with swift strokes shown the man as he was from his majority to his death, in his failures and his victories, in his weakness and his strength; vivid al- ways, flashing from moments of gay- ety to periods of despair. One series of scenes alone, all too brief and yet how long they seem— those between Lincoln and Ann Rut- ledge — will stand out as long as a print shall survive the wear of the elements. For poignancy they will hold equal rank with that scene of Henri Kraus as Jean Valjean in the old Pathe version when he buys a doll for a child; or with Rene Adoree when as a French peasant in "The Big Parade" she tries to maintain pace with the truck bearing away her American lover. In all these scenes Griffith has had a great and an equal partner — Wal- ter Huston. This actor's previous work on the screen, brief but of wide range, leads one to expect much of him as Lincoln. The expectation is justified, even bettered. In the selection of his supporting cast the director shows no diminu- By GEORGE BLAISDELL tion of the judgment that has marked his previous choices of the men and women who play the parts of his pic- tures, although it may be remarked that always has he seemed to lean more heavily on his own intuition of a given actor's ability and his own skill in being able to extract from that player the particular quality he sought than in any discoverable rev- erence for the great mogul Box Office Name. His selections in the present in- stance have been happy ones. Una Merkel as Ann Rutledge bulks big in a brief part. Kay Hammond as Mary Todd sacrifices her own feelings in the portrayal of the historically ambi- tious, domineering woman who was the first to sense the greatness resid- ing in the uncouth country legislator, to pierce the veil of the future and trace the outlines of the high road he would travel. Hobart Bosworth will be eminently satisfactory to the South in his por- trayal of General Lee and so, too, most surely will Henry Walthall as the general's aid. Then there are Os- car Apfel as Stanton and Fred War- ren as General Grant. The portrayal of John Wilkes Booth falls to Ian Keith, an interpretation strikingly melodramatic as might have been ex- pected of an actor of that period and especially of one harboring that ac- tor's ideas or illusions, if you will. Stephen Vincent Benet's story and the continuity and dialogue on which Gerritt Lloyd collaborated palpably were designed to avoid the pitfalls that handicapped the exhibition of "The Birth of a Nation." There was no attempt at avoidance of the facts of history, but there was no dwelling on the phase of the black man. The word "rebel," to which the South in other years took such vio- lent exception, is used with frequency, but Lincoln is made to remark and undoubtedly with entire truth that "rebels are not traitors." The treatment of Lee is most sym- pathetic, with Lincoln giving him un- stinted honor and deep respect for his ability as a soldier and his quality as a man. The production has been strikingly staged and finely photographed. There are flashes of soldiers, in camp and on the march. The departure of northern troops and then of southerners for the front constitute thrilling bits. But war in its grimmer, physical phase is minimized. What is emphasized is the tragedy that rides behind the scenes, in the days — and nights — of the man who with thousands of soldiers made the supreme sacrifice to the end that the Union might live. As a portrayal of that phase of American history so, too, the picture deserves to live. This is a view not cf the "rockbound coast of Maine" which Robert Palmer and his camera so enticingly present to us. Rather is it of the "golden shores of California," of Carmel Bay from Monterey, photographed on a sunless day ToPable David Teddy Tetzlaff, Cameraman THE commendatory language that has been employed in describing the acting ability of Richard Cromwell during the making and fol- lowing the completion by Columbia of "Tol'able David" would seem to have been justified in reasonable degree. If his appearance in the name role of this picture represents his initial work before the camera then indeed has he "got something on the ball." It was good business for Columbia to fortify and insure itself by sur- rounding the lad with an unusually competent cast, but so far as the new- comer was concerned it was not essen- tial. The precaution merely resulted in lifting what would have been a good picture into one of smashing proportions - - incidentally thereby swelling the gross receipts enough several times to cover the added ex- pense. Two important contributing factors were supplied by Benjamin Glazer, who prepared for the screen this tale by Joseph Hergesheimer, and John Blystone, the veteran who directed it. Restraint was the outstanding char- acteristic in the interpretation of this grim story of mountaineers whose life and work teach them to think much and talk little — and with deliberation. There were times when the action seemed slow, but it was not because the tempo was illogical but rather due to the impatience of the man out front to see the sequence brought to a head. The story is not all drab; there are lighter moments to lessen the ten- January, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Fifteen sion of the sterner drama brought into the picture following the entrance into the peaceful Hepburn home of the three renegade relatives from an- other town. Joan Peers played the daughter of Amos Henburn, interpreted by Henry Walthall, a small part well done. Helen Ware was Mrs. Kinemon, the mother of David, her work standing out all the way; Edmund Breese was the deliberate elder Kinemon and George Duryea the latter's elder son; James Bradbury senior was the store- keeper, who like others of his associ- ates lifted into a major part what might have been a minor; Barbara Bedford was the young mother of the infant Kinemon, who incidentally stole the show the few moments it held the screen, while Noah Beery, Harlan Knight and Peter Richmond abased themselves that there might be a trinity of tough Hepburn eggs to make the story possible. And they surely were tough. Those who by reason of vivid recol- lections of the grim if interesting predecessor of the present version have hesitated to look in on the Co- lumbia subject are overlooking a pic- ture that is worth seeing, a well- planned story finely made in all de- partments. The Right to Love Charles Lang, Photographer THE adaptation of Susan Glas- pell's "Brook Evans" will be much talked about in the days to come following the release of "Tne Right to Love." Contributing to that will be several major factors. Two of these stand out above the others. In the first and most important place, Paramount for one has got down to earth, forgotten Hollywood and its atmosphere or the atmosphere of any other large community where the few are convinced the world re- volves around themselves, and made a picture around "just folks." While the average person may have no oc- casion to convert his handkerchief into a sponge, nevertheless the pic- ture, because of sheer strength of story, grips the beholder throughout its seventy-five minutes of running. Secondly, the production marks the introduction to the public of the West- ern Electric's new process noiseless recording, claimed by its sponsors to be the greatest advance in talking pictures in the last four years. It will be hard for the man in the street to accept that statement as 100 per cent. It is the expert who most readily will grasp the importance of the in- novation. Only too well he knows the meaning of "ground noises," an ex- pression beyond the ken of the lay- man. There is one thing, however, that instantly will impress the lay- man as he watches the unfolding of "The Right to Love," and that is the absolute distinctness of the slightest sounds constituting part of the dra- matic action — a whisper, a sob so faint as more truly to be a trace of a sigh. One of the first effects of the new device will be the enjoyment experi- enced by those of defective hearing. While it is reliably reported the pic- ture under review was partly com- pleted before the noiseless recorder was put to work, nevertheless it is be- yond the realm of doubt that a real boon has been bestowed upon the hard of hearing. Though the foregoing parallel is an exaggeration, at the same time there is a basis for re- marking the difference between the old and the new is like the sudden ces- sation of the buzzing, desultory con- versation taking place in a room where one person presumably has the floor. Coming back to the picture itself, it is one most assuredly not to be missed. Altogether it is pretty near a one-person production, and that per- son Ruth Chatterton. In many of the scenes, because of her playing botn mother and daughter, frequently two of her are seen simultaneously on the screen — and that phase of the sub- ject, due to the boldness and skill with which it is approached, consti- tutes another story. The background is of plain people, some of whom are possessors of the narrow minds found in farming com- munities as in other places. Tragedy early stalks into the tale, flowing nat- urally from a sequence of events most simple and logical in inception. From the moment the sweetheart of Naomi Kellogg is killed in a thrash ing machine, mirth ceases as an en- tertainment factor. It is a grim life ahead of the girl who soon after knows she is destined to become a mother. That she wel- comes the prospect in that her lover will live again gives an eerie, uncanny touch like that bestowed by mild in- sanity, but convincing all the way. Oscar Apfel is thoroughly true to the life in his portrayal of the farmer with the direct mind who beyond the good name of his daughter sees noth- ing. Equally homelike and convincing is Veda Buckland as mother of Na- omi. Irving Pichel as Caleb Evans, whose wide-eyed offer of marriage to the expectant mother the latter's father induces her to accept, provides another strong interpretation of rural Puritanism paralleling that of Apfei's. Paul Lukas, whose name appears second in the billing does not enter the production until it is at least sev- en-eighths down. His all too brief appearance contributes to the strength of the finale, that of the wooing of the American girl who comes to a sudden conclusion to be less of a sap and more of a human. It cannot exactly be said the cast bristles with names of box office value, a fact at any time devoid of significance so far as concerns quality of acting. The producer-distributor very likely will discover this strong story so competently and sincerely played by all in a long line under the sympathetic direction of Richard Wallace that it very quickly will reg- ister as a genuine hit. Cameraman Lang took measures to see the sound men did not bag all the honors on the recording side. The pic- ture is only a few hundred feet on its way when the photographic angle for- cibly is borne in on the consciousness of the beholder — especially the trav- eling shots by the brookside. Min and Bill Harold Wenstrom, Cameraman THE M-G-M production of "Min and Bill" was several weeks down at the Carthay when this reviewer got his first lok at it. Be- tween the opening night and the aforesaid initial view much had been heard regarding the pictm-e — without the utterance so far as had been ob- served of a single funeral note. As a consequence expectations were high — probably too high. The unprec- edented forethought of removing a There is a svggestion of stem drama, a reminiscence of turbulent days, of low- spoken, serious Vigilantes, in Mr. Palmer's peaceful scene of early morning mists and this ages-old veteran of the California Redwood Highway Sixteen The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER January, 193 1 At the suggestion of Joe Walker, Carl O. Swenson has designed and built a practical fade in and out attachment for a Mitchell camera either in a blimp or booth. It may be attached without drilling extra holes. Arms may be detached by loosening thumb- screw when camera is used on the out- side of booth or blimp. The arms are operated from, outside the booth by two small flexible cords handkerchief from its accustomed ple- beian niche on the hip to the more patrician abode in the upper, outer coat pocket proved to be an action en- tirely unnnecessary. As a measure of preparedness it was a total loss. But it's a mighty good picture for a' that, especially for those who have seen life from the angle of those of — and there pops up that plebeian thing again. Anyway, it is a tale of the water front, of those who make their living on the water and of those who make their living from those of the immediately mentioned category. It is a tale of plain people, some of them workers and wholesome and at least one who seemed to toil not neither did she spin, but nevertheless was she ex- ceedingly interesting. The strength of the story rides in four characters — Min and Bill, played respectively by Marie Dressier and Wallace Beery; Nancy, the waif be- friended by Min, portrayed by Dorothy Jordan, and Bella, who proves to be the mother of Nancy, in the life Marjorie Rambeau. Here are three veterans who would make much of even a weak tale. And it is in the convincing performance of this trinity that is to be found the reason for the "pull" of the story which persists from the openng to the finish. The dialogue of this waterfront tale is noteworthy, and for it the credit goes to two women — Frances Marion and Marion Jackson. It has the qual- ity of spontaneity; in other words, of expressing the characters in their own language, not only those of the fem- inine persuasion but of the lesser num- ber of the masculine as well. For after all the story is mainly of women — of a boarding house keeper who befriends from childhood the daughter of a mother who, speaking conservatively, follows ways quite un- conventional. The conflict comes in the efforts of the old woman to protect the girl growing to womanhood especially from knowledge of the mother and incident- ally from attentions of those men she mistrusts, and on the other side of the house to keep the mother from know- ing even that the child is living. The finish is a tragedy of blood that there may be no tragedy of the soul — that the daughter at last may have a break and be happy and that the black- mailing mother shall in no way inter- fere with the even tenor of her peace- ful existence. It would seem to qual- ify as a happy ending in spite of the tragedy. George Hill directed, and commend- ably. Doorway to Hell Barney McGill, Cameraman THE chief exploitation line em- ployed by Warners in its adver- tisements of "Doorway to Hell" set forth that this was the subject "gangland dared Hollywood to make." If the statement have any more foun- dation than the brainstorm of an alert advertising man it is difficult to un- derstand. Certainly the picture is the first agency yet uncovered possessing any tendencv to humanize or make less disreputable or in any manner to palliate the trade of bootlegging killer. Instead of daring Hollywood to make the picture the parties allegedly quoted, if they be more than mythi- cal, should have expressed willingness to pay several millions for its mak- ing. The production was one that stood high enough in the official Warner es- timation to be given a dual presenta- tion in Hollywod and downtown Los Angeles. The public response to the confidence reposed seemed to indicate it was fully justified. Those members of that sizable pro- portion of picturegoers who abomi- nate underworld stuff but went along in order to see Lew Ayres were am- ply repaid. If they went fully ex- pecting to scoff they remained to praise. The factors contributing to this re- sult were practically all that enter into the making of a picture — story, dialogue, script, direction, photogra- phy, sound, acting and editing. Archie Mayo's direction was nota- ble, a statement which seemingly falls short of the mark. The script was from a story by Roland Brown, with dialogue by George Rosener. One who for the first time looks upon the screen work of Ayres in this pictue is pretty sure to be deeply im- pressed by the capacity of this young man for portrayal of serious roles, whether dramatic or tragic. He has the earmarks of experience — abun- dance of poise, the words flow trip- pingly from his tonp^e and as if they were his own, and he is convincing al- ways whether smilingly suave or frigidly menacing. Why the producers choose to exploit James Cagney along with Ayres as chief in interest is their own busi- ness— really of course due to Cagney having been placed under contract. The work of this player in an un- sympathetic part is entirely satisfac- tory; in fact, worthy of praise. But in the particular picture under discussion Robert Elliott, playing O'Grady, captain of detectives, is the only person whose part and whose performance are of a quality enti- tling him to share honors with the leading player. They are as distinc- tive if not even more so than were those of Thomas Jackson, the inter- preter of the screen detective in "Broadway." It was Elliott, by the way, who created the stage detective in "Broadway." The cast is top notch, with Dorothy Mathews in the role of the unfaith- ful wife of the hero; young Leon Jan- ney as the brother of the latter; Kenneth Thomson as the major of the military academy, and Jerry Mandy and Noel Madison as gang leaders. Follow the Leader Larry Williams, Cameraman NOT without reason aplenty is Ed Wynn an idol of the New Yorker, male and female. His characterization, by himself or other- wise, as the perfect fool is entirely within the truth. Not only is he the perfect fool, but he does and says things that in the hands and mouths of others are absurdities, just plain silly; coming from him they may be devastating in their fun. In the present instance Para- mount's New York studio has provid- ed Wynn with a skeleton of a story, even with one partly clothed, taking for its purpose the musical comedy by William K. Wells, George White and De Sylva, Brown and Henderson. Gertrude Purcell and Sid Silvers were responsible for the screen play, with Al Parker staging the dialogue. Nor- man Taurog directed. "Follow the Leader" is of New York, of gunmen and of the stage. It is as an ex-vaude turned wai.er that Crickets is deserted by the gang of Hudson Dusters to serve a bad man of fierce reputation, the while they hide in an adjoining room. Through an accident the b. m. is floored, with the result Crickets against his wishes becomes gang leader. But why waste space talking about a plot? Aids and abettors in the tom- foolery that runs through the picture are Ginger Rogers, feminine lead; Stanley Smith, Lou Holtz, whose Jew- ish characterizations may be a riot in New York and may not be in many smaller communities; Lida Kane, Eth- el Merman and Bobby Watson. If you want to laugh surely some and maybe much don't miss Ed Wynn. (Continued on Page 18) January, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Seventeen THE. T075 Or A LOCATION Eighteen The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER January, 1931 Looking In on Just a Fezv Nezv Ones (Continued from Page 15) And without any fear you make take along the family, old and young. And if one thinks he is himself something of a fun-maker he will have opportu- nity to learn — perhaps — how to knock 'em over with bare hands and seem- ingly empty head. The Command Performance Charles Schoenbaum, Cameraman JAMES CRUZE is credited with presenting "The Command Per- formance," from the play by C. Stafford Dickens and produced by Samuel Zierler. Cruze also is and al- ways has been credited with being a good showman — and a clean one — which is a very substantial reason for believing he is not responsible for the intrusion into this picture of dialogue bits that take it out of the family class even as they invite the inter- ference of the ever-eager censors. The best thing in the picture is its conclusion — and this is said not in sarcasm but with entire sincerity. It is a moving and dramatic sequence, one that will top the finish of nine out of ten major productions. It attains this result in spite of the fact the tale is of the "Prisoner of Zenda" kind — of mythical kingdoms, of costumes, of the takings of dual roles by the male principal; in spite of the fact the theme is one that gen- erally has been accepted as long since relegated to the limbo of threadbare plots. So when the action of the final se- quence rises to real dramatic heights we know it must have been of genu- ine strength so completely to over- come the preceding illusion killing handicaps. Maude Fulton and Gordon Rigby wrote the continuity and dialogue, which were directed by Walter Lang. W. C. Smith and Frederick Lau su- pervised the recording. The subject, slated for Tiffany re- lease, was staged in a manner becom- ing a major production. At the head of the cast was Neil Hamilton, play- ing both Peter, an actor impressed with his own importance, and Prince Alexis, whose chief decision in life seemed to be his determination not to marry the Princess Katerina, charm- ingly portrayed by Una Merkel. Inci- dentally the working out of the tale indicated the princess was not quite so much of an all-around wicked ter- ror as the dialogue would have led us to believe. Apparently she was not even mildly wicked. Helen Ware as the mother of the dissolute prince who declined to lend his personal presence to the task of wooing the princess of the neighbor- ing principality handled her part as her admirers expected her to do, especially those who had seen and heard her eloquent Defense of the West in "The Virginian." Albert Gran as the democratic father of the princess supplied the good humor and comedy, and not even the king's ascribed addiction to walnuts, with its opportunity for cheap wisecracks, entirely succeeded in destroying the flavor of his jolly outlook on life. Lawrence Grant as the premier carried the part with dis- tinction. Other players in an excellent cast were Thelma Todd, Vera Lewis, Mischa Auer, Burr Mcintosh, Wil- liam Von Brincken, Richard Carlyle and Murdock MacQuarrie. And this is a gool place to reit- erate it was Miss Merkel, aided by effective dialogue and sympathetic direction as well as by the foil sup- plied by Hamilton, who in the final sequence by the force and tenderness of her appeal supplied the high spot of the production and sent home in highly chastened mood a somewhat hostile preview house that had come determined to chide. Talkers Bring Dividends The Sudfilm Company of Germany, after having paid no dividend for the four past years, now proposes a divi- dend of 15 per cent. The sharehold- ers meeting was held in December. Sudfilm has had some outstanding successes lately with the Richard Oswald production "Dreyfus," the Eichberg picture "Night Birds," and Rene Clair's "Sous Les Toits de Paris." Complete Portable Sound Equipment The Audio Camex System Camera Silencing Cover THIS IS THE FIRST CAMERA COVER TO BE OFFERED TO THE CRAFT. IT HAS BEEN MADE TO FIT A MITCHELL OR BELL & HOWELL CAMERA. PRICE — $50.00 January, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Nineteen Varges Sails Over Japan 's Fuji and Records Description for Fox Nezvs ner in which the big, heavily loaded craft was skillfully maneuvered on every occasion when exceptional skill was needed. ON September 3 last, the first sound pictures of Mount Fuji's summit from an airplane were recorded by Ariel Varges and Paul Heise of the Fox Movietone News. Heretofore the only pictures of the locale were stills. The flight took four hours, the plane, a big tri-motored Fokker be- longing to the Japan Air Transport Company, leaving the field at Tachi- kawa at 10:30 o'clock. Although the sky was overcast Varges decided to take a chance on finding the cloud ceiling not thick enough to hide the mountain's summit and, as a result, he got what he be- lieves are some of the most artistic and beautiful "shots" that he has taken in a long career of news photog- raphy. "We climbed the first 6,000 feet in about a half hour and there ran into the clouds," says Varges in describing the ascent. "The cloud layer was about 3,000 feet thick and it took an- other half hour to rise through it. On top of the ceiling the sun was shining brightly and Mount Fuji was thrust upward through the mist bank, pre- senting a remarkably beautiful scene. "Snow covered the summit and the slopes almost down to the clouds, only a small black band of earth being vis- ible. We photographed it from every angle, flying around it and over it. We passed over the summit at a distance of no more than 300 feet above the crater." Plane Fights Currents The plane attained a maximum alti- tude of 15,000 feet, which is nearly 3,000 feet higher than Fuji's crest. Attempting to get closer to one side of the great cone, strong upward cur- rents combined with a stronger hori- zontal gale shook the great craft like a leaf which brought into play some expert piloting on the part of P. S. Torii, pilot, and M. Y. Suzuki, assist- ant pilot. On the other side of the summit there was no upthrust of the atmosphere and from there close-ups were taken. As the plane passed over the sum- mit, the shrine was plainly visible. Everything, of course, was covered with snow and the crater was partly filled in. The effect of bright sunlight on the snowy peak gave it an inde- scribable glow, tinged at times with a suggestion of pink and other colors. Cold Hits Camera Shots were taken from every angle. Different lens and different films were used to get varying effect. Material for sound effect was limited to the clatter and hum of the plane's three powerful motors. As the plane ap- proached the mountain, Heise spoke into the microphone, giving a brief de- scription of Fuji-san, and another short bit was recorded as they were passing over the summit. The camera was anchored to a spe- cially made stand which was fastened to the floor at the edge of the cabin door. Varges sat on the floor to oper- ate it. Special care had to be taken to protect the camera from the in- tense cold at the high altitude, for it was more exposed than was the sound equipment. Varges, who has flown throughout Europe in plane and dirigible, men- tioned particularly the efficient man- Barlatiers Celebrate Mr. and Mrs. Andre Barlatier cele- brated the twenty-fifth anniversary of their wedding December 19 at their home in Hollywood. Mr. Barlatier is one of the veterans of the camera, having come to the United States eighteen years ago. For the Imp com- pany in France he photographed "Absinthe," starring King Baggot, and was brought back to this country by Director Brenon. The Barlatiers are old Hollywood residents. Six Months Old Today The *. Group of the Sakai tribe, remnants of cannibalistic people of the Malay penin- sula. Then use the blowpipe like the Dyaks of Borneo June, the time of year under con- sideration, the earth's axis is inclined toward the sun as shown in Fig. 1, which throws the equator well below the direct line of the sun's rays. This angle is at its maximum on June 21. Now if we follow the earth around its orbit to the 21st, or more accurate- ly 23d of September and also March Here are shoimi great cumulus clouds that early in the dun acute photo graphic disturbance, especially if company be working in jungles. Scene in foreground is of natives of Bulak, Sumatra, beating on drum. 21, we find the axis inclined in a plane at right angles to the sun, which brings the equator into the di- rect rays, and it is at this time in equatorial regions that we observe the sun pass almost directly overhead, casting its shadow only from east to west, before noon, and west to east in the afternoon, with a slight inclina- tion to the north, or south, from June to September, or September to Decem- ber, and at places any distance either north or south of the equator. A study of these diagrams will show the direction of the sun's rays at any part of the globe, at any time of the year. Or a more interesting experi- ment might be in placing upon the li- brary table a lamp of single source of light, and moving the terrestrial globe around it, with the ecliptic line on a level with the light, and by sticking a pin in any point on the surface of the globe the direction of the shadow will be easily determined. Light Quantity and Quality Now that we have established the direction of our light, there are other considerations of far more importance to the photographer — i.e., quantity and quality. When we look out from beneath the brim of our topi the tropical light fairly dazzles the eyes, and we are reminded of that old familiar warn- ing "Look out for overexposures." Nevertheless, when we squint through our monotone glass at a sub- ject lighted by this brilliant sun we are impressed with the fact that the shadows are very dense, heavy and lacking illumination, and we are re- minded of another rule among pho- tographers which recommends that we "Expose for the shadows and let the lights take care of themselves." This fact is closely associated with Twcn'y-two The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER January, 1931 Gar son Expedition, Universal, moving up a jungle the simple law of illumination which shows that the greater the source of light and the more direct its rays the more denned and heavy will be its shadow. Now these considerations also re- mind us of another opinion held by photographers that good photography is more or less a judicious balance in exposure, between two great evils, i. e., extreme highlight and the dense shadows, and in working in tropical countries we are confronted with the problem of determining which of these areas, shadow or light, make up the most of our picture, and which of these features we shall humor or dis- regard. Now if we study most pictures we find that flat ground surfaces are most highly lighted; the least interesting feature, and covering less area, and we can freely sacrifice this to the more interesting picture elements. All this should suggest that over- exposing pictures in tropical countries is less to be feared than underexpo- sure, which can result in nothing but harsh, contrasty pictures. Middle Tones So far we have only considered ex- treme light and cast shadows. Let us now devote our attention to the middle tones, which give variety of color and tone to a picture, furnish the modeling or chiaroscuro of the picture. Let us distinguish between heavy cast shadows and shaded portions. This introduces a condition of light- ing in these countries which is very in- teresting, especially when the sun is high overhead. We are familiar with the rule in physics which provides that the angle of reflection is equal to the angle of incident. Now, when the sun is high in the heavens, it is easy to perceive that the light is reflected back at a very acute angle, and consequently less scattered away from the subiect; and even when the sun apparently is at the zenith it inclines enough to the north or south (according to the season) to throw the object into soft shade, and with the aid of reflectors on the side to build up light to nearly balance the strong top and back lights, and to avoid flatness, beautiful exposures, full of detail and softness, may be obtained. Even in the shade of buildings and trees there is plenty of light for quick cinematograph exposures at the pres- ent rate of speed. Varying Atmospheric Conditions The trickiest light with which the tropical photographer has to contend is the slightly overcast sky. Here, in- deed, may our fears of overexposure be justified. And our own eyes can be considered fairly good actinometers. When we have to squint painfully under such light, beware! It is very powerful, highly actinic, and greatly diffused; and heavy K filters may be used not only to control ex- posures but to increase contrast, for such light is very flat and uninterest- ing. We have obtained ample exposures with K2 filter, stop F.8, shutter at 130 degrees, and at the present speed of 90. We have considered the brilliancy of the tropical sun. Let us now study a condition that few of us ever think of as l-egards those countries and which suggests a kindly compensation of nature for the benefit of the people who live in those torrid climes. Our experience over a period of time from the first of June to the first of November disclosed the fact that Old Sol really shines but a small part of the day. At early morning the sky is clear and beautiful, but about 11 o'clock great cumulus clouds begin to gather in the heavens. These clouds are very dense and heavy and are very annoying to the photographer, especially when work- ing in thick jungle locations, where all possible light is needed, and where he is nursing a sunspot, provided by cutting away heavy overhead growth and which he hopes to direct by aid of a battery of reflectors. Especially on the Malayan Penin- sula, one could almost set the clock by the 4 o'clock thunder showers. There is one feature of this part of the earth, however, that would delight the heart of any photographer. Never has the writer, in any of his travels, seen such magnificent sky displays, interesting cloud formations, light effects, delicate atmospheric condi- tions for the painter as well as photographer. Our good old friend Panchromatic is in his glory there. Still Photography It may be of interest to the "still man" to tell something of the still photography of those countries. Most of the photographers are Japanese, some Chinese, but very few, and none so clever as the Japanese. We made the acquaintance of Mr. Nakajima in Singapore, and after seeing some of his pictorial work conceived a sort of reverence for those Nipponese artists, but were a little surprised at their methods. They know little or nothing about cut films, panchromatic stock, or tank Natives transporting across Javan stream equipment of Universal company. Expedition moving up a jungle river. January, 19.il The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHE Twenty-three development. Glass plates which are used exclusively for fdms are easily affected by the extreme humidity. They buckle and bulge out, and are generally hard to handle. Natives resort to very rapid development, very stingy fixing and washing, and prefer very dense negatives. Indeed, when we see some of their fine prints, we wonder how so much beauty can come out of those negatives that are so dense that we can hardly see the light through them. The secret, probably, lies in the fact that they print almost entirely from bromide paper cut from rolls. The photographers are very careful and painstaking with their prints, and every one is toned in the hot hypo alum baths. It seems that there is little sale for black and white prints, and it is claimed this treatment makes them more permanent in that climate and shows less the stains that easily occur in the tropics. In conclusion we may very readily sum up the facts, that in any part of the world the exposure is the funda- mental consideration, and in deter- mining this there are two elements to engage the photographer and which he is expected to judge: Quantity and Quality of Light. Western Electrie for Indies Electrical Research Products has issued a Western Electric theatrical recording license to Balsley and Phil- lips Inc., Ltd., of Hollywood. This licensee will make Western Electric recording equipment and facilities available to small independ- ent producers who recognize the need for the prestige and destributing ad- vantages of Western Electric record- ing. James R. Balsley formerly was connected with Westinghouse, Fox Case Corporation and Walt Disney Cartoons. J. H. Phillips was for a number of years with Fox Movietone News in the United States and abroad. Typical group of Sahai the governm civilize — Doroth French Cinema Bank Plans to Offer Finance Facilities A FRENCH Cinema Bank or- ganized a credit institution for the motion picture industry, the Union Cinematographique Francaise, which has hitherto been functioning on a modest scale, is now reported to have changed its name to "Banque de La Cinematographie Francaise." This institution is directed by M. Chalus. It is stated to stand in close contact with the Banque Lehideux, a well known private bank, but such important establishments as the Credit Lyonnais, Societe Generale and Comptoir National d' Escompte, that is to say the first French banks, are also credited with an interest in the new organization. It is believed the cinema bank will act as central body for studies of film conditions and for arranging finance facilities for the film industry as is done for other important industries. ent finds it practically impossible to y Janis in boat This is considered to be an indication of the awakening interest of French financiers in the French motion pic- ture industry, the most conservative banking institutions apparently being involved in the scheme. The activity of the bank is to ex- tend to every branch of the film busi- ness. Russian Film Development Reported as Vnsatisfactory THE following information was furnished in a recent report of Trade Commissioner George R. Canty, Paris: At the first sound film conference of the Soviet Union it appeared that film developments in Soviet Russia are not as satisfactory as it was expected. Ssutyrin, a member of the board of Sojuskino, stated that cinema build- ing was progressing very slowly in spite of the fact that the importance of the film as a factor of artistic and governmental propaganda was offi- cially recognized. Still more so is the sound film. But. while in the United States the sound film has already entirely taken the place of the silent film, in Russia the changeover will be slow and difficult owing to technical production difficul- ties and to the la:k of professionals. The conference approved of the de- cision of Sojuskino to produce 50 complete sound programs during the current season. The Sojuskino hopes to wire 1,000 theatres for the repro- duction of sound films during the same period. However, since the Electrical Trust of the Soviet Union is only able to install apparatus in 600 theatres yearly it was decided to make every conceivable concession in order to carry out Sojuskino's sound films plans. Universal company holding a feast (or awaiting its serving) in the Javan jungles. If any International Photographer have in his files an exceptional picture shot under a foreign flag; the editor of this magazine is interested in it. The phone is HEmpstead 1128. Twenty-jour The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER January, 1931 Meeting WE CANNOT understand how one man laboring under the heavy strain of an Eyemo can still have the strength to conduct meetings. Our president, Charles David, seems to show no wear or tear, as the December meeting of Lo- cal 666 was conducted in the usual way. "Red" Felbinger and Urban San- tone seemed to have the floor most of the night. Can't really blame them much, as they had spent over $100 for additional furniture needed at the headquarters of Local 666, and it seems the general assembly voted "No" as to the paying of this bill. After this was settled Brother Fel- binger was elected chairman for the coming banquet of Local 666, which is to be held at the Sherman House Jan- uarv 29. Bv HARRY BIRCH SIX-SIXTY-SIX S & A Essanay has long been known to film fans, but the new S & A means Spoor & Ahbe, and here is part of this organization. A heading for this picture might be "Uncle Sam's Army at Work." A couple of good-looking chaps, aren't they? They are none other than Major Spoor and Private Ahbe — better known today as "Ma- jor Spoor" and "Bill Ahbe." Spoor looks all right, but we wonder what happened to Bill's mustache. > I \ s I X M Believe It or Not Up to date Brother William Straf- ford has always claimed to be the onlv man in the world that could make Stated, Eugene Cour, Alvin Wyckoff, president 659; Charles David, president, 666; standing, Urban Santone, Ralph Saunders, Harry Birch, "Red" Felbinger, Major Spoor, all of 666, and Jimmie Williamson, 659. Note how Chicago meets Hollywood on the level when Cour unlaces his high shoe to match Wyckoff's low one. The name of the maker of this excellent photograph will be reported in the February issue 1000 pictures a second. It seems that some one is always taking the joy out of life, as several days ago Brother Strafford broke down and confessed that he had just reviewed a picture that had been made in Japan at the rate of 30,000 pictures a second. It seemed impossible, and we asked Brother Strafford if he did not mean 3000 a second, but he still Maintains that 30,000 was correct. However, it is too much for us, and we pass it on to you for something to think about. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Telling the World Harry Birch has made further use of the delegate's badge presented to him at the last I. A. T. S. E. conven- tion held in Los Angeles. Mounted on the front of his De Brie it will be impossible for any one being "shot" not to know they are being photo- graphed by an I. A. T. S. E. man. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Visitors The past month saw Brothers Lem- beck and Conrad of Cincinnati in Chi- cago. Lembeck, as you know, is the "Sheriff in the Sticks," and although not being active lately has promised he will let us in on some of the gossip that we can get in no other way. SIXTY-SIX Wyckoff in Chicago President Alvin Wyckoff of Local 659 rolled into Chicago with his as- sistant, Jimmie Williamson, on "Mr. Santa Fe's Chief." The members of 666 had their shoes shined and piants pressed and were down at the Dear- born Station as the official reception committee. Wyckoff and Williamson were greeted by President Charles M. Da- vid of Local 666 and his body guard, composed of Gene Cour, Charles Ford, Major Spoor, Harry Birch, "Red" Felbinger, Urban Santone and Ralph Saunders. The march from the sta- tion was to the Sherman House, where a little impromptu get-together was held. Wyckoff posed for Chicago newspaper men. Time was up, as Brother Wyckoff had to take "Mr. New York Central's Century" on to New York. The march then proceed- ed to the La Salle Street Station, and the last word was "Adios." SIX-SIX IV- W ell Represented Our Northern out-of-town brothers seem to be busy these days. While January, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Twenty-five Uncle Sam's Army at Work — Major Marvin Spoor and Bill Ahbe, "as they were" Ray-Bell of Minneapolis were shoot- ing a production on the Northern Pa- cific Line three locals were represent- ed, viz., Charlie Downs of Local 644, Kenneth Styles of 52, and Herb Os- lund and C. E. Bell, both from 666. With this layout how can Ray-Bell help but make good pictures? SIX-SIXTY-SI X Apologizing First With apologies to my "Slassiety Re- porter." I goes to McVickers Theay- tree and I sees a good show. It is "Min and Bill." Then comes on that silver sheet a title, "Chicago-Notre Dame Beats Army." I sees a crowd, then something that looks like a foot- ball game, then one of those close-ups in the spectators' stand. Young lady says "Why did he drop the ball, delar?" and on her right is a pile coat with a body wrapped inside that an- swered, "And I saved my week's sal- ary to buy your ticket!" By this time I realizes the body which the pile coat contained is none other than my "Sassiety Reporter." It sure is tough when you see these boids every day and then you spend your hard-earned jack at a theaytree to be entertained, and you find that you have still to look at these boids on the screen. Whatahell! SIX-SIXTY-SIX In Focus — In Spots By Birch's Sassiety Reporter NOW that them hombres out thar in California found out why Notre Dame wuz winning all them football games back here in our stamping grounds I guess I might as well settle down and get out this month's dirt, which youse guys won't read until next year. First of all I'll start the new year out right by giving you a hot exclu- sive story. We're going to have an- other one of our famous balls. Re- member the last one at the Palmer House? Well, the next one is going to be thrown over at Mrs. Sherman's Boarding House in the best room we can get over there. All I got to say is set January 29 aside, and ankle the ball and chain, the sweetie, or the battleaxe, as the case may be, over to the Bal Tabarin and help make merry for the second annual time. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Red Doff's Lid I wuz along with President David when he picked the Bal Tabarin and what a joint it is! "It's the swellest place your humble scribe ever went into." You know how I always keep my hat glued to my head. Well, when I walked into this room I uncon- sciously took it off because I never been in such a swell place before, and I can't wait until the 29th to strut into the joint Jail decked out in an- other dress suit, like the one I made my glad rags debut in last year. Well, the first thing I want to tip you brothers off to is you better call up the bozo what rents out these dress suits, right quick, because, when the information busts that the ball comes off on the 29th there is going to be one big rush for the soup and fish costumes and you might not get the right size. I already got my order in because last time it wuz two sizes too big and then also I Wanted one that didn't have eggs on the lapel of the coat. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Socking Old Man Gloom Now, getting back to the Bal Tabarin it is the place to treat your fair sex friend or wife to. The place is an evening's entertainment in itself. Also the brothers won't even need any giggle water to make themselves feel hilarious because there is an ever changing parade of lighting ef- fects on the walls of the Bal Tabarin, which ought to make any fellow feel like he was hittin' things up and see- ing things. I understand this affair is going to surpass last year's by miles and that is admitting a lot, but I guess if Charlie David promises that — it's oke. So in case I don't see youse before that night I'll be there with bells on LA. T. S. E. delegate badge adorning front of Harry Birch's camera because it's going to be one grand night. Remember — the Bal Tabarin, January 29. Line up your friends and show them how to start out the new year right and bring them up to help us participate in burying Old Man Gloom. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Ten Below in Open Crate I see where Charlie Ford has gone out on a extreme economy wave. Any- how, he must be cutting down the overhead considerably on the lunch checks because I saw him arrive Shooting a Ray-Bell Production — Platform at left, Charlie Downs, Local 6AA; on ground, left, Kenneth Styles, 52; holding up camera, Herb Oslund and C. E, Bell, 666 Twenty-six The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER January, 19-11 down at the Ohio Mine disaster and the first thing he did was bust over to the hut the Red Cross had put up for the rescue crews and get himself a free lunch of coffee and doughnuts. No kiddin', though, Charlie sure looks like he needed it. He flew down from Chicago in an open crate and the climate was 10 below up at 8,000 feet, and Charlie looked frozen even with all the winter flying regalia he had on. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Sheriff Gumshoes Brother Ralph Lembeck has been snooping around town on a mysteri- ous errand, and after shadowing the sheriff from the sticks I discover he is here trying to line up some choice ringside seats for the coming pow- wow at the Bal Tabarin on January 29. Slick guy, this fellow Lembeck. Guess he knows what a big demand them ducats is going to have. SIXTY-SIX Wall Waits for Fred The boys still get their picture. Fred Giese is I he latest example of how to get what you go after. Re- cently a big fire bust and Fred drew the assignment only to find on his arrival at the scene of the conflagra- tion that the firemen were about to pull down a big four story wall. Fred got busier than the proverbial one armed paper hanger on setting up his outfit, yelling to the firemen to "Hold that wall up a few minutes longer!" Sounds like a big order. Well, any- how, we saw a picture in Fred's newsreel of a four-foot wall coming- down. SIX-SIX I Y-S1X But What Says Mother? Brother Urban Santone has bust all the buttons off his vest with the ar- rival of number two candidate for Rockne's football team about twenty years from now. He calls this one Victor. Due to the present business depres- sion Brother Santone cut out his Ital- ian custom of handing out the coronas to celebrate the event. Both father and child are doing nicely at this writing. SIX-SIXTY-SIX How Does an Editor Know? Well, I submit with this column my choice for "The Still of the Month." This one is entitled "The Daredevil," and is posed by our versatile brother Bob Duggan, the lightning impre- sario. Note the perfect equilibrium of nerveless steeplejack as he flirts with Not Fair Chicago, Dec. 15. — Something- should be done as to the professional motion picture photographer breaking into the 16 mm. field. Here is proof that one of Local 666's star men, who happens to be Secretary Norman Al- ley, is working with a 16 mm. camera. We wonder from the expression if Alley really closed his eyes, being ashamed even to look at this little 16 mm. camera, or was it like the Norman Alley shooting 16 mm. camera story of the ostrich? It seems that Brother Alley is practicing up on these backbreaking jobs since he has watched President Charles David's heavv duties. H. B. C V l-4k \ '■ . ■■ Picture of that daredevil Mr. Robert Duggan, lightning impresario of some- thin', rehearsing his slack wire act on the coping of a one-story building, the while an unidentified photographer aims to take a picture of his waistband and a second u. p. shoots the works so this summer Saturday afternoon idyl in Chicago may not be lost to posterity death tottering on the brink of eter- nity one story above the ground. This is a rare print from the private col- lection of the said Mr. Duggan, and was smuggled away from the ever watchful eye of our modest hero. It is the first public showing of the pose and casts our hero in a new role, as it is the first time we have seen him perform on the edge of a roof. Western Electric Installs in 2495 Foreign Film Houses Western Electric world wide in- stallations, according to the latest re- port, total 7222, of which 4727 are in the domestic field and 2495 abroad. Sixteen cities have 20 or more instal- lations. The list is headed by New York City with 356. Olher cities are as follows: Chicago, 166; Los An- geles, 86; Philadelphia, 82; Detroit, 76; Cleveland, 51; St. Louis. 46; San Francisco, 41; Baltimore, 40; Kansas City, 32; Cincinnati, 32; Milwaukee, 30; Seattle, 29; New Orleans, 26; Buffalo, 26, and Pittsburgh. 22. There are 23 cities that have be- tween 11 and 20 installations, totaling 341 Western Electric wired houses. In 75 cities there are from 5 to 10 installations, while 48 cities have 4 each and include 192 theatres, while there are 113 cities with 3 installa- tions. These total 339 theatres. This total of 2491 is about half of all the Western Electric installations in the United States. Revietv Rooms Install There are 289 review rooms through- out the world equipped with Western Electric. January, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Twenty-seven Thirty-three Year Old Arctic Films Product of Eastman Kodak Works DUE to the perfection already at- tained by the Eastman Kodak Company in the making- of sen- sitive emulsions thirty-four years ago the entire world is able to-day to see views of the disastrous Andree polar balloon expedition in 1897. The Roch- ester Sunday American of November 23 last describes in detail the inter- esting steps of development in film manufacture leading up to the prod- uct supplied when the order for the Andree expedition was received. The material in question, iroduced about eight years after the Eastman company had begun to market trans- parent film, was manufactured at a time when experiments to yield large quantities of film of uniform quality were at their height. The year 1896 brought this com- pany the record of 100,000 kodaks made, with film and photographic pa- per being manufactured at the rate of between three and four hundred miles monthly. Film base, at that time, still was produced by pouring the fluid nitrocellulose "dope" on to long glass tables to dry. The contin- uous drum system for manufacturing the emulsion support was not made practicable until several years later. The arctic temperatures at which the film remained while it waited thirty-three years for discovery and development are understood to be largely responsible for the preserva- tion of the pictures, since it is known that cold retards chemical action with- in film provided the humidity is low. Films in Exploration Regarding the methods used to de- velop the film found in the Andree camp no information has been re- ceived from Sweden by the Kodak Company. It is believed, however, no unusual procedure would be necessary except to work at lowered tempera- tures if the gelatin tended to be soft and to take such precautions as ex- perimenting with the developing of a single negative before any risks were taken with the whole group of nega- tives. It is probable Dr. Hertzberg subjected the negatives to a glycerine balh since, in 1897, there was no gel- atin coating on the back of film — the side opposite from emulsion — to pre- vent curling. Photographic film, also made by Eastman, gave the world a pos- thumous photographic record of the expedition headed by Scott, the Brit- ish officer who reached the South Pole in 1913 only to perish with his com- panions in a blizzard that obstructed his return. A kodak brought back records of Peary expeditions both before and after the Andree flight. Admiral Byrd took larg-e quantities of Eastman still films to Antarctica, and photography has been an impor- tant instrument in the equipment of all other recent exploratory expedi- tions. Byrd's provision for the care of his film included transportation of the material under refrigerated con- ditions to combat the heat encoun- tered in crossing the equator. Film produced at Kodak Park in Roches- ter that needs to cross the equator to reach its users ordinarily is packed in sealed metal containers. The experience of the Andree film is cited by Eastman officials as typi- cal of the vicissitudes through which film may have to pass and as a reason for the extreme care with which man- ufacturing operations and extensive testing at Kodak Park must be car- ried on. 'Doc'''' Travis First to Use Camera from Air in Regular Motion Picture Production LITTLE thought was given by Norton ("Doc") Travis to the historical importance of his ac- tion when in 1908 at Hammondsport, N. Y., he climbed aboard a Curtiss machine to photograph from the air the pioneer sequences for a regular motion picture production. The sub- Greetings to Dorothy From a friend in Local 644 comes this word: Harold McCracken, noted explorer and writer, is the happy father of another baby girl — Dorothy by name. For- tunately the baby can't be a cameraman. Now just a moment. In these days of rapid change isn't that concluding assertion, looking ahead a quarter of a century, rather a strong one? Then again Dorothy may be a cameraman's boss — even on occa- sion notify him in tones formal and businesslike the Sunday dinner will be served at 4:30 o'clock, golf or no golf, my dear sir! ject was "The Line-Up at Police Headquarters" and the producer was Gus Hill. Featured in the picture was former New York Police Commission- er Dougherty. Below at the left will be seen a reproduction of the very plane and the very "Doc" as he was nearly twenty-three years ago. On the right, standing- back to, is Frank Beale, the director,, then hailing from New York, but now a long time resident of Hol- lywood. To his left is De Witt C. Wheeler, Hammondsport, by the way, was the original Curtiss home plant The years that followed have been busy ones for "Doc" Travis. He made a tour of the world doing scientific photography for the Rockefeller Foundation.. He was a captain in the Signal Corps, and did special camera work for the government during the World War. Also the pioneer is a specialist in trick work, having perfected many rotable photographic effects in motion picture making. Chicago Engineers Elect The Chicago section of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers has elected J. Elliott Jenkins chairman, R. Fawn Mitchell secretary and Os- car B. Depue and Robert P. Burns as governors. Members of this section now to- tal 77. Twenty-eight The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER January, 1931 Wherein We Set Forth Our Regrets and Make Our Amends to Lee Garmes IN PRINTING in its December is- sue the portraits of those camera- men who were affiliated with sub- jects related to Academy awards in one department of effort or another International Photographer unwit- tingly miscredited the photographer Lee Garmes of "Disraeli." It was for his inter- pretation of the title part in this sub- ject that George Arliss received the award as the best actor of the year. The mistake came in crediting the photographer of the excellent "Dis- raeli" stills instead of the man re- sponsible for the motion picture pho- tography. Lee Garmes is the cameraman to whom we convey our apologies. We take this action in spite of the fact that up to this writing no word of complaint or otherwise has been re- ceived from the person who had most reason to feel aggrieved. Possibly the photographer of the more recent "Whoopee" and "Morocv co" feels he has been the recipient of sufficient honors these latter days to let the incident pass without com- ment. By the way, this may be a good time to reprint the unusual compli- ment bestowed by the Christian Sci- ence Monitor upon the photographer of "Morocco." The comment is by E. C. S. of the Monitor's New York bureau. The recognition of the important part played by the man behind the camera is so unusual and so delicate and complimentary in its phrasing we are sure it will interest camera- men everywhere. It runs: "Miss Dietrich is handsome of face in a thoughtful way. Her profile takes on beauty of modeling in light and shade under the thoughtful min- istrations of the cameraman, Lee Garmes." Staaken to Reopen The Staaken film studios in Ger- many, after a long period of inactiv- ity, have been inaugurated for sound- film production. A Tobis-Klangfilm set, with three microDhones and two cameras, has been installed between two halls so that shooting can be ef- fected in either one by a simple changeover of wires. The studios have been entirely lined with sound- insulating material. The first picture produced for Klangfilm, under the direction of Gerhard Lamprecht, will be "Two Kinds of Morals." Wyckoff in New York Alvin Wyckoff, president of Local 659, is in New York for a brief stay in the interest of Multicolor. He is accompanied by James Williamson, his assistant. While away Mr. Wyckoff will pho- tograph the first complete industrial picture that has been made in Multi- color. Also while in New York he will photograph sequences for Univer- sal^ novelty series, "Strange As It May Seem," all of which subjects are in Multicolor. To the Photograhic Craft and the Motion Picture industry in General MAX FACTOR wishes A Prosperous Telephone HOlly 6191 Max Factor's Panchromatic and Technicolor Make-up for the Screen Max Factor Make-Up Studios HIGHLAND AVENUE AT HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD, HOLLYWOOD. CALIF. CHICAGO OFFICE— 444 WEST GRAND AVE. Other Foreign Branches London, England: 10 D'Arblay St. Sydney, Australia: No. 4-C Her Majesty's Arcade. Buenos Aires, Argentina: 500 Sarmiento. Manila, Philippine Islands: No. 39 Esolta St. Lima, Peru: Edificia Mineria. Mexico City, Mexico: Paseo de la Reforma 36%. Honolulu, T. H. : 720 South St. Johannesburg. South Africa: Corner Joubert and Kerk St. Cable Address "FACTO' Max Factor's Theatrical Make-up for the Stage fo*"2*k Gream oth Stills tOWo*. Edward H. Kemp of San Francisco climbs into the wash and up over the rocks on Wall Creek in Bright Angel Trail, Grand Canyon, Arizona, to get a perfectly unhoftile shot at these horsemen, who like the world and his wife take a good rest while the photographer works. .♦r^T'cu. '°CR**T Qream oth Stills ct^L'O* o6n^ Up in the Mojave desert Harry Mimura sets up alongside a Joshua tree in the early morning and across a bit of primitive earth makes a record of lonely Red Rock Canyon — as it is seen without Us unforgettable color. A few miles to the west of Mojave is Antelope Valley, favorite spot of the inquisitive Los Angeles tourist — who finds himself well repaid for seeking out this bit of desert if the time be not too near one of those rare days in June. Ned Van Buren slips over from Palmdale and uses his camera to good advantage. @m .*?*r^. "OCR** Gream a th Stills Fred Archer braves the biting of the whirling, tiny pebbles as he points his camera into a real desert sand- storm— also in the Mojave country. Clif Kling forsakes the sound of ware* breaking over rock's and the cries of bathing girls danc- ing on the beach to enter the reser- vation of the Navajos in Arizona. Here under a for- bidding sky as they wait for the storm to drive them to shelter, silent mothers and chil- dren watch the piling clouds. r @ream oth Stills From one of the production companies a girl steps down, to have a look at the Truckee River on a February morning and to shoot it. The combination of maid and icy stream appeals to Frank Bjerring — and he does a bit of shooting himself; for which we thank him — for ourselves and perhaps for the maid. Janua>-y, 19J1 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Twenty-nine Real Romance ofHozv ' 'Home ' ' Films Bring Scenes of Home and Families to Lone Italians in Ontario Wilds THERE is a Cine-Kodak opening up a wonderful new world (our every day world) to isolated groups of children and adults up in the top part of Ontario, just a hun- dred miles beyond the end of the last motor road. The horizon of this world used to be a circle of gray rocks and burnt pine trees. Btit all this has been changed and greatly enlarged. There was a unique school that moved around. It was fitted into a railway coach that a freight train could drop at different points in the rock lands so that groups of four to ten isolated children could be given the elements of reading and writing for four days each month. Then the teacher got the idea of adding a Cine-Kodak to the equipment of the movable school, and that was when the world commenced to take on new and amazing aspects. Ten men from sunny It' earning $3.20 a day helped the idea along by contributing toward the purchase of film. They were separated from their families and lonely, and for the sake of stran- gers' kiddies in this wide bush they were glad to do their part. Through the magic of the Cine-Ko- dak, motor cars, three-story "sky- scrapers," marble floors, wonderful things like electric lights and water taps were visualized for the first time from a cinegraph of Charlie Chaplin totaling 100 feet. When the Humdrum Thrills Most of the children did not know moving pictures would move! And what an experience it was to see themselves on a white, living square of art-board. These "shots" did not have to have continuity or be embel- lished with elaborate details to be packed with thrills. A man from Italy driving an iron spike to hold an iron rail; an Indian mother mending a canoe; a bush baby not overly- well washed; men encoun- tered every day reproduced lifting a handcar from the rails to let the In- ternational pass on time; or to see them eating a frozen lunch in the snow six miles from a shack with the mercury at 34 below — these were thrilling because they portrayed the life with which the audience was fa- miliar. When one has traveled eighteen miles on a handcar to see a picture that will last only twenty minutes or thirty at the maximum he is prepared to enjoy every minute of the enter- tainment. What if the schoolmaster does wind out the film by hand on a "C" Kodascope with a Ford battery giving six volts of power to the lamp ? There is no rush in this country where postage stamps are eleven miles away and letters are posted by tossing them in a bundle to an east- bound freight conductor as he leans from the steps of his van. There is time to see the film two, three and four times. No one leaves. In the in- termission, while the film was being rewound by hand, a gramophone pro- vides entertainment until the film can be shown again. Then the teacher got his great idea. Why couldn't the Cine-Kodak with its magic span the ocean and bring back scenes of Italy to the lonely men eco- nomically exiled from their wives and children? Immediately the plan was passed on to the Cine-Kodak News, and the magic, aided by coincidence, started working. Real Romance Six months later came the good news that through the kindness of a Samaritanlike American many of the families of the men had been found in Italy and hundreds of feet of film had been exposed. For the camera's benefit, toasts of red Italian wine had been drunk to the expatriates in far- off Ontario. Finally came the red letter day when three reels of film reached their Canadian destination. All eager to see the scenes from home, the distressing discovery was made that the battery was dead — in a country where it had to go 133 miles to be recharged! Per- haps a radio battery could be found. Immediately ten Italians piled on to the section crew handcar and pumped twelve miles, where such a find might be hoped for. They found it. Words adequately cannot describe the reactions of these lonely, isolated men to the scenes of their native land and loved ones. Only a camera prop- erly could reproduce it. The desire of an understanding, loving teacher to bring joy to drab, restricted lives had been realized and the camera had proved itself even more than the ver- itable box of magic it had seemed without such a convincing demonstra- tion as that of bringing, by means of "home" films, intimate home scenes of Italy to isolated Capreol, Ontario. Prince of Wales Photographs Bobby Jones in Golf Action THE Prince of Wales is an en- thusiast on the subject of taking golf movies, according to Golf- dom magazine, and used his own per- sonal Filmo movie camera to take pictures of Bobby Jones when tht- latter was placing in Britain last summer. The Prince also is greatly interest- ed in the project which the Profes- sional Golfers Association of Amer- ica has been carrying through of making super-slow golf demonstra- tion movies of such stars as Jones, Vardon and Wethered. After he learned of the taking of some of these movies in England he requested that a complete set be sent to him at the earliest possible mo- ment. This was done by George Sar- gent , a director of the association, who was abroad for some time in con- nection with making the Vardon and Wethered golf pictures. At the same time Sargent transmitted to Wales an invitation to attend the Ryder Cup in- ternational professional matches at Scioto Country Club, Columbus, Ohio, next summer. A Lot of Film Anyway According to statistics published by the British Board of Censors 60 new feature films (3,000 feet or over) were censored in Great Britain during October, 1930. Of these 48 were sound synchronized and 12 were silent. No, reader, gentle or otherwise, thin i& not the photographer you think it is. The sturdy subject hails not from the sunny shores of the Mediterranean. Rather his home is in Northern Europe. Believe it or not (with what- ever apologies are necessary for so saying), it is Knud Rasmussen, fa- mous exlorer. He is taking a pet k through the finder of his Cine-Kodak. Incidentally there is nothing synthetic or stage>/ about the foreground or background. It really is snow. The locale >s Thule, Greenland Thirty The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER January, 1931 With Portable Reproducer Operator May Cut In on Audible Film Show A SPECIAL microphone arrange- ment which will enable an op- erator to interject remarks rel- ative to any picture which is bsing shown and to have his voice come from the loud speaker in entirely sat- isfactory volume is hailed as a revolu- tionary feature of the new Bell & Howell portable 16 mm. talker repro- ducer, the Filmophone. This combination is especially valu- able for business, educational, church and small theatre use. Also it will be warmly welcomed in the home, in the event of impromptu entertainments, for instance. The Filmophone itself is portable in the true sense of that word. It comes in two cases, of approximately equal size, shape and weight, totaling 88 pounds. It employs a Filmo projector for showing pictures, using 16 mm. amateur size film. Sound is obtained by a synchronized phonograph type of disc, the same as used in theatres. The Filmophone, it is stated by its makers, presents the ultimate in tonal qualities in portable sound repro- ducers. It yields volume sufficient for audiences of several thousand. With it perfect synchronization is achieved. Operator May Plug In It has a worm drive of unique design, thus eliminating the double motor feature and avoiding any possi- bility of slack in the mechanical coup- ling. The Filmophone is a product of the Bell & Howell engineering labora- tories and carries with it the Bell & Howell manufacturing guarantee. The microphone feature permits the operator to plug in conveniently at any time, automatically cut out the musical or verbal record accompani- ment and make any comments desired in order to emphasize points of a film which may need stressing to meet a specific situation. When the switch on the microphone is released the record sound accompaniment is resumed. A notable advantage of this micro- phone arrangement lies in the fact it will obviously make it possible to use many silent pictures to good advan- tage. A salesman, for instance, can talk into the microphone while show- ing a silent film and explain his com- pany's product and have his voice ac- company (he picture in a volume equal to that of the Filmophone when it is presenting a sound picture, so that a large audience can hear him easily. The Filmophone will be mar- keted with the microphone attach- ment or it may be secured without the microphone feature, which can then be added later. One of the two cases which house the Filmophone contains turntable with flexible shaft connection to the Filmo projector, magnetic pickup, amplifier with power pack, tubes, nee- dles, needle cup, pocket for three 16- inch records, and necessary accesso- ries. The second oase houses the loud speaker permanently mounted in the case itself, together with the projec- tor, three extra reels of film, empty reel, connecting cords, cables and ac- cessories. Filmophone — Showing turntable unit coupled to Filmo projector in operat- ing position Over 2000 Follow on Screen 16 mm. Football Game Film A decisive demonstration of tre- mendous reserve power was given by a regular factory model Filmo projec- tor when it showed brilliant twelve- foot-wide motion pictures of the Northwestern University football team in action against competing teams to an audience of over 2000 at the second annual University home- coming rally held in the 122d Field Artillery Armory at Chicago recently. The projector, back in the hall, al- though perched up on two tables, one on top of the other, was all but lost in the immense crowd. Nevertheless, although small in size, it did a big job. Charles T. Chapman, veteran pho- tographer, who took and projected the 16 mm. football films, writes as follows relative to the rally: "The football pictures were taken with a 70-D Filmo camera and were shown with my Model C Filmo projector, using a 2 ¥2 -inch extra-lite lens. "I feel that since both the size of the picture and the size of the audi- ence were so much greater than is or- dinarily recommended for good show- ing, there should be some record of it. I may add that the clarity and bril- liance of the pictures caused consid- erable comment after the showing." Salesman by means of special microphone arrangement cuts in, in the midst of a Bell & Howell Filmophone talkie sales presentation, to give w special- oral explanation. Says Studios W ill Install 16 MM. Reduction Printers INSIDE of another year there will not be a major studio on the West Coast but will have in its labora- tory equipment a 16 mm. reduction printer. This is the statement of a large dealer in cine equipment in Los Angeles. Explaining his prediction, he said there is not a. studio in the west but has in its personnel what he described as a whole nest of 16 mm. fans. This extends from the highest executives and principal nlayers down through the various employees. The dealer told of one well known cameraman who the day before had given an order for 16 mm. equipment for which he laid down a check for $536. The cine dealer referred to a prom- inent producer-star who that day was accepting delivery of a complete 16 mm. equipment for his home in Bev- erly Hills. "The interest among pro- fessionals in 16 mm. equipment is almost unbelievable," the dealer de- clared. January, 19.11 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirty-one With Films Men 9s Club Finds Way to Boost Treasury at Church Fair TWO instances have just been re- ported from Chicago as to how motion picture projectors can be used to raise money for church pur- poses. It will be seen that instead of being an expense a projector easily becomes a source of income. At the Lutheran Memorial Church, 2500 Wilson Avenue, on the occasion of the annual fall bazaar the men's club elected to conduct a motion pic- ture booth as its part of the activities. With a Filmo projector such films as "Felix the Cat" animated cartoons, two UFA educational subjects, "Hunt- ing and Fishing in Siberia" and "Taming the Taiga"; Boy Scout pic- tures and miscellaneous comedies were presented. Each reel took about fifteen minutes to show, and an ad- mission charge of five cents a reel was levied. So intense wias the inter- est in the pictures that there was al- ways a line at the entrance of the booth waiting for the beginning of the next reel. All ihe Show Nol on Screen The accompanying photograph shows August Schmidt, head councilman of the church, operating the projector. Also it will be noted the audience was miade up of people of all ages. About $40 above expenses were cleared from the booth operation, and the pastor, the Rev. Edwin Moll, ex- pressed himself as delighted with the idea of discovering a source of in- come which was so rich in high-grade entertainment qualities. The other instance of revenue rais- ing in Chicago was at the Granville Methodist Church. Here Mr. and Mrs. John Skinner, Chicago school teach- ers, presented 16 mm. motion pictures which they had made during a trip to Europe last summer. They had shown these pictures to some of their friends who had felt that the films should be viewed by a larger audience. It was arranged the pictures should be shown in the church with an accompanying travel talk by Mrs. Skinner. An admission charge was made with the under- standing that the proceeds should go to the church. The sum of $85 was realized. Fraternity Chapters to See National Congress Pictures THE outstanding events of the tenth Grand Chapter Congress of the international commerce fraternity Delta Sigma Pi, held at Detroit September 10 to 14, are being presented in motion pictures to chap- ters of the fraternity throughout the country. The film was made with a Filmo 70-D by J. Robert Johnson, Chicago, a member of the fraternity, and is re- ported to be a masterpiece of ama- teur cinematography. Not only are the official happenings of the conven- tion vividly depicted, but a delightful romance is introduced which adds splendidly to the interest, as do also close-ups of the members in attend- ance at the Congress. The premier official showing of the film was given in Chicago recently, two Filmo projectors being used al- ternately to obviate any waits be- tween reels. Malaysian and Situth Sea Pirtares to Be Ready Soon PHILIP M. CHANCELLOR of the Chancellor-Stewart expedition, which was conducted under the auspices of the Field Museum of Chi- cago, is due in Hollywood early in January. The expedition went into Malaysia to Seloe-Pedarig and the Island of Flores early in the spring of 1929 and returned a year later. While in the East the expedition had the full co-operation of the resi- dent Dutch officials. Thus they were able to take in Cinematographic equip- ment. As a result they brought out for the first time actual motion pic- tures of the commodus varanidae, a lizard generally considered prehis- toric. Not only did the expedition return with many photographs of the reptile but with living specimens of the varanidae. The pariy worked under very rough conditions. These pictures are going to be cut, titled and edited and will be issued as silent pictures. Also they are going to be recorded with scientific- lectures on sound on disc. The sub- jects will be ready for showing in February. Since his return last spring from Malaysia Chancellor has conducted an independent expedition of his own to the South Seas, where he secured with sound equipment many records of the native dances. These with the history of the legends the dances are supposed to interpret will be prepared for the educational market and pos- sibly for the theatrical. They will be cut into from 15 to 20 one-reel subjects in three forms — as silent, sound on disc and sound on film. The laboratory work and recording will be done by Hollywood Film En- terprises. F. K. Rockett of the Hollywood company is acting as the personal representative of Chancellor. Fairbanks While Abroad W ill Make Sound Pirtares WHEN Douglas Fairbanks sails for his trip around the world Ipnuaiy 3 he will take with him a portable sound equipment. The re- cording apparatus, which was espe- cially built to his order by the Tanar Corporation, will be complete in two cases, each 10x10x20 inches and weighing in all but 120 pounds. The batteries will total in weight 20 pounds, three of which are the 144 volt airplane variety each weigh- ing 5 pounds, and the other three weighing but 5 pounds all together. The contract was given to Tanar following tests of the standard size equipment at the United Artists stu- dio and was built under the super- vision of Victor Flemming, represent- ing the buyer. With the sound apparatus will go a complete Bell & Howell camera equipment. Fairbanks is sailing on the Belgenland on January 3, stop- ping off for a visit in Siam. Rare shot of group motion picture shoiv in Lutheran Memorial Church, Chi- cago, where ivith a Filmo the men's club clears $40 for the church's fair Thirty-two The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER January, 1931 Prince Axel of Denmark Royalty and the Camera Devotees of amateur picturemaking may boast of two enthusiastic mem- bers of royalty in their ranks. Two pictures of Danish princes are offered as evidence. In profile is Prince Axel, the first person in Europe to have a model K Cine-Kodak. His brother, Crown Prince Fredenk, indicates on the opposite page he is just as proud of his model B. A Couple 0' Columns (Continued from Page 8) Jesse L. Lasky, who at the time was g'ivi" his nersonal attention to cast- ing "The Covered Wagon." "The interview was not very old," continued Torrence in his easy way, for the player has infinite capacity, like all finished speakers, of simul- taneously thinking and talking when on his feet, "when Mr. Lasky leaned over his desk and said to me: " 'Mr. Torrence, I am convinced you are the homeliest man I have ever known, but I am equally convinced you can act. I am going to offer you an important part in "The Covered Wagon." ' " That interview was held over eight years ago. It is a matter of common knowledge there has been no tough sleddin' in films for Ernest Torrence since that period. By the way, at the luncheon this writer was sitting alongside Frank Pope, then press representative for the Criterion and now city editor of the Hollywood Reporter. The for- mer inquired of Pope as to the height of Torrence. To settle the question a note was sent up the table to the player. It came back indorsed at the foot: "Five feet 15% inches." G. B. Paramount Stocking Up To start the new year in fitting- fashion, Chief Electrician Earl Miller of Paramount-Publix Corporation re- cently ordered 100 Laco Lites, which have been delivered by Lakin Corpo- ration. The deal was consumated by Frank Arrousez, sales manager of the Laco concern. The order called for units ranging in size from the Laco 18-inch to Laco 36-inch sun-spots as well as other apparatus. Camera silencing blimp provided for independent studios by Hollywood Camera Exchange Local Exchange Marketing Camera Silencing '"''Blimp'''' THE Hollywood Camera Ex- change so far as is known is the first studio supply house to place on the market a camera silencing blimp. Heretofore the device has been made by each studio for its own use, leaving those plants without manufacturing facilities to adopt other expedients. The contrivance weighs but a dozen pounds and is designed to fit either a Bell and Howell or Mitchell camera. It is opened by means of four zipper fasteners. The fabric is about four inches thick. Several already are in active use in studio and on location with production companies. The finder is operated easily by means of a special zipper opening. Provision also is made similarly where there is a friction head. Ad- justable buckles take care of any looseness around the tripod head. Cameramen Get Charts Jackson Rose has made a special design of focusing chart for Techni- color, which the color company has had bound in maroon morocco leather. These have been sent to the first cameramen with their names printed in gold. A majority of the recipients are photographers in black and white. Represent German House Hollywood Film Enterprises is clos- ing negotiations with Arnold and Richter, optical reduction printers of Germany, to represent that company in the United States. With cine-kodak a Samoan chief photographs the American-Samoa n Commis- sion. He was caught in the act by Merl La Voy with his everready camera' New Tanar Equipment Early in the new year the Tanar Corporation will begin distribution of a new motor drive and a new ampli- fier. January, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirty-three WE WISH TO ANNOUNCE that in addition to the Dunning Process patents controlled and operated by us, we have acquired an exclusive license to all "Transparency" patents owned by PARAMOUNT PUBLIX CORP. and ROY J. POMEROY. A few current releases containing Dunning Shots "What a Widow" — Gloria Swanson "On the Level" — Fox "Soup to Nuts" — Fox "Her Man" — Pathe "Romance" — M-G-M "Half Shot at Sunrise"— R-K-O "Holiday"— Pathe "The Lottery Bride" — United Artists "Feet First" — Harold Lloyd "Beau Ideal"— R-K-O "Dirigible" — Columbia "Assorted Nuts"— R-K-O "East Lynne" — Fox "Millie" — Charles Rogers Prods. "See America Thirst" — Uni- versal "Discontent" — James Cruze DUNNING Process Company )rrow" Hollywood, Calif. "You Shoot Today — Screen Tomorrow 932 No. La Brea Ave GL 3959 Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, one of the keenest of amateur photog- raphers 'in Europe To the Industry we f< r our sincere wishes HaiDiDV and Prosi New Year Mole-Richardson, Inc. 941 No. Sycamore Ave. Hollywood, California Thirty-four The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER January, 1931 The Sakai under their own roof as they were found by Universal's "The White Captive" company in Asian jungles. Society of Engineers Planning to Create Museum of Cinema History ABSTRACTS from a number of Motion Picture Engineers com- mittee reports of the society are here presented. They will be found of marked interest to those re- lated in any manner to the making of motion pictures. HISTORICAL COMMITTEE By Carl L. Gregory, Chairman The Historical Committee of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers has recently been reorganized, but in the short time since its reorganization it has collected a vast fund of histor- ical material concerning the early days of the industry and the work done by the various pioneers who established the foundation of this great industry. For a number of years the society has advocated the collection of his- torical data and of originals and rep- licas of cameras and other cinema- chinery used in the early days. The nucleus of such a collection will prob- ably be started in the very near fu- ture and the following museums are under consideration for the housing of this collection : Museum of Peaceful Arts, New York City; Smithsonian Institution, Washington; Julius Rosenwald Mu- seum of Science and Industry, Chi- cago, and University of Southern Cal- ifornia Museum, Los Angeles. Another matter which is receiving the consideration of the committee is the seeking out of the few surviving pioneers who labored in creating the foundation of this mighty industry. A few of the old men who worked in the early days still survive. Only a few of them, like Thomas Edison, have reaped any financial re- ward and some of them are now reaching the end of their lives in ob- scurity, in poverty, in sickness and in the shadow of death. Most of these surviving pioneers failed to protect their inventions with patents or have met with financial reverses, and now through pride or modesty or separa- tion from the industry through the trend of changing events have become lost to the present generation of workers, and the society feels that it should give whatever recognition lies in its power to the fast decimating row of early pioneers. MICROPHONE CONCENTRATORS By Carl Dreher, Hollywood By means of microphone concentra- tors high quality sound pickup is (Continued on Page 38) Exchanges Seeking Theatres According to a recent report rom Trade Commissioner George R. Canty, in Paris, a push towards the control of cinemas by renting concerns is at present underway in Vienna. At the moment "Kiba" controls several suburban cinemas and the Schweden and Appollo Cinemas in the West End. Engel has in addition to the Lust- c-",'el theater on the Prater secured one of the largest cinemas, namely, the Elite. Wirtschafter Brothers have come forward as leaseholders of numerous smaller cinemas. Most of these are equipped with sound ap- paratus. Rarely Eventuate Here A building company in the West of Berlin has changed its name into "New Hollywood Ltd." and intends to erect studios, laboratories and dwelling houses, forming parts of a future city near Berlin. These plans may not eventuate in the near future, since the company has no important financial backing. DU CW£9^LE FILM SYSTEXf 6723 Santa^MonicaBlvd. Hollywood, Calif? Red Ortho Front Negat lve Red Pamcnoo- MATIC SPECIALISTS IN FILM FOR COLOR AND PROCESS PHOTOGRAPHY Producers Make Their Own Color Selec- tion Negatives with Their Own Cameras SOLD BY SMITH & ALLER, HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. DU PONT-PATHE FILM MFG. CO., NEW YORK, N. Y. January, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirty- five Erpi Speruling $250,000 on Reservicing Theatres TO ASSURE that the quality of the Western Electric new pro- cess noiseless recording can be adequately reproduced the service staff of Erpi is beginning- a worldwide inspection of the 7,500 Western Elec- tric equipped theatres. The purpose of this inspection is to eliminate all system noise in the re- producing equipment which hitherto has been completely masked by the ground noise in the sound track but which would be audible when the new type recording is used. Also it will be necessary to instruct the operators in all theatres in the additional main- tenance requirements in order to keep the reproducing system to the high state of perfection necessary to obtain the full value from the noiseless re- cording. It is estimated this service which is being given bv Electrical Research Products to exhibitors without extra charge, and which is outside of the service called for contractually, represents about 8250,000 on a mone- tary basis, in extra work for the service engineers and in incidental expenses. H. M. Wilcox, Operating Manager of Electrical Research Products, stated that it would take about three months to complete the "tuning up" of equipments in the 7,500 houses. Academy To Meet in January The Academy Comittee on Art and Technique Programs, through its Chairman, Frank Reicher, announces that a meeting of the general Academy membership will be held January 21 on the toDic, "A Sympo- sium on the Art and Technique of Motion Picture Production." The speakers will be Lawrence Grant, chairman ; Milton Schwartz, William K. Howard, Clara Beranger, and Jesse Lasky. This will be the first of a series of meetings of the Academy to be held during the Winter and Spring for the study and discussion o the art and technique of talking motion pictures. A HEAP OF "HAS-BEENS !>5 RELEGATED to the "scrap-heap"' — kicked into the discard by progression, lighting apparatus representing a cost of more than $80,000 recently was junked by a number of studios, to make way for modern efficient products. Mute mockery of the past — these lights. What tales they could tell! The pomp and glory that has passed before them. Countless luminaries in silks and satms parading their flippant finery with peacock pretence, that strutted their hour or two — and many of them, like this antiquated equipment, are but pages in the book of motion picture history. Like climbing the stairs to an old, musty attic where hair-sofas and whatnots are covered with the cobwebs and dust of time, most every studio as well as the allied industries are forced to maintain a store- room or yard where discarded or antiquated equipment is junked. Most of it represents all makes of apparatus that in its day proved fairly dependable, but with the demand daily for equipment that will meet today's modern requirements, a great deal of it finds its way to the scrapheap over night. The antiques on this page represent a motley array of discarded lighting equipment that has been replaced bv modern LACO INCAN- DESCENT LIGHTING PRODUCTS. ROY DAVIDGE FILM LABORATORIES Aii Exclusive ' 'Daily ' ' La boratory 670 1-67 15 Quality and Service SANTA MONICA GR unite 3108 BOULEVARD Thirty-six The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER January, 1931 Hozv Old World Artist Home Grew On Bleak Arroyo Seco Wasteland By EDWIN M. WITT NOT many years ago, on a slop- ing- hillside near the Arroyo Seco, situated between Los An- geles and Pasadena, sat Clyde Browne, In his ears the hum of insect life and the soft whisper of the trade wind blowing through the broad expanse of wild oats, cacti and sage spread before him. Browne saw not the weeds and the waste. Instead, materializing in the dreamy haze, there grew before his eyes high-domed towers, cloistered halls, flagged court, broad tiled roofs, hand forged grills, and in the towers appeared old bells with mellow chimes. He visualized a congenial workshop for artists, writers and musicians, to- gether with those of allied crafts seeking- their ideal in studio require- ments, one perfectly suited to them and their work. Builder, artisan and poet, with skill and patient industry Browne wrought and built the Abbey San Encino. The countryside was culled for stones of every hue — bricks from the mission's crumbling walls, forts and hacienda. Old doors and timber also were gleaned. He molded the clay upon the place where he would build, dried the bricks, built an immense pyre, burned them to a ruddy hardness, and the walls and arches were formed. Old World Romance From the Old World came ship's lanterns, cathedral glass, old cathe- dral organ pipes, marble altar rails The Abbey San Encino, built as a workshop for artists by Clyde Browne from Italy, iron from a Spanish pal- ace, Roman nails, a sad-voiced bell from Cathay, crosses from the Mount of Olives, burial jugs from the Incas. In the patio and on the terraces he created the atmosphere of Old World romance. One seems to see dark maidens strolling, casting shy glances or sitting upon the crum- bling walls whispering secrets and gossip of gay caballeros. Within the walls of the high-arched chapel is the organ flanked by the stained glass windows, the glass from a Belgian cathedral, shell-ruined in the World War, the soft colored light filtering through, a setting for a St. Cecelia. Tall hand-carved candlesticks on either side complete the picture. From the organ now we may turn to the nave, and down the center be- tween the high-backed, hand-carved pews, see an immense fireplace with carved ledges, and to the right a study filled with old arms and old pictures, relics of the World War, old books and furniture. Then we may notice a stairway winding- down- ward to dungeons, with steel-doored cells, all reeking of mold and age. Towers, chapel, gardens, walls, dungeons, old arms, weird gods of forgotten people, tinkling fountain, soft shadows on old stone and colored tile, soft mellow notes from chapel bell — -where is the care-worn world of today? Visiting the abbey, seeing and feel- ing its atmosphere, gives one the rar- est of all sensations today, a beau- tiful, tangible, romantic loveliness that we dream from seeing old pic- tures and reading old books. Mitchell and Bell & Howell Cameras Sales and Rentals For Rent Three Mitchell sound cameras complete, including two 1,000-ft. magazines with each camera at regular camera rental. For Sale Bell 6c Howell cameras complete and in first class condition. Prices on application. J. R. LOCKWOOD GRanite 3177 Phone 1108 North Lillian Way Hollywood, California Cable Address "Lockcamera" Hollywood January, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirty-seven After 200 Years of Opera House Is Wired for Sound AFTER two hundred years of uninterrupted use for its de- signed purpose the opera house of Malta will be transformed into a sound film theatre. Uncle Sam so reports to the Motion Picture Bu- reau in Washington through one of his vigilant correspondents. The message would seem to be of larger import than the cryptic- one of less than two score words with which it was sent out to the public. Here is a structure that was ded- icated to the highest form of en- tertainment a year before the Father of His Country saw the light of day, has so continued as a home of opera through the more important colonial period of this land, through the Revolution and all the wars this country has known. For 67 years it was operated un- der the rule of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, for 2 under Napoleon and for 131 under Sir John Bull. From now on its old walls will ring with the voices of singers whose notes may have been ut- tered across the Atlantic — in days to come even with voices of sing- ers whose vocal chords long have been silent. And so passes the old order. Belgenland Installs Sound for Its 135-Day World Trip When the Red Star Liner Belgen- land sailed out of New York Decem- ber 15 for a 135-day cruise around the world it carried with it a Western Electric dual portable sound system specially designed for service on steamships. Talking pictures will be shown over this equipment to passen- gers on board throughout the entire cruise. Installation of the equipment was rushed to completion by Erpi engi- neers during the Belgenland's short stay in New York. Picture Photographed by War Pigeon Hominy pigeon with automatic cam- era attached for use in -war. These cameras are automatic and will take only one shot, a sample of which is shown below. An Englishman writ- ing of the use of animals and birds in war said recently: We do not need reminders of such aid to make us fond of our birds and pets, and the tragic events in Belgium, where ruthless cruelty made the people of ivhole towns homeless, have brought out evidence of this abiding affection. An Englishman in Lou rain triumphantly saved u canary from the perils of a blaz- ing house, and another brought away his favorite dog and her puppies and carried them across Belgium with dauntless devotion. Another pet has deserved equally as well as the canaries of its owners, and that is the ho m i n g pigeon, of which the clever Belgians ha,ve made excel- lent /'.ST. Th esc pigeon C a m e r a s are so light and so per- fectly balanced that they do not seera to hamper the bird's flight in the least and the pigeons ap- pear to be rather proud to wear them. The snap shot herewith, consider- ing murky weather cud the flight of the pi g e o n, is pretty good. The b r i d g e is plain enough as is also the steamer pass- ing beneath. Among the passengers sailing were Professor Albert Einstein and his wife, bound for California. Officials of the line were wondering whether the talkies on board would lure the noted scientist. As the famous German requires the presence of an interpreter when English is spoken it is probable his fondness for talking pictures, if any, will not extend to those reproducing that language. King WHETHER WHETHER Charney says . . . IT BE CARBON OR INCANDESCENT LIGHTING IT BE TALKIES OR SILENT Insist ^ 4 r~ For definite results AGFA RAW FILM CORPORATION Thirty-eight The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER January, 1931 Committee Reports (Continued from Page 35) made possible at distances of the order of 20-40 feet. One such device utilizes a metal horn with the micro- phone placed at the throat. In an- other form, applied commercially by RKO Studios, sound is picked up by an ellipsoidal or parabolic reflector and focused on a microphone, with the sensitive face of the transmitter turned away from the action. The advantages of this type of con- centrator are relatively high gain, ability to record against wind or noise interference, and suitable acoustic- characteristics for high quality pickup at a distance. The importance of these factors in lowering moving picture production costs is described. PHOTOFLASH LAMP By Ralph E. Farnham, General Electric The paper on the photoflash lamp first discusses in a tabular form the various phases of photography for which a flash source is advantageous. The particular needs of each type of photography establishes the require- ments of a satisfactory flash light and associated equipment. The new photo- flash lamp is then described and its operating characteristics given. The design features of two suitable types of reflector equipments also are shown. Following this, methods of employing the photoflash lamp are de- scribed. The application of this lamp to motion picture photography is men- tioned. COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY By Palmer Miller and P. D. Brewster Our paper first considers the nec- essary requirements in the camera — the comparison of advantages of using a single negative to record the three- color separations and the use of three separate negatives — followed by a study of the advantages of using sep- arate films sensitized for different col- ors, to aid in obtaining sharp separa- tions in comparison to the use of pan- chromatic film and filters. The question of the speed and the range of focal lengths of the lenses required in the cameras for practical use in the studios is then considered. Different possibilities for the pro- duction of the positive prints are then considered with special attention to dye mordaunting processes. Require- ments as to definition of the image, range of color and clarity of color are discussed. The paper concludes with a number of slides, showing curves of filters, curves or desired color separations and transmissions of H & D strips. The effect of superposing different color strips is demonstrated. hk;h intensity carbons By D. B. Joy and A. C. Downes, National Carbon The effect of the variation in the relative positions of the positive and negative carbons in a commercial high intensity lamp burning 13.6 millime- ter carbons is investigated. The fu- tility of specifying an arc voltage without fixing the position of the pos- itive carbon with respect to the nega- tive carbon is illustrated. It is also demonstrated that a rela- tively small movement in the position of the positive carbon crater along its axis has a greater effect on the steadiness and quantity of useful light from the high intensity arc than is ordinarily supposed. The positions of the carbons at which maximum light and the maxi- mum steadiness of light are obtained are defined, and it is shown that for the same current the position of max- imum light is not necessarily the po- sition of maximum steadiness. PHOTOGRAPHY IN COLORS By Glenn E. Matthews, Eastman Almost from the first years in which motion pictures were used com- mercially, about 1895 to 1900, experi- menters have been working on meth- ods of producing them in natural col- ors. The only practical processes en- joying any extensive commercial use in the theatres, however, are subtrac- tive processes in which the color is incorporated in the film. One additive process has had exten- sive application for amateur motion pictures for over two years. Within the past year a large number of color Aerial Photography WM. H. TUERS Special Motor Camera Aerial Stunt Shots Process Backgrounds Releases — ''The Flying Fleet," "Lilac Time," "Border Patrol Series," "HelVs Angels," "Young Eagles." GR. 9097 HE. 1128 motion pictures have been released with sound accompaniment so that the ultimate is being approached in mo- tion picture photography, namely pic- tures in color and sound. No practical methods of obtaining steroscopy or relief have as yet been found. The subtractive processes which have been used, however, are only two-color methods and therefore a true spectral record is not realized. Although a simple process of color photography yielding a print which faithfully reproduces the colors of na- ture is greatly needed, most of the research at the present time is being directed to the perfection of color mo- tion pictures. Another equally important field is the use of color photography in pho- to mechanical printing processes as colored illustrations have come into very extensive use during the past 15 years. The work of different investi- gators may naturally be viewed by transmitted light and by reflected light, and (2) motion picture color photography. The discussion of the different proc- esses as given in the lecture is pref- aced by a description of the princi- ples involved in the photographic re- production of color. A Catholic film review, La Revue du Film, has been founded in Belgium. It will be the official organ of the Central Catholic Film Organization and affiliated bodies. Important funds, it is stated, have been put at the dis- posal of the Catholic film organiza- tions for production and distribution. Negative Developing and First Print Sound Track Specialists The Laboratory of Personal Service ASSOCIATED FILM ENTERPRISES Phone GLadstone 5118 1056 Cahuenga Avenue Hollywood Janunnj, 19-11 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirty -nine Trueball Tripod Heads MODEL B Their use for follow shots assures smooth operation, having an equal tension on all movements. Also, their action is unaffected by temperature. Fred Hoefner Cinema Machine Shop 5319 Santa Monica Blvd. GLadstone 0243 Los Angeles MELROSE Trunk Factory UNION MADE Camera Cases for UNION CAMERAMEN UNION MADE Camera Num- ber Boards Trunk and Luggage Repairing Our Specialty Automobile Trunks, Sample and Make-Up Cases to Order GLadstone 1872 646 N. Western LOS ANGELES, CALIF. V><2lSfl . . . For professional Bell & Howell and DeBrie cameras. Send full description for cash offer. Or telegraph Bass Camera Company, 179 West Madison street, Chicago, Illinois. With Compliments Earl (Curly) Metz Assistant Cameraman James E. Woodbury Portrait and Commercial Photographer GRanite 3333 5356 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, Calif. RIES BROS., INC. PHOTO SUPPLIES GR 1185 1540 Cahuenga Dr. G. Floyd Jackman DENTIST Member Local No. 659 706 Hollywood First National Bldg. Hollywood Blvd. at Highland Ave. GLadstone 7507 Hours: And bv Appointment 9 to 5 Cinex Testing Machines Cinex Polishing Machines Developing Machines Printing Machines rebuilt for Sound Printing Special Motion Picture Machine Work Barsam - Tollar Mechanical Works 7239 Santa Monica Blvd. Hollywood, California Phone GRanite 9707 The new "Local 659" emblem. Small, chic and attractive. Or- der from your Secretary or direct from manufacturers. J. A. Meyers & Co. 822 South Flower Street The largest jewelry factory in the West Diamonds — Watches — Jewelry Phone GLadstone 4151 HOLLYWOOD STATE BANK The only bank in the Industrial District of Hollywood under State supervision Santa Monica Boulevard at Highland Avenue Turn your scrap film and short ends into cash HORSLEY CHEMICAL COMPANY 1123 Lillian Way GLadstone 5490 Hollywood Forty The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER January, 1931 Wishing everyone success for theNeivYear VERNON L. WALKER Specializing in PROCESS Miniature, Trick and Unusual Shots Address 601 West Fairmont, Glendale, Calif. DO. 5032-R HE. 1128 TO MY FRIENDS ./// over this Old World. i wish you Health Happiness Success Glenn R. Kershner 42+5 Jefferson Ave., Culver City W. A. SICKNER FIRST CAMERAMAN Complete Akeley Equip- ment for Photographing Sound Pictures CRestview 7255 GLadstone 5083 HEmpstead 1128 Walter J. Van Rossem PHOTOGRAPHIC LABORA- TORY. MITCHELL CAMERA No. 225, COMPLETE, FOR SALE HOlly 0725 6049 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, California E. J. OTOOLE Assistant HE 2539 HE 1128 Alvin Wyckoff Multicolor CLASSIFIED FOR SALE— Cameras— Mitchell, Bell & How- ell, Akeley ; lenses and accessories of all kinds ; new and used. HOLLYWOOD CAM- ERA EXCHANGE, 1511 Cahuenga Boulevard. FOR RENT — Three Mitchell cameras, high speed movements. 1000 ft. magazines. J. R. Lockwood, 1108 N. Lillian Way. GR. 3177. FOR SALE— CAMERAS FOR QUICK SALE; — one Universal camera complete with tripod «tnd good F3.5 lens, magazines and carrying case. Guaranteed in good condition and will sell for $100 cash. Write Ray-Bell Films, 817 University Ave., St. Paul, Minnesota. FOR SALE— Turret model Universal 2", 3" and F:1.9 2" lens — four magazines, good tripod, carrying case, dissolve, footage indi- cator, in excellent condition. Cost over $700.00, will sell for best price offered. Ray-Bell Films, 817 University Ave., St. Paul, Minn. FOR SALE— MISCELLANEOUS 3 COOKE F:2.5 lenses— 3, 2 and 1%-inch, all in micrometer mounts ready for mounting B & H camera. A sacrifice price will be quoted for cash. Ray-Bell Films, 817 Univer- sity Ave.. St. Paul, Minn. MITCHELL high-speed Camera No. 225. Van Rossem, 6049 Hollywood Blvd. HO 0725. FOR SALE— Bell & Howell Cinemotor. Used one picture. $175. J. R. Lockv/ood. 1108 N. Lillian Way. GR 3177. MISCELLANEOUS WANTED— FROM GLOBE-TROTTING CAM- ERAMEN FILM OF FOREIGN COUN- TRIES. ADDRESS REX GORDON, 1215 JUNE ST., HOLLYWOOD. PHONE GR 6933. SAVE 25 to 50% on Voigtlander, Zeiss, East- man and Graflex Cameras. Hundreds of new and used bargains to choose from. All guaranteed for one year. Also Cameras re- paired, rented, bought for cash, exchanged at Peterson's Camera Exchange, 356 S. Broad- way. Upstairs entrance Room 321. WEBB-DOUGLAS PRODUCTIONS Completing "SWANEE RIVER" with Grant Withers, Thelma Todd and Philo McCullough for Sono-Art-World-Wide Release Directed by Raymond Cannon Harry Webb Supervising ELMER G. DYER HE8116-HE1128 Art Reeves Cliff Thomas Phone HOHywood 9431 /(AMIM EXCHANGE The Clearing House for Cameramen Mitchell and Bell & Howells FOR RENT Cameras and Projectors and Accessories bought and sold Commercial Photography 1511 N. Cahuenga Blvd. HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA Kodak Supplies Still Finishing 16 mm., 35 mm. Developed and Printed >**"^Y /#n'r,e^ FEBRUARY • NINETE A Few More of Our Current Photographic Successes Negative? (11 M I IN T ) Naturally! «EG. U.S. PAT. OFF CAMERAMEN "Cimarron" R. K. O Eddie Cronjager "Beau Ideal" R. K. O Roy Hunt "The Royal Bed" R. K. O Leo Tover "Stampede" Paramount Archie Stout "Scandal Sheet" Paramount David Abel "The Gang Buster" Paramount Harry Fischbeck "Tom Sawyer" Paramount Charles Lang "xi r> . m i tui r aa \ William Daniels 1 he L»reat Meadow M. d. M , -,, , ^ , T. { Clyde De Vinna "Reducing" M. G. M Len Smith "The Bachelor Father" M. G. M Oliver Marsh "One Heavenly Night" United Artists , r> -ri i J ( Gregg 1 oland .. i • i " /-i i- i i • i a \ Rollie Totheroh t^ity Lights Chaplin-United Artists , ^ j D n i J ^ I Gordon rollock "Third Alarm" Tiffany Max Dupont "Aloha" Tiffany Charles Stumar "Sin Takes a Holiday" Pathe John Mescall "The ''tiFPONP Trade Mark Has Never Been Placed On An Inferior Product" SMITH & ALLER. Ltd. 6656 Santa Monica Boulevard HOllywood 5147 Hollywood, California Pacific Coast Distributors For DU PONT PATHE FILM MFG. CORP. 35 West 45th Street New York City February, 19-31 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Ow Bell & Howell EYEMO .... three-lens turret . . . seven film speeds • Bell & Howell's characteristic precision of design and workmanship has been carried even a step further in the new Eyemo 71-C Camera, which establishes a new record in flexibility of 35 mm. hand equipment. The variable speed governor has seven speeds rang- ing from 4 to 32 frames a second: 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 24, and 32. A speed conversion dial is built into the side of the camera, giving correct lens openings for any speed. The permanently built-in hand crank in addition to the spring motor is a new feature. Its use is optional with the operator. The rotation of the crank is regu- lated according to the setting of the speed indicator. The governor acts as a brake, enabling the operation of the crank at no greater than the speed for which indicator has been set. The turret will accommodate all lenses ordinarily employed on the non-turret Eyemo. Lenses used on previous Eyemo models may be remounted at the Bell & Howell factory or branches for use with the new 71-C Turret Head Model. Write for folder No. 36-E. • B & H AUTOMATIC COMBINATION • 16-35 MM. FILM SPLICER Bell & Howell Standard Film Splicing Machines are well-known for the quick, permanent splice which they make — a splice which does not affect film flexibility or encroach upon picture space. A film joined on a B & H Splicer is perfectly welded in accurate alignment, eliminating misframes and other evils of inferior patching. With its new style cutter blades and the heating unit which maintains at a steady temperature all parts of the machine with which film comes in contact, the B & H Splicer does its work at highest efficiency. The new safety lock grounded plug more than meets the rigid require- ments of insurance underwriters. The Model No. 6 Film Splicer, a standard 35 mm. positive splicer, is equipped with disappearing pilots for splicing 16 mm. film. These pilot pins are set diagonally, producing the B & H diagonal splice with nearly 30% more bonding sur- face than a right angle splice. A lever drops the 16 mm. pins out of sight for 35 mm. splicing. Write for catalog No. 36-S. BELL & HOWELL Bell & Howell Co. 1849 Larchmont Ave., Chicago, 111. NewYork, 11 West 42nd St. Hollywood, 6324 Santa Monica Blvd. London (B & H Co., Ltd.) 320 Regent St. Established 1907 Two The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER February, 1931 A PLEDGE To Theatre Owners, Managers and Projectionists to Maintain TRADE MARK REG'D. SUPREMACY It has been our responsibility to satisfy the needs of the motion picture industry and to meet many emergencies created during a period of extraordinary expansion and unparalleled activity. With increased manufacturing facilities and closer contact with our selling organization we pledge this great industry that we will render even greater service and maintain the high quality which has won a world- wide supremacy for m TRADE MARK REG'D. THE INTERNATIONAL PROJECTOR INTERNATIONAL PROJECTOR CORPORATION 90 COLD STREET NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL PHOTO GPAPHE R Official Bulletin of the International Photographers of the Motion Pic- ture Industries, Local No. 659, of the International Alliance of The- atrical Stage Employees and Mov- ing Picture Machine Operators of the United States and Canada. Affiliated with Los Angeles Amusement Federa- tion, California State Theatrical Federation, California State Fed- eration of Labor, American Fed- eration of Labor, and Federated Voters of the Los Angeles Amuse- ment Organizations. Vol. 3 HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA, FEBRUARY, 1931 No. 1 "Capital is the fruit of labor, and could not exist if labor had not first existed. Labor, therefore, deserves much the higher consideration." — Abraham Lincoln. CONTENTS La Voy Sees Samoans in Royal Ceremonials 4 All in Cameraman's Day's Work 6 Dirt and Scratches 8 Conducted by Ira Hoke Chicago 10 By Harry Birch Teamwork and Cameramen 12 Recording Improvements Require Higher Standards 14 Royal Families Real News Material. .15 By Ray Fernstrom Theatre Installation Costs to Gain. .16 Long List of European Film Magazines 17 European Film Items of Interest 19 Hatian Glories Vividly Portrayed by Parichy 20 By Esselle Parichy Chaplin's "City Lights" to Open in Splendor 23 Dr. Mackenzie Chairman of Western Engineers 23 Looking In on Just a Few New Ones. .24 By George Blaisdell Eastman Plates Create Standards .... 28 Amateur Department 29 Will Manufacture Wax Records 29 How 16 mm. Hurdles Over Radio 31 When Industry Calls on 16 mm 32 How Operations Are Photographed. . .35 Amateur Magicians Make Sound Screen Record 36 The International Photographer is published and M.P.M.O.of the U Entered as second class matter Sept. 30, 1930, the act of M Copyright 1930 by Local 659, I. A. T. S. E. and Howard E. Hurd, George Blaisdell Editor Ira Hoke ------ Associate Editor John Corydon Hill Subscription Rates — United States and Can Office of publication, 1605 North Cahuenga Av monthly in Hollywood by Local 659, I. A.T.S.E. nited States and Canada at the Post Office at Los Angeles, Calif., under arch 3, 1879 M. P. M. O. of the United States and Canada Publisher's Agent Lewis W. Physioc 1 Fred Westerberg S - - - Art Editor ada, $3.00 per year. Single copies, 25 cents enue, Hollywood, California. HEmpstead 1128 Technical Editors The members of this Local, together with those of our sister Locals, No. 644 in New York, No. 666 in Chicago, and No. 665 in Toronto, represent the entire personnel of photographers now engaged in professional production of motion pictures in the United States and Canada. Thus The International Photographer becomes the voice of the Entire Craft, covering a field that reaches from coast to coast across North America. Printed in the U. S. A. 1-^^>2 at Hollywood, California. Four The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER February, 1931 La Voy Sees Samoans In Royal Ceremonial* WHILE many of the assign- ments that fall to the news weekly cameramen come within the category of "tough" that is not true of all 'of them. So thought Merl La Voy when he got word from Pathe that he was to be its representative to accompany the American members of the Ameriean-Samoan Commission on its long journey across the Pacific. The American representatives were Senators Bingham of Connecticut and Robinson of Arkansas and Congress- Panel at left reading down: U. S. cruiser Omaha, on which the Amer- ican commission sailed 10,500 miles on its Samoan visit. Samoan stages a cockfight in front of his home for the Pathe News' man. Old Nature stages a cloud formation men Bedy of Maine and Williams i Texas. Accompanying them was Ca! tain Furlong, chief of island gover' ments of the navy. For transport tion Uncle Sam assigned the cruisi Omaha, and in the course of its jou ney the stanch craft logged 10, 5( miles. The party left Los Angeles Se tember 11 last and returned Octobi Id, thirty-eight days later. Twent; three days were spent at sea, thn days at Honolulu and twelve days American Samoa. The primary objective of the cor; Upper left centre: Commission hoW session in headquarters of the Ma Samoan political organization. Oi posit e ■: Samoan girls dance for tl Americans February, 19-11 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Five ission was to investigate conditions American Samoa and on the return this country to draft a bill of rights br the islanders for presentation to bngress. It was the aim of the com- ission not only to secure the opin- Ins of the high chiefs of the islands at to throw open the hearings and [cure views from any one who cared i come forward and talk. Uncle Sam takes the Samoans seri- iasly and seeks to legislate for them I such manner as really will bring I them the greatest good. It is in jiat spirit that the United States lavy has governed the islands for ae preceding thirty years. It has Itevented from getting a foothold the 'hite beachcomber element as well as i her contaminating and degenerating ifluences from which a majority of land peoples have suffered through jo close contact with certain types of .hite men. [ As a result of this policy and aided V a progressive system of hospitali- ower left centre: Kiru/'s kava cere- oiiii held in honor of the Americans, ■pposite : Samoan ivarriors in hollow mare put on one of their more formal ceremonies zation and related medical attention the ten thousand islanders so far as concerns health and living conditions are better off than any other parallel group in the Pacific. The commission had under consid- eration in the formulation of its re- port three plans: 1. Setting up civil government. 2. Continuing as in the past under naval administration. 3. Constituting American Samoa as an ethnological park wherein the natives may live their own lives as the climate and environment in gen- eral may indicate and remain free from the untoward influences previ- ously referred to and making them in- dependent of the ordinary United States civil administration. In the twelve days the Americans were in the islands they were royally entertained by the Samoans, headed bv Chiefs Pallee, Tufele, Monga and Mongale. The visitors were strongly impressed by the wisdom of the lead- ers and the high standard of intelli- gence noted in the Samoans generally. Panel at rier a nation-unde 7^. B. C. networ\. CONFIDENCE YOUR confidence in the quality, performance and leadership of General Electric MAZDA photographic lamps is justified. The sterling repu- tation of the General Electric Company and the seal of the famous MAZDA research service are exemplified in every G. E. MAZDA lamp in service in modern cinematography. For every lighting task, general and specific, rely upon the superiority of G. E. MAZDA lamps. National Lamp Works of General Electric Com- pany, Nela Park, Cleveland, Ohio. GENERAL ELECTRIC MAZDA LAMPS Eight The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER February, 1931 era IRA HOKE Cousin Albert? Assistant Cameraman — Who you shootin', Buddy? Still Man (about to photograph Einstein) — Whv, don't you know? That's one of the greatest men in the world. Assistant (in awe) — The Pope? Still Man— Oh, no. That's Profes- sor Einstein, the — Assistant — Say, I heard about him ! He's the man Universal brought over here to untangle the relative-ity situation at the studio. Not a Chance First Actor — I hear you have a part in the new R. O. W. feature talkie? Second Actor — Yeh, I finally landed a bit. First Actor — Is it a speaking part? Second Actor — No. You see I play the part of the leading woman's hus- band. Perfect Alibi Business Agent — What are the charges, Pat? Pat — It was like this. Mike bor- rowed a still camera from me and when it was returned the ground glass was broken. Business Agent — Mike, what havj you to offer in defense of yourself. Mike — I have been accused un- justly. In the first place I did not borrow any still camera from Pat. In the second place it was in good condition when I returned it. And in the third place the ground glass was broken when I received it. The Danger Line Otto Dyar, publicity photographer for Paramount, says his idea of a successful actress is one who has two sets of teeth. One for eating, the other for posing for tooth paste ads. Strange as it Seems Cannon and Ball operate a portrait studio on Sunset Boulevard. Them Satchels Director — Quick, Props, the leading lady is looking for her rings. Find them, somebody. Cameraman — That's easy. They're right under her eyes. Like X in Soap The company had just emerged from projection room "B" after see- ing the daily rushes. One of the big- shots remarked casually to the direc- tor: "Mike, the last scene vill haff to be retaken." "What was wrong with that one?" asked the director. "Diction," answered the big shot. "Diction?" gasped the director. "Why, I heard every word perfectly." "Oh, you did, did you? Veil, I didn't. I couldn't hear the final k in swim- mink." A Light Task Ed the electrician says the only thing he doesn't like about the movies is the lights. News with a Bang Live wire news cameramen resort to ingenious devices occasionally to build up a lead for a story. John Herrmann, 659, ace photographer for Paramount News, recently tried to break up a quiet week by inserting the following ad in the Kansas City Star and the Kansas City Post. Of course both papers refused to run the ad, but its wording is a master- piece just the same. Here tiz: "We are interested in securing scene of a first-class bank robbery. Any bandits in or about Kansas City contemplating a first-class hold-up in the near future kindly advise Mr. J. L. Herrmann, Paramount News Cam- eraman, Robert E. Lee Hotel, Kansas City, Mo. Information will be held in confidence." Life in the Movies Cameraman — I live next door to a movie singer, and every time she practices her songs her husband rushes out to the front porch and remains there till she finishes. Propertyman — Why does he dn that? Cameraman — So all the neighbors can see that he is not beating her. Attention Mr. Hoover The hanging scene in "A Connecti- cut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" suddenly faltered during rehearsal. "I need a little dialogue here for this jailer as he comes to free you boys," said Director David Butler, turning to Will Rogers. "Can you give me an idea, Will? Remember he is supposed to be crazy." "Crazy, eh?" said Will. "Suppose you have him say, 'I predict prosper- ity for 1931.' " Boy Wonder Cameraman — Jimmie, your reports are all balled up. I don't believe you know the first thing about mathe- matics. Assistant — On the contrary, sir, mathematics is what I am best in. Just ask me some questions and I'll prove it. Cameraman — O. K. How many make a dozen? Assistant — Twelve, sir. Cameraman — A gross? Assistant — 144. Cameraman — Well, then, how many make a million? Assistant — Very few, sir. Very few. Enie Menie Minie Mo Jimmie — That actor over on "B" set is the nerviest fellow I ever heard of. Art — Howzat? Jimmie — When his rich uncle lay on his deathbed what did that bird do but send him a bouquet of forget-me- nots. These Dull Times M. Kains — The Scotch have a new use for old razor blades. M. Hall— What do they use old razor blades for? M. Kains — To shave with. Her Number Speed Mitchell says — Don't kick if you can't get central. It took her ma and pa 18 years to raise her. And How— Assistant Cameraman (absentmind- edly fumbling several greenbacks) — Did you ever see a nine-dollar bill? Second Cameraman — Certainly not, dumbell. They don't make 'em. Assistant Cameraman — Well, any- way, here's one I just received from Local 659 for my quarterly dues. Short Story "Merry Christmas in Hollywood" Once there was a beautiful but poor actress in Hollywood who wanted a fur coat. So she worked and saved. Finally came the day when her pass book showed the necessary amount, and the brave little actress went down to the bank to get her money. Alas, there was a piece of paper pasted on the closed door of the bank. Mr. Beesemyer also wanted a fur coat for Christmas. THE END. Prague Players Cooperate According to the European press a group of Czechoslovakian film work- ers has founded in Prague a motion picture cooperative society called "Cefid." Among its members are Charles Lamac, Anny Ondra, Ota Heller, V. Wassermann, K. Hasler, Mac Fric, Suzanne Marwhille and many other Czech players and direc- tors. The chief aim of this society is to organize systematic production of Czech talking pictures and to demand financial and moral support of the Czechoslovak Government in order that a new sound studio may be erected in Prague. February, 1D.J1 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Nine a studio word for modern lighting equipment! Picture production today demands equip- ment in which are incorporated the require- ments of modern production. These factors, along with countless individual features, are expressed in j£&cc incandescent lighting products. To employ ^Z&ce^ZTt&z is to realize the last word in modern studio lighting efficiency — and proven low cost of operation, of course, is offered as a dominant feature. ( t If it's not a ~£kz it's not silent!' LAKIN CORPORATION 1707 Naud Street Los Angeles, California CApitol 5387 Ten The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER CHICAGO February, 1931 — -*• Meeting WELL, Old Man 1930 got a fly- ing start and was no sooner out of town when the Child 1931 bounced in. President David saw to it that the child was well taken care of and had a good start in life and then he proceeded to call the first meeting of 1931 for Local 666. He informed all the boys that 1930 had been a tough year (as if we didn't know it) and that 1931 was going to be a humdinger. After the minutes and usual line of business had been disposed of the ban- quet, to be held at the Bal Tavern in Chicago, seemed to have had the floor the remainder of the night. Red Felbinger, my Sassiety Reporter, has promised many things, and I feel if Red only furnishes half of what he has promised — well, it will just be a great night. SIX-SIXT1 SIX Wyckoff in Chicago Presided Alvin Wyckoff. of Local 659, en route to the West Coast, stopped off in Chicago long enough to give the boys the practical "in" on Multicolor. Oh, yes, with him was that able-bodied assistant, Jimmie Williamson. After a feed in China- town, at that famous Won Cow res- taurant, the boys all proceeded out north to the S & A Studio, where an actual scene was photographed with models wearing various colored hats to give Multicolor a real test. By HARRY BIRCH Multicolor was fully explained by Brother Wyckoff, the camera being used to show various parts, and it will be impossible at this time to express our appreciation to Brother Wyckoff for this wonderful night of really something worthwhile. The boys have all been talking Multicolor, and I feel that there will be many Multicolor pictures made around this teritory before long. Once more, Brother Wyckoff, and Jimmie Williamson, accept our word of ap- preciation from the entire body of Local 666. SIX-SIXTY-SIX When in Memphis C. H. Poland, better known to the boys as "Cliff," for more than 20 years has been the outstanding com- mercial photographer of Memphis. He can now boast of being the outstand- ing member of Local 666, as he is the only member in the city of Memphis. Cliff is immensely proud of his new affiliation, and if you do not think he is 100 per cent just look at his ad- dress, 319 Union avenue. Here is hoping that we will hear from Cliff Poland on this Dage from now on. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Might Be a Lesson Here is one that comes from brother R. D. Parry of Cincinnati: Several days ago a friend invited me on a hunting trip in Ohio and I Group of 666ers at the S & A studio in Chicago attending a demonstration of Multicolor film by Alvin Wyckoff of 659 accepted, expecting to get a hunting license in a small town up state. However, I couldn't, so I decided to take a chance when "up jumped the devil, the game warden." "Hello, boys," he said, "having any luck?" Al, this hunting friend of mine, grinning sheepishly, said: "Oh, a little." "I guess you have licenses?" said the warden, showing his badge. Al started to look for his, but all I could do was look at my boots and think of the quail I had in my coat and wonder why I accept this in- vitation. Then the warden turned to me. "Where is your license?" he asked. "You caught me dead to rights," I said and started to unload my gun. To make a long story short we identi- fied ourselves and asked the warden if he would do us a favor and try our case in a little town nearby where we were known. He ^aid he thought we were rather good fellows and agreed to it. The case came up before the justice of peace that night in the front room of the justice's home. The Justice was "a little shrimp" and came into the room in his stockinged feet and read the charge, his left eye always looking toward the northwest so that I could not tell whether he was look- ing at me or the warden. He said, looking at the warden: "You are charged with hunting without a license and having four quail in your possession. Do you plead guilty or not guilty?" "Guilty," I said. Then he looked at me and said to the warden, "What is the fine for this offense, warden?" "Not less than $125 and not more than $300, your honor," the warden answered. Then Al jumped up and said. "May I have a few words?" "Sure," said the Justice. And Al burst forth into a lonsr apoeal and tells them what a good fellow I am and how I had been out of work for three months and a lot of other "hooey," ending up by showing them my licenses for everything else but hunt- ing in Ohio. All this while the Justice was sitting with his east eye looking at his stockinged feet and the west eye looking at the ceiling. I could see that he was beginning to feel sorry for me. When Al had finished, the Justice turned to me and asked the warden, "Can't we suspend the fine?" "No," said the warden, "but I sug- gest you give him the smallest fine possible." "Gosh, I hate to do this," the Jus- tice said and looked at the warden and said to me, "I'll have to fine you $125 and costs." He sniffed a little and February, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Eleven let out a big' sigh and ended up with, "Cost suspended," thereby saving me several iron men. With that we all got up and went home. Now, the thing- that is bothering me is this: I had eight more quail in the car that the warden didn't see and at $25 each that would be $200 more and I have been trying to figure out whether I am $200 to the good or $125 in the hole. If you think any of the boys "who are tempted to go astray of the law" might learn a lesson from this, use it in "the page." P. S. Who can tell? In Focus— In Spots! By the Sassiety Reporter WELL, to me the new year busts out with a couple hearty belly laughs right off the bat. First of all ye editor, Harry Birch, spends a nickel with the local telephone com- pany to make my phone bell ring. So I picks up the wrong number contrap- tion and the boss of this Page lets loose on this line of what they calls dialogue in the main credit titles: "Hello!" "Hello yourself," says I, not know- ing who it was. "This is the editor of the Page speaking," says he. "Wrong number?" says I, not ketch- ing on yet it wuz the guy what cuts up my column. Well,, to make it short, Harry calls up to tell me last month's stuff I burned the midnight oil on wuzn't funny, says it didn't sound like me at all. Wotahel! Harry didn't tell me anything new at all when he pulls that one. In case there are any other brothers who like Birch didn't ketch on I want to take time out right here to ex- plain it to all you bozos what is under the wrong impression. My stuff ain't ever been funny. I just been gettin' by until now, but I feel like I gotta quote to explain the whole mess to Harry and the rest of youse. I wanta quote Abe Lincoln when he was up at Gettysburg University or sumpin like that. Abe says, "You can fool some of the people some of the time, you can fool 'em some of the time, but you sure can fool 'em all the time. So, funny or no, I keeps up the razz campaign on all youse admirers of my column. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Laff No. 2 The other laff I get is somebody puts me up to run on a competition ticket to Charlie David for President of G66. If I would ever gone through and accepted the nomination it would a been a landslide for Charlie on get- tin in office. Besides, I ain't got no campaign funds, and what's more Charlie started his campaign for re- election long ago, and I already got a couple of lunches on the cuff what Charlie paid for, so I gotta cast my vote for him,, and how could I have done that if my name wuz on the ticket. I'd hafta vote for myself just to set a good example. Also by the time youse read this election will be over, so I ain't using- my column to swing the heavy vote over toward Charlie. A Dog's Life— Yeah? The other day I wuz over in De- troit to cover the National Shoe Show, and what beautiful gals they had modeling those Ladies' Gunboats! I just stood there and watched the re- action them sex appeal females had on the 666 film burners. The sound crew of the Detroit Met- ropolitan newsreel moves in bag and baggage with the misery equipment, takes one look at the swell dames and right away Cameramen George Hoover and Harry Hillier go into a huddle and decides maybe it better all be close ups of these dames, with the two inch lens. Well, their sound man, George Jarrett, decided maybe the amplifier works better up close too. Eddie Morrison and Phil Gleason fig-gered it was better to get the phone numbers of the gals just in case they want to call up and do the gals a favor and let em know how the pic- tures came out. In case Mrs. Fred Giese reads this I want to say Fred just curled up and went to sleep during all this, which proves maybe Giese is getting old. Yours truly figgered the beautiful set- ting ought to look better in a long- shot, so I moved the outfit up into the balcony. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Such a Nice Cop, Too Up at Milwaukee the gang makes a squawkie on 100 years of old fash- ioned hats for women. In the collec- tion they got a sample of what the Gibson gal wore in the 90s to vamp the boy friend with. Well it wuz one of them broad sailor rim straws, and Charlie Geis had a awful time to keep his groan man, Harry Neems, from pinching- this one. Harry figgered it wuz just the kind of a bonnet to wear to the Kentucky Derby this year, in case the sun should set a precedent and come out for this dash of the nags. Harry had a straw hat down there last year, but he lost it when they gave him the ride over to the local hoosegow for telling a cop where he could put his mike. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Alley Has Floor Billy Andlauer out in Kansas City wired the meeting the other night the season's "->"eetings and told the exec's to hold a drawing among us members for a box of first class corona heaters for the luckv guy. Well if I don't get a cut on that box of cigars I'm going to write Billv and tell him the exec's didn't hold the raffle. Also he shouldn't blame Charlie David, because I never seen him smoke cigars. I wonder how come Brother Alley can afford to smoke heaters so consistently here lately. SIX-SIXTY-SIX George Gibson as He Was You know last month I started to open up my own private collection of what I think is the "till of the month. Well, here is this month's, a rare print of George Gibson, the celluloid impressario. The picture is over 15 years old and what makes it so remarkable is the idea of the whole setting. Note the bushy hair. That's before Gibbv started worrying about Pathe Dupom George Gibson as he was when a hair- cut was a haircut stock. The plates he is drying are Agfa. He always used 'em because they gave him so much more latitude than Eastman. Also the shot was taken before yoors trooly swung racks under the Gibson tutelage. The frown in the nose was just a rehearsal for the expression Gib was to pull years later when your scribe g-ot nerve enuf to ask for the dollar raise which was "exnayed," causing me to wind up with the heavy groan box and this monthly tale of woe. Its all right, Gibby; they got me using Eastman stock now. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Verne Blakeley, Junior Didn't see Brother Verne Blakeley at the meeting the other night, so on checking up on him discovered Verne was over at a local furniture store arp-'iing with a salesman about the wheelbase of a certain kind of four- wheel car. Also Verne wanted to see one what you didn't have to use all your effort on to push. Mamma Blakeley stayed at home entertaining the new boarder. They call him Verne Wellington Jr., and he weighed 7 pounds 4 ounces when they broke the news to perspir- ing Papa Blakeley. Verne says the new offspring- arrived just in time as he had chewed up his last cigarette when the Doc slapped him on the back. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Surprised Winner New Year's day some of the local talent figgered they'd wear off the an- nual hangover by making a story. So Alley accompanies Morrison and Glea- son out to make one on the annual Liars convention. Well, the cameras were all set up, shooting each liar as he told the big fib of the year, when just before it wuz over Alley up and announces he's gotta blow as he's gotta date to take the ball and chain to New Year's vesper services. So right there the contest ends, and first prize of one rubber check is awarded to the worthy secretary. SIX-SIXTY-SIX We'll Be Seein' You Well, I gotta get going now and look forward to the cameraman's ball. Also sharnen up some pencils to get the lowdown on youse guys and your "carrying ons" up there. See you next month. I icrlrc The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER February, 1931 Teamwork and Cameramen THE artist for Foreign Serv- ice V. F. W. for January who conceived and executed so excellent a thought over the caption of "Teamwork" had a large subject for his sermon. For cameramen, too, have learned in the years that it is impossible to defeat the objec- tives of a teamwork translatable into terms of intelligent direc- tion or leadership and enthus- iastic and unanimous member- ship; that such teamwork is in- vincible. Cameramen have learned that teamwork is an empty word when it signifies to any one in their ranks nothing more than half-hearted support of a guild the formation of which in his own view was not indicated by his apparent welfare or that of his confreres. /CAMERAMEN have learned ^* that teamwork is a vital, pulsing word when it makes vocal in name and in fact the unification of all the individuals of a craft, lesser as well as greater, younger as well as older, moderately as well as more highly endowed; when it means a solid front and backed by a solid square of men animated by a single purpose: The welfare of a craft in its entirety. /CAMERAMEN have learned ^^ that as the guilds of the Middle Ages were the first to OK /fir** Teatn toork, bring democracy into a world dominated by a feudal system intrenched through ages of dis- regard for the least of the indi- cated rights of mankind — that even in instances the guilds com- pelled recognition on an equality with the hitherto all-powerful nobles — so their own guild of to- day is a democracy in itself ; that as that guild progresses so, too, will they as individuals and like- wise their successors in coming generations progress. AS THE comparatively new art of photography repro- duces in actuality the "form and pressure" of the age while lan- guage at best only can aim to create a picture that is mental so photography in the years to come by reason of its undisputed fidelity to things as they are gradually will compel printing to yield to it an equal or perhaps the major place in any position it may claim to possess as "the art preservative of all arts." TN THE development of pho- -*- tography motion picture and still cameramen have had great opportunities, such as are bound to fall to pioneers. The progress of photography as an art in the future will lean more heavily on the membership of the photo- graphic guilds than will be pos- sible in the case of the detached individual. For history — the history of the Middle Ages — will repeat it- self. The great camera artists of the guilds of today through their apprentices and associates will lay the foundations for a continuing and cumulative tech- nique that will be handed down from one generation to another. ' I ''HAT their infinite patience -* both in field and laboratory will result in the monetary en- richment of a comparative few is a matter of minor conse- quence. The large fact will be they are creating a background of tradi- tion for an important art. Also and by no means unimportantly they will be contributing to the entertainment and edification of the world of today — and through the governmental establishment of libraries for photographic subjects of historic or cultural interest to the education of the world of tomorrow. ^'oA "OOR^ Gream o th Stills **Wo*. Street scene in Taxco, Guerrero, Mexico. Taxco is one of the first spots in the western world to be touched by European civilization, having been founded in 1522, but thirty years after Columbus reached these shore*. Roberto A. Turnbull, the photographer, adds the first silver sent from, Mexico to Spain was mined in this village by its fou nder, La Borde. !»5^. '°grn* @ream oth $tills ,*^?ersensitive. This combination of speed and color sensitiveness specially fits thi.3 plate to press and other types of photography where flashlight and other forms of artificial illumination are necessary. MOVIOLA Film viewing and sound reproducing ma- chines for use with: Separate picture film and sound film, composite film and sound on disc record. For editing 35 mm. film, 16 mm. film and v/ide film. Write for Circulars Describing the Different Models MOVIOLA COMPANY 1451 Gordon Street Hollywood, California It can be used for the so-called "night" photography and, with large aperture lenses, instantaneous ex- posures may be made at night in the streets or in well lighted theatres. With high speed lenses and small cameras it becomes possible to make phr,+nn-rf)r,hs at "-^blic gatherings, such as banquets, without the use of special lighting. It requires no great stretch of imagination to see what possibilities such a plate offers to the press photographer. His paper wants pic- tures, not excuses, and the Wratten hypersensitive panchromatic enables him to deliver the goods. There are many other uses for these two fast plates. "Reaches Top Speed" An article in the current issue of Editor and Publisher, discussing recent inventions and improvements in materials which have permitted news photographers to secure better pictures, as well as many that have hitherto been considered impossible, has the following to say: "The Eastman Kodak Company has brought out a new supersensitized plate, which in the opinion of some picture service executives has 'reached the top in speed.' For many years past photo services have been using plates imported from abroad for high speed work because of the difficulty of obtaining domestic plates sensi- ( Continued on Page 37) Advisory Committee Named By 659 to Devise Help in Unemployment Situation THE executive board of Inter- national Photographers, Local 659, has named a special com- mittee of fifteen, of which Hal Mohr is chairman, to work out plans to secure for members of the organiza- tion every possible assistance in the alleviation of unusual conditions re- sulting from the unemployment situ- ation and also to discuss and advise upon any other matters which may be presented to it by the board. Asked by the board to make the selection the special committee has named John Boyle to accompany Vice-President Roy H. Klaffki and Business Representative Howard E. Hurd to the east coast for conferences with the presidents of the five Inter- national organizations represented in the studios. Later the delegation of three will confer on pending matters with the International-Producers committee in New York. The special committee of members is composed of the following: John Boyle Arthur Miller Dan Clark Victor Milner Arthur Edeson Hal Mohr Alfred Gilks Hal Rosson Roy Hunt John Seitz Ray June Karl Struss Oliver Marsh James Van Trees Gilbert Warrenton f^Afc. @ream oth Stills c^L'^ */> Stepping over the Mediterranean and journeying to the Valley of the Nile we are introduced by Spoor and Ahbe of Chicago to the oldest form of meal ticket in the world — yet one which fignreth not in the mem- ory of mam. V°GR^* Gream oth Stills c*«Al'0^ t>GR^ Standing in the highest bell tower of the famous Kremlin, Moscow, during the World War H. M. Wyckoff photographed the famous church in which the Czars were crowned. Flowing by the structure is the Moscoiv River. In the distance is the hill on which Na- poleon stood when he demanded the keys of the Kremlin. The answer was disappointing. In the Gobi desert three natives mar- vel at this contrap- tion maybe designed by Yankees who in turn will recipro- cate the action when they gaze on tin long -stemmed, smudge pot carried by the one in the center of the group. The photographer and the owm\ of the camera in the picture is Janus Shackleford of the expedition spon- sored by the Amer- ican Museum of Natural History. ..■fr^'cu. Gream oth Stills cfWo*. Returning to the West we see the Palace of the Doges, with St. Mark's Square and church, in Venice, as secured for its by Hugo Tappenbeck. Slip/lint/ down iiiin the Eastern Med- iterranean and through the Sue: Canal and the Red Sea and across the Indian Ocean with Leonard Abbott Senior we look in on these natives of Borneo engaged in the serious occupa- tion of reading the omens in the pig's liver. C.^'CU. Qream oth Stills .^'CU. Will E. Hudson submits this photograph of the Suiankang Pagoda us a particularly good specimen of Chi- nese handicraft. It is situated about 160 miles out of Shanghai and was erected early in the seven- teenth century. Its roof is of tile and the spire of bronze. The structure is a combination of brick, cedar, teak wood, plaster and cement. February, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Twenty-nine v^[mazeurJ)epartrnentx JVill Manufacture Wax Records Hollywood Film Enterprises Photographing and Processing Pictures Three Ways Both 16 and 35 Millimeters WHAT is believed to be the most completely equipped commer- cial sound and film laboratory in the world is now in full operation by Hollywood Film Enterprises in its plant in Sunset Boulevard. In addi- tion to its facilities for developing' and printing 16 and 35 mm. film and for reducing the wider film to the ama- teur size the company has installed a most complete wax recording and manufacturing plant. This will permit a customer utiliz- ing the sound-proof stage for the making of a subject to produce a silent picture, a sound on film or sound on wax or a combination of all three. The company will specialize in elec- trical transcriptions for radio broad- casts and for voice testing. A special department has been provided for this class of work, with elaborate recep- tion rooms for the accommodation of patrons. The sound stage is about 60 by 60 feet, with carpenter's shop adjoining. The camera and recording or moni- tor room is placed at the northeast corner of the stage, which is covered by ten windows placed in a quarter circle. Ample sound-proofing mate- rial is employed between the two rooms to shut out all noise one froni the other. Program of 16 mm. Sound It is the intention of the company to produce a program of 16 mm. sound pictures synchronized on wax so that amateurs may project them on their home equipment. Also it will accept contracts for dubbing from film to wax or vice versa. For the accommodation of patrons the company has provided on the sec- ond floor of the studio besides the re- ception room referred to a 16 mm. projection room and six dressing rooms. On the main floor a waiting room is connected with the studio office. These give entrance to the smaller recording room, with piano and ample space for an orchestra. Entering the Flexo indestructible record manufacturing plant there are rooms for the wax shaving machine and for the wax melter. Also in ad- joining rooms are the 150-ton hydrau- lic press with six steam tables and the six-leafed lift with its seven and a half horsepower motor. Each of these leaves represent a pressure of 25 tons, the volume em- ployed for a four or five inch record, while the entire works are used for a record of sixteen-inch diameter. Copper and nickel plating tanks are installed for the making of the master record. In the recording room is a large electrically heated closet, thermostatically controlled, for stor- age of waxes awaiting recording. R. L. Warner, a son of the inventor of Flexo records, will be in charge of sound recording. Direct for Home Screen Reversing the long established rule of providing for the 16 mm. consum- ers pictures that have completed their tour of duty on the theatrical screen the Hollywood company now is well into production on a series of twenty- four short sound subjects created ex- clusively for 16 mm. distribution. They will range in length from 100 to 400 "feet. These will feature Jimmy Adams, known to radio followers as Lena, a member of the Happy Ranch Boys and broadcast over the KMT's Happy Ranch hour. This group also is being broadcast over the Pacific Coast net- work on sponsored programs. The 16 mm. films will be simultane- ously recorded on Flexo records. So far as known these will constitute the first 16 mm. sound pictures ever made for the home market direct. Hollywood Film Enterprises is one of the pioneers in the field of 16 mm. subjects. 1. Wax shaving machine. 2. 150-ton hydraulic press for the making of Flexo indestructible records. William Horsley, president Hollywood Film Enterprises, looking at finished product. ■!. Motor and lift operating hydraulic press. Thirty The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER February, 1931 Eyemo Plays Star Part in Filming Seal Hunters Among Breaking Ice TO the many striking achieve- ments of the Bell & Howell Eyemo semi-professional cam- eras must now be added the outstand- ing and almost indispensable part which one of them recently played in the filming of an Arctic picture which was turned over to Paramount for release. This picture is based upon the lives of North Atlantic fishermen engaged in the hazardous sealing industry. It was taken by an expedition under the direcion of Varick Frissell, youthful producer and explorer, and it is in- teresting to learn that the Eyemo which served the expedition so not- ably was included in the ecompany's $30,000 worth of movie equipment almost as an afterthought. The work of the sealers who figure in the picture is done on the Arctic ice floes drifting south each summer off the coast of Labrador. These floes consist of broken fields of ice, heaving and twisting as the great Atlantic swells and rolls underneath. The hunters approach the seals rapidly, on the run, often leaping from ice cake to ice cake, and mem- bers of the Frissell expedition had to follow on the sealers' course as quickly as possible if they were to capture vivid and realistic pictures. It was quickly discovered that with the ice so broken up as to challenge even the agility of the light-footed sealers it was impossible to accom- plish the necessary rapid transporta- tion of standard camera equipment, due to its weight and bulk, but the light Eyemo, with its tripod attached, could be swung over long open leads of water and caught without impair- ing its ability to photograph a picture of standard production quality. As the hunters were running to- ward the seals members of the Fris- sell expedition would follow. When open water was encountered which defied leaping without the use of all fours the Eyemo would be grasped by the end of the tripod, and, by a long pendulum swing, could be sent flying over the water into the arms of an- other member of the company, and so relayed up the line into the center of action, where it was quickly put to work. It was inevitable that sooner or later some one would miscalculate in the performance of this ritual. So it came about that one bright day the Eyemo found its way to the bottom of the ocean, but not before it had succeeded in obtaining some of the most valuable shots made by the mem- bers of the expedition. Scenes of action in the midst of the vast seal herds are now a part of the Frissell picture. Victor Announces New 3-G Non-Theatrical Projector WITH the general adoption of the 16 mm, film and motion picture projectors for practi- cally all non-theatrical uses, intense screen illumination has become a fea- ture of vital importance in the more highly developed equipments. The lamp manufacturers have ex- pended every effort toward devising a projection lamp of the greatest pos- sible efficiency. The latest accom- plishment in this direction is the 250- watt, 20-volt, T-10 size lamp which was just recently placed on the market. This low voltage lamp, however, can be satisfactorily used only in connec- tion with a special transformer for 100-120-volt, 50-60 cycle, A. C. opera- tion. The new model 3-G Victor cine-pro- jector has a special transformer built New model -3-G Victor cine projector, 250-watt, 20-volt, T-10 size lamp, with a highly perfected optical system into the base, which permits the 250- watt, 20-volt lamp to be used with the utmost efficiency and with maximum lamp life. To provide for use of the 3-G Victor cine-projector in communities where 50-60 cycle alternating current is not available a "changeover" system of wiring has been utilized which per- mits the transformer to be cut out by removing one attachment plug and changing the location of another. The projector may then be operated on any 100-120 volt direct or alternating current. The No. 10 Victor lamp rheostat also may be attached to per- mit the use of the 165-watt, 30-volt high intensity lamp. Another feature of the model 3-G is a highly perfected optical system which utilizes as much as possible of the light emitted by the source. Mechanically the 3-G Victor cine- projector is identical to the widely known model 3. In appearance the 3-G differs from the Victor model 3 only in that it has, in place of a pedestal base, a recep- tacle base in which the transformer is housed. This new base adds beauty and character to the projector, making it an attractive as well as efficient in- strument. Monitor room taken from stage. 2. Left to right, recording table, amplifier, playback table with both ■13,j and 78 r.p.m., and miming panel. — Hollywood Film Enterprises Studio. February, 19-11 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirty-om How 16mm. Hurdles Over Radio Winnetka Store Finds in Second Year Department Shows 50 Per Cent More Return Than Older Line New EARLY in 1929, just to supplement its radio business during- the summer, the Radio Service Shop of Winnetka, 111., decided to install 16 mm. motion picture equipment in its store. The concern had been in business seven years and was pros- pering, but there was a belief on the part of the two partners by introduc- ing amateur cameras and projectors it would tend to equalize the volume of their business through the twelve months. William M. Crilly, one of the part- ners, had dabbled in 16 mm. stuff for some time in a recreational way. He had become something of a fan and had acquired a goodly bit of informa- tion as to just what made the wheels go around. Mr. Crilly is in Los Angeles with his family, making a visit of a few months, his first visit. An Interna- tional Photographer man met him at the plant of the Hollywood Film En- terprises, where he was being shown the works by Walter W. Bell, man- ager of the cine department, and Wil- liam Horsley, the boss. As the Illinois visitor mentioned installing the 16 mm. department the Photographer man casually inquired as to how the scheme worked out. Stone the Builder Rejected "Rather surprisingly," replied Mr. Crilly. "Our figures for 1930, the sec- ond year of the new department, showed it did 60 per cent of our en- tire business. So you may judge for yourself as to whether or not we are pleased with the result of our own idea." Practically all of the film handled by the Radio Shop is of the 16 mm. size. There have been a few notable exceptions, one of these being the 4000-foot subject in 35 mm. film de- signed to demonstrate to any one it might concern just what kind of a town Winnetka is and what the tax- payers of this progressive village of 12;000 souls receive in the way of mu- nicipal benefits frcm the money they spend in taxes. Town Has Own Equipment The developing and printing were done by Burton Holmes Lectures, Inc., of Chicago, as well as the making of the 735 feet of titles inserted in the subject. The picture already in its influence has reached out of its imme- diate community. Only recently H. L. Woolhiser, village manager, of techni- cal training along engineering lines, showed it in Springfield, 111., to a con- vention of village managers where it aroused much interest. Locally it has been shown in the community hall to all of the organ- izations in the town. It has aroused particular interest when exhibited to the men's clubs, to the Rotarians, Lions and Kiwanians among others. Another instance recently when 35 mm. film was used was in taking pic- tures of the induction into office of the nine members of the village coun- cil and their ^resident. The stage was lighted by lamps supplied by the Ra- dio Shop. The resulting pictures, as well as those on 35 mm. taken by the Rev. Mr. ("Chief") Davies of the camps of the Boys and Girls' Scouts during the summer, are shown at the community house. The equipment for taking and showing these pictures is owned by the community, consisting among other factors of a De Vry camera, with tripod, and portable projector, costing in its entirely about $1500. While there is no theatre in the town, the place of one is taken largely by the community house, for- merly used as a church. Kiddies Strong for Chaplin In the community hall also are shown pictures for children at stated periods, the subjects being selected with especial attention to the audience that will attend. An admission is charged, although the project is of the non-profit order. Westerns are great favorites with the young pic- turegoers — and also are those featur- ing Charles Chaplin. Asked as to what methods he em- ployed to reach his clients when he wished to acquaint them with some- thing worth while, he said he used simply a postcard, something which might be read without even the ac- companying trouble of opening an en- velope. No attempt was made to dis- guise the fact it was frank advertis- ing, and he had found the plan to work out successfully. These cards, perhaps 500 in number, are sent to well-to-do clients in territory between Evanston and Highland Park, as well as in Winnetka. The system also has proved satisfactory in converting prospects into customers. Regarding the rental situation as he found it Mr. Crilly said it was his belief that it is better to have no library than a poor one. The reaction is bound to be bad where a client learns a picture he is seeking is not available, especially where the same situation obtains in the case of a sec- ond or third choice. The inevitable re- sult is that a customer goes to another store and takes his patronage with him. C. H. Affeldt is the other partner of the Radio Shop. Mr. Affeldt gives his special attention to the radio business of the company while Mr. Crilly looks after the photographic customers. No one can talk a quarter of an hour with Mr. Crilly without being impressed with the fact that Win- netka is a mighty fine town in which to live — that it has an abundance of civic pride, and justifiably so; that it has a citizenship composed of men and women who aim to make it not only a home for themselves but for those who come after them, their own chil- dren among them. And the interviewer gets the im- pression also that Winnetka is fortu- nate in counting among its municipal possessions the Radio Service Shop and the men who conduct it. Textbook Answers Many Questions of Amateurs In the 1931 Filmo Catalog, just issued by Bell & Howell, will be found interesting discussions on such subjects as why color filters are used, the principles of exposure, and when and why to use a tripod. Among other topics treated in a popular but authoritative manner are artificial lighting for indoor pictures, titling, editing and screening. There is a discussion on speed lenses, with a short section on the Filmo optical system for Kodacolor projection. The catalog's listing and description of amateur products, in- cluding many new accessories, should be of value to anyone who owns or expects to own a 16 mm. camera or projector. Among the new products included is the Filmophone, a portable 16 mm. sound reproducer. The book is well illustrated and should prove of value to the amateur. It will be sent free on request. Bell and Howell Catalogue Cover Thirty-two The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER February, 1931 When Industry Calls on 16mm. Mitchell and La Rue Tell Machine Shop Men How Amateur Camera May Solve Problems and Increase Factory Output By R. FAWN MITCHELL and M. W. LA RUE of Bell and Howell Company Read Before the Machine Shop Practice Division, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, in New York PROGRESSIVE factory managers are awake to the vital necessity of their watching every opera- tion and effecting every economy that will cut down their overhead and im- prove their output. After all is said and done, a factory is the essence of motion, so that it is not surprising that a motion picture camera has found much favor in assisting factory managers to solve many of their prob- lems, mechanical, training and re- search. Pictures of intimate phases of man- ufacturing operations are used by salesmen to convince the prospect of the care used in making the equip- ment and provide a very effective selling talk. However, the principal interest in this paper will be confined to those uses of motion pictures that more directly touch upon factory managers' peculiar problems. A close community interest among employes is an invaluable asset to any business, and a tremendous number of manufacturers are using motion pic- tures within their organization to pro- mote this interest. In conjunction with clubs of vari- ous kinds, activities outside of work- ing hours, and in self-government projects, motion pictures grasp the in- terest and the imagination of the em- ploye, giving him a sense of actuality of the thino- before him. For general entertainment employes frequently enact movie plays them- selves, exhibiting their screen prowess to fellow employes at regular meet- ings. A tremendous number of sub- jects can be leased or rented from the many libraries of motion picture film located in practically every town of any importance throughout the United States. Two Big Questions Now to consider the practical adap- tation of movies to production prob- lems in the shop there are two natu- ral questions that will be asked. 1. How can motion pictures be used to solve any particular problem ? 2. What is the most economical method of securing results, what is the cost, etc. ? Most of you here assembled are far more experienced in time and motion study than the authors. We do not wish to create the impression that we are authorities on the subject. How- ever, at our own factory in Chicago Time clock is here shown in connection with camera in time and motion study work. Courtesy Movie Makers. we have, to some extent, studied the application of the motion picture cam- era to various phases of factory pro- duction, and time and motion study have engaged the attention of a num- ber of our engineers. Motion study men tell us that mo- tion study is not a speeding-up proc- ess. On the contrary, it seeks to find the one best way of doing a job, which is usually the easiest way. For instance, Bill is engaged in punching out blanks on a punch press. George and Harry are at adjoining- machines performing exactly the same operation. Bill consistently turns out more pieces than does either of the others. Bill, therefore, must have a better method of performing his work. After study it is found that Bill employs, say, four motions to do the job, while Harry and George use six. Obviously, George and Harry should be shown how they, too, can increase their output, improve their work, in order that they may increase their earnings and decrease their labor. Stop Watch and Camera A competent engineer with a stop watch can make time studies and mo- tion studies and return to his office with figures which when anlyzed can be used to definite advantage. If we add a motion picture camera to the stop watch we can then make a micro- motion study of the operation to be analyzed, and the engineer not only has his stop watch readings, but a visual record of the entire operation synchronized with the time element. This can be reviewed time and time again, with the assurance that the personal element, in the use of the stop watch, is also eliminated. To make a micro-motion study the operation to be analyzed is photo- graphed, including in the field a mi- crochronometer or stop watch if de- sired. There is a type of micro- chronometer now on the market which operates by a synchronous motor which is ideal for the purpose. By re- cording photographically the move- ments of the operation and the move- ment of the clock, time may be re- corded to within .002 of a minute. With the recent improvements in camera design for the 16 mm. ama- teur film, motion study work is made particularly easy. Among the most recent improvements in camera de- sign of tremendous value to the ana- lyst are the turret head and the criti- cal focusing device. The use of lenses of varying focal length permits the placing of the camera in such a way as not to interfere with the routine performance of the operator or opera- tion and enables the picture to be made right in the shop. Of particular importance is the fact that such cameras are obtainable with a range of various speeds that per- mits photographing an operation in normal sneed and then turning around and photographing the same in semi- slow motion. The speed of the cam- February, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPH E R Thirty-three era can be adjusted to the speed of the operation so that the action can be slowed down just enough to facili- tate analyzing the action without slowing it down so much that the es- sential sequence or rhythm of the operation as a whole is lost sight of. Doing Away with Clock For simpler operations it is possi- ble to do away with the clock by run- ning the film through the camera at a constant speed. Thus if the film passes through the gate at 1000 frames per minute, the elapsed time between any two frames is .001 min- ute. An element of motion occupying two feet of film or 80 frames must have taken .08 minute to perform. Thus the camera alone is made to fulfill both functions. The highest class of spring'-driven cameras now available can be considered accurate to within about two per cent. This is satisfactory for quite a large number of operations. Probably the most satisfactory method of doing this type of work is to include the clock in the picture area as sug'gested previously. This permits individual analysis of each frame so that the exact time elapsed for each portion of an operation can be deter- mined accurately. At the end of the paper will be given references to ar- ticles describing different methods of doing this work for those interested in following it up. At this point we would like to make brief mention of some of the special types of machines now in common use, such as weaving machines, folding machines, and other automatic equip- ment handling complicated operations. Everyone knows how easy it is for these machines to get out of order and also everyone knows how hard it is to place one's finger on the exact cause of the difficulty. Here the super- possible to take slow motion pictures of extended length with professional cameras. However, there is available a com- pact, spring-driven camera operating at the same speed as the professional camera — namely, 128 pictures per speed camera proves its value. It is second, giving a picture length of about five or six seconds. Ordinarily this is sufficient time to analyze the usual run of such opera- tions so that one can readily follow on the screen happenings which are too fast for the human eye correctly to analyze. The action is slowed down eight times by taking pictures at this speed. By slowing down the projector this can be slowed down still further, though naturally this is not recom- mended unless the circumstances ren- der it imperative. Pride of Workmanship Satisfactory movies taken of intri- cate operations tie up very nicely with ordinary time and motion study. By their aid employes can be shown the importance of different phases of an assembly very quickly and very vividly. It helps materially in enabling them to appreciate the importance of their particular part of the job in the whole. If the average employe is able to ap- preciate just how much his fellow worker has to rely on his workman- ship it is not a hard idea to sell the employe the importance of exercising sufficient care to have the pride of workmanship necessary to turn out a good job. An interesting example of the use of pictures for this type of work is to be found in the telephone companies. These companies train switchboard operators not only in the actual ma- nipulation of plugs, but also in the understanding of the circuit and the complicated wire traffic which they never see. Automobile manufacturers train dealers in correct servicing methods, how to perform the various types of service in the most approved factory manner. Aeroplane companies, motor compa- nies and practically every type of manufacturer can use motion pictures in analyzing and for training. There is no operation, process, or routine of any nature but what can be taught better by movies. Correlating Many Factories The Genei'al Electric Company has developed an interesting side line to pictures originally designed for the purpose of internal instruction. These films are sent to other factories and help more than anything else to en- able branch managers in different countries to correlate their produc- tions with that at the main factory. It was soon found that there were numerous requests for permission to show these films to high schools, uni- versities, etc. Naturally, films shown under these conditions to budding- en- gineers, etc., had a material sales value that, if anything, was even more effective because they were not de- signed to act as a selling film. In conclusion, we would like to men- tion a few thoughts on the possibili- ties of motion pictures for research work. Possibly the average factory manager is not primarily interested in pure research, but there are many things which it is desirable for him to find for certain. For instance, in order to check the qualities of his lu- bricating oil, motion pictures taken through the microscone have been found very valuable. These pictures also can be taken in color, as the color of the oil often acts as a guide to its other qualities and in this manner a permanent rec- ord is kept which is valuable for fu- ture reference. All engineers are familiar with the value of still photographs taken through the mi- croscope showing steel structure. Control of Lights Motion pictures taken of similar subjects, say under strain, etc., are providing information of great value as to the action of different steels under different types of stresses. The same thought obviously can be ap- plied to other metals, alloys, etc. There is a convenient titling device known as the Character Title Writer, designed primarily for amateur mo- tion picture fans making their own titles. By simply folding down the title card holder on this unit, a most convenient device is available for the photographing of small parts. Lights are provided on the unit and a compensating device is also pro- vided which automatically focuses the lens and takes care of the offset of the viewfinder so that you see ex- actly the field that you are photo- graphing and have every assurance that you are getting the picture with- out difficulty. The value of such a convenient unit for many types of work is self-evident. It only costs a few cents to take a few feet of film showing certain op- Making a time and motion study of factory operation with In mm. camera calibrated to register the time element. Thirty-four The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER February, 1931 Table of Artificial Lighting Data Distance of Filmo Camera from Subject With 1" F 1.8 Lens With 1" F 3.5 Lens HALLDORSON LIGHTING Wide < UNITS EMPLOYED Panchro. Film Feet 1 arc lamp, 1 reflector 11 1 1000-watt light, 1 reflector. . 8 1 1500- watt light, 1 reflector. . 6 1 arc lamp, 1 1000-watt light, reflectors 15 2 1000-watt lights, reflectors. . 10 1 1000-watt light, 1 500-watt light, reflectors 9 2 500-watt lights, reflectors ... 8 erations. Usually one of the promis- ing apprentices in a shop is an ama- teur photographer and with practically no training at all a very satisfactory picture can be taken with one of these small cameras and a couple of lights. At the end of this paper will be given a table showing the number of lights necessary at different distances with different lenses on the camera. These figures cover ordinary condi- tions. Some sort of a photometer or exposure meter is really desirable, but the table will give a close approxima- tion that should help those interested in taking their own pictures. The 16 mm. amateur size film is comparatively cheap, so that if the results are not satisfactory the first time they can be shot over without inconvenience or more than the loss of a couple of dollars' worth of film. Therefore, there is every inducement for the factory manager to investi- gate the possibilities of this new tool. In fact, it is desirable that they do more than investigate — that they ap- ply it to their problems. Sufficient work has been done along this line so that it is possible to state without equivocation that motion pic- tures provide a most effective means for a factory manager to improve his production, to train his employes, and to do research work where records — in motion — are available for compar- ison at a later date. It is trite to point out the importance of compar- ing records; every manager does that regularly. How much more important is it to compare records — in motion — where the time element is as impor- •pen Wide Open Current Ortho. Panchro. Ortho. Drawn Film Film Film in Feet Feet Feet Amperes 10 7 6 20 7 5 4 9 5 4 3 4% 13 10 8 29 9 7 6 18 8 6 5 13 y2 7 5 4 9 tant if not more important than the mechanical factors involved? NOTE.— The above table is calcu- lated upon the following assumptions: (1) That the walls and ceilings have average reflecting power, that is, white ceilings, medium toned walls. (2) That no daylight or other addi- tional light than average home illu- mination (which has negligible actinic value) falls upon the subject. (3) That the subjects are clothed in medium colors — neither white nor very dark. (4) That, in the arc lamp, regular carbons are used with orthochromatic film and panchromatic carbons with panchromatic film. For photographing machinery add 50 per cent to 100 per cent more light. References: Factory and Industrial Management. June, 1930, "The Movie Camera, an aid in the search for the 'one best' method" — Allan Mogen- sen, assistant editor; July, "Operation Analysis with the Motion Picture Camera" — M. A. Dittmar, Ph.D., as- sistant general manager, Lehn & Fink; September, "Training Time Study Men" — Allan Mogensen; Octo- ber, "Micro-Motion Study Applied to the Manufacture of Small Parts" — R. M. Blakelock, wage rate department General Electric Company; November, "We're Not Experts in Micro-Motion Techniaue but We're Learning Fast" — F. J. Van Ponpelen, Cadillac Motor Car Company, Detroit; July-August, International Review of Educational Cinematography (published by League of Nations, Education Cinemato- graphic Institute). Chancellor Completes Two Reels Showing Big Lizards PHILIP CHANCELLOR is now in Hollywood engaged in editing films photographed on the two Chancellor-Stuart Field Museum ex- peditions conducted during the last year and a half. The laboratory work is being done at the plant of Holly- wood Film Enterprises. Two 1000-foot reels have reached the stage of preliminary showing. These are devoted entirely to pictures of the varanus komodensis, or lizard, the securing of which was the main objective of the expeditions. The film shows the animals in groups at times of three as thev come out of the jungle to tackle the bait prepared for them. The animals photographed ranged in length from 7 to 9 feet and weighed about 300 pounds. Strangely enough, as the pictures show, the lizards will outrun a man. Eleven in all of these were captured, three of which were prepared for mounting for the Field Museum in Chicago, where they now are. All of the pictures were shot on 35 mm. film. The scene of the capture of these animals was Flores Island, between Java and Australia. Chancellor is planning to return this summer to the Pacific islands on another explora tory expedition sponsored by the Field Museum. Bell and Howell Issues a Still Camera Photometer THE Bell & Howell still camera photometer, just announced, is an exposure meter. It is bas- ically the same as the Bell & Howell photometer for Filmo movie cameras, but is especially calibrated to meet the requirements of the still photog- rapher, whether he is a beginner or a highly advanced amateur or profes- sional. The essential features of the orig- inal photometer, including its con- venient size, its light weight of about five ounces, and its three dials are all retained. There is the same simple procedure of looking directly through the instrument at the object to be photographed, matching an electric filament with the brilliancy of the subject, and then making an exposure reading direct from the dial system without guesswork or calculation. As in the movie photometer, the exact exposure of any portion of a subject can be readily determined, so that the range of contrasts of any view can be arrived at with exactness. The still camera photometer is cali- brated to a range of shutter speeds and exposure times from 32 seconds to 1/1000 of a second and to lens stops of from F 1 to F 32. A tremendously important factor in still photography is that the effective photographic speeds of the different types of plates and films vary much more than the films used for motion picture work. Therefore, a dial has been calibrated in this new photom- eter so that the instrument can be quickly set to compensate for what- ever speed of plate or film may hap- pen to be used. The same dial also carries another set of calibrations to facilitate quick compensation for filters of various strengths. The photometer obviously covers all lenses, all plates or films, and all conditions of illumination that are ordinarily met with in still work. Mole-Richardson Supplies Lights for French Plant Mole - Richardson studio lighting equipment is known all over the world and is practically standard in all the American studios. Recently the com- pany received a large order for 24-in. Incandescent Sun Spots from the Cinestudio Continental, Saint Mau- rice, France, which is controlled by the Paramount Publix Corporation. So far the Mole-Richardson Com- pany has not had any direct Euro- pean representation; but I hear that the concern is now affiliated with VenrecO, Ltd., of London, the stage lighting specialists. This will enable the latter company to manufacture studio lighting equipment from Mole- Richardson designs. VenrecO, Ltd., will also act as rep- resentatives and sales agents for Mole-Richardson, Inc., in England and on the Continent. Mr. Mole state's that this connection will greatly in- crease the sale of Mole-Richardson products in international fields. — F. F. in Bioscope, London. February, 19 31 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirty-five Now Operations Are Photographed Wisconsin Surgeon Explains How Best Results Are Secured by Placing- Camera and Lights Directly Over Patient By RICHARD B. STOUT, M.D. Of Jackson Clinic of Madison, Wis., in The Journal of the American Medical Association masks the red portion of the Koda- color filter. For our particular work a little better color rendition was obtained by removing the ratio diaphragm entirely and covering a portion of the red side of the filter with a piece of black lantern slide binder. SURGICAL practice lends itself admirably to the taking of motion pictures to perpetuate the tran- sient phases of operative technic. Unfortunately, many difficulties con- front a cameraman who may want to photograph an operation in progress. First of all the surgeons cannot be inconvenienced by the intrusion of photographic equipment. In any case the cameraman is kept so far away from the sterile field that his film usually records more elbows and backs than it does the operation. To record what the surgeon sees and does the camera is best placed somewhere above the patient but far enough away not to interfere with the surgeons or nurses. The accom- panying illustration shows how a 16 mm. Filmo camera was attached to a regular Operay light, which may be conceded as being one of the most logical positions for it. To do this an iron ring was fastened between the main lens of the lamp and frame. This ring was made with a projecting piece to which the Filmo camera was fastened. Remote Control Necessary As the camera was then out of reach a remote control was necessary, and a solenoid electromagnet was de- signed which could be fastened over the release button on the camera and controlled by a foot switch. This solenoid was made by winding a small brass tube in which a small soft iron armature was attached to the upper end by a spring. When the switch is pressed the armature is pulled down, operating the starting button and permitting the taking of single frames or longer exposures at will. The surgeon or his assistant may thus be the cam- eraman and take only the important steps of the operation. Lighting an Operation As the camera spring must be re- wound if more than 25 feet of film is to be exposed, the rewind device, shown in the illustration, was made. The shaft of a 4-inch, V-grooved pul- ley was fitted to the winding key socket of the camera. Several turns of fine piano wire were taken around it and passed through a one-fourth inch flexible copper tube to a smaller wheel with a crank attached. A nurse may thus rewind the camera as necessary, from a distance. Satisfactory black and white pic- tures may be taken at F 4.5 by the illumination of the ordinary operat- ing light, but for Kodacolor pictures a considerable amount of auxiliary illumination is necessary. Eight small automobile spotlights were fitted with double filament 32-32 candlepower 8-volt bulbs, all of which were connected in series and attached to the operating light by the arms shown. The series of auxiliary lights were then connected in multiple with the electromagnetic camera release and both controlled by the foot switch and operated on the 110-volt lighting cur- rent. Heat generated by the lights during the thirty to sixty second "shots" ordinarily taken is not ob- jectionable. The low voltage lamps used generate far less heat than the regular type of lamp, so that water cooling is unnecessary. The light emitted by incandescent lights has more red and yellow in its composition than daylight, so allow- ance has to be made accordingly when Kodacolor pictures are to be taken. This can be taken care of by reversing the ratio diaphragm that comes with the film so that the part that ordinarily masks the blue now Florida Journal Printing Tales by Esselle Parichy IN ITS issue of Sunday, January 18, the Miami (Fla.) Daily News in its rotogravure section carried an entire page of camera studies of Santo Domingo contributed by Esselle Parichy, International Photographers. This is but the first of a series of pictures and incidentally stories as well our fellow-member will photo- graph and write for the Miami jour- nal. The succeeding number told th? story of a trip to the West Indies. This magazine extends its congrat- ulations to the Miami Daily News on its new contributor. If it already has not so learned it very shortly will that there are photographers who also possess the gift of graphic de- scription. Some of these cameramen have not yet made the discovery, but eventually the knowledge will be con- veyed to them by competent as well as impartial critics. A Film Club has been instituted in Brunn (Czechoslovakia), com- prising all branches of the Czecho- slovak film industry; producers, dis- tributors, exhibitors, scenario writers, etc. Making Kodacolor pictures of a surgical operation Thirty-six The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER February, 1931 1 Hi * ^ 1 if^ ^^ ' M^Hk. HKA\ . J^^k |£3a^ 1 ^^^^H .7. L. Herrmann at the Ray-Belt studio makes sound record of the proceedings of amateur Twin City magicians, among the events being the exemplification of the doll house illusion — wherein the young woman shown here is lifted out of the miniature cottage. When Amateur Magicians Perform They Make Sound Screen Record THE coming- of sound has opened up new avenues of usefulness for pictures, as is illustrated by the program arranged for a recent meeting of the Twin Cities branch of the Society of American Magicians. The organization is composed of business men who indulge in feats of magic as a hobby. Among the mem- bers of this particular branch is Carl Jones, owner of the Minneapolis Journal; Dr. John Taft, leading- physician and surgeon, and George Foster, a manufacturer of cosmetics. The meeting of the branch was held on one of the stages of Bay-Bell Films, Inc., and was photographed by J. L. Herrmann of Paramount Sound News, and recorded by George L. Graham. Messrs. Ray and Bell not only turned over their studio to Mr. Herrmann — and that included everything, from lamps to props — but they pitched in themselves. The set-up in the accompanying- still picture represents what is known as the doll house illusion. Mr. Foster started the proceedings with a little doll not more than five inches in heighth. Gradually but very steadily the dolls kept getting larger. The climax came when the young woman shown in the picture was helped out of the tiny house by Mr. Foster. Mr. Herrmann sends word from Messrs. Ray and Bell that the latch- string is out for any International Photographer from the north or east or west to make their studio his head- quarters while visiting Twin Cities. The studio is situated at 817 Uni- versity avenue, St. Paul, and has three floors of well-equipped dark- rooms, with a choice either of arc or incandescent lamps on the stages. Local 666 members affiliated with Ray-Bell Films are R. H. Ray, C. E. Bell, H. W. Cress, H. C. Oslund, B. O. Foss, F. R. Arver and J. Pavel. Soundman Graham also is a member of the Chicago organization. "A fine bunch of fellows," says Herrmann. 16 mm. Film Runs 19,300 Times Before Scrapping A 16 MM. film was run through a Filmo projector 19,300 times before the film could be consid- ered in such a state that it should be thrown aside as practically useless. Despite the fact that this film was run in a regular projector with a single tooth shuttle drive careful measurement with a measuring micro- scope indicated identical wear on the perforations on both sides of the film. This test goes to prove that in the long run the principal wear is at the sprockets and not at the aperture. This might be considered due to the fact that the sprocket teeth necessari- ly enter the perforations with a more or less rolling motion which would in time tend to chip the film, whereas the shuttle tooth has a perfect recti- linear motion, entering the perfora- tions at right angles and starting to move very slowly with a constant ac- celeration. At the latter portion of the stroke the acceleration decreases in like pro- portion and the shuttle tooth leaves the perforation at right angles. Most persons do not show their pet films more than twice a week. At this rate these films can be shown twice a week for 190 years. There- fore there seems little cause to fear that the most valuable amateur films need ever be worn out as long as a good projector is kept in reasonably good condition and the film also kept in reasonably good condition by the use of humidors and proper storing. Advance in Slereoscopy A further claim to have solved the problem of stereoscopy has now been made by Continsouza, the French projector manufacturer, now part of the Gaumont concern. Nevertheless, in its present stage the invention is only effective with one spectator. A film made on this new principle was shown in natural colors and pro- jected through a new type of appa- ratus. Continsouza claims that it will be able to put the perfect three dimen- sional projector on the market in the near future. The directors of Copenhagen the- atres have decided that within con- tract limits, artists employed on their stages will not be allowed to act in sound films. Mitchell and Bell & Howell Cameras Sales and Rentals For Rent Three Mitchell sound cameras complete, including two 1,000-ft. magazines with each camera at regular camera rental. For Sale — -Bell & Howell cameras complete and in first class condition. Prices on application. J. R. LOCKWOOD GRanite 3177 Phone 1108 North Lillian Way Hollywood, California. Cable Address "Lockcamera" Hollywood February, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Th irty-seven Fast Eastman Plates (Continued from Page 28) tive enough to record swift action shots. The new Eastman plate, however, a picture agency executive declared, is faster than anything manufactured abroad. "When a photographer speaks of a 'fast plate' he means a plate on which the emulsion is sensitive enough to record a scene in the frac- tion of a second during which the shutter of his camera is open. For average newspaper work the shutter works at about one one-hundredth of a second. "On clear days action shots of foot- ball games or races can be taken at a speed of one five-hundredths of a second, but the result depends on the sensitivity of the plate. Light and shadow make all the difference in the world to a news photographer. He may shoot plays in the first half of a football game in sunlight at one one- hundredth of a second, and in the last quarter with fading light he may have to use a speed of a fiftieth of a second. "For this reason cameramen usual- ly carry two kinds of plates on such assignments. The new Eastman plate is looked upon as a means of getting the fullest effectiveness out of new high-speed cameras." Some of the pictures made with these plates have been so unusual that mention of the new material has been considered a part of the news interest of the pictures. Captions have stated that the pictures were made with a new plate which does not require a flash or other form of supplementary light. Eastman hyper-press is wonder- fully fast and efficient for all forms of outdoor work in daylight. The press photographer can never take a chance on failing light for, rain or shine, he must produce pictures that his paper can use. He uses a small camera with the fastest lenses obtainable, and he must have as fast a plate as can be made. His greatest problem, how- VllMMbitjf The Rev. Bernard Hubbard, S.J., clergyman-explorer, with Eyemo camera in the Aniakchak crater in Alaska. It as the first time a motion picture camera has been taken into the largest active crater in the world, being twenty-one miles in circumference. ever, has been night pictures. It is here tat even the fastest plate falls off in speed because all artificial light contains a large proportion of color other than blue, and practically all extremely high speed plates are totally blind to red and very little sensitive to green and yellow. The logical solution of this prob- lem was an extremely fast panchro- matic plate, sensitive to all colors, and this plate has been produced. As speed and color sensitiveness are increased, however, as they have been in these plates, precautions also must be increased to protect their great sensitiveness against light dur- ing loading and unloading holders and in development. The hypersensitive panchromatic should be handled in perfect dark- ness when possible and under no cir- cumstances should it be exposed to a red light. If the Series 3 green Wratten safelight is used it is best not to expose the plate to its light until he image is well formed. WEBB-DOUGLAS PRODUCTIONS Completing "AIR POLICE" for Sono-Art-World-Wide Release Directed by Stuart Paton Harry Webb Supervising ROY DAVIDGE FILM LABORATORIES An Exclusive "Daily" Laboratory 6701-6715 Quality and Service SANTA MONICA GRanite 3108 BOULEVARD Thirty-eight The INTERNATIONAL PHOTO G R A P H E R February, 1931 Front and rear angle views of new Mole-Richardson Integral Inkie Mole-Richardson Places on Market Its Integral Inkie Mole-Richardson, Inc., designers and manufacturers of incandescent equipment for set illumination, an- nounce a new product, the Integral Inkie. This lamp is generally con- ceded by those experienced in set lighting to be one of the most satis- factory units of its type for set light- ing purposes. With the introduction of noiseless recording a demand has arisen for noiseless lighting equipment. The Integral Inkie meets this demand, it is claimed, since it has been so de- signed that no parts are used in its construction which produce expan- sion noises when the equipment is switched on and expanding with the heat from the Mazda, globe. The head of the Integral Inkie is designed of one single aluminum alloy casting. The housing, mirror, dome, ventilator, light baffles, lamp trough, switch box and trunion plates are one integral piece. This lamp head is cast from a spe- cial silicon aluminum alloy known in the trade as No. 43. Castings from this alloy differ from ordinary alum- inum castings in that if they are bent or deformed they can be easily straightened. In case lamps of the new type are damaged by falling from the parallels or by being knocked over they can be repaired by ordinary workmen without excessive cost. Another feature of this alloy is that it is one of the lightest of the aluminum alloys, being 7 per cent lighter than those customarily used. The few additional parts to this lamp, such as the slide rods, mirror ring, etc., have been designed to have unrestricted movement which allows them to expand freely without pro- ducing any sound. For the Integral Inkie the manu- facturer claims it is noiseless from the time it is switched on, that it is sturdy and strong, the total weight of the complete unit being 6QV2 pounds, and that it is a convenient lamp to handle when rigging the set. Mole-Richardson already have the 18-inch and 24-inch sun spots of the new type in production. Bell and Howell photometer for still camera Lyons Writes Technical Terms Reginald E. Lyons of International Photographers has contributed to the forthcoming Webster's Dictionary about 1,000 words defining technical terms and slang regarding the mo- tion picture camera. He will be so credited in the big book. Lyons has been 21 years in the motion picture business. King Charney says . . . WHETHER IT BE CARBON OR INCANDESCENT LIGHTING WHETHER IT BE TALKIES OR SILENT Insist Upon j4 Negative For definite results AGFA RAW FILM CORPORATION February, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirty -nine Trueball Tripod Heads MODEL B Their use for follow shots assures smooth operation, having an equal tension on all movements. Also, their action is unaffected by temperature. Fred Hoefner Cinema Machine Shop 5319 Santa Monica Blvd. GLadstone 0243 Los Angeles MELROSE Trunk Factory UNION MADE Camera Cases for UNION CAMERAMEN UNION MADE Camera Num- ber Boards Trunk and Luggage Repairing Our Specialty Automobile Trunks, Sample and Make-Up Cases to Order GLadstone 1872 646 N. Western LOS ANGELES, CALIF. vjthir fffnts. cAste youp dealep. or ujpite to GEORGE H. SCHEIBE PHOTO-FILTER SPECIALIST Ferry The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER February, 1931 Wishing everyone success for theNewYear VERNON L. WALKER Specializing in PROCESS Miniature, Trick and Unusual Shots Address 601 West Fairmont, Glendale, Calif. DO. 5032-R HE. 1128 CLASSIFIED W. A. SICKNER FIRST CAMERAMAN COMPLETE AKELEY EQUIPMENT CRestview7255 GLadstone 5083 HEmpstead 1128 Kenneth Peach Special Effects FRED JACKMAN W. R. - F. N. Alvin Wyckoff Multicolor Aerial Photography WM. H. TUERS GR. 9097 HE. 1128 J. N. Giridlian SECOND CAMERAMAN STerling 1293 TErrace 9152 FOR SALE— Cameras— Mitchell, Bell & How- ell, Akeley ; lenses and accessories of all kinds ; new and used. HOLLYWOOD CAM- ERA EXCHANGE, 1511 Cahuenga Boulevard. FOR RENT— Three Mitchell cameras, high speed movements. 1000 ft. magazines. J. R. Lockwood, 1108 N. Lillian Way. GR. 3177. MITCHELL high-speed Camera No. 225. Van Rossem. 6049 Hollywood Blvd. HO 0725. FOR SALE— Bell & Howell Cinemotor. Used one picture. $175. J. R. Lockwood. 1108 N. Lillian Way. GR 3177. MISCELLANEOUS WANTED— FROM GLOBE-TROTTING CAM- ERAMEN FILM OF FOREIGN COUN- TRIES. ADDRESS REX GORDON, 1215 JUNE ST., HOLLYWOOD. PHONE GR 6933. SAVE 25 to 50% on Voigtlander, Zeiss, East- man and Grafiex Cameras. Hundreds of new and used bargains to choose from. All guaranteed for one year. Also Cameras re- paired, rented, bought for cash, exchanged at Peterson's Camera Exchange, 356 S. Broad- way. Upstairs entrance Room 321. FOR RENT Mitchell with Speed Movement complete. Five matched and cali- brated lenses. 4, 3, 2, 40 and 35 Pan Tachar 2 1000 ft. and 4 400-ft. magazines 1 Gear box and shaft 1 Baby tripod and high hat Glenn R. Kershner Culver City 3154 ELMER G. DYER HE8116-HE1128 Walter J. Van Rossem PHOTOGRAPHIC LABORA- TORY. MITCHELL CAMERA No. 225, COMPLETE, FOR SALE HOlly 0725 6049 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, California Art Reeves Cliff Thomas Phone HOIIywood 9431 yK( hould be made first to Pftr-OT^Birrgef H. A. Anderson ' Sam Hess Ted Tetzlaff Milton M. Moore Gordon Jennings J. B. Walker Sid Hickox Oren W. Roberts Charles Marshall Elmer G. Dyer W. H. Daniels Peter B. Steele Roy Kluver S. E. Greenwald Blaine Walker David Abel Lloyd Knechtel Arthur Edeson Leo Tover Gus Peterson Harry W. Forbes H. C. McClung A. M. Davey E. L. Pilkington R. S. Newhard F. B. Heisler Russell A. Cully H. J. Kirkpatrick C. J. Bigelow C. G. Clarke Walter Lundin Frank Redman Arthur Smith J. T. Brown, Jr. Ben Reynolds Irvin Roberts Alfred L Gilks F. R. Eldredge W. W. Nobles W. H. Greene Ali Stark Edwin B. Hesser R. F. Overbaugh William C. Hyer Glen Gano C. C. Baldridge Kenneth Peach John F. Seitz J. R. Herman Harry A. Zech Donald B. Keyes Abe Scholtz Stanley Gifford L. G. Wilky G. H. Robinson E. J. Cohen J. F. Westerberg Raymond C. Ries Dr. G. F. Jackman Jack Stevens James Diamond George Stevens Lee D. Garmes R. B. Kurrle A. C. Miller Elgin Lessley John Hilliard L. M. Smith William Wheeler G. R. Kershner March, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Five Allen C. Jones Jerome H. Ash Paul H. Allen Sol Halprin L. T. Galezio Ray Wilkinson Paul P. Perry W. G. Thompson John Arnold Sol Polito John J. Mescall Jules Cronjager William V. Skall Virgil Miller Mack Stengler W. H. Tuers Gil Warrenton W. L. Marshall Paul G. Hill Ira B. Hoke Ernest Miller Dewey Wrigley Pliny W. Home Jack R. Young Barney McGill Tony G. Gaudio E. t. Estabrook Harry Jackson Raider B. Olson R. E. Lyons Faxon M. Dean Harry Perry V. L. Walker R. B. Staub Frank Cootz Charles Rosher Paul E. Eagler Roy Davidge Hal Hall Fred W. Gage Harris Ensign Charles Levin Alvin Wyckoff George Blaisdell C. Roy Hunter Fred Jackman Len Powers H. N. Kohler J. A. Dubray G. MacWilliams Charles Stumar E. J. Snyder Earl R. Hinds Ira H. Morgan J. E. Tucker Irving G. Ries Harold Lipstein John F. Hickson R. V. Doran Wiliam A. Rees Lenwood Abbott Ernest Palmer Jackson Rose Arthur L. Todd W. E. Fildew Theo Sullivan Rex L. Wimpy H. Knollmiller R. B. Nichol John S. Stumar Joe J. Novak Ben H. Kline L. L. Lancaster Robert M. Pierce Frank H. Booth Wilson Leahy Eddie Kull Jack Fuqua W. C. Thompson Perry Evans F. E. Larkin J. M. Nickelaus Mike Leshing T. M. Ingman A. J. Guerin Joseph Aller Ray Mammes Park J. Ries C. E. Van Engler Harry Gant Dodge Dunning Ted McCord M. B. DuPont C. M. Downer Edwin O'Connell C. S. Piper Harry Vallejo Bill Eglinton Frank M. Cotner Victor Milner L. W. Physioc E. S. Depew Roy Purdon H. F. Koenekamp R. E. Yarger Dev Jennings W. V. Kelley Nick Musuraca J. W. Howe Leon Shamroy Percy Hilburn Arthur Martinelli Paul Lang H. L. Broening C. E. Schoenbaum George Seid Jake Badaracco Farciot Edouart Ray Rennahan J. H. August Henry Goldfarb Otto Himm G. Schneiderman George Crane Andre Barlatier J. C. Van Trees Harold Rosson Milton Cohen Karl Freund W. Crespinel Eastman Super Sensitive Panchromatic Type Two — Motion Picture Film By EMERY HUSE and GORDON A. CHAMBERS West Coast Division — Motion Picture Film Department Eastman Kodak Company ON February 5, 1931, the East- man Kodak Company announced to the motion picture trade in Hollywood its new super sensitive panchromatic type two motion picture negative film. Inasmuch as this film exhibits characteristics not hitherto shown in motion picture negative emulsions it was considered advisable to present some data pertaining to those characteristics. This article is not presented as a complete technical treatise of the characteristics of the super sensitive film, its aim being to call attention briefly and simply to the differences this super sensitive film exhibits over the present type of panchromatic films. As the name super sensitive im- plies, this emulsion is extremely fast, but because of its name this new film must in no way be confused with a hypersensitized film. In the past when an emulsion of extreme speed was desired, either for color photog- raphy, filter shots or trick work, it was customary to especially treat the film with some type of sensitizing bath. This bath caused a general increase in the emulsion speed and particularly increased the red light speed. How- ever, the hypersensitized film had cer- tain disadvantages such as its cost, its lack of keeping qualities, and its propensity to produce fog. With the super sensitive type two these disad- vantages are entirely overcome. The increased speed of the super sensitive film has been accomplished during the course of the emulsion manufacture. It is sufficient to say, therefore, that the super sensitive film is not a hypersensitized film. Furthermore, the super sensitive film exhibits the same keeping qualities and shows identical physical charac- teristics as those shown by the pres- ent panchromatic films. Greatly Increased Speed A complete study of any type of film emulsion is best accomplished by making both sensitometric and prac- tical camera tests. This article will not deal in any detail with camera tests but will consider in some detail the sensitometric characteristics oi the super sensitive emulsion as com- pared with the present type of pan- chromatic film. The point of major importance in the consideration of the super sensi- tive film pertains to its greatly in- creased speed. The data obtained sensitometrically can be and have been checked by camera exposures. Sensitometry involves a study of known values of exposure as related to the amount of silver (density) which these exposures produce upon the film after development. The standard sensitometric curve is there- fore one in which is shown the rela- tionship between exposure (expressed logarithmically"1 and the densities produced. It is from curves of this type that the sensitometric character- istics of the films under investigation have been studied. Another important consideration in studying the speed of the super sensi- tive film necessitates a study of the quality of the light sources to which this film is exposed. For that purpose sensitometric tests have been made to daylight and to tungsten. Inasmuch as the mode of testing an emulsion to any light source is prac- tically identical we shall for the sake of brevity and clarity consider only the curves obtained by exposure to tungsten. Defining Speed Figure 1 shows the sensitivity curve of the present and super sensi- tive type of film for tungsten expos- ures developed for a fixed time, nine minutes in a standard borax devel- oper. It will be observed that the supersensitive curve lies above the curve for the present type of film, and the separation of these curves gives an indication of the speed dif- ference existing between the two films. In making a numerical estimate of the speed we do not consider the actual density values produced for a given exposure. The customary method is to deduce speed from the exposure value obtained at the point where the straight line portions of these sensitivity curves, extended, in- tersect the exposure axis. Speed is usually defined by the fol- lowing formula: 1 X C =: Speed, i where i, the inertia, is the exposure value of the intersection point and C is an arbitrarily chosen constant. For the curves shown in Figure 1 we find that the speed of the super sensitive film, as represented by curve No. 2, is three times that for the present type films. Identical tests made to daylight show that the super sensi- tive film is twice the speed of the present type. With reference to Figure 1 atten- tion should be called to the marked difference in the low exposure region, that is in the toe of the H and D curve. In this region the super sen- sitive film definitely differentiates be- tween exposures of very low intensi- ties. Particular reference is made to the exposure region to the left of the relative log exposure value of 0.3. Tungsten Speed Greater The cause for the difference in relative speeds between the two types of films to tungsten and to daylight, or to any other source, is entirely de- pendent upon the color distribution of light from the source and its effect upon the color sensitivity of the emul- sion. It is generally known that tungsten, for example, contains a greater pro- EXP0SURE : TOMGSTEN S Min. in Borax i. Present Films z. Super Sensitive Film "Relative Log E o.o oS oS 55 Ti is i* u S» TT Figure 1 Six The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER March, 1931 portion of red light than does day- light, and the difference in speed of the two films indicates that the super sensitive film must possess greater sensitivity to red light than the pres- ent type of film. It is mainly for this reason that the tungsten speed of the super sensitive when compared to the present type of film is greater than for a similar comparison to daylight. The difference in color sensitivity of the two types of films is shown in Figure 2. This figure shows prints of spectrograms of the two types of film when exposed to tungsten. Speed comparisons should not be drawn from these prints as the prints are so made to show the regions of the spectrum to which each emulsion is sensitive. The figures given represent wave lengths, and beginning at 40 in the blue violet region we have increasing wave lengths through the blue violet, blue, green, yellow, and orange as far as the deep red given at a wave length of 68 microns. The super sensitive film shows an increased concentration of sensitivity in the region around 64 microns. The super sensitive film confines its sensi- tivity to the definitely visible portion of the red end of the spectrum, while the present type of films shows an extension into the deep red and en- croaches upon the near infra-red re- gion. This concentration of visible red sensitivity gives a marked advantage to the super sensitive as it is the ex- tension of red sensitivity into the re- gion of longer wave lengths which is a contributory factor in the produc- tion of chalky highlights under tung- sten illumination. This is eliminated to a marked degree with the super sensitive film. A complete study of an emulsion's sensitivity to color necessitates actual speed measurements to the three ma- jor portions of the visible spectrum, namely to blue, to green, and to red light. For the purpose of obtaining such information actual speed tests, similar to those shown in Figure 1 and later verified by practical expo- sure, were made to daylight through the No. 49 (blue), 58 (green), and 25 (red) filters. Speed values determined from such tests show that the super sensitive film has 75 per cent greater speed to the blue, 200 per cent greater for the green, and from 400 to 500 per cent greater for the red exposures. Such sensitivity naturally lends to a better and more intelligent use of filters, either for straight photog- raphy or for trick work. Increased Speed Another important consideration in the comparison of present and super sensitive film pertains to contrast and the rendering of shadow detail and softer highlights. Figure 3 shows for tungsten exposures the difference in time of development between the two types of film to produce equal degrees of contrast (gamma). These curves are of equal gamma and the data contained shows that it was necessary to develop the super sensitive film three-quarters of a min- ute longer to produce this effect. Furthermore, greater density is picked up in the low exposure region. This is mostly accounted for b,r the increased speed of the super sensitive emulsion, but it is this ability to pick up and differentiate between these low intensities which gives the high order of shadow detail rendering which is shown by this super sensi- tive emulsion. On the other hand, in the region of high exposures it will be observed that the super sensitive film shows a tendency to break into a shoulder, while the present film continues as a straight line. This is at least true for the series of exposures shown in the figure. This break into a shoulder lends to softer highlight rendering and still permits of very definitely separating highlight intensities and thus produces details in this region. Figure 4 shows in much more de- tail the relationship existing between contrast (gamma) and time of devel- opment. These curves, made from exposures to tungsten, represent what are commonly referred to as time-gamma curves and they show the rate at which gamma builds up with increasing time of development. The rate of increase of contrast with increased development time is appreciably less for the supersensitive film, as will be shown by a study of the curves in Figure 4. This means that in the handling of Tungsten Hi ■TOwjiillhli 1 , 44 52 56 ;,i.iii,H;k! i,. 60 64 1 8)*l IllllH Present Films ^mmmm^^^mm m&mm^^+u* . . - .-■■.A.. | «atIC&677 V MSi'iilii'ldim iiiiiL 52 56 60 1 64 (1 IS Exposure Tungsten It 12 1 0 08 > l- z Development: i sMin. in Borax 2 S»A( K^\-^^ OS ft i Tresent Films z Supersensitive Film 02 "Relative Log E 0.0 OS 0.0 0.9 12 IS l» 2.1 Figure J the film during development there is relatively little chance of either un- der or over developing. Errors of the order of 25 per cent in develop- ment time will have a much less marked effect on the super sensitive film. In other words the super sensitive film gives to the laboratory man that one thing which is so important to him and which is colloquially referred to as "development latitude." There is just one caution which should be mentioned at this time. Due i "Present Films 2 Super Sensitive Film a a It 15 18 zi Minutes in Boyax Super Sensitive Film Figure 2 figure U to the increased sensitivity of this emulsion, the handling of this film cannot be successfully accomplished unless the illumination from the pres- ent safelights is reduced appreciably. The ideal condition under which to handle this film would be total dark- ness, and no doubt this condition will prevail inasmuch as many camera loading rooms and laboratories which process negative on machines now operate in almost, if not total, dark- ness. It is felt, therefore, that this will not work any great hardship on the laboratory. However, this word of caution is considered necessary be- cause of the greater increased speed both to white and to colored light of the super sensitive emulsion. What Super Sensitive Does It is felt that a summary of the outstanding features of the super sensitive film will bear repeating. 1 — Super sensitive film is twice as fast to daylight and three times as fast to tungsten light as the present type panchromatic films. 2— Super sensitive film shows 75 per cent more speed to blue light, 200 per cent more to green light, and from 400 to 500 per cent more to red light. 3 — Super sensitive film exhibits an appreciably softer characteristic than present films. For the same time of development the super sensitive film gives lower gammas. This makes it advisable to develop the super sensi- tive film longer if the same degree of contrast as now accepted is still de- sired. 4 — Super sensitive film must be handled at a much reduced light in- tensity in the dark rooms. March, 19J1 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Seven Radio Pictures Using Safe Device in Place of Ramshackle Parallels A NEW-FANGLED portable mo- tor-driven parallel or camera platform is now in use at the Radio studio in Gower street. It is the design of W. V. Johnson , the studio electrical chief. The parallel consists of three plat- forms which fold one into another. These are extended by means of an electric motor or gas engine fastened to the chassis. Through a reduction gear with a ratio of 100 to 1 the apparatus unfolds like a telescope. The tower has been strongly built, so much so that twelve men and four cameras may be carried with entire safety. Both sets of wheels are steer- able allowing for moving the tower in any desired direction without loss of time. This factor makes the new equipment of particular value in out- door work. Cameramen have been especially interested in Johnson's contribution to the safety of photographers. For so many years at times they have been expected by callous directors to mount rickety parallels placed with entire disregard of safety to life and limb that they are bound to welcome any device that will lessen risks heavy enough under the best of circum- stances. When the Film the Builder Rejected Proves Funnier Than Scenario Anticipated FOR the entertainment of studio guests as well as players Mack Sennett has had compiled a print en- titled "Mistakes." Few scenes are re- corded as the director would have them until they have been rehearsed several times. Then as a rule some- one in the sequence will slip on his lines with the result the scene has to be begun all over again. This, of course, is in order to assure unbroken continuity when the finished product reaches the screen. It sometimes happens a player will develop particular difficulty in utter- ing or remembering a certain line in the exact order in which for story purposes the powers that be have decided must be the rule. Generally when a player has stumbled two or three times on the same trap his pa- tience is somewhat frayed — if he does not experience a humiliated feeling" each time a slip comes the director calls a halt it is something very close to it. Under these circumstances a player usually is as frank in expressing his sentiments as it is possible for one human to bs. Not always is his lan- guage pol'te. Far from that. Explosive it is sure to be. The women are as. prone to declare themselves as the men when they find they have stopped the show — and often with entire un- concern as to surroundings — with post mortem results that in their cases are even funnier than those of the men. So the producer delegated one of his cutters to look over his specimens, of "the face on the cutting room floor" and see what could be assem- bled. Even to the stranger who knows, nothing about the picture that had been in the making or even the iden- tity of the players affected the screened contretemps frequently are responsible for more mirth than the approved completed comedy could have been. Portable motor driven parallel or camera platform designed by W. V. Johnson, electrical chief at Radio studio, shoiv- ing it in collapsed form at left and fully extended on the right. Inset, Chief Johnson. The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER March, 1931 »r##*'¥f*'*#'*1*' *** ^^mm^f^t-^-% *>+*. Pf^ith Shackelford in Gobi's Desert By JAMES SHACKELFORD IN my four trips with the Roy Chapmar Andrews expeditions I have covered ove 25,000 miles in Asia. Our outfit usually con sisted of 125 camels, eight motor cars and abou forty men, the latter including, besides the regu lar staff, a crew of twelve to sixteen Mongo camel men and about the same number of Chi nese servants and helpers. The camel caravan provided our movable bast and carried food for the men and gasoline, tires and extra parts for the motor cars. After mak ing contact with the caravan and taking off sup plies to last us for three or four weeks, and whil< we were exploring an area of from 50 to 20( square miles, our camels would move on to a pre determined spot. We were able to cover as much distance in ; day with the cars as our camels would do in i week, depending of course upon the topography o the country. Our caravan might travel in a direc line, whereas our cars might have to detour man; miles, and at times we were forced to leave th< cars and use the camels on side trips in countr; impassable even for a horse. Outside of fresh meat we not only had to earn all our food, but enough to last from four to si) months. On some of our trips we were out o communication with the outside world for month; at a time. Once in the Alashan desert wher camped along the route of Marco Polo we sen out mail by Sven Hedin's caravan as it was re (Continued on Page 24) March, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Nine Story of the Pictures t panel, reading down — Our farthermost camp on the thwestern edge of the Gobi, 1200 miles from Peking, camped on this lake for several weeks and found a inge kind of fi;h here that used to come up out of the ;er at night and feed among the rocks along the shore — [ camel caravan arriving at the Flaming Cliffs in the ley of Shabrach Uau where the 10,000,000 year old osaur eggs were found and incidentally it was in this key where we discovered the "Dune Dweller," a primitive E living in this spot 20,000 years ago. — Our camels cross- ing the sand dunes on their way to water. jht panel — Our camel caravan resting in the sand dunes. \ elevation here is over 7000 feet and the Altai mountains jthe background rise to a height of over 14,000. — On our t day up after leaving the end of the railroad we were ompanied by the American Minister to China, and as we re passing through country controlled by bandits the Inese authorities insisted upon a military escort. In the tance can be seen the old watch towers, outposts of the ,>at Wall of China, built over 2000 years ago, which were <1 as signal posts to convey information cf the approach Tartar enemies from the north. — At a meeting place with caravan where we took off supplies, showing part of one 'our camps. The boxes are numbered and contents cata- ,ued. The T-shaped units are cases of gasoline, six cases of ten gallons each making a camel load. wer — Left : After a season in the Gobi our motor cars 'sing a small Chinese walled city on the return to Peking. !st Chinese towns are walled to keep out the brigands, the )es being closed at sunset and opened at sunrise. Right : jdesert steed. This is the BactKan or double humped pel which often grows to an enormous size. It is capable carrying half a ton for limited distances amd will carry a quarter of a ton on long treks. •per — Left : The last outpost, a day by motor car from j end of the railroad. This telegraph station is on the lil between Urga and Peking. Urga is the capital of Mon- |ia. Right, a typical Mongol habitation. The full grown the flock? are kept in the stone corral and the young are it in the yurts or felt tents at night, the animals sleeping on cne side of the yurt and the native? on the other. mm \ mm Ten The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER March, 1931 Looking In on Just a Few New Ones CITY LIGHTS Rollie T other oh, Cameraman HAVING in mind the fact that Charles Chaplin spent more than two years in the making of "City Lights" and in view of a re- mark he made to the first night audi- ence at the new Los Angeles Theatre opening it would seem that off the screen as well as on it he still is the premier comedian. He had just been presented to the house by Conrad Nagle, who in closing had made refer- ence to the player's inexhaustible imagination and perfect technique. "I thank you for your appreciation," the speaker responded when he could make his voice heard. "You know if I had had a little more time I would have tried to make 'City Lights' a bet- ter picture." Nevertheless it had been a pretty good picture at that. Chaplin's fol- lowers have not been trained to ex- pect so much in the way of a plot. They want one thing above all else — and that's Chaplin. Paraphrasing the old-time miner who declared there was no bad whisky, although of course some whisky was better than others, legions of picturegoers will testify that there is no such thing as a bad Chaplin. Of course, some are better than others. "City Lights" will not qualify as the comedian's best or greatest, but it will serve. So far as concerns the matter of no By GEORGE BLAISDELL dialogue, the subject as a maker or unmaker of precedents is without value. What the trade as a whole may have overlooked is that what Chaplin does cannot with safety be construed as a criterion in charting the course of any other actor, male or female. If any doubt existed on this point, the remarks uttered by actors and producers before the microphone in front of the theatre that evening- would have resolved it. And when an actor concedes quality to another actor, he pretty near means it. Chaplin's first position not only was admitted but emphasized. To see Chaplin again on the screen is like the homecoming of a long- absent friend. One chuckles and laughs, even breaks right out and lets go regardless of the painfully sedate neighbor unable to understand how such an absurdity could cause such an explosion. All of the famous mannerisms are here and also some of the old tricks. There's one where a whistle is lodged in his throat, to the great annoyance of the speaker of the moment. There was real mirth on the part of the first night house, one made up almost entirely from the trade, when in perfect synchronization with the lips of a woman speaker there came a series of squeaks reminiscent of the product of an exceedingly defective recording or reproducing system. The occasion was the unveiling of a figure of Justice, and the same rule was the order when Henry Bergman, as orator of the day, also began his speech. It was the first laugh of the picture; no further chiding of the talkers was indulged in. The second came when the come- dian, in getting down out of the lap of the goddess, where he had been "carrying the banner," fell afoul of the sword of justice and was speared from stern to stem, thereby being un- able uninterruptedly to maintain his footing and stand at attention out of respect to the national air. Chaplin gave full recognition to other players in according opportuni- ties. Harry Myers, as the million- aire who when drunk was unable to do enough to display his regard for the tramp but who when sober re- fused to recognize him, contributed much to the fun. Virginia Cherrill won the admira- tion of the house right from the start. As the blind girl she was most effec- tive. In the short dramatic sequences she had her full share of the stage, especially in the concluding scenes. Here the tramp, at the lowest ebb of his fortunes, discovers in a flower store the girl he had helped, now able to see. It is a strong situation, with the girl unaware of the identity of the benefactor she had believed wealthy. Others in the cast are Florence Lee as the grandmother, Allen Garcia as the butler and Hank Mann as the prizefighter. Chaplin was assisted in his direc- tion of the picture by Henry Bergman, Albert Austin and Harry Crocker. Maurice Kains slips into the desert and north of Palmdale snaps this shot of, a joshua tree group LIGHTNIN' (FOX) Chet Lyons, Cameraman IF the Fox company continues in future to display in the choice of Will Rogers' stories the same ex- cellent judgment it has shown in the recent past it would seem that but one result will be possible: the lifting of this busy man from Oklahoma into the front rank of screen attractions. Indeed, considering his newspaper work and his radio talks as well as other activities in conjunction with pictures it would be difficult to name a person who will match him in the number of Americans with whom he establishes contact. "Lightnin'," recently released by the Fox company, will go far to in- trench Rogers in the hearts of his ad- mirers. While Frank Bacon wrote the play with himself in mind as Bill Jones he might well have been think- ing of Rogers mellowed by a dozen years of added experience with the world. Certainly it is a whimsical, tender interpretation the humorist gives us of the shiftless husband of the go- March, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Eleven getting- head of the hotel on the bor- der line of California and Nevada. Rogers not only soft-pedals on the drinking proclivities of Bill Jones; be- yond a single instance in which he surreptitiously corrals an unguarded bottle and untouched so far as he is concerned slips it into his pocket there is no evidence he knows the taste of liquor. While the screen abstention will result in less robust fun for the world- ly minded there is no question the producer or whoever is responsible for the policy adopted displayed the part of discretion. Probably Rogers him- self had much to say about the mat- ter. Louise Dresser shares honors with the star. She is one woman player who always seems more concerned about playing the part as its designers intended rather than sacrificing the characterization in order she may "look pretty." Helen Cohan is the charming daugh- ter of the Joneses and well plays her part. Joel McCrea is John Marvin, the law student and mentor of Bill in his fight to hang on to his property. McCrea acquits himself most credit- ably. One young man who will create at- tention is he who is cast as the hus- band of the divorcee and who follows her west to induce her to change her mind. His front elevation would seem to indicate favorable attention. Ref- erence is to Rex Bell, not unknown to casual first page mention recently as the friend of one also not unknown to regular first page mention. After seeing the boy the fondness for him of the first-page girl is quite under- standable. Then there are J. M. Kerrigan as Lem Townsend, a judicial judge even as he seems to be versed in the ways of the lover; Jason Robards as Thomas, an unscrupulous lawyer; Ruth Warren as Margaret Davis, who upsets the court or rather the specta- tors by reminding the judge of a thing or two; Frank Campeau as the sheriff; and Luke Cosgrave as an attache of the hotel. Henry King directed with fine skill and judgment a picture that ranks high in entertainment qualities with a sequence at the end that steps quickly from the realm of comedy- drama to straight drama of the stern variety — and to the possible accom- paniment of a lump in the throat. THE DEVIL TO PAY George Barnes and Gregg Toland Cameramen DELIGHTFUL is the word indi- cated in speaking of Ronald Colman's "The Devil to Pay," produced by Sam Goldwyn and shown during February at the United Art- ists Theatre in Los Angeles. If the dialogue as well as the story Fredrick Lonsdale here gives us is a fair speci- men of English humor then indeed has that particular something been scandalously maligned in the past. And it must be added that if Bar- ney Glazer, who adapted the work for the screen, did nothing to enhance the humor — which is unlikely — then he had the unprecedented motion picture discretion and courage to leave it alone. The whole tale sparkles to the eye and crackles to the ear. It is sophisti- cated classicism that the lower order of wisecracker will "get the first time," even as he marvels at his own unexpected perspicacity in grasping these "fast ones" of the erudite. It is a new Colman that will be noted by those who for one reason or another have not seen him in recent years. He has grown marvelously in his elasticity, in his adaptability to lighter, even frolicsome, roles — and "The Devil to Pay" in many ways is a continued frolic. There's drama, too, interspersed in the story — surely enough serious stuff of the kind that gives birth to sus- pense— but the characterization of Colman runs true to form, the audi- tor speedily is lifted out of the uneasy chair and again is in holiday mood. Several players notably share the honors with Colman. One whose portrayal is outstanding is Frederick Kerr, who draws for us the part of Lord Leeland, father of irresponsible Willie Hale, the likable ne'er-do-well at the top of the cast. He's just simply great, that's all, as any man who ever had a son or hoped to have one very likely will agree. The women bulk heavily in this story. Loretta Young has the part of Dorothy Hope, who falls in love with Willie when she first meets him on the morning preceding the even- ing when her engagement otherwise is to be announced formally. Florence Britton is seen as Willie's sister, who, like her own father, is fond of Dorothy and does nothing to hinder the furthering of the new acquaintance. Myrna Loy is Mary Cragle, reputable actress friend of Willie who breathes dire things against any one even threatening to come between them. David Torrence is the almost irreconcilable father of Dorothy. These and others are most creditably chosen for their appointed work. George Fitzmaurice directs this story of English life— and does it with such finesse that the average American will emerge from under it without experiencing the feeling that somehow the King's English must be a foreign tongue. In this connection Ivan Simpson is credited as dialogue coach. Richard Day is art director— and his department is an added factor of merit in the production. TRADER HORN Clyde De Vinna, Cameraman FOR the second time at least in recent years the Metro organiza- tion has gambled in a big way on its judgment as to the inherent pic- ture qualities in a story. The first instance was "The Four Horsemen." The second is "Trader Horn." The late Marcus Loew publicly made the statement more than once that his theatre organization was all set to throw Metro Pictures overboard as an impossible investment when the decision was reversed following the phenomenal success of "The Four Horsemen." If during the mild furore over the story of old man Trader Horn there was any wild bidding on the part of producers to secure the screen rights (Continued on Page 36) Here is what Mr. Kains describes as a Grandfather Joshua, photographed in the same colony as was its companion picture Twelve The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER March, 1931 era IRA HOKE Whatta Whopper A certain movie star we know jok- ingly gives this as her definition of a press agent. "A press agent," says she, "is a smart Hollywood boy who can take a fragment of truth and make a large convincing lie." Gentlemanly Profession Tillie — Pappa is immensely glad to hear that you are a cameraman. Maury (proudly) — Is he? Tillie— Oh, very! The last of my boy friends he tried to throw out was an amateur boxer. Hold 'Er Newt Hatto Tappenbeck, who recently photographed Europe from Aberdeen to Zossen for Fox News, says their propertyman once imbibed too freely of Tuscany wine and then kept his shoulder against the Leaning Tower of Pisa all night to keep it from top- pling over. Ain't Love Grand? Bob McLaren — Why does a red- headed woman always marry a meek man? Bob Bronner — She doesn't. He just gets that way. A Sure Thing Art Reed says a chorus girl who lives in his block is in love with the postman, so she writes herself a note every day to make sure he will call on her. Police 11 pholster Wagon News item: During the parade on Hollywood Boulevard one of the cov- ered wagons was lost, but was later recovered by the police. Another Amendment A certain druggist we know who has been selling whisky and gin since 1920 was arrested last week for using oleomargarine on his soda fountain sandwiches. Sound Department Notice First Negative Developer — My as- sistant whistles while he works. Second Negative Developer — You're lucky. Mine only whistles. 100 Percent I. A. Henry Prautsch was waiting in the living room of his girl's home the other evening while the sweet young thing was completing her hairdress- ing, etc., etc. Henry, to pass the time, engaged her kid brother in con- versation. Henry — Is Betty vour eldest sis- ter? Kid Brother — Yep. Henry — And who comes after her? Kid Brother — You and a Lab man and an Electrician. Better Late Than Never Fresh Assistant (to second cam- eraman)— I suppose the boss was an- noyed when you told him I was leav- ing next week? Second Cameraman — I'll say he was. He thought it was this week. Sign of the Times Sign on collegiate auto: "Drive Slow. Death is so Permanent." Slightly Diffused Hon. Howard Hurd, Business Representative, Location 659. Hon. Sir & Dear Brother: To day I make terrible un-focus of scenery being shot by my Hon. first cameraman. I am very first class Japanese asst. & affection my position greatly and my dis- heartening is immense in this un- focus accident. I am opinion dis- aster was causing by my unworthy eyes being distracted from lens mounting marks by very beautiful ladies in chorus short skirts being kicked high by dancing. As full payment membership in Location 659 Union with four stamps in green book in my pants pocket, I make unworthy but hear- tily plea to Hon. Bus. Rep. to please introduce new rule to com- pel chorus ladies to wearing blue overalls like cowboys, so camera assts. with green cards do not mis- focus scenery of camera. I am certainly producers will welcome this new law as because blue over- alls are much cheaper than silk stocking and last very many times longer. My Hon. first cameraman is con- siderably angry with me becaus- ing of misfocused scenery. Hop- ing you are same I remain, I. Cheekee Koko. Suppose Again Cameraman — Jimmie, go and fetch the oldest camera in the vault for this test. Assistant — Why the oldest one, Boss? Cameraman — Wear out the old ones first. That's my motto. Assistant — Well, Boss; then sup- pose you fetch the camera. Whatta Lotta Nerve Cameraman — You just had two weeks between pictures. Why do you wish the day off tomorrow? Assistant — Well, you see, boss, I met a girl last week and we had planned to get married tomorrow, and I would kinda like to be there. A Born Diplomat Cutter Girl— How old do you think I am? Cameraman — You don't look it. These Hard Times Jimmy the assistant says there are only twelve months of the year in which it is unlucky to get married. Gold Digger A chorus girl can't always live on the salary she gets, but it helps a lot. Paris Has Rental Studio Trade Commissioner George R. Canty of Paris reports that at La Garenne, just outside Paris, a new sound-film studio has been opened, which is to be rented to producers. It is insulated by an American (Ban- roc) system, and equipped with Pe- tersen-Poulsen sound recorders. So the Deaf May Hear Three more theatres have con- tracted for the installation of West- ern Electric audiphones to aid the hard of hearing to enjoy talking pic- tures. They are the Million Dollar Theatre, Los Angeles; the National Theatre, Louisville, and the Fox Wil- shire Theatre in Los Angeles. Each is being wired for thirty seats. American Displaces Klang According to certain reports Yugo- slavia now has 31 wired houses in 21 cities. It may be noted that a Klang- film set has been taken out of the Europe Palace Kino, Zagreb, and re- placed by an American set. You'd Be Surprised Laboratory Man — I hear that Mamie, the cutter girl, is marrying that X-ray photographer. Sound Man — Oh, Yeah? What can he see in her? Ufa Expanding Ufa has commenced the construc- tion of a film copying institution to complete its production plant in Neu- babelsberg. This, it is stated, is only the first step toward an important extension of this plant. <9*"fel Qream oth Stills c9*?L'°+ "Qitien sa Grenbeaux j 'jibe?" ("Who knows?") asks this well-remembered character man of another decade when Paul x just before transferring these striking features to a photographic plate asked a leading question ,***r' l/e^SHNEt^ The-, new A$si5*fcNr Twenty-six The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER March, 1931 1930 Jilm Exports "Drop from 1929 Decline in Footage Only, as Value Exceeds Earlier Year by $496,420 and Five-Year Average by $570,900 By N. D. GOLDEN, Assistant Chief Motion Picture Division Department of Commerce PRELIMINARY figures covering American motion picture exports for 1930 show a slight decline from 1929. The United States ex- ported to all markets of the world during the 1930 period 274,351,341 linear feet of motion pictures with a declared value of $8,118,736 as com- pared with 282,215,480 linear feet valued at $7,622,316 for the corre- sponding period in 1929. This slight falling off in our motion picture exports should not be viewed with any great degree of alarm. Dur- ing 1929, which was the peak year in motion picture exports, American ex- porters of motion pictures generally had their sound positive films printed in this country, as foreign labora- tories were not as yet equipped for sound printing. It was not until late in 1928 that sound pictures really got under way in foreign countries. During that year, which was a normal one for mo- tion picture exports, 214,410,785 feet of American positive motion pictures valued at $5,253,094 were shipped to all foreign countries, and during 1929 —an abnormal year— 273,772,283 feet of positive films valued at $6,501,714 were exported. This increase of 59,361,498 feet con- sisted mostly of sound positives. Neg- ative film exports for 1929 amounted to 8,443,197 feet with a value of $1,- 120,602. During 1930, which is more or less a trend toward the normal, 261,995,983 feet of positive film valued at $6,787,130 and 12,355,358 feet of negative film valued at $1,331,606 were exported to all countries. This is an increase of nearly 4,000,- 000 feet of negative film for 1930 over 1929, which will bear out the conten- tion that more positive films are being printed abroad from the negative now than during 1929. Six-Year Record The following table of positive and negative exports since 1925 should serve to indicate that our exports for 1930 are far ahead of any year except 1929 both from a footage and value point of view and 1925 with regard to value. Feet Value 1925: Positive, 225,656,151 $6,787,687 Negative, 9,929,843 1,893,058 1926 Total, 235,585,794 $8,680,745 Positive, 214,026,620 $6,395,923 Negative, 6,600,586 1,334,960 Feet 1927: Positive, 222,655,932 Negative, 9,448,951 Total, 232,104,883 1928: Positive, 214,410,785 Negative, 7,711,801 Total, 222,122,586 1929: Positive, 273,722,283 Negative, 8,443,197 Value $5,775,730 1,455,519 $7,231,249 $5,253,094 1,220,896 $6,473,990 $6,501,714 1,120,602 Total, 282,215,480 $7,622,316 1930— Negative Silent, 4,164,711 $ 348,087 Sound, 8,190,647 983,519 Total, 12,355,358 $1,331,606 Positive Silent, 83,749,717 $2,046,843 Sound, 178,246,266 4,740,287 Total, 261,995,983 $6,787,130 (It will be noted the valuation of 1930's exports exceeded those of 1929 by $496,420 and the five-year average of $7,547,836 by $570,900.) Exports by Location Since sound and dialogue pictures were introduced Europe has become by far our largest quantity market, and as usual maintains its position as our least source of revenue. For 1930 American exports of motion pictures to this region have increased over 12,- 500,000 feet, reaching the unprece- dented total of 122,670,362 feet. Both Latin America and the Far East showed declines from 1929. Exports to Latin America fell by some 6,000,- 000 feet, while in the Far East totals declined just over 12,500,000 feet. Canada imported approximately the same amount of American motion pic- tures during 1930 as it did during 1929. South Africa showed a decrease on the other hand of nearly 1,000,000 feet. The following table gives in detail the quantity and value of American motion picture exports to the various regional divisions of the world: American Film Exports by Geographical Location 1929— Countries Feet Europe 110,081,478 Latin America.. 79,697,600 Far East 62,828,477 Canada 16,446,073 South Africa. . . 5,343,073 Other Countries, 7,818,779 Value $3,341,435 1,926,551 1,388,983 690,595 130,394 144,358 193C— Countries Feet Europe 122,670,362 Latin America.. 73,518,089 Far East 50,049,020 Canada 16,476,472 South Africa.. . 4,414,679 Other Countries, 7,222,719 Value $4,340,171 1,730,252 1,168,193 627,442 120,132 132,546 Total 274,351,341 $8,118,736 Of the ten leading individual mar- kets for American motion pictures four are to be found in Europe. United Kingdom still remains our leading individual consumer of Amer- ican films and our best revenue mar- ket, taking over 42,000,000 feet of our motion pictures during 1930 as against a little over 37,000,000 during 1929. Second in Europe is France, which imported over 22,000,000 feet in 1930 as compared with 13,000,000 for 1929. France by her tremendous increase has supplanted Australia as our sec- ond leading individual market. The third market of importance in Europe and sixth in our world markets is Ger- many, which has imported approxi- mately the same amount of American films during 1930 as it did for the year 1929. Ninth among our individual world markets is Spain, which shows a slight decline in its 1930 imports of Amer- ican motion pictures as compared with those for 1929. Other countries of Europe held their own during 1930. The following table will indicate the exact footage exported to the leading- markets of Europe along with their declared values: EUROPE 1929— Country Unit. Kingdom France Germany .... Spain Denmark .... Sweden Other Europe, Feet 37,644,353 13,790,744 15,187,095 7,925,950 3,953,145 3,841,092 27,739,099 Value L,563,923 326,040 462,426 174,302 79,725 85,682 649,337 Total 110,081,478 $3,341,435 1930— Country Unit. Kingdom France Germany .... Spain Denmark .... Sweden Other Europe, Feet 42,655,203 22,688,909 15,280,197 7,123,291 3,713,970 4,325,088 26,883,704 Value ',223,254 572,490 435,393 153,410 85,046 98,305 772,273 Total, 220,627,206 $7,730,883 Total 282,215,480 $7,622,316 Total 122,670,362 $4,340,171 * Rank among leading individual markets throughout the world. Fourth, seventh and eight places in our ten leading markets are in Latin America. Argentine has dropped from March, 19J1 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Twenty -seven third position in 1929 to fourth for 1930, showing nearly a 2,000,000 foot decline during the year just finished. Brazil with a decline of nearly 7,000,- 000 feet of American motion pictures is the second market of importance in Latin America and seventh in our in- dividual world markets. Third in im- portance in this region is Mexico, showing an increase of nearly 200,000 feet of American motion pictures im- ported during 1930 as compared with 1929. The remaining markets in Latin America which can best be seen from the following table show slight in- creases and decreases for 1930 as compared with 1929. When one con- siders the language difficulties in sound and dialogue films in this region this slight decrease of 6,000,000 feet of American motion picture amounts to little or nothing. LATIN AMERICA 1929— Country * Feet Value Argentine ... 3 18,936,292 $ 478,466 Brazil 4 18,108,712 413,073 Mexico 8 9,231,196 229,962 Cent. America 4,018,628 79,573 Brit. W.Indies & Bermuda 6,141,363 124,372 Cuba 5,857,496 145,572 Chile 4,545,680 107,057 Other South America . . . 12,858,233 348,476 Total 79,697,600 $1,926,551 1930— Country * Feet Argentina ... 4 16,782,015 Brazil 7 11,312,545 Mexico 8 9,417,508 Cent. America 8,726,429 Brit. W. Indies & Bermuda 5,167,541 Cuba 5,172,681 Chile 5,232,086 Other South America . . . 11,707,284 Value $449,603 236,055 243,911 148,097 117,539 117,555 139,608 277,884 Total 73,518,089 $1,730,252 * Rank among leading individual markets throughout the wo^ld. In the Far East, Australia and In- dia maintain third and tenth positions respectively. Australia, until 1929 our leading individual market, has been on the decline since the introduc- tion of sound motion pictures. In 1929 it was displaced by the United Kingdom and in 1930 by France. A decline of nearly 10,000,000 feet is noted in Australia's imports of Amer- ican motion pictures during 1930 as compared with her imports during 1929. British India, our tenth leading market, has replaced Japan and is second in importance in the Far East by increasing its imports of American films by nearly 1,000,000 feet during 1930. Japan on the other hand shows a decline of over 2,000,000 feet during 1930 as against 1929. A detailed ac- count of our footage and value ex- ports to all of the markets of the Far East is contained in the following table: FAR EAST 1929— Country Feet Value Australia .... 2 28,080,746 $ 653,356 British India. 6,170,442 153,283 Brit. Malaya. 3,837,893 73,049 China — Hong Kong and Kwantung. . 3,533,096 69,434 Netherlands' East Indies. 3,643,640 82,955 7,358,256 148,431 Phil. Islands 4,163,215 74,335 New Zealand. 6,041,189 134,140 Total 62,828,477 $1,388,983 1930— Country Australia ... 3 British India. 10 Brit. Malaya. China — Hong Kong and Kwantung. . Netherlands' East Indies. Japan Phil. Islands New Zealand. Feet 18,847,549 7,068,674 3,961,616 Value $493,765 175,598 86,993 2,931,806 66,966 2,652,316 5,273,137 3,513,760 5,800,162 48,749 102,627 57,267 136,228 Total 50,049,020 $1,168,193 * Rank among leading individual markets throughout the world. Canada as our fifth largest market completes the list of our ten leading markets. During 1930 Canada shows the slight increase of 30,000 feet of American motion pictures over 1929. British South Africa shows a decrease of nearly 1,000,000 feet during 1930, and exports to other countries of the world have decreased nearly 600,000 feet during 1930 as compared with 1929. The following table indicates the exports of American motion pictures to this region during 1929 and 1930: 1929— Country Feet Value Brit. So. Africa 5,343,073 $130,394 Canada 5 16,446,073 690,595 Other Countries 7,818,779 144,358 Total 29,607,925 $965,347 1930— Country Feet Value Brit. So. Africa 4,414,679 $120,132 Canada 16,476,472 627,442 Other Countries 7,222,719 132,546 Total 28,113,870 $880,120 * Rank among leading individual markets throughout the world. During 1930 2,580,308 linear feet of negative film valued at $368,197 were imported by the United States as compared with 2,493,194 feet valued at $377,633 for 1929. Positive film imports by this country amounted to 4,893,686 feet valued at $224,683 dur- ing 1930 as compared with 4,918,236 feet of positive film with a value of $180,208 during 1929. Crouch Spends 16 Years Repairing Tired Cameras IN A hospital for sick motion pic- ture cameras on the Paramount lot in Hollywood works a man who has tended these machines for sixteen years. Crippled and indisposed from ac- cident or wear, the huge cameras enter the repair shop. Crouch, knowing every nut and bolt in their complicated makeup, as the physi- cian knows the human body,, tends them skillfully and brings them back to useful life. "We work on a general efficiency of one-quarter of a thousandth," Crouch remarks, "but on very fine work we peel that down to one ten- thousandth of an inch." Severe Test Given Product By Mole -Richardson, Inc. In testing its new product described as Integral Inkie, Mole Richardson says in one instance it switched cur- rent on and off a twenty-four-inch sun spot 25,000 times. Its object in doing this was to attain a wear equivalent to that of five years. In the new brand the company says the eighteen and twenty-four inch lamps are particularly adapted to back and top lighting or where mod- eling is employed for close-ups. Also where sets are deep or extremely large they may be used for front lighting. Announcement is made the new lamp will be manufactured in all reg- ular sizes. Integral Inkie Twenty-eight The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER March, 19J1 'Right'- from the start! V>>w* (5 ream oth Stills iSiKt "°crkV» Robert ./. Bronner contributes what appeals to him as an industrial tragedy, an impression borne in on him when he noted the bungalow in the left foreground desperately fighting a losing battle against the encroachments of the derricks March, 19.il The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Twenty-nine Qhik Employs film for Education Government Founds Cinematographic Institute as Part of University of Chile with Home in Fine Arts School IN the magazine Chile an interest- ing article written by Carlos Aguirre on "Educating with Movies" tells of the recognition of the educational film by the Govern- ment of Chile as an all important and far-reaching factor in the educational development of the nation's schools, especially in the rural districts. During the brilliant centennial cele- brations of 1910 Chile's Palace of Fine Arts, erected at a cost of over two million pesos, was inaugurated. No one then could have foreseen that the southern wing of this building, known as the School of Fine Arts, would two decades later be housing an Institute of Cinematography. With the distinction of being the first of its kind in South America, the Institute of Educational Cine- matography, functioning as a division of the University of Chile, was created late in 1929 with an initial apportionment of 15,000,000 pesos. It occupies two floors of the School of Fine Arts and its equipment is thoroughly modern and complete, con- sisting of a studio for photographic purposes, projection room, laboratory for microphotography, developing and copying rooms, inspection and repair shops for projection machines loaned to schools, and a printing shop for titles and other matter. Narrow Film Used All the film used is, of course, of the narrow-gauge or 16 mm. type and of non-inflammable material. There is also sound-recording equipment for the manufacture of sound pictures, those films which are purchased from abroad being synchronized in Chile for Spanish speech. The institute began its work with the production of a film on physical education introducing the school children to the elements comprising body-care. Another film illustrating the famous Santa Lucia Hill of San- tiago was appreciated by the rural students who had never enjoyed the opportunity of visiting their capital. And from the laboratory of micro- cinematography came the interesting study of a drop of waste water dis- closing the customarily hidden mar- vels of the unseen microcosmic world. The scope of the institute's activ- ities is wide. The importance of for- eign films in the subjects dealing with geography, history and science is rec- ognized and stressed, but local themes and applications also receive treat- ment in the civics classes dealing with the problems of state and local gov- ernments, the geography of Chile, in- dustries and history, the film for these of course being made in Chile. Bureaus in All Capitals To handle the distribution of films and equipment to the schools of the different provinces bureaus have been established in all the provincial capi- tals, each bureau having one person in charge who is personally responsible for this equipment. At these bureaus teachers also are trained in the care, use and maintenance of all the equip- ment employed in this new phase of education. A definite policy of censorship re- garding films for minors to be shown in educational establishments exists, the local authorities co-operating at all times with the representatives of the institute. When called upon by any Govern- ment department to furnish moving pictures for educational, publicity or other purposes, the Institute supplies them at regular fixed charges. This source of revenue is devoted to im- proving the educational services of- fered through the medium of the mov- ing picture as an educational factor of incalculable value. Chicago Company Successfully Using Films for Aid in Selling Stocks H OW the talking motion picture is being used as a unique and striking aid to successful sell- ing is told in the current issue of the Financial Advertisers Bulletin by Frederick Doyle, advertising director of Smith, Burris & Company, Chi- cago, central syndicate managers of Corporate Trust Shares. It has been this company's idea that motion pictures, especially talk- ing films, could be of effective help in selling investment trust securities, and the actual results of the first exhibi- tions of a three-reel talkie called "An Investment in America's Prosperity" have amply proved this, according to Mr. Doyle. The theme of this talking picture, as shown on the screen and explained by an accompanying voice, is the closeness to the daily life of America of the companies included in the Smith-Burris trust portfolio. "The different companies are seen at work," says Mr. Doyle, "providing luxuries as well as necessities — har- vesting food and bringing it to the table; supplying light, power and heat; providing rapid communication to any point on the globe; and per- forming a hundred other tasks es- sential to the very existence of our national life." The picture is shown by salesmen in various cities. The film is supplied in standard size for regular theater production and in smaller size for portable talkie machines. Of the portable talkie reproducers over fifty Bell & Howell outfits are now being used to exhibit the picture. This out- fit weighs only 88 pounds and is so simple in construction that an office boy can operate it. "In whatever manner it is shown the production is a thrilling talking movie," says Mr. Doyle. "One of the great difficulties that the bond and stock salesman must cope with," says Cedric H. Smith, vice-president of Smith, Burris & Com- pany, who directed the production of the film, "is that of making his pros- pective investor realize the extent and nature of the income producing power behind the particular invest- ment offered. Engraved certificates look much alike, and comparative figures mean little except to statis- tically minded people. But an inves- tor seeing and hearing a great indus- trial plant in operation gets a vivid and comprehensive idea of the tangi- ble factors back of his prospective investment." "An Investment in America's Pros- perity" is a Burton Holmes produc- tion. The companies whose activities are shown on the screen cooperated by supplying action scenes of their plants, operations and products. A t.otal of 81,500 feet from these films was reviewed and scenes adopted, in addition to many thousand feet of new "shots" taken especially for this new picture. From all this material the picture was condensed to three reels, making it interesting every sec- ond of every scene. The voice and musical parts were synchronized with the picture. "It was not expected that the film would produce immediate sales," says Mr. Doyle, "yet leading dealers make such reports as this: 'Every time we run the picture a few more sales are closed. This week we have had a crowded showing every night. Next week we are making, in addition, a showing every day at 12:10 and an- other at 3." Censors Earn Salary According to statistics published by the British Board of Censors 57 new feature films (3,000 feet or over> were censored in Great Britain during December, 1930. Of these 57 films 46 were sound-synchronized and 11 were silent. Thirty The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER March, 1931 Claim 12-Foot Screen Nozv Possible for 16mm. with New 375-Watt Lamp THE first 75-volt 375-watt lamp ever perfected for 16 mm. movie projection has just been an- nounced by Bell & Howell. Said to achieve a light intensity more than 40 per cent greater than was previously available for this type of projection, it depends primarily for its unusual results on a tremendous light concen- tration interestingly exemplified by the accompanying illustration. In the picture one of these powerful little lamps is placed alongside of six 60-watt electric light bulbs such as are used in the home. When it is con- sidered this new type projector lamp actually is smaller than one of the 60-watt bulbs and yet furnishes more illumination than all six of the latter combined, something of what has been accomplished may be appreciated. Repeated scientific tests, made un- der widely varying conditions, are said to justify the statement that Filmo projectors, when equipped with this new lamp, can easily project black and white pictures 12 feet wide with entirely satisfactory distinctness and can attain excellent Kodacolor projection on a larger than ordinary screen. The problem presented to the illu- mination engineers in developing this lamp was to concentrate the maximum permissible amount of light upon the small 16 mm. film. Not only was it desirable to increase the amount of illumination so as to permit showing a large picture of sufficient brightness, but the light must be concentrated in as small a source as possible to focus pi'operly with the optical train of lenses employed in projection, all of which has been successfully accom- plished. It is stated that naturally the new lamp, because of the great concentra- tion of light, generates a fair amount of heat, but a projector equipped with an efficient fan cooling system satis- factorily takes care of this situation. This new 375 watt lamp has opened up a tremendous field for the 16 mm. film. The perfectly safe little 16 mm. projector can now go into the audito- rium and assembly hall and show pic- tures of entirely adequate size, clear- ness, and brilliance. This great step forward will be especially welcomed in the church and educational fields. Home movie projectionists also will appreciate the possibility of securing theatrical brilliance on a larger screen. The notable improvement made possible in Kodacolor projection is not the least of the triumphs scored by this new lamp. Silent Houses Fading Western Electric installations throughout the world now total 7645. Of this number 4922 are in the Unit- ed States and 2723 in the foreign field. Powerful little 75 volt 375 watt 16 mm. projector lamp (next to ruler), recently perfected, packs into its small compass more brilliance than the six 60 ivatt ordinary light bulbs, shown near it, combined. This does not take into consideration any possible loss of light due to the 60 watt bulbs being frosted. — Photo by Bell & Howell. Eastman Builds Vault for Storage of Valuable Film THE Eastman Kodak Company has built a vault for the storage of valuable film negatives, in which every roll is insulated from every other roll, so that any one roll may be completely destroyed without the others being harmed in any way. The general method of storing motion picture positive film has been that of using open racks in a fireproof vault depending upon the installation of automatic sprinklers to prevent ex- tensive film or building fires. The superior protection provided by the new type of vault has been accom- plished by the use of fire-resisting wood cabinets containing sheet metal drawers, each of which fits into a sep- arate wooden partition. Each drawer is vented into a single flue pipe which leads out of the building. The cabinets are not fitted with in- ternal sprinkler nozzles, so that a roll of film once ignited can burn up com- pletely but will not cause damage to any of the surrounding rolls. A low temperature (around 50 degrees F.) is maintained in the storage vault, so as to reduce to a minimum the grad- ual changes which film is apt to un- dergo with ageing. Merge Field Forces Consolidation of all field forces of Electrical Research Products is under way, according to a statement issued by H. M. Wilcox, vice-president in charge of operation. The first step in the merging of departments was ef- fected February 1 when the installa- tion and service departments were consolidated. "The increasing variety of activ- ities which the installation and serv- ice departments are being called upon to handle has made it desirable in the interest of greater flexibility to con- solidate the field forces and to rear- range territories so that the sales, credit and operating divisions will synchronize, thereby effecting an even closer coordination," stated Wilcox. To Produce Cinecolor It is reported that a limited lia- bility company with a capital of 3,500,000 francs has just been formed in Paris for the production of colored film. The concern is Societe Conti- nental Europenne Cinecolor. The board of directors is composed of Louis Aubert, Marcel Monteux, Leopold-Maurice Gratioulet and Gus- tave Dyckhoff. The new company is to exploit the so-called Thornton color process, the patent of which is held by John Edward Thornton, of Jersey, England. Scheibe Losing I\o Time George H. Scheibe has produced a new monotone filter designed espe- cially for use with the new Eastman super-sensitive panchromatic type two motion picture negative. This is the latest addition to a line extending over the past fifteen years. March, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirty-one Australia Already Has 641 Theatres Wired for Sound ONE of the Australian magazines devoted to the show world has recently made a survey of the theatres in Australia equipped for sound. Its results indicate that there are 641 theatres in Australia wired for sound; of this number, 505 have sound on film and disc, with the bal- ance having- disc only. Thus, 21 per cent of the talker houses in Australia are equipped for reproduction only oi sound on disc. In making its investigation, this publication learned that 343 plants had an average cost of £4000 each; 162 averaged £1250; and 136 averaged £450, making a grand total of £1,649,650 representing the total cost of the installation of sound equipment. On top of this cost it is revealed that £81,952 is spent in service charges annually. New South Wales is far in the lead as far as talkies are concerned, as in- dicated by the following figures: Sound on Sound on film and disc New South Wales 213 Victoria (including Tasmania) 118 Queensland (in- cluding small portion of N e w South Wales) . . South Australia . . Western Aus- tralia Disc only 35 106 24 45 12 30 26 14 Total 505 136 As an indication of the rapid de- velopment of the talkie, it is esti- mated that 95 per cent of the equip- ments have been contracted for dur- ing the last twelve months. Tobis-Klang Film Moving According to a Tobis-Klangfilm statement, 1090 theatres and projec- tion rooms were wired with Tobis- Klangfilm and Gaumont equipment as of January 1, 1931. Of these 752 are in Germany and 338 abroad. The above figures include 37 projection At the Horsley studio Jimmie Adams and Bud Jamieson have just finished "Two Sons of the Sunny South." This is a sound picture on 16 mm. film, 100 feet in length and equivalent to 250 feet of standard. So far as known, it is the first picture to be recorded simultaneously and made exclusively for the home market. It is the initial subject of a series of fifty-two shorts for the same market and is a Cine-Art picture, supervised by Walter W. Bell, and was written and dire cted by Jack Baxley. equipments which are installed in halls not destined for public perform- ances. Of the above sets 806 are Klangfilm, 250 Tobis, 28 Gaumont machines and 6 combined Gaumont- Klangfilm projectors. Must Seem Shame to Take The Money for Some of ,Em "Start the chatter" has become as familiar a cry in Hollywood as "Camera," or "Cut." In any scene where crowds of peo- ple are assembled, such as cafe, dance halls, large social gatherings, or street sequences, reality demands that there be a background of murmured conversation behind the dialogue spoken by the principal players. This murmur of sound, or chatter, cannot be too loud, too soft, too shrill or too rumbling. Expert chatterers are required. v The Paramount studios' casting of- fice has a list of such experts at small talk, and is offering them almost steady employment. DU CW*°^E FILM SYSTEM 6^23 SantalvionicaElvd. Hollywood, Calif? Red Ortho Front Negat lve SPECIALISTS IN FILM FOR COLOR AND PROCESS PHOTOGRAPHY Producers Make Their Own Color Selec- tion Negatives with Their Own Cameras SOLD BY SMITH & ALLER, HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. DU PONT-PATHE FILM MFG. CO., NEW YORK, N. Y. Thirty-two The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER CHICAGO tlAlArfiK March, 1931 Repology in Order BOY, oh Boy! Ever since the Feb- ruary issue of the International Photographer arrived in Chi- cago my phone has been buzzing about the misspelled Bal Tabarin — again it was the Bal Tabarin and not Bal Tavern where the 666 banquet was "fought" — (one, and all I beg to repologize). SIX-SIXTY-SIX Regular Meeting The February meeting of Local 666 was called as a special and was held the night before the banquet, so that last minute details could be taken care of and the election of officers could be announced. New officers for 1931 for Local 666 are as follows: President — Charles N. David. First Vice President — Oscar W. Ahbe. Second Vice President — Norman W. Alley. Financial Secretary — William Strafford. Recording Secretary — Ralph J. Saunders. Treasurer Marvin Spoor. Sergeant-at-Arms — Robert Taver- nier. Trustee — Conrad Luperti. Trustee — Ralph Phillips. Trustee — John Zimmerman. By HARRY BIRCH Vice President, Detroit- Hargan. Vice President, Indianapolis- Biddy. Vice President, Flanagan. Vice President, Foss. Vice President, Sebastiani. Vice President, W. Reid. Vice President, bright. Vice President, Yeager. Vice President, Mathewson. Out-of-town Vice-Presidents Ralph Biddy, Bart Foss and T. A. Sebasti- ani were at the meeting and were in- troduced to all the boys. The next business was a word of thanks from the chair to the various committees for the year 1930 for the hard work and reports rendered Local 666. All other business was rushed on and the stage was set for the following night, the big show at the Bal Tabarin. -David T. -Ralph Cleveland— J. T. Minneapolis — Bart Cincinnati — T. A. Kansas City — W. Dallas— Guy All- St. Louis — Harry Atlanta — Tracy Second Annual Banquet The second annual banquet of Lo- cal 666 was indeed a success. The beautiful Bal Tabarin alone was worth the price of admission, and the outstanding feature of the night was when Mayor Thompson of Chicago presented Brother Eugene Cour with a gold life membership card to Local 666. Of course, there was a good feed, and there were good music, good dancing, broken bottles, movies made, and many other things, but I think the Sassiety Reporter has given you a very good detailed story further on in this department, and I will let you read what he has to say. MOVIOLA Film viewing and sound reproducing ma- chines for use with: Separate picture film and sound film, composite film and sound on disc record. For editing 35 mm. film, 16 mm. film and v/ide film. Write for Circulars Describing the Different Models MOVIOLA COMPANY 1451 Gordon Street Hollywood, California SIX-SIXTY-SIX Beating the Blue Envelope Several days ago I met Brother Cour sauntering down Wabash Ave- nue with one of those big smiles. I asked Cour "why so happy?" and his reply was that there was monkey bus- iness going on some place. He claimed that he received a check that morning for two weeks' pay in advance, and realizing that this was not coming to him, he immediately became suspi- cious that Pathe News was doing too well by him, so he said, says he: "I am going to beat them to it. I'll cash the check and quit," which he did. So Brother Cour is no longer with Pathe News. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Visitors Brother Roy Klaffki of Local 659 dropped off in Chicago the day of our banquet and naturally had his "soup and fish" outfit with him and was very much in view at the speaker's table that night. Several days later Brothers Howard E. Hurd and John Boyle came through Chicago, picking up Brother Klaffki, and the three de- parted on their way to New York city. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Multicolor Several weeks ago when Brother Alvin Wyckoff was in Chicago, he made a Multicolor test for the boys here at the S & A studio. It was our pleasure to see this picture screened at the S & A studio, and it is only fair that we tell the cock-eyed world that this picture was far past expec- tations. This screening proved to us that Multicolor is indeed a real color process and we want to thank Brother Wyckoff for the trouble that he went to to make this test and, further, to make it possible that we could see March, 19.31 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirty-three the finished print. "Very good, Ed- die." SIX-SIXTY-SIX In Focus — In Spots By Birch's Sassiety Reporter WELL, it wuz a grand and glori- ous night, but all it remains now is one swell headache for yours trooly. What I means is the big ball, and it wuz just that BIG, as all the brothers what showed up will agree, and if any wuz chump enough to give it the go by, well, that's your hard luck. Like usual it was called for 7 p. m. and by 8 p. m. some of the brothers promised to lick the waiters if they didn't bring on the heated groceries. And then it started. I got plenty laughs on some of the fadeouts from the affair. * * * Let's go back to the start. Swell feed, wasn't it? Regular he-man food. Why, I even lamped a couple of perfect 36 females sinking their teeth into the fattening baked pota- toes and never a worry about the extra avordupois it might coax on. Bull Philips is the guy who suggested the dinner pail feed. Guess he figgers since some of us guys drag around them heavy sound boxes squab won't do. * * * Then did you see Charlie David and Gene Cour up on the no cover charge table glad handing the honored guests? * * * Jack Barnett moved all over the joint mugging the guests with his Akeley and then to surprise us later showed 'em — and they wuz all in focus too. Tommy Malloy, impressario of the operators, showed up with a fine rep- resentation of his boys. * * * Fred Wagner was the earliest ar- gument that the Eighteenth amend- ment ain't a noble experiment. Conrad Luperti showed up with the frau. Billie Strafford figgered he'd bring up his own fun so he got Rudy Nebb's papa, Wallie Carlson, to sit at his table. * * * Charlie Geis buried the hatchet with his sound man, Harry Neems, and they sat at the same table. Fred Giese and the Pathe gang didn't rent the usual dress suits this year; maybe business depression. * * * There was a guy in the lobby what made old fashioned tintypes, and when a certain brother asked him how business wuz he replied: "The cheapest bunch I run across. I ain't made one picture tonight." "Keerect," says the brother, "them's photographers, but since your honest about it I'll get some customers." And then it started, everybody trying to outdo the other on posing goofy. * * * And talking about them tintypes — was your party one of the gang that got in on the ones Big Bill Thomp- son, the Mayor, posed with? All in all everybody claims they had a big time, and that was exactly what it was run for. * * * Things I never knew until the ball was run. That Charlie David owns his own soup and fish. That it ain't Mr. and Mrs. Martin Barnett yet, but give Martin a chance. That Bob Duggan is quite a fancier of flowers, going to extremes to gath- er baskets of 'em in hotel lobbies. That Harry Birch loves the morn- ing air in the loop and always takes brisk walks after a ball. That Billie Andlauer arrived in Chicago the day of the Ball, lived at the Sherman hotel, never saw one of the brothers and thought the ball had been run off the night before he blew into town. That maybe Billie Andlauer ought to drop in at headquarters when he hits the burg and maybe get set in his fi&tps That Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Biddy brought Ralph's new mamma-in-law along to chaperon the newlyweds. That Verne Blakeley didn't show up because he had a date to dance with Verne Wellington, Jr., at the home fires. That Red Felbinger has never seen the ice parade at either one of our two balls. That it wuz a shame Brothers Barth Foss and Sabatina could not remain over for the ball. That Brother Norm Alley did not furnish the entertainment. Eddie Morrison did a solo as Glea- son, his sound man, was down with the flu, but Eddie had the Mrs. along. Speaking of Eddie Morrison, I got witnesses that overheard him asking Mrs. Morrison in one of the Sherman corridors, confidentially and sweetly, the following: "Do you still love me?" This column never figgered Eddie wuz one of them Don Juans — so the above ought to be news. GOERZ CINE LENSES/ WIDE SCREEN PICTURES for your personal movies . . . CINEpPANOR Attached to your 16mm Camera, the Staats-New- comer-Goerz Cine-Panor in- creases its horizontal field by 50% . . and when transferred to your projector, increases the width of the screen pic- ture by 50%. Used in con- junction with lenses of any focal length, whether l" or telephoto. Transforms your l" into a wide angle; in- creases the field of telephoto lenses without affecting close- up properties. Send for Booklet IP3. CP.GOERZ AMERICAN OPTICAL Co 319 B EAST 34™ ST. NEW YORKCITy DUNNING rocess Lorn c pany Is pleased to announce the photographing of the first feature picture ENTIRELY BY PROCESS "Subway Express" A Columbia Production "You Shoot Today — Screen Tomorrow" 932 No. La Brea Aye__ __GL 3959 Hollywood, Calif. Thirty-four The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER March, 1931 LIFE IS A ROSE To DAD — In Memoriam, January 25, 1931 By Virgil Miller Life is but a rosebush, full of roses; Every life a rose, from bud to bloom: Every year ;i petal that uncloses To fall away and give the others room. I like to think of DAD as such a flower. Budding-, blooming, growing through the years; Strong and sturdy under sun and shower, Sun for joys, and raindrops for his tears. A budding rose, his face was toward the sky; Deep-rooted were his feet in fertile spot; . Growing secure, lest withering petals lie In disarray, unfragranced, and forgot. Coolly he fought the summers' scorching heat — Protecting outer petals curled and clung Nor fell till wasting- blasts had called "Retreat" — Then, rusty-sweet, th_jy whirled away still young. Unflinchingly he stood in whistling wind, To give and take; in unison t" sway With every moody gust that 'round him dinned, Until his sweetness calmed it into play. Gloriously he welcomed falling rain; LTnfolding petals, thirst unquenched with dew, Revealed the loveliness of color plain — Unfading beauty, steadfast, ever true. Firmly he met the icy North-wind's cold, Deeply he breathed — each breath was warm and sweet; The weather-beaten petals, growing old. Kept warm the heart, unselfish in its beat. Gladly he stood beside the lonely road; Laden with thoughts of others his fragrance sped Into the byways, that someone with a lead Might stop and smile ere going on ahead. Unafraid he bloomed near dingy street, His simple beauty seemly out of place Till one looked up, the rose's glance to meet, And lost the pain that flicked across his face. Budding and blossoming — the passers-hy Saw beauty there, or if their eyes were dim. Breathed deeply of his presence; heads held high. They passed along — better because of him. Many the petals falling at his feet; Many the seasons crowning aged head; Slowly the rose became more incomplete — One petal more — then some would call it dead. But roses don't die when the last petal tails; The petal-less shell is the promise of God, A resurrection to come, and when HE calls. Behold the same rose in heavenly sod. The last petal fell, and its sweet-laden dew Was the incense of memory he left us to share; The angels transplanted the rose that we knew. To continue its blooming in God's loving care. Paris New Gaumont House Will Have 12 Projectors THE largest and the smallest motion picture theatres in France — according to available records — are being equipped with Western Electric. The largest is the New Gaumont Palace. To re- construct this theatre required 20,000 cubic yards of stone, 1,000 tons of steel and 200,000 sacks of cement. The booth will be 30 yards long, 3 yards high and will contain 12 pro- jectors and sound reproducers. The length of the projection beam will be 230 feet. Western Electric equip- ment will be installed in time for the theatre's opening in March. The smallest theatre is the Studio Diamant with only 196 seats. A 3-SF Western Electric equipment was in- stalled, but owing to the smallness of the house the installation involved unusual difficulties. The work was done by two engineers, all that the projection room could hold at the time. Part of the roof was torn off and reconstructed because, in its original condition, it interfered with the pro- jection beam. The booth was then enlarged and a new projection hole made for No. 1 beam. The equip- ment itself had to be taken apart and passed up the stairs leading to the booth in small pieces, being set to- gether again inside the room. The Studio Diamant operates as an international picture house, where talkers in Italian, German, English, Spanish, French and even Esperanto are shown. Carroll Dunning Returning Carroll H. Dunning of Dunning Process, who with Mrs. Dunning and their daughter Decla has been in Germany during recent weeks, sailed for home February 25. He is ex- pected to arrive here about March 10. Mrs. Dunning and daughter will remain abroad for some time. Mr. Dunning while in Berlin dis- cussed plans for making there Ger- man talking pictures from American subjects. J J | |jlf > ' i ffflj ||| j Philip Tannura in Paris takes a stroll on a rainy night.' On the left is the Place de la Concorde, looking south, the right is the Champs Elysees, looking from the Place de la Concorde At March, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirty-five Whispers Now Really sire Just That Under Noiseless Recording It Is Not Necessary To Raise Voice to Conversational Tone In Order to Make It Audible By H. B. SANTEE Director of Commercial Engineering Electrical Research Products, Inc. UNDOUBTEDLY the most im- portant single technical develop- ment since the introduction of talking pictures in 1926 is the West- ern Electric noiseless recording. First presented to the industry and the public at large in the Paramount pic- ture "The Right to Love," starring Ruth Chatterton, it was immediately recognized as a great forward step toward perfect recording. Most of the producers licensed to record by the Western Electric sys- tem quickly adopted it. Paramount at once completed arrangements to use noiseless recording at both its East and West Coast studios and United Artists adopted the new sys- tem in recording Douglas Fairbanks' "Reaching for the Moon," and Mary Pickford's "Kiki." All future pro- ductions of these and other companies will undoubtedly be recorded with this new system. Noiseless recording represents a victory in the battle between adequate volume range versus background noise. Low volume sounds which heretofore have been masked by back- ground noise, or which to be heard at all had to be raised to a dispropor- tionate value, can now be heard more nearly in their proper relationship to the louder sounds. As a result the sound of meagre audibility, such as whispers, sighs, creaks, stealthy footsteps and the like, can be brought out clearly. No longer do whispers have to be raised to conversational pitch in order to be audible. Full Value to Low Sounds Heretofore photographic impres- sions attempting to create "atmos- phere" must many times have suffered through this artificially loud level of sounds which should be soft in order to be natural. Dramatic passages obtained photo- graphically are so often enhanced by some sound like the ticking of a clock or the creaking of a floor or the crackling of a fire that it should be a great boon to the art to know that these effects may now be obtained in their true values. Perhaps the most immediately no- ticeable effect of noiseless recording is the lack of hissing and crackling sounds heretofore an inevitable part of the film sound track during sup- posedly silent portions. Now the quiet moments really will be quiet and not evidence themselves by a mechanical hiss which may spoil some dramatic scene where silence is the essence. Quiet Even More Essential It is obvious that the feeling of realism and conviction is materially enhanced by the use of noiseless re- cording, and the cameraman need no longer feel that when his photo- graphic touches introduce a subtle atmospheric effect they will be des- troyed either by background noises or some faint sound recorded at a level unbelievably loud. The only precautions that noiseless recording imposes in the studio are those, in a more intense degree, that have been obligatory ever since talk- ing pictures made their bow. If noise- less recording has made it possible to catch minute sounds intended for re- cording, the same also applies to noises not intended to be put on the sound track. Shuffling feet, sputter- ing lights, inadvertent coughs, whis- pers and camera noises will have to be guarded against more carefully than ever. These are minor details. The im- portant factor, it would seem, lies in the joy of the craftsman in the ability to help toward attaining perfection. That is what noiseless recording is intended for. The cameraman takes his part. It enables him to give fuller expression to his art and to embody all the intricacies of fine photography of which he alone is the master. Fine photography together with natural recording and reproducing are the prime factors in bringing to the average theatregoer the illusion of realness. The spectator of a pic- ture made by means of noiseless re- cording hears little that will remind him he is listening to reproduced sound. That is the latest, and truly a great development toward perfection in talking pictures. Panic Kills 29 During the presentation of the Eis- enstein film, "The General Line," fire broke out in the Illitch School, Khar- kov, Russia, causing a panic. Twen- ty-nine children died and 89 were in- jured. U fa Making Disks, Too Lignose-Horfilm (German) has con- cluded an agreement with Ufa, ac- cording to which it will make disk scores of all Ufa sound product re- corded by the sound-on-film method. Here Mr. Tannura shows us on the left the Place de la Concorde, looking north, with the Admiralty and the Cercle dc la Rue Royale buildings in the background. On the right is the fountain in the centre of the Place de la Concorde Thirty-six The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER March, 1931 Looking In on Just a Fezv Nezv Ones the savage ceremonials accompanied by sinister cries and ominous drums seemed sweet to the ear. (Continued from Page 11) there is one person at least who failed to hear about it. Nevertheless Metro went to it, with the possible result it will duplicate its success of the earlier story- It may duplicate it because where the older tale devel- oped drama, the newer one has thrills and novelty. As an exposition of physical equa- torial Africa and of its beasts of field and stream it is probable "Trader Horn" will top the list of everything in its class. In addition to this there is the story of a part of the life of the rugged old trader around whose stormy career the book was written. And no one who has had a squint at the seared and scarred hide of old man Horn when his shirt was off will have any doubt the career had been stormy. Just one scar and the story of its antecedents will serve. An area larger than the two hands of a man across one of the old adventurer's shoulders bore the livid imprint of a lion's paw. "Why, the way I got that," ex- plained the old man, who had just declared he had no exact idea how many scars he did carry, "I was slammed down by a lion and in the second or part of it his paw was hold- ing me down and before he could make another move, my partner drilled him with a bullet. The beast keeled over on me — and I was rather glad he was quite dead. My partner had made a good shot." Through the expedient of the old trader explaining to Little Peru the names and characteristics of the many animals seen at close quarters the audience is let in on a sort of zoological festival — and an interest- ing occasion. It is just one herd after another. Not all of the thrills are of the jungle. A dugout containing four persons is being paddled across a stream spotted with the rolling and plunging bodies of the great beasts of the water. One of these, weighing thousands of pounds, comes up along- side the boat and moves away, creat- ing no particular attention on the part of the occupants, but it's a fear- some sight as the cameraman puts it on the screen. Incidentally, there must have been perils aplenty for the camera crew. The action indicates that. The work of these men, De Vinna and his asso- ciates, Robert Roberts, George Nogle and Earle Frank, contribptes might- ily to the success of the production. Wherein the picture touches the na- tives it easily takes on the rank of a spectacle. The barbaric ceremonials, staged in splendor and on a magnifi- cent scale, will cause many to revise their previous ideas regarding the na- tive of Darkest Africa. Harry Carey is an ideal interpreter of old man Horn. The statement will bear emphasis. More than that, it is a humanly sympathetic por- trayal. Second in interest to the chief player, surely with a great many, will be the work and the personality of Mutia Omoolu, the African giant who portrays Renchero, the servant of Horn. Duncan Renaldo, as Little Peru, and Edwina Booth, as Nina T., are the other principals, the latter late in entering the story. W. S. Van Dyke directs. Richard Schayer wrote the screen play and Cyril Hume the dialogue from the book by Ethelreda Lewis. It is to be hoped those who witness the picture in places other than Holly- wood will be spared the handicap suf- fered by the production locally by reason of the barbarously deafening prologue staged for it. After a long half hour of orchestral pandemonium, THE LADY REFUSES (RKO) Leo Tover, Cameraman A GREAT story and a deeply mov- ing one is "The Lady Refuses," which Robert Milton and Guy Bolton wrote for RKO production. And a great and at times a deeply moving performance is given by two, possibly three, persons. Of these Betty Compson and Gilbert Emery will appeal to the maturer picture- goer, while John Darrow will monop- olize the attention of the younger element of any house as well as com- mand an abundance of it from the older. Betty Compson has the part of June Loring, penniless and discouraged and who if not of the street at least is well on her way across the sidewalk when the sound of approaching police boots frightens her into ringing the first doorbell. The role well might have been made to order for the woman whose artistry in the sympathetic por- trayal of the unconventional woman was established in that compelling tale of "The Miracle Man." It is Sir Gerald Courtney who an- swers the imperious clanging of the bell. The head of the house has an elaborately prepared dinner for two ready to serve, but only one to sit in on it, the son of the house having broken an engagement at home in order to join the gold digging Berthine. It is Emery who so splen- didly portrays the Englishman, a gen- tleman in the truest sense, an indul- gent father and altogether a delight- ful conception of a most likable chap. If Sir Gerald does not stir the hearts of the women picturegoers even as June is responsible for a like emotion on the part of her masculine audience, then indeed is one scribe a poor prophet. Darrow is the Courtney son who has been indulged in his pastime of sowing oats of a riotous character up ROY DAVIDGE FILM LABORATORIES An Exclusive ' 'Daily ' ' ha boratory Quality and Service 6701-6715 SANTA MONICA BOULEVARD GRanite 3108 March, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirty-seven to the point when even a complacent father becomes concerned enough to engage June to do what she can to break the fast culminating misalli- ance with the effusive Berthine. While the onlooker inwardly may sense the inevitable denouement re- sulting from the contact of an im- pressionable youngster with a charm- ing woman experienced certainly in the ways of the upper world and pos- sibly of the under nevertheless there are times when his faith is shaken in his own powers of foretelling events and he plainly is doubtful how it all will end. And he so remains until Sir Gerald speaks the final line of the story. Margaret Livingston is Berthine and Ivan Lebedeff is the Russian who aims to make his living off of her ad- ventures— the New Yorkers have a name for it — and who makes the mis- take of killing his meal ticket when she displays genuine not simulated fondness for young Courtney. The blood tragedy is shown off stage, which is well; sufficiently poignant in- deed are the three distinct soul trage- dies holding a silent house under their spell. Edgar Norton seems to be perfect in his interpretation of what the mul- titude is bound to construe as the real thing in English butlers; nor is the part overdrawn. And Daphne Pollard as Milly the chambermaid who sees much and says little, and most effec- tively that little, completes an un- usual cast. Throughout its course "The Lady Refuses" is a sophisticated story — barring the few moments when June in order to clear the situation by in- curring the i-epulsion of both father and son indulges in the slang of the near underworld. Bertram Millhauser is the associate producer, and to his credit is to be recorded a finely made picture. George Archainbaud is the director who mark- edly contributes to this aforesaid end; and Max Ree, responsible for scenery and costumes, deserves especial com- mendation for his interiors of the Courtney home. His library lingers in the memory. No father or son can afford to miss this absorbing picture. Neither can any woman interested in any father or son — or both. Aside from an oc- casional involuntary chuckle they are going to remain very, very quiet for an unusual hour. LITTLE CAESAR Tony G audio, Cameraman A STRANGE story is "Little Caesar," which Warner Broth- ers produces from the novel of the same name by W. R. Burnett. It is a tale of gangs, presumably of Chicago, although the town is not named. Presumably also the aim of the gangs is to convey alcohol in some form or other from one owner to an- other, although that not unessential fact is not nominated in the bond, at least so far as recalled. If the story be a strange one also it is a convincing one so far as con- cerns anyway the layman who is not privileged to speak with authority on all subjects, particularly those refer- ring to gangs and their ways of ac- complishing things. The picture is melodrama and is de- signed to be just that. It is a tale of "tough guys," of the male persuasion. One lone female there is in the story, but the man who writes the lines fails to give her an opportunity of making her presence felt. And therein lies the chief "out" of the production — the absence of deep heart interest. Of physical thrills there are a num- ber, but emotionally there is neither rise nor fall in the penciled line. Edward G. Robinson is given the part of little Caesar, the small town denizen who moves his activities to the lake metropolis. With the excep- tion of a tendency to speak too rapid- ly to allow the sound reproducing equipment an even chance, Robinson gives a remarkable characterization. To Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and Glenda Farrell is intrusted the ro- mance. Both did their creditable best to inject that element into the tale. The police side of the drama is most capably represented by Thomas Jack- son, the deliberately spoken "dick" of "B'roadway." His interpretation here is along similar lines — and his spoken lines always are of particular interest. This is a good place to say the dia- logue is worthy of mention. It has an abundance of snap. There is an excellent supporting cast. Among those who had the most to do were George E. Stone, William Collier Jr., Sidney Blackmer, Ralph Ince, Stanley Fields and Maurice Black. Mervyn Leroy directed. RANGO Al Williams, Cameraman IT'S a simple tale of the jungle, this "Rango," which Ernest Schoed- sack produces and directs for Paramount. The actual locale is Su- matra. The picture was photographed as a silent one, its very competent synchronization having been done in Hollywood so recently as to have been given the benefit of noiseless record- ing. But if it be a simple tale of the jungle how altogether fascinating it is and how absorbing, even gripping, at times! The story turns largely on the ordi- nary life of a hunter, Ali, and his son, Bin, the only humans seen in the story following the prologue. Ali is more than a hunter; he is a tiger hunter. Then there are an old ape, Tua, and his young son, Rango. These latter two furnish much of the comedy and also some of the drama — and tragedy. Ali shows how to build traps for the tiger, among these the deadfall, designed when tripped by one of the big cats to unloose a spiked beam which crushes its victim. Then there is a pit, a hole in the ground covered first with bamboo and then with leaves. It so happened this particular pit was opened by a regiment of monkeys fleeing from the vicinity of a tiger, troops of them going into the pit, to return a second later when they discovered their mistake. Through the picture there are shots of monkeys and then more monkeys, but never do these become monoto- nous. Far from it. The little fellows are the eyes and the ears of the for- est. At least one pair of guardian eyes, popping wide open with excite- ment at times, and backed by an earnest face always is on the watch and on slightest provocation slips to the feeding troops below the word to hop to it and high up. And then how King Charney says . . . WHETHER IT BE CARBON OR INCANDESCENT LIGHTING WHETHER IT BE TALKIES OR SILENT Insist Upon t4 Negative For definite results AGFA RAW FILM CORPORATION Thirty-eight The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER March, 1931 the little fellows do stream up some hanging- vine to their shelter two score feet above the ground. It's a real parade. There is a black panther, dreaded by all and surely of fierce appearance, which meets sudden death at the hand of Ali. One of the first sequences in the picture is the shooting of a tiger by Ali, who as he puts in position the percussion cap on his archaic shoot- ing iron plainly takes the situation seriously even if he betrays no fear. One of the lighter sequences is that showing how Tua and Rango obtain admittance to Ali's cabin and wreck the place in their hunt for food — which they find and eat, plenty. It is Tua Ali suspects, and so he sets a trap. It is Rango who is caught, and it is the son of Ali who takes Rango to the cabin a prisoner. How these two youngsters share the evening meal and curl up together under one blanket for the night is a story in itself. There are scenes in "Rango" that will linger Ion"- in the memory. One of these is where a young regiment of monkeys fleeing from a tiger crowd into a tumbling mountain stream, some of them keeping their footing on the rocks and others being pushed into the torrent. The battle between the domestic, placid, even affectionate water buffalo and a marauding tiger, seemingly sought by the buffalo with its four- foot spread of horn, was a surprise to many in its outcome. No matter how that cat approached its antagon- ist he seemed to land on the end of a horn. The ponderous buffalo moved, too, with the agilitv of the tiger, who did not long remain a competitor in the encounter. "Rango" is a family picture. For very young and very impressionable little ones the matinee is the time for them to see it — for with these it will be especially vivid. But don't let them miss seeing Rango the son of Tua or Bin the son of the mighcy hunter Ali. In spite of the equatorial and other handicapping conditions the photog- raphy is excellent. STORM OVER ASIA AN UNUSUAL amount of inter- est was manifested in Holly- wood over the appearance at the Filmarte of Director Vsevolod Podovkin's "Storm Over Asia," pro- duced in Russia by Mejrabpomfilm of Moscow. At the first show on the opening night so many of the audi- ence decided to remain over for the second performance that a large num- ber of patrons were unable to gain admission. The subject was silent, with Eng- lish titles written by Shelley Hamil- ton. In the course of its showing there was abundant proof that dia- logue is not an absolute essential in order to guarantee strength in vol- ume. For strength it has, in story, in characterization and in direction. The theme was political, as one would expect of an Amkino release. It was dramatic, nevertheless, at times powerfully so. The plot turned on the efforts of the White Russians, or anti- Soviets, to establish an alliance with the Mongols and of the failure of the plans due to the treachery of the White Russians. The director showed a marked preference for long shots, especially where he aimed to portray desolation, which he frequently most successfully did. Also his use of throngs was most generous, all of these being notable for the close-ups of representative faces. The finish of the picture, the se- quence which gave birth to the title, showed the destruction of the White Russians by the Mongols in a terrific hurricane. Truly it was a smashing close to a picture that held the spectator's closest interest throughout — whether that spectator was a partisan or even an antagonist of the present rule in Russia. How Well the Juicer Knew A SCENE was in rehearsal on a set at the Paramount studios for Ruth Chatterton's "Un- faithful," in which the star was endeavoring to make a point in a dice game. She was supposed to fail. "What point shall I say it is?" she asked Director John Cromwell. "What's a hard one to make?" From the runway far above came the voice of a "juicer," an electrician : "They're all hard, lady." STOLEN HEAVEN George Folsey, Cameraman IF IT be true that all the world loves a lover then must it be doubly true that all the world loves two lovers — which is another way of saying that Nancy Carroll and Phillips Holmes are in for a lot of attention when Paramount's "Stolen Heaven" is released. The picture is one of the prettiest and incidentally at times one of the most moving love stories of the year. It is more than that. It is a logical tale of wrongdoing and expiation. The story is not of the Sunday school order — hardly. It is, though, a tale of life, of life in New York or in any other big town. A wounded and dazed man collides in the street with a woman and by the latter is taken to her room, where she learns she has on her hands a hold-up man — learns that not unimportant detail just prior to the search of the house by the police — and that on him he has the goods to the extent of twenty thousand. Her quick wit saves him. So two desperate youngsters de- cide to pool issues, to go away on a riotous honeymoon, to spend the money, and then jointly to take the big step that previously they had been ready to take individually. Under the spell of the new life the woman is transformed from a listless to an enthusiastic being. She is in love — not merely or casually or just so-so but madly and boundingly, al- most insanely so. The man maintains his reserve, but his chief thought now is to save the woman from par- ticipating in the pact. Alternating with the gayer and lighter moments are scenes of near hysteria on the part of the woman as she plans and schemes to prevent the carrying out by the man of his what we'll call prenuptial promise to free her of his presence. George Abbott, who adapted and staged this subject from a story by Dana Burnett, easily may rest the popular verdict on his picture on these particular sequences, although as a fact there are no dull moments the entire course of the running. If the opening scenes ar-e drab likewise are they exciting. There is suspense aplenty in this dramatic introduction in the girl's room of two desperate persons. And the same pull adheres throughout the unwinding of the story, even right to the finish when fate and reason have joined to let the law take its course. There is not much to be said about the cast — for the excellent and suffi- cient reason that Director Abbott, in the main, has chosen to confine his story to two persons. Louis Calhern has the part of the heavy who also proves to be a benevolent one in the end. Edward Keane is the detective who speaks for the law. "Stolen Heaven" will establish its two principals among the leaders in their particular field. Possibly noth- ing Nancy Carroll has done hereto- fore will equal her present work in demonstrating her quality as an emo- tional actress — and the expression is employed with due regard for the im- portance of its rather large implica- tion. In the case of young Holmes his portrayal here will supplement and confirm that in "The Criminal Code," to mention a recent example. Primarily Abbott has made a pic- ture for young persons. It is sug- gested, however, the appeal of the subject will be increased in direct proportion to the added years and ex- perience of the person viewing it. Australia Has New One Another reproducing system re- cently has been placed on the Aus- tralian market by Reproducer Sys- tems, Ltd., Sydney. The new gear, known as Reprovox, is of Australian manufacture and at recent demon- strations has apparently given satis- factory results. The company makes no claims its plant is equal to the high-priced makes, but guarantees it to give a highly satisfactory perform- ance. The new equipment is priced as follows: Sound on disc from £325; sound on film from £575; disc and film from £675. The equipment car- ries a twelve months' guarantee, and while no service fee is intended the company's engineers will make regu- lar inspections. March, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirty-niyie Trueball Tripod Heads MODEL B Their use for follow shots assures smooth operation, having an equal tension on all movements. Also, their action is unaffected by temperature. Fred Hoefner Cinema Machine Shop 5319 Santa Monica Blvd. GLadstone 0243 Los Angeles MELROSE Trunk Factory UNION MADE Camera Cases for UNION CAMERAMEN UNION MADE Camera Num- ber Boards Trunk and Luggage Repairing Our Specialty Automobile Trunks, Sample and Make-Up Cases to Order GLadstone 1872 646 N. Western LOS ANGELES, CALIF. v^iisfi . . . For professional Bell & Howell and DeBrie cameras. Send full description for cash offer. Or telegraph Bass Camera Company, 179 West Madison street, Chicago, Illinois. With Compliments Earl (Curly) Metz Assistant Cameraman James E. Woodbury Portrait and Commercial Photographer GRanite 3333 5356 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, Calif. Turn your scrap film and short ends into cash HORSLEY CHEMICAL COMPANY 1123 Lillian Way GLadstone 5490 Hollywood Dr. G. Floyd Jackman DENTIST Member Local No. 659 706 Hollywood First National Bldg. Hollywood Blvd. at Highland Ave. GLadstone 7507 Hours: 9 to And by Appointment Cameras Lenses GUARANTEED PETERSONS CAMERA EXCHANGE 356 So. Bdwy Los Angeles Send For Bargain List / Cinex Testing Machines Cinex Polishing Machines Developing Machines Printing Machines rebuilt for Sound Printing Special Motion Picture Machine Work Barsam - Tollar Mechanical Works 7239 Santa Monica Blvd. Hollywood, California Phone GRanite 9707 The new "Local 659" emblem. Small, chic and attractive. Or- der from your Secretary or direct from manufacturers. J. A. Meyers & Co. 822 South Flower Street The largest jewelry factory in the West Diamonds — Watches — Jewelry Phone GLadstone 4151 HOLLYWOOD STATE BANK The only bank in the Industrial District of Hollywood under State supervision Santa Monica Boulevard at Highland Avenue FvjSctnvs- BiffasHTVfos jnd many vita vffrcts. cAste your3 dealer, ov lypite to GEORGE H.SCHEIBE PHOTO-FILTER SPECIALIST Forty The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER March, 1931 VERNON L. WALKER Specializing in PROCESS Miniature, Trick and Unusual Shots Address 601 West Fairmont, Glendale, Calif. DO. 5032-R HE. 1128 CLASSIFIED W. A. SICKNER FIRST CAMERAMAN COMPLETE AKELEY EQUIPMENT CRestview 7255 GLadstone 5083 HEmpstead 1128 Kenneth Peach Special Effects FRED JACKMAN W. B F. N. Alvin Wyckoff Multicolor Aerial Photography WM. H. TUERS GR. 9097 HE. 1128 J. N. Giridlian SECOND CAMERAMAN STerling 1295 TErrace 9152 FOR SALE— Cameras— Mitchell, Bell & How- ell, Akeley ; lenses and accessories of all kinds ; new and used. HOLLYWOOD CAM- ERA EXCHANGE, 1511 Cahuenga Boulevard. WANTED, second hand Leica Camera En- larger ; must be in good condition. Jackson Rose, care International Photographers. MITCHELL high-speed Camera No. 225. Van Rossem, 6049 Hollywood Blvd. HO 0725. WANTED at reasonable price. Mitchell fric- tion head tripod, two F-2 Cook Lenses, Motor for Bell & Howell. J. C. Sulzer, Box 498, Atlanta, Ga. MISCELLANEOUS WANTED— FROM GLOBE-TROTTING CAM- ERAMEN FILM OF FOREIGN COUN- TRIES. ADDRESS REX GORDON, 1215 JUNE ST., HOLLYWOOD. PHONE GR 6933. FOR SALE — Bargains in cameras, lenses, new and used. Voigtlander 9x12 cm with F 4.5 lens, $30. Sept, complete, $25. Rolleidoscope $135 size 6x13. Leica with F 1.5 lens, com- plete $95. Stineman 16mm printer, $45. Oth- ers ; also rentals, repairs, exchanges at Peter- sons Camera Exchange, 356 S. Bdwy., L. A. FOR RENT Mitchell with Speed Movement complete. Five matched and cali- brated lenses. 4, 3, 2, 40 and 35 Pan Tachar 2 1000 ft. and 4 400-ft. magazines 1 Gear box and shaft 1 Baby tripod and high hat Glenn R. Kershner Culver City 3154 ELMER G. DYER HE8116-HE1128 Walter J. Van Rossem PHOTOGRAPHIC LABORA- TORY. MITCHELL CAMERA No. 225, COMPLETE, FOR SALE HOlly 0725 6049 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, California Art Reeves Cliff Thomas Phone HOIIywood 9431 IX0HANQE The Clearing House for Cameramen Mitchell and Bell & Howells FOR RENT Cameras and Projectors and Accessories bought and sold Commercial Photography 1511 N. Cahuenga Blvd. HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA Kodak Supplies Still Finishing 16 mm., 35 mm. Developed and Printed •^ w I WISH "THIS J CAMERA HAD A FREE HEAP AND A CONTROL HANDLE-. ON IT — iTTAKES TOO LONG TO GET IT CRANKED AROUND — GEE! WHEN DID YOU GET ONE OF THOSE. NEW MITCHELL CANERA CORPORATION TRICTlON HEAD CONTROL HANDLES! TELESCOPIC TOO — MUST 6E A DANDY PRETTY CLEVER - IS'NT IT? ALL YOU GOT TO DO 15 TO LOOSEN THE- CAM LEVEB, AMD DOWN IT GOES -STRAIGHT DOWN OUT OF THE. WAY - WHY- BILL' BEAUDINE. -SAID IT WAS THE F/RST TINE. HE EVER GOT up close To The. view finder AMD CAMERA WITHOUT GETTING. THE HANDLE ALL TANGLED UP IN S HIS VEST OR NECKTIE AND BESIDES WHEN IT'o DOWN OUT OF THE WAV Jj I CAN UNLOAD AND LOAD THE-, j CjUICKEJ^ y-> s v- C\ «■ 1 »*> **^ \ . . :^f ?. / '2 at Hollywood, California. Four The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER April, 1931 Color Sensitivity Little Changed Essentially the Same, Says DuPont Technician in Discussing- His Company's Special and Regular Panchromatic Negative By D. R. WHITE THE data here presented give di- rect comparisons between the characteristics of DuPont spe- cial panchromatic negative and Du- Pont regular panchromatic negative. From a purely scientific angle a complete analysis of such spectro- grams as are shown in Fig. 1 would give a very complete knowledge and comparison of the emulsion character- istics. The knowledge would be so detailed as to be only of laboratory interest and would not be of value to film users in such form. However, these spectrograms are re- produced here to show that the color sensitivity of the two films is essen- tially the same. No regions of the spectrum included in the older pro- duct are omitted in the new and no large changes in relative sensitivity to different colors have been intro- duced. The scale of reproduction of the spectrograms is too small to allow much reliable comparison of general film speeds therefrom. With this in view, H and D curves are presented in Fig. 2. The curves were plotted from exposures made in a non-inter- mittent time scale sensitometer, using a tungsten lamp as light source. The exposures for the curves marked "white" were made with the light from the tungsten lamp falling di- rectly on the film. For the curves marked "red" a Wratten "A" filter was placed in front of the light which was kept burning at the same position and brightness as for the "white" exposures. In a similar manner the exposures for the "green" and "blue" curves were made by the use of "B" and "C" filters re- spectively. The sensitometric strips were de- veloped together for eight minutes in borax developer, with high agitation of the developer during development. Special Notably Faster The comparison of these resulting curves, in pairs, confirms quantita- tively the fact which was qualitatively evidenced by the spectrograms, that there is no appreciable difference in relative spectral sensitivity in the two products. There is, however, a notable increase in speed of the spe- cial film over the regular. In actual practice it has been found possible to cut the set illumination from 40 to 60 per cent in using this DuPont spe- cial panchromatic negative. From these data it is evident that the filter factors for the special and regular panchromatic negative films are the same within very close limits. The lens stop or lighting used with the special film should, of course, be reduced to take account of the in- creased speed, but the filter factors themselves are essentially unchanged. As all successful filter users know, the correct filter factor for a given set of conditions depends upon three things, the filter, the lighting, and the sensitivity of the film. It is, of course, usual to specify a certain type or source of light and prepare a table showing the factor by which the stop should be increased to make up for the light adsorbed by each of a series of filters. This is thoroughly satisfactory only when the light source is constant in quality from time to time and place to place. Daylight is not constant in either way, but must be used for so much of the work where a filter is needed that filter factors for it are of great in- terest. Table 1 gives filter factors obtained in sunlight, and shows, therefore, the factor by which aper- ture or time should be increased to compensate for filter absorption. When Test Shot Is Indicated Where the light quality is not that of sunlight, these factors cannot be expected to hold accurately and a test shot should, of course, be made if the work is quite critical. Experience has shown that for shadow shots, when there is an absence of sunlight but a predominance of light from the blue sky, the factors for blue absorb- ing filters should be increased some- what over the values given, and for blue transmitting filters, if used, somewhat decreased. TABLE 1. The body of the table gives filter factor for the Wratten filters, desig- nated by letter, for sunlit scenes, for both DuPont special and regular pan- chromatic negatives. Filter Factor DuPont Special Filter DuPo nt Regular Kl 2.2 K2 3.1 K3 4 G 5 F 10 A 7 B 16 C 12 The photo-micrographs in Fig. 3 show that the increase in speed has not been at the expense of grain size. The importance of this consideration is obvious. The two photo-micro- graphs were made under identical con- ditions and represent directly a true comparison of the grain sizes in the two products. Use of Lights The dark room handling for camera loading and processing both of these negative films is most safely done in total darkness. Light that does not reach film does not fog it. Under some operating conditions both on commercial and experimental scale total darkness is a considerable han- dicap. Practical experience has shown that, where extreme caution is used, a dim green safelight can be used, which will permit some vision and still not fog the film in exposures of a few minutes duration. No such light can be here successfully specified that will meet all working conditions. It is suggested, however, that where such light seems essential, dim green safelights be used and tested in place. Such a test can readily be made by exposing short lengths of the type of film to be handled in some simple holder such as a fold of black paper or cardboard which will expose part of the film to the light under test and protect part from that light. This may well be in the form of a slide such that the protecting cover may be moved back at specified time intervals, allowing a series of expos- ures on one piece of film. The thresh- old of fogging action can readily be determined in this manner with a minimum of time, film and effort. Developing such pieces of film will quickly show whether an exposure of any chosen duration at the selected position will or will not produce fog on it. Obviously no light can be judged safe when it fogs film in a time equal or less than the probable exposure of the film to it in process- ing. A factor of safety must always be considered to allow for a possible Fig. 1. Spectrograms on DuPont panchromatic negatives. A, Special. B, Regular. April, 19 J 1 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Five DuPo/vr Panchromatic 2S Fig. 2. H and D curves on DuPont panchromatic negatives. White: exposed to tungsten lamp. Red: exposed to tungsten lamp through A filter. Green: exposed to tungsten lamp through B filter. Blue: exposed to tungsten lamp through C filter. and probable variation in handling time. Second Safety Factor A second type of safety factor must be considered if light is used at more than one stage, since harmful additive exposures might occur to lights indi- vidually judged safe enough. All of these considerations should lead one to handle and process the film in total darkness unless the value of the pres- ence of light is great enough to war- rant adequate planning, testing and continued watchfulness in use. Where it has seemed desirable to desensitize film to permit the use of an increased amount of light to watch development, the same procedure may still be used. The increased original speed of the special negative may, in limiting cases, require the use of slightly less light after desensitization than could be used with the slower regular negative, but in all tests made desensitization of both was great enough to permit very satisfactory working light for development after desensitization. With all of these facts in mind, the DuPont special panchromatic nega- tive is seen to require no change in technique of make-up, taking and pro- cessing. In using it, all that is need- ed is to cut the lighting and go ahead in just the same way as with the reg- ular panchromatic negative. leleased in the United States. These will be directed by Basil Dean. Martin photographed two subjects in England last year, Galsworthy's "Escape" and "The Fourth Wall" by A. A. Milne, so the present trip is a return engagement. The pictures will be photographed at the British Lion studios, Beaconsfield, Bucks, England. The studio is situated 8 miles from Windsor and 28 from London. Perry Brothers to Africa Harry Perry and Paul Perry left Hollywood March 16 for a six weeks' trip to northern Africa to photograph pictures in Multicolor for Brown- Nagel productions. They will visit among other places Morocco, Algeria, Egypt and Mediterranean ports. Martin Sails for England To Shoot for Associated ROBERT G. MARTIN, with the camera department of Radio Pictures, sailed for England March 7 to be gone probably a year. He will photograph for Associated Talking Pictures, which is making a series of six features for Radio to be " and straw, T I ^ers Last Year 1930S BEST PICTURES ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT ABRAHAM LINCOLN HOLIDAY JOURNEY'S END ANNIE CHRISTIE THE BIG HOUSE WITH BYRD AT THE SOUTH POLE THE DIVORCEE HELL'S ANGELS OLD ENGLISH Again . the best USED MAZDA LAMPS . . . /\GAIN in I930, MAZDA lamps played an important part in the production of the best pictures of the year. This predominance of MAZDA lamps for lighting as well as for record- ing and reproduction of sound is significant. Of the ten best pictures, seven used MAZDA lamps exclusively, while two of the others used MAZDA lamps in paTt. Every type of General Electric MAZDA lamp used in motion picture photography is the result of millions of dollars and many years spent in research and test applications. That MAZDA lamps should contribute to the outstanding success of the year's best pictures is not only logical — it is inevitable because the past achievement, present acceptance and future promise of MAZDA lamps have made them indispensable to the cin- ematographer. The continued identification of G. E. MAZDA lamps with the best productions is assured by theiT quality, and by the devotion of the engi- neers who constantly improve them to the cause of ever better cine- matography. National Lamp Works of General Electric Company, Nela Park, Cleveland, Ohio. Join us in the General Electric pTOgTam, broadcast every Saturday evening over a nation-wide N. B. C. network. ELECTRIC MAZDA®LAMPS April, 19 SI The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirteen 1930 Equipment Exports Gain Estimated Nearly Twice the Value of 1929 the Field Including Sound and Lighting Apparatus — Europe Best Customer By N. D. GOLDEN Assistant Chief Motion Picture Division in PRELIMINARY figures of the Bu- reau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce show that during 1930 $9,172,824 worth of American motion picture equipment was exported to various regions of the world as against $1,442,803 worth of similar equipment during 1929. Unfortu- nately during 1929 sound apparatus and arc lamps were not listed under export classification. It is safe, how- ever, to estimate that approximate three and a half million dollars worth of this equipment was exported dur- ing 1929. Assuming this estimate in the ab- sence of accurate figures to be a fair one and coupled with the above figure for other types of motion picture equipment, our exports for 1929 were approximately $5,000,000. Our ex- ports of motion picture equipment for 1930, therefore, show an increase of approximately $4,000,000 over the preceding year. A total of 2160 American motion picture projectors of the 35 mm. type were exported to all foreign markets during 1930 having a declared value of $599,046 as compared with 1989 projectors valued at $592,319 during 1929. Europe was our best customer, buying 1052 American projectors with a declared value of $231,601 as com- pared with 837 projectors valued at $260,736 during 1929. Second in importance is the Far East, importing 628 American ma- chines valued at $145,445 during 1930, as against 399 of our projectors with a value of $119,764 for the year 1929. Latin America is our third largest purchaser, importing 263 pro- jectors with a value of $127,387 dur- ing 1930, as compared with 348 pro- jectors with a value of $114,092 dur- ing 1929. Canada is next, importing during 1930 134 American projectors valued at $40,132, as against 330 projectors valued at $74,475 during 1929. Near East and Africa is the last region of importance. During 1930, 83 projectors with a value of $54,481 were exported to this section as com- pared with 75 projectors valued at $23,252 during 1929. The following comparative table shows the exports of American motion picture projec- tors of 35 mm. type to the various regions of the world, together with exports to our first ten individual markets. Motion Picture Projectors 35 mm. 1929 Number Value Europe 837 $260,736 Far East 399 119,764 Latin America 348 114,092 Canada 330 74,475 Near East and Africa, 75 23,252 Total 1989 $592,319 1930 Number Value Europe 1052 $231,601 Far East 628 145,445 Latin America 263 127,387 Canada 134 40,132 Near East and Africa 83 54,481 Number Value 646 $144,063 49,521 Total 2160 $599,046 1929 Indiv. Markets Rank Number Value United Kingdom. 1 552 $152,958 Japan 3 130 22,876 Canada 2 330 74,475 France 5 80 38,368 British India 14 32 19,532 China 9 57 9,392 South Africa 6 72 22,679 Switzerland 19 22 4,588 Spain 10 46 20,207 Australia 7 66 29,492 1930 Indiv. Markets Rank United Kingdom. 1 Japan 2 339 Canada 3 134 40,132 France 4 126 23,276 British India 5 77 27,984 China 6 77 15,466 South Africa 7 76 52,161 Switzerland 8 73 15,238 Spain 9 66 19,435 Australia 10 55 14,126 Projectors Less Than 35 mm. During 1930 there was a drop in our exports of 16 mm. projectors amounting to 677 projectors. During 1930 we exported to all markets of the world a total of 1634 substandard projectors valued at $148,266, as against 2311 American projectors with a value of $212,947 during 1929. The following table shows our ex- ports of substandard projectors both by region and by leading individual markets : 1929 Number Value Canada 214 $24,185 Far East 1263 103,952 Europe 689 65,685 Latin America 128 16,682 Near East and Africa. 17 2,443 1930 Number Value Canada 580 $43,769 Far East 442 37,458 Europe 375 36,627 Latin America 223 28,019 Near East and Africa 14 2,393 Total . .1634 $148,266 Number Value 214 $24,185 883 70,268 228 14,167 25 3,283 70 9,816 88 11,795 15 2,804 24 1,525 49 3,686 30 4,322 1929 Indiv. Markets Rank Canada 3 Japan 1 United Kingdom. 2 Argentina 14 Switzerland 7 China 6 Chile 20 Sweden 16 Spain 9 France 11 1930 Indiv. Markets Rank Number Value Canada 1 580 $43,769 Japan 2 297 24,684 United Kingdom. 3 133 6,934 Argentina 4 75 7,917 Switzerland 5 61 8,674 China 6 58 3,717 Chile 7 45 9,028 Sweden 8 43 5,844 Spain 9 41 1,798 France 10 28 4,204 Sound Apparatus and Parts The year 1930 is the first in which a separate classification for sound ap- paratus has been made. During 1930 a total of $7,736,059 worth of sound equipment and parts were exported to the geographical regions as indi- cated in the following table: 1930 Europe $4,522,354 Far East 1,378,507 Latin America 1,196,278 Canada 404,044 .Near East and Africa 234,896 Total 2311 $212,947 Total $7,736,059 Of the leading individual markets, United Kingdom and France are our leading markets. The following table shows our exports of sound appara- tus to the first ten leading markets: Leading Individual Markets, 1930 United Kingdom $2,390,456 France 1,032,860 Australia . 452,952 Canada 404,044 Italy 344,928 Philippine Islands 197,226 New Zealand 194,102 South Africa 192,609 Brazil 181,752 Spain 179,174 Other countries which have pur- chased over $100,000 worth of Amer- ican sound apparatus are as follows: Chile, Mexico, British Malaya, British India and Belgium. The year 1930 is also the first in which arc lamps for motion picture projectors are classified. During this period a total of 967 lamps with a value of $121,645 have been exported. Fourteen The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER April, 19. j l Volume of exports to the leading- mar- kets and geographical regions is con- tained in the following table: Arc Lamps, 1930 Number Value Europe 671 $77,172 Canada 115 22,204 Far East 89 14,228 Latin America 82 7,610 Near East Africa 10 431 Total 967 $121,645 Leading Individual Markets, 1930 Number Value France 361 $10,105 United Kingdom 303 66,544 Canada 115 22,204 New Zealand 42 6,714 Panama 24 765 China 15 2,260 Mexico 15 2,381 Japan 12 1,107 Australia 11 1,758 Cuba 11 691 There is a slight decline in the number of 35 mm. cameras exported during 1930 as compared with 1929. During this year 946 cameras were exported to all countries as com- pared with 1038 during 1929. While the quantity of our camera exports has dropped during 1930 the value has increased. Value of cameras ex- ported during 1930 amounted to $405,- 906, as compared with $364,544 dur- ing- the year 1929. The following comparative table shows the exports of American cam- eras of 35 mm. type to the various regions of the world together with ex- ports to our first ten individual mar- kets: Motion Picture Cameras, 35 mm. Number Value Number Value Europe ... 512 $169,897 537 $214,808 Far East.. 262 104,479 261 101,505 Latin America.. 162 53,505 80 57,571 Near East and Africa 26 7,138 42 16,924 Canada ... 76 29,525 26 15,098 Total 1038 $364,544 946 $405,906 Leading Individual Markets, 1930 Rank Number Value United Kingdom. 1 325 $78,369 Japan 4 82 22,962 Switzerland 14 15 2,686 France 2 86 41,509 British India 11 23 15,617 Italy 24 5 3,862 South Africa 12 20 2,678 Germany 7 37 26,840 Canada 5 76 29,525 Spain 21 6 2,780 Rank Number Value United Kingdom. 1 193 $71,478 Japan 2 129 39,165 Switzerland 3 76 11,624 France 4 69 48,202 British India 5 56 27,306 Italy 6 51 22,364 South Africa 7 36 14,983 Germany 8 31 16,464 Canada 9 26 15,098 Spain 10 26 17,157 Exports of motion picture cameras less than 35 mm. have fallen off near- ly 46 per cent during 1930. The table below gives a comparative picture of our exports of this type camera for the year 1929 and 1930: Cameras Less Than 35 mm. 1929 Number Value Far East 1606 $126,250 Europe 802 75,317 Canada 361 26,021 Latin America 262 41,556 Near East and Africa, 51 3,849 Total 3082 $272,993 1930 Number Value Far East 640 $62,131 Europe 447 45,952 Canada 386 23,103 Latin America 193 28,938 Near East and Africa, 11 1,778 Total 1677 $161,902 Alex G. Penrod as He Was Nine Years Ago On the page opposite are repro- ductions of snapshots of the late Alex G. Penrod, 6Uh, lost in the de- struction of the sealer Viking off Newfoundland March 15. these pictures were taken at the time "Down to the Sea in Ships" was photographed in southern waters in 1922 and are from the records of Maury Kains, 659, who was an as- sociate of the late cameraman on that production.. In the center Mr. Penrod is shown adjusting his hat. Next to him is Elmer Clifton, director, and to the right Mr. Kains In the up- per left the cameraman is shown at the sewing machine making cos- tu7nes. In the opposite corner, photographed as the vessel is enter- ing Santo Domingo harbor, from left to right are Elmer Clifton, Raymond McKee and Mr. Penrod. In the lower left the cameraman is shown at the right of the cam- era. In the center examining a strip of still negative are from left to right Mr. Penrod, McKee, Paul Allen, C>59, and Clifton. On the right the cameraman shoots down on a 'long side scene. Leading Individual Markets 1929 Rank Number Value Japan 2 577 $55,410 Canada 3 361 26,021 United Kingdom. 4 284 11,544 Switzerland 5 273 28,941 Argentina 7 93 21,834 Netherlands 12 34 3,800 China 6 119 10,115 France 15 31 4,452 Mexico 13 34 2,485 Sweden 18 26 6,650 1930 Rank Number Value Japan 1 502 $44,890 Canada 2 386 23,103 United Kingdom. 3 204 10,426 Switzerland 4 103 10,954 Argentina 5 86 17,194 Netherlands 6 47 9,392 China 7 45 5,349 France 8 35 4,813 Mexico 9 27 2,894 Sweden 10 17 5,445 To Penrod: A Tribute THE loss of Alex G. Penrod, Lo- cal 644, in the sinking of the sealer Viking in Newfoundland waters March 15 was a stunning blow to the friends of this beloved brother. The cameraman was a member of the expedition headed by Varick Frissell, who also was lost in the disaster. It is the opinion of the captain of the vessel that the explosion occurred dur- ing the taking out of powder for use in smashing ice the day following. The magazine adjoined the quarters of the officers of the craft and of the members of the motion picture expe- dition. The explosion destroyed the entire stern of the vessel, which sank shortly following. It was my good fortune to know Brother Penrod intimately. I worked for him in 1921 on "Silas Marner" and again in 1922 on "Down to the Sea in Ships." I have never worked with a finer man. He was a hard worker, conscientious, Godfearing — a good husband and an affectionate father. I recall our arrival in Santo Do- mingo, where Brother Penrod received a wireless from his wife telling of the passing of their baby. His conduct following this heartbreaking news be- spoke the man. He went right ahead with his work and turned out a most successful production. To Mrs. Penrod, one of the best and bravest, the sincere sympathies of a host of friends will be extended. M K. German Invents Superior Type of Photoelectric Cell A GERMAN trade paper reprints the report of a lay organ deal- ing with the work of Dr. Bruno Lange, assistant at the Insti- tute for Silicate Research of the Kaiser Wilhelm Gesellschaft, Berlin, in connection with the transformation of light energy into electrical current. Dr. Lange is credited with the in- vention of a photoelectric cell, which is supposed to be superior to the vari- eties now in use. It is said to gen- erate a stronger current, though the currents that it has so far been pos- sible to obtain were not sufficiently strong to permit the use of the cell in the motion picture industry without the addition of amplifiers. According to a reported statement of the inventor, the use of the cell would reduce amplification by one, or possibly two, stages, but it is insisted that there can be no question of using the cell altogether without amplifiers. British Censor 141 Films During the month of December, 1930, there were submitted to and passed by the British Board of Cen- sors a total of 141 films — 44 of which were American, 58 British, and 38 from other countries; 119 were syn- chronized and 22 silent; 82 were shorts and 59 features, of the former of which 72 were short sound films and of the latter 47 were feature sound films, according to Trade Com- missioner Martin H. Kennedy, Lon- don, in a report to the Department. April, 19.11 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Fifteen Sixteen The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER April, 1931 era IRA HOKE There and Back "Shack" Shackelford tells about a Chinese prisoner who was being led to execution by a squad of Mongolian soldiers. The day was wintry and a chilling rain pelted down heartlessly. "What wretches you Mongols are," grumbled the doomed one, "to march me through a rain like this!" "How about us?" retorted one of the soldiers. "We have to march back." Oh! My Dear! Bob Bronner— That girl on the Fol- lies set shows distinction in her clothes. Bob Tobey — You mean distinctly, don't you? But It Helps The Judge had a burglar on the spot. "I see from the police report," said the judge, "that besides the contents of your victim's purse, which amounted to some $300, you stole his watch and chain, his DuPont pencil, his East- man monotone filter, his fountain pen, and his tripod cranks." "Yes, your Honor," replied the prisoner, "I remembered just in time that money alone doesn't bring happi- ness." Reload — Quick ! Harry Gant, well known producer of negro talkies, tells this one on a Mobile mammy and her "wuthless" spouse. Seems Rastus had been sentenced to 30 days on the chain gang for stealing a ham. Only a week of this time had elapsed when Mammy ap- peared before the judge requesting that Rastus be pardoned and returned home. "Why, said the judge, "do you think he has repented so soon, Mammy?" "No sah, jedge," said she, "but de truth is we is plumb out of ham." Penny for Her Art "Yes," said the charming actress, "I have had letters of applause from England, Ireland, and Wales, and," Ilzari Kardi Breaks Out Again Hon. H'Vv'aid Hurd & Brother, Business Representative, Location 659. Dear Mr. & Sir: Excuse it please another letter from Japanese asst. cameraman. The ether day it made occurrence to my memory what tremulous savings to the m.p. industry would be enjoyed if cameras were only ground out silently. Hon. sounding artist on our company requires me to make a covering for my camera consisting of the following articles: 1. Very horse-smelling blanket with hairs to get in film move- ment. 2. One patchworking quilt with inside cotton worked into large lumps. 3. One ruberized sheet for babies. 4. One large pad for putting under cheap rugs to make them feel high class. After placing these 4 articles on top of photographic camera, my Hon. cameraman complain the finder has misplacement of imagination and with aid of stepping ladder I must remove above listed 4 articles of silence, make checkroom of finder, then replace operation as before described in par. one. As this wastes much time and expenses for Hon. producer, as well as complete exhaustion to nerves of cameraman I wish to present to you the following saturated solution. My cousin, Shinmatsu Moto, enjoys ice cube making electric refrig- erator for putting in ginger ale etc. Mostly etc. This device inwardly contains machinery more intricate than camera and motor, yet it makes complete operation so noisless that never is my cousin's cat, Kobi, awak- ened from nap-sleeping on top of machine cabinet in smoked herring box with red letters. The Academy of Motion Picture Art and Silence asks in question mark to camera profession what to do with blimps and horse-smelling rugs. I have made very high power solution of this query. Take all such to incenerator at back end of lot. Next take insides from ice cube re- frigerators and construct into cameras with finders close to lens which make no noise to corrupt mortality of sound artists. This will make camera department enjoy very long life of happiness. Hoping you are same, Fraternally yours, IKARI KARDI. with a twinkle in her eyes, "postcards from Scotland." Marital Ties in the Jungle Clyde DeVinna tells about a hen- pecked husband in the African jungle who was accosted on the village clear- ing by a breathless savage who brought tidings of importance. Ac- cording to the translator their hurried conversation was something like this: Breathless native — Quick, Moto, a tiger has just run into the house where your wife is. The Henpecked villager — Well, he'll just have to get out the best way he can. The Works First scenario writer — Did the sur- geon remove the apppendix? Second scribe — Feels to me like he removed my whole table of contents. Yes, Mr. Webster Down in the DuChrome Film Sys- tem office a neat little sign settles once and for all the definition of a "spe- cialist." It reads: A specialist is one who learns more and more about less and less until eventually he knows everything about nothing. l\o Such Luck One of Friend Baker's young hope- fuls had canvassed nearly all the drug stores in Beverly Hills before a pre- scription clerk 'phoned the lad's mother and told her this one. Seems the youngster approached the drug- gist thus: Baker Jr. — Are you out of stock of caster oil? Druggist — Why, no, buddy. Baker Jr. — Well, I've been sent to get some, and I jolly well mean to find a druggist who is. Oh! That Shape Cutter Girl — What is the shape of a kiss? Cameraman — Well, give me one, sis, and I'll call it square. Pocahontas Done This Steve Newman tells this one of a large meeting of a plumbers' union some years ago. During the meeting a messenger rushed to the platform and after seeking the business agent's permission called out: "Is Mr. Smith in the hall? I am in- formed that his house is on fire." Fifty gentlemen leaped to their feet. "It is the house of Mr. John Smith," added the informant. "Thank heaven!" exclaimed one of them, resuming his seat. Oh! Gee Whiz! Henry — Gosh! Give a look at her. Bob— Her what? ^I'Q,. Qream oth Stills t**"^ Z?ert Anderson catches this spirited combination of horse and rider just at the crest of the rise — in the flash that precedes resumption of all fours by the graceful animal Here is a bit of palm and cloud and roof of thatch and away in the distance a glimpse of The South Seas as seen by Bob Roberts in Tahiti Speaking for itself, Hidden Lake, Conjilon, New Mexico, is here revealed through the medium of the camera of Edward H. Kemp .^'d,. @ream oth Stills cfWo*. W. J. Van Rossem catches this beam of sunlight as it strikes Old Ocean along the shores of Malibu, north of Santa Monica, in California More than a hundred miles to the south Robert Tobey near La Jolla patiently waits for a shot at the departing Qream oth Stills Fred Arc/ier gives us aw insight into life along the placid canal passing through Clamecy, France April, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Seventeen TWICE AS FAST! JuASTMAN Super-Sensitive Pan- chromatic Negative, Type 2, has at least double the speed of ordinary negative, under artificial light. It has a finer grain, and very decided developing latitude. In addition it retains all the advantages of regu- lar Eastman Panchromatic Negative . . . and the price remains the same. Use this remarkable new film in your next picture. Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, New York. (J. E. Brulatour, Inc., Distributors, New York, Chicago, Hollywood.) Eastman Super-Sensitive Panchromatic Negative, Type 2 Eight i < a The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER April, I9.;i Over the Grapevine JACK BARNETT and a suburban blonde are on fire . . . Brother Martin is that way too . . . News- reelers all agog over proposed agree- ment; it's up to Pat Casey now . . . Ralph Lembeck producing pretty noth- ings from a new recorder . . . Bob Duggan has been throwing 2,000 amps around Baltimore recently for good ol' Western Electric . . . Prexy David showed the projection brethren how they make 'em at the recent operators ball ... So did Jimmy Creighton . . . Gene Cour has phffft from Pathe . . . Likewise Fred Geise, Johnny Zimmer- man and Walter Hotz . . . Hotz is snaring the elusive striations for Bur- ton Holmes . . . Charley Ford and his Chi Daily News ramblers just com- pleted 'nother lip flicker for Bill Thompson — Charley hasn't decided whether it'll be French Lick or Hot Springs this time . . . Big stuff brew- ing at Spoor-Ahbe emporium; here's hopin'; they deserve it . . . Ralph Bv NORMAN W. ALLEY Editorial Note WITH this makeup the 666 sec- tion of International Pho- tographer has a new com- piler. We accepted the post only •after exhausting every effort to keep Brother Birch on the desk. Harry has been devoting con- siderable time to this page in the past and has asked to be relieved because of pressing business mat- ters. We hope that we will have the same good co-operation which Harry enjoyed and that you fellows in the field will help us carry on by sending any news or notes of local interest before the 10th of each month. N.W.A. Biddy tuning up his eight cyl DeBrie prepping for the 500-mile snort . . . Red Felbinger and his flame are cry- Harry Vallejo, the photographer, has withdrawn from his archives thin first picture of the Keystone Cops, the leader of a long line of laughmakers. The subject tens produced late in 1912. The personnel of the "force" would indi- cate Sennett was a good picker of "comers." But rending from left to right: Robert Z. Leonard, Mack Sennett, Bill Haber, Henry (Pathe) Lehrmann, Mc Alley, Chet Franklin, Ford Sterling, Fred Mace, Arthur Tavaras. ing it out . . . Bull Phillips has re- vamped the old stand; quite an im- provement . . . Bob Travenier seems to be dunking plenty of film through his north side lab . . . Way back when Bull Phillips and Charley David burnt the set after one of those not so 40 pichurs; 'tis claimed chaise lounge, bed room fixtures and all went sky- ward . . . Eddie Morrison took a lot of excess baggage to Detroit one stormy night . . . Felbinger fought the German building fire out in Jackson Park . . . . Them were the good ol' days! SIX-SIXTY-SIX Talkies and Politics Talking pictures used by Mayor Thompson in his battle for re-election prove the value of this medium in the political field. Thompson won his primary fight against the most colorful opponent with which he has had to contend. He did so by making the widest use pos- sible of talking films, giving his plat- form views to the Chicago public from almost every street corner. It was an expensive program, but well worth the experiment. The Chicago Daily News in co-operation with Avery Chereton and his Vita-Glow record- ing system produced the film which consisted of three reels, and did a very creditable job of it. Tommy Mal- loy, business manager of Operators Local 110, arranged for the portable projection throughout the city and it is worthy of note that the public re- action toward "Big Bill" was aided a great deal by his winning screen personality. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Folks We'd Like to Hear From Walter W. Bell Pete Shamray Gus Petersen Al Wetzel George Gibson Joe Johnson And some more of you bonus spend- ers who fought the battle of Paris back in '18. 5IX-SIXTY- The Sassiety Reporter We are proud to announce that our Sassiety reporter has assured us he will continue to hammer out his col- yum, and we have, in turn, assured his red-hedded highness that as in the past there will be no editorial re- strictions to worry about. April, 19.11 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Nineteen In Focus — In Spots! By the Sassiety Reporter WELL, old Harry Birch, who was the head man of this here page, has went and retired from pur- suing his journalistic endeavor to en- lighten youse birds on what's what. So I guess I'm the only one of the old school of fearless exposin' what's left on the staff of the PAge. Mr. Norman Alley filed the neatest application for the job of about sixty coorrespondent school journalists, so he fell into Harry's old job of Page Engineer. As the said new head man is one of them modest birds about giving the up and up low-down of his abilities maybe this here depart- ment ought to give a analize of the new editor and maybe how he ought to edit this page. Mr. Alley (I got to call him Mr. because after all he's the bird what'll pass on my stuff) should open a sports department on our PAGe because he's one of these expert dopesters what no's what nag is comin' through in the fifth race. He is a real expert because no horse he has picked has ever been found after the race was over. His columns on golf should be a big help as Alley has killed more snakes on middle western fairways than any you birds. He is also gifted in dealing faro, blackjack and always has a ace or two extra to go with his poker face. As to his general editorial ability this ought to be a picture PAGE now, as he is a good photog when it comes to writin' news. Regardless of the new scribe's abilities and policies I assure youse there ain't no change going to be made in this column's fear- less honest time worn yarns. Well, good luck, Alley, on the new job of slinging the ink — but keep it clean. SIX-SIXTY-SIX About That Newsreel I'm sittin here in a one-movie town near Detroit writin' this and it's a heluva job tryin' to be funny about youse birds seein' as how I just blew back from the movie Emporium and the pitcher was "East Lynne." It wuz allright, but they didn't show no newsreel, so I ups and axe the bird what runs the joint — "H o w come?" So he says, well he had one of the latest issues up in the booth, but seein' as how there wasn't a story on prohibition in that reel maybe the customers wouldn't ketch on it was a newsreel if he put it on. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Handing Jones a Medal The other night the A.A.U. hands Bobby Jones a medal for bein' the best sport of 1930 (which didn't in- clude axing newsreel men to shut the camera off while he was putting). As it happened in Chicago most of the 666 historians ankled the equipment up and got there before the groceries were served. Well, quite a few familiar faces were at the press (deadbeat) table. President David was surrounded by Norman Alley, Harry Neems, Red So They Tell Me Stocks may be bouncing up and down on the big board in Wall street, but they are going definitely upward with the camera twisters on May 1 when the initial fee shoots to $1,000. It's a bull market from now on, and the wise boys will reap. Every meeting of the six-sixty-sixers seems to bring out an increase in attendance, which is a healthy con- dition and shows that the members are becoming more and more inter- ested in union matters. N. W. A. Tonny Caputo and his sound man Saunders set their truck in front of Mr. Capone's private squad car, and Red Felbinger put his baby moving van behind it in the hopes Scarface Al would "say a few words for the talkies," but the way that guy breezed out of police headquarters and into his car is nobody's business. After counting up the footage the boys got on Al's exit from the bastile building, Pres. David suggested he would use a slow motion camera to get some decent footage on our leading citizen the next time he covered him. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Felbinger, W. Robertson for the feed. Later the gang sizzled Bobby Jones under the "inkies," proving he's a right good sport. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Capone Not So Sloiv Mr. Alphonse Capone, who rates as Citizen No. 1, showed up in the Windy Burg the other day. Well, it's always the custom of the 666 newsreelers to cover the "big shots" when they ap- pear, so everybody turned out includ- ing Charlie Ford, prima donna of the Daily News Screen Reel. Charlie talked a heavy Eymo. Norman Alley, impressario of the local Fox office, skipped breakfast to focus Charlie Geis's groan box, because Charlie had lumbago or sumpin in his neck and couldn't get the old eye down to the finder. Unreconstructed Rebel I got a letter from George Gibson, the hot air expert on celluloid, tellin' me the company what furnishes his pay check has invented a new raw stock that's so fast you gotta hold your hand over the lense to prevent over-exposure, and here in Chicago we got Charlie Ford and Charlie David braggin how they makes scenes at the Stadium with this same light- nin' film. Yours trooly wants to issue a state- ment that he is still battin' out movies on good ole regular stock which gives a guy a break to smoke a cigarette while loading magazines in a impro- vised darkroom in a country hotel bathroom. Just a old fashioned boy of the ole school still making pictures. Maybe I stop down wide open, but they still use 'em now and then. Audio-Camex portable equipment in the studio of Smith and Aller, where a group of cameramen made tests with the Eastman super sensitive panchroma- tic negative and the DuPont special panchromatic negative, each lighting a set according to his own ideas and using each film. Max Firestein of the Max Factor office conducted the make-up for the tests. In the picture left to right are Cliff Thomas and Art Reeves, who compose the Hollywood Camera Ex- change; B. J. Kroger, Harry Anderson; seated, Mickey Whalen, Jackson Rose. Other cameramen who attended and conducted tests were Alvin Wyckoff, Dev Jennings, Bennie Kline, Ira Morgan, Ross Fischer, Al Gilks and Guy Neivhard. ■"* or J*' r/ Lfw ■ JH If m " •**' Jmrnm fl T MB 1 v**^ : n^ Twenty T h INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER April, 19S1 Up to the Mountains and IF by any chance you are among those who rest under the belief that the big breaks in Hollywood go only to some particularly fortunate maiden fair or even to some youth with waving locks you will be in- formed to the contrary by Clifton L. Kling, the young man who photo- graphed the widely varying and strik- ing examples of camera art shown on these two pages. For Kling is very certain such a thing as a break most certainly came his path five years ago when without previous experience in a camera way with other than the motion type he was pitchforked into the still camera department of one of the major stu- dios. Incidentally from that day to this he has never lost a dav — which in itself is an achievement as Holly- wood studio records go. Prior to 1926 Kling had worked on straight motion picture cameras. One of his last engagements with this type of instrument was with the late Larry Semon. It was while with the comedian he received a mystifying call from a large studio, mystifying in so far as it indicated it was for still work, a de- partment with which he was practi- cally unacquainted. Deciding to find out what it was all about a call at the studio brought word the party sending for him was not at the mo- ment in but his secretary said it was desired for him to go right to work and satisfactory compensation would be adjusted. April, I"-! I The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Twenty-one wn to the Sea with Kling ng The photographer does not care to go into details in outlining the embar- rassments of the first few days, but by adhering to a policy of a tight lip (Continued on Page 24) The Pictures: Upper row, from left to right — This is not one of those set-back sky- scraping office buildings but an excel- lent view of Morro Fork Rock, Bryce Canyon, Utah. No-. 2, Pine Ledge, Cedar Breaks, Utah. No. 3, Arch Rock, Bryce Canyon. No. 4, Castle Rocks, Bryce Canyon. One need not be a geologist to enjoy contemplation of this rarely beautiful photograph of a bit of mother earth that needs have no hesitation in revealing evi- dences of its age, of the inconceivable forces that has been exerted on these castellated cliffs. Centre left, a bit of Bryce Canyon. Centre right, the other half of the same photograph. Lower left, two oystermen at St. Michaels, Md., preparing for the day's work. Lower right, the oyster fleet returns to its anchorage for the night. Captain A. W. Johnson of the U. S. S. Colorado looks across the harbor at San Pedro, at. the battleship New Mexico and the Palos Verdes hills be- hind it. At Long Beach a quintet of RKO girls do their rhythmical stuff on tin sands. Centre, lower, an old tramp at Wil- mington, Calif. Twenty-two The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER April, 1931 Looking In on Just a Few New Ones STRANGERS MAY KISS William, Daniels, Cameraman HERE is a picture you may write home about, this "Srangers May Kiss," which M-G-M has produced with Norma Shearer in the leading part. It is a production which rings the bell from all major angles- — and these include story, dia- logue, direction, photography, record- ing and individual characterization. To those interested in photography the charm of the picture will be nota- bly enhanced by the superb work of Daniels and his associates. Another major factor of the pro- duction is the dialogue. It is striking in its sparkling quality, in its smart- ness, if you will. It has that unforced spontaneity so far removed from the labored wisecracking of the lesser powered writers or selective assem- blers that constitutes it a genuine de- light to the ear. The characters are persons of edu- cation and sharp wit if not of large means, and it is with unerring skill the conversation reflects that situa- tion. The story is from the book by Ur- sula Parrott, the source of "Divor- cee." The dialogue and continuity are by John Meehan, with George Fitzmaurice directing. Although Miss Shearer dominates the tale from beginning to end it is not because she is designedly given the benefit of no opposition. To the contrary, there is an abundance of it, with opportunities going to Robert Montgomery, Marjorie Rambeau, Irene Rich, Neil Hamilton and others. Miss Shearer has the role of Lis- By GEORGE BLAISDELL beth, a woman in love with Alan, por- trayed by Hamilton, a world wander- er on assignment who believes not in marriage and is able to instill into Lisbeth his views on the relation of the sexes. The affection of the woman for the man is so deeply rooted she follows him to Mexico. Here the two live happily until the man is ordered south on board a naval vessel. Lis- beth's dream is ended. The locale changes to Paris, where two years later we find the heroine. Later it shifts to New York. "Strangers May Kiss" is a wom- an's story — a natural matinee subject of great appeal — but nevertheless the female of the species if as wise as she is reputed to be will not rest until she has secured the attendance at the picture of her particular male pos- session, whether it be a full-fledged sidekick or something else again. Somehow the male person emerges from the picture somewhat plucked of his plumage, not quite such a shin- ing example of God's great gift to his immediate community as he would have his neighbors believe; in fact on the whole quite humbled. On the female side of the cast Irene Rich is Celia, whose kindly ad- vice to Lisbeth regarding the beau- ties of marriage as she has found it for a dozen years gets a rude check when the husband is caught stepping out. Then there is Marjorie Ram- beau, she of the breezy manner and keen wit, in the part of great and sincere friend of Lisbeth. Each of these talented women is a tower of strength to the production. On the male side Robert Montgom- ery is Steve, the unsuccessful suitor for the hand of Lisbeth. Steve's phil- osophical and good-tempered accept- ance of secondary position is delight- fully interpreted and worthy of study by those short-tempered, brusque males who never seem able to con- trol their tongues or their manners in the presence of a successful rival. To Neil Hamilton falls what proves to be the semi-heavy part of success- ful lover, a role at times requiring the sacrifice of anything resembling audi- ence sympathy. The job is done fear- lessly. We reiterate, it's a picture to write home about. Les Rowley takes his camera into Elysian Park ILLICIT Robert Kurrle, Cameraman BARBARA STANWYCK enters Warner Brothers' story of "Il- licit" as a good actress. She emerges from it as somethnig else — something more than a good actress. There will be those who after follow- ing through with her in the final half reel of the picture will have no hesi- tation in declaring she will qualify as a great one. Miss Stanwyck's performance is cu- mulative. Starting easily and natu- rally from zero she establishes her command of the auditor's sympathy. In spite of the unconventional char- acter of the part assigned to her, that of a woman deeply in love with a man yet who refuses to marry him while agreeing to live with him out of marriage, her hold is strengthened steadily until the finish. Archie Mayo is the director of this tale of New York today and gives us a result most creditable to himself and those who created the tale. Har- vey Thew adapted the screen play and dialogue from the stage production by Edith Fitzgerald and Robert Ris- kin. The brief program of Warners' Hollywood Theatre refers to the sub- ject as "a smart, sophisticated story of ultra moderns." That is a fair characterization, a truthful one. Mod- ern the subject certainly is. Long-haired adult males outwardly inclined to the sanctimonious view- point, stern-faced adult females of the congenitally inclined "Thou shalt not" stripe — the smudgy stuff of which censors are made — unanimously will roll their eyes and point down their thumbs. But the crowd will say "It's good entertainment." And that verdict in the future as in the past will continue to be the answer to the prayer of the showman reverent and otherwise. It's a good cast that is marshalled behind the star. James Rennie is the lover who insists on becoming a hus- band and who wins only to lose and again to win in the end — which fact will contribute to lessening in dimen- April, 19.31 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Twenty-three sions the elongated faces of the afore- said adult m. and f. persons. Charles Butterworth is the society drunk who contributes to reducing the tension of serious situations — and in notable degree. Claude Gillingwa- ter is the father of the in and out husband — and gives a most likable and sympathetic portrayal. Ricardo Cortez is the seeker for the hand of the heroine, both before and after marriage — and as to the latter institution of the same opinion as the woman he loves. The authors have made Price Baines a reasonable heavy, one without a trace of the deep-dyed quality so easy to impart, even one that may take the honors from the husband in the case of some of the women customers. To Natalie Moorhead is assigned the major position in the quadrangle, that of Margie, who would take over the possession of the husband under any circumstances and whether the wife wanted him or not. Exhibitors likely will be interested in the commercial slant assumed by the dialogue at times. Probably there will be no complaint at the size of the imprinted "Brunswick" plastered across the radio used in one of the scenes, inasmuch as the manufacturer of that instrument is a Warner sub- sidiary. There are other and notable instances, however, of dragging in ad- vertisers by the heels that may arouse interest. The listener to a broadcast may tune out when he runs into too heavy a dose of advertising. The screen cus- tomer is "hooked," his money is rung up, and he is helpless. It will be in- teresting to observe how far the ways of the commercial broadcaster suc- cessfully may be extended to the screen. Coming back to "Illicit," it's an in- teresting picture four-fifths of its run. The final fifth puts it into tne major category, one that's worth walking a mile to see. MAN OF THE WORLD Victor' Milner, Cameraman THERE is a particularly effective bit of business in Paramount's "Man of the World," with Wil- liam Powell at the head of the cast. The star, a crook, in love with an honest girl, has to the latter confessed his real identity and the story of his black blackmailing doings. The other woman, a partner in crime and in love with him, when the prospective bridegroom has told her what he has done proceeds more in sorrow than in anger to tell him a thing or two — all to the effect that though the bride-to- be now knows the truth the end of the black past is not and never can be. It will rear its head at most un- expected moments to redisgrace them both. The words bui'n themselves into the mind of the man who for a few hours had believed he could see his way out. As he walks along the street he hears the voice of Irene — the audience hears it — as she serves notice on the now thoroughly enlightened and deeply disturbed man as to what will hap- pen if he leads Mary to the altar. In the past we have been given to understand what is passing through the mind of a person by a simple process of double exposure of the in- dividual of whom he is thinking. In the present instance we hear the fate- ful words that are hammering on his brain. While the novelty may mystify those less acquainted with picture technique or the mentally inalert in spite of the vision of the two women — the bride-to-be and the old flame who has administered the warning — shown just before the reproduction of the words, nevertheless to those who catch its significance it is most impressive. The story portraying Powell as a blackmailer may not entirely please the feminine admirers of the chief player — if by any chance it be true he has 'em — but surely in its finale it will square with the more or less in- exorable demands of stage justice, if we accept as full atonement his sin- gularly effective method of renuncia- tion of the woman he loved. Carole Lombard is Mary, visiting Paris with her uncle and who falls in love with Wagstaff, expatriated American. Wynne Gibson is Irene, the partner business and otherwise of Wagstaff, and finely plays a diffi- cult part. Guy Kibbee is Taylor, the American visiting Paris but uninter- ested in monuments, horses and other things of which there ar-e plenty in America. The story was written by Herman J. Mankiewicz and directed by Rich- ard Wallace. The locale of the entire picture is Parisian. The atmosphere of the French capital would seem to be ex- cellent, which remark also may be ex- tended to the few lines of French indulged in by Powell. The remark distinctly does not apply to the play- er's continuity when with stick in hand he essays to set a few pieces of type. The result is just pi. A cap C and a lower case h and a three-em space in that order will start nothing intelligible to the average printer. For those who at least are open minded and not antagonistic toward crook pictures "Man of the World" will make excellent entertainment. Its makers are to be congratulated on the courage displayed in the ending. If it be not what the sap would call "happy" it surely is logical and sat- isfactory. VIENNESE NIGHTS James Van Trees and Frank Good, Cameramen NOTHING the Warners have done in twenty or more years of catering to picturegoers will give them a better claim to the con- sideration of their patrons than "Vi- ennese Nights," the screen operetta composed by Oscar Hammerstein 2d and Sigmund Romberg. The subject is described as being the first of its kind to be written directly for the screen. Strangely enough, instead of pro- viding a more or less perfunctory peg upon which to hang a number of songs and choruses this operetta will more than hold its own as a straight dramatic production. It is a fact, and that it is such again is emphasized as a singular one, that "Viennese Nights" has in its generous length not only the entertainment quality that attaches to excellent music and singing but all the illusion and deeply moving heart interest that would be found in an unusually good screen drama. In making this strong statement the writer is taking into account fac- tors having nothing whatever to do Here is another view of this neglected beauty spot of Los Angeles Tin at i/-four The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER April, 1931 with his own intense reactions to the vital appeal of the story. He is throw- ing into the balance the deep silence of a crowded house which on two oc- casions was borne into his conscious- ness when for a flash he became dimly cognizant of things around him. The period of the story extends from about 1880 to 1930 and traverses three generations, the second of which is not registered on the screen. Vivienne Segal above all others is the center of interest in the part of Elsa, girl of dreams. Alexander Gray as Otto, the poor musician she loves, by his work adds materially to the pull of the tale. So, too, does Walter Pidgeon as Franz, the soldier who wins the hand of Elsa. Louise Fazenda comes pretty near stealing any sequence in which she is given half a chance, but the opportu- nities are comparatively limited. Bert Roach is Gus, the practical friend of the dreamer Otto, and stays with the story throughout its length and to its advantage. Jean Hersholt as Hocher, father of Elsa, plays the scoundrel when the daughter is tricked into marrying the man of position and means. That the all Technicolor "Viennese Nights" will be a success is forecast by the reception accorded it in Los Angeles. Plainly it has been on the shelf quite some time since its com- pletion, presumably because its mak- ers were afraid to release it on ac- count of it being a musical, some months since assumed to be anathema or something like that to the public. As always has been the rule — that one success will upset all the croak- ings of the witch doctors paid by pro- ducers and distributors to interpret public opinion — we now may expect other musical productions. If the ones to come are as good as the sub- ject herewith reviewed the public will flock to see them. If among them there be those coming under the clas- sification of "just another picture," the public won't do anything of the sort. LOOSE ENDS Claude F. Greene, Cameraman WHY in the world when a for- eign company is making a pic- ture with the intention of giv- ing it distribution away from home does it restrict the action to inte- riors the like of which constitutes no thrill abroad — means not a thing to the expectant picturegoer? Why doesn't it go into the English countryside and show us a bit of the landscape famous the world over? These are questions an American is bound to raise after looking at the British Elstree's production of "Loose Ends," directed by Norman Walker and shown at the Filmarte. The pro- ducer seemingly has taken the play by Dione Titheradge as it was on the stage and bodily transferred it to the screen. In any event the action has been restricted to a half dozen in- teriors. The criticism is not leveled at the play itself but rather at its treat- ment or lack of screen treatment in ignoring the external, the physical, factors that would be of advantage to a production seeking recognition abroad. The first half or third anyway of the story did not give occasion for par- ticular attention. The opening chat- ter of the first reel was marred by lack of intelligibility, by indistinct- ness in enunciation or possibly ab- sence of volume. But this handicap was short lived. Once the story began to unfold, as it did with the introduction of Owen Nares as Malcolm Forrest, the in- terest rises. Nares is seen as the head of the cast carrying the role of a man of mystery who marries a suc- cessful actress. The climax comes when a newspaper uncovers Forrest as a one-time lifer for murder. After twenty-four hours in hiding the disgraced man looks up Brenda, friend of Nina, his wife. He learns the actress wants a divorce, and looks to Forrest to provide it. The man admits his helplessness and declares he cannot aid Nina. Brenda intimates all he needs is co- operation and she would guarantee that was found. Forrest senses the situation, but in spite of Brenda's love for him he still wants his wife. So Brenda goes to the front for him, and things are straightened out. Three persons stand out in the sto- ry— Nares, Edna Best as Nina, and Adrianne Allen as Brenda. While the latter has the secondary feminine position she goes a distance toward stealing the honors in that division. The story in the second half makes a notable pull upon the auditor's sym- pathy, markedly so nearing the close. With the exception noted the sound is satisfactory. As to the photography no exceptions will be indicated. TABU Floyd Crosby, Cameraman WHAT H. J. Flaherty did for the entertainment of the world with "Nanook" he has in asso- ciation with the late F. W. Murnau accomplished with "Tabu," which Paramount will distribute. To be sure, the one was the story of a battle for life in the arctic north and to that degree was more eloquent in realism than a tale of the South Seas, where one may get sustenance without en- countering the perils that attend the northerner in his hunt for it. Nevertheless Murnau and Flaherty brought back a well-organized picture — one having behind and under it not only a story with a plot but also a cast of native players who so far as could be discovered are under no ob- ligations to extend any honors to their white brother and sister players re- gardless of identity. Particularly does the immediately foregoing remark applv to Reri the Girl and to Hitu the ' Old Warrior. Matahi the Boy was very fine in his characterization of the lover of Reri, but he was in fast company. The screen states only native born South Sea Islanders appear in the picture, with a few half-castes and traders, but the girl in feature and in charming bearing looks very much the Anglo-Saxon. It is certain her general appearance is going to be the object of real attention on the part of some of her white sister players less fortunately favored in face and figure and, what may be true, too, in brain capacity and acting ability. Murnau chose for his vehicle a story of the islands, of the chiefs making- selection of a maiden to represent the best in humankind, a saintlike crea- ture upon whom no man should lay hands. To all men she was there- after to be "Tabu." The tragedy of (Continued on Page 38) With Kling and His Camera (Continued from Page 21) as well as a stiff one he discovered he was being given credit for being a "wise one." The answer is that Kling remained at that studio for three and a half years, since which time he has been one year at R-K-0 and for months now at M-G-M. Kling has come to the very definite conclusion he prefers still work to his first love of the motion picture cam- era, for one reason the nature of the work seeming to allow more latitude in the way of individual initiative. The photographer believes with a good whist player that if it be impor- tant to know the rules of the game and how to play them it is of even greater importance to know when to break them. As to the latter he is under the impression that in the cover of International Photographer for March he fractured a few of the ac- cepted rules of composition. Inciden- tally we might tell this young man that so far as we know the cover attracted more favorable attention than any of its recent predecessors — which is saying something more than a little. The magazine Screenland in its award for March of its "Best Still of the Month" chose one of the subjects of Kling, as it has done on six occa- sions previously in the preceding two years, action in itself which describes the young man's standing among his brother stillmen. In answering a question regarding the photographs of Bryce canyon, shown on the upper row, the photog- rapher said some of the rocks towered 2500 feet sheer. To obtain these shots it was necessary to make a trip of five hours by burro, but it will be agreed the result was well worth the trouble. St. Michael's, the town behind the oystermen shown on the lower cor- ners, figured prominently in the war of 1812. Here the natives in order to deceive the gunners of the British fleet hung lanterns in the trees, and the cannon balls went over the town. Two of these missiles still are im- bedded in the trees. *•£?*♦ @ream a th Stills i seconds. RESULT: Standard exposure with M. S. Camera is obtained by about 50% of now necessary standard illumination or of working lens aperture, thereby increasing photographic values of picture. SLOW MOTION. This camera is without any nec- essary change of adjustment a silent "slow motion" camera up to a film speed of about 300 frames per second or 1125 feet per minute. SOUND RECORDING. On account of the continu- ously uniform progress of the film synchronized sound recording can be effected at the correspond- ing picture frames and not a predetermined distance therefrom — another decided advantage over present standard practices for sound on film methods. COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY. The increased exposure time for standard film speed offers great advantages for any system of color photography. DEPTH OF FOCUS. Another desirable character- istic of the M. S. Camera is the fact that a greater depth of focus is obtained for any definite setting of any standard lens. FOCUSING DEVICE. The change of camera from focusing (finder) position to exposure position does not move any heavy part of the camera; but is effected by the jarless and practically resistless moving of a small lever for about %". The photo- graphic lens and the film are untouched, therefore, no movement of any kind is required. MAGAZINES. Delivery and windup film magazines are separate from each other, permitting about 50% reduction in weight and bulk of handling of camera film supply. CONVENIENCE. The M. S. Camera is lighter than most professional cameras, is easy to set up and its silence makes it a boon to the news men. EXPOSOMETER. The handiest device ever in- stalled on a camera. At a glance the cameraman is able to determine the correct intensity of light and exposure. This means standardization of nega- tive density — enables the operator at will to abso- lutely duplicate any predetermined lighting con- dition. TRICK WORK. For trick work alone the M. S. Camera is worth more than its cost. Its steadiness is amazing and its continuous movement enables it to do wonderful things. Our next announcement will concern itself with color photography and projectors. Our illustrated folder will be sent to all inquirers about May 15. Moreno-Snyder Cine Corporation, Ltd. 6250 Santa Monica Blvd. and 1072 Vine St., Hollywood, California Phones— Office GR 0306— Shops GR 5277 GABRIEL GARCIA MORENO, Chief Engineer WILLIAM G. FAIRBANK, President SILAS EDGAR SNYDER, Vice-President in Charge of Sales Promotion INTERNATIONAL PHOTO GPAPHE R Official Bulletin of the International Photographers of the Motion Pic- ture Industries, Local No. 659, of the International Alliance of The- atrical Stage Employees and Mov- ing Picture Machine Operators of the United States and Canada. Affiliated with Los Angeles Amusement Federa- tion, California State Theatrical Federation, California State Fed- eration of Labor, American Fed- eration of Labor, and Federated Voters of the Los Angeles Amuse- ment Organizations. Vol. 3 HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA, MAY, 1931 No. 4 "Capital is the fruit of labor, and could not exist if labor had not first existed. Labor, therefore, deserves much the higher consideration." — Abraham Lincoln. C 0 N T Front Cover — In Southern Arizona Joe Harris, Photo Shooting Zeppelin a Thrilling Job.. 4 Eg Elmer G. Dyer Exposure Control Serious Problem . . 6 By Lewis W. Physioc Masquers Reorganize Keystone Cops. 8 Condolences to the Harry Warners from International Photographers 10 Cartoon 12 By Glenn R. Kershner Rose Takes His Camera Into Local Beauty Spots 14 "Hot Points" 17 Conducted by Maurice Kains Dirt and Scratches 19 Conducted by Ira Hoke E N T S With Camera and Pen Parichy Visits Old Granada 20-32 By Esselle Parichy Looking In On Just a Few New Ones 22-30 By George Blaisdell In Memoriam — Nealson Smith 24 Amateur Department 25 Make-Up Hints for Amateur Actors. . 25 On One World Cruise Every Fourth Passenger Carried a Movie Camera. 27 Henry Prautsch, Jr., Designs Emblem 28 Focusing Alignment Gauge Devised for Photographers and Scientists 28 New Negative to Improve Quality. ... 29 By Fred Westerberg Fearless Camera Convertible 35-50.. 36 Technical Editors The International Photographer is published monthly in Hollywood by Local 659, I.A.T.S.E. and M. P. M. O. of the United States and Canada Entered as second class matter Sept. 30, 1930, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, Calif., under the act of March 3, 1879 Copyright 1930 by Local 659, I. A. T. S. E. and M. P. M. O. of the United States and Canada Howard E. Hurd, Publisher's Agent George Blaisdell Editor Lewis W. Physioc 1 Ira Hoke - - - - - Associate Editor Fred Westerberg \ John Corydon Hill - - - Art Editor Subscription Rates — United States and Canada, $3.00 per year. Single copies, 25 cents Office of publication, 1605 North Cahuenga Avenue, Hollywood, California. HEmpstead 1128 The members of this Local, together with those of our sister Locals, No. 644 in New York, No. 666 in Chicago, and No. 665 in Toronto, represent the entire personnel of photographers now engaged in professional production of motion pictures in the United States and Canada. Thus The International Photographer becomes the voice of the Entire Craft, covering a field that reaches from coast to coast across North America. Printed in the U. S. A. 1=^^>2 at Hollywood, Califoi-nia. Four The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER May, 1931 Shooting Zeppelin a Thrilling Job Cameraman's Reactions Following- Remarkable Experiences Recording" on Film Latest Melodrama of the Air By ELMER G. DYER Photographer Aerial Shots in "Dirigible" PHOTOGRAPHING a giant air liner in action is quite an ex- perience and accompanied by some thrills, too. When Columbia assigned me to this "Dirigible" job I knew I had my hands full, and it would be something different from anything I had ever before under- taken. When they told me the scenes would be taken at Lakehurst, I knew it would be still harder, since the atmos- phere around this vicinity is not really ideal for air photography. The sur- rounding country is heavily covered with forests and underbrush, and there is nearly always a forest fire somewhere. In fact, smoke seems in- variably to hang around this loca- tion. It was quite a task to decide just which filter to use. Joe Walker, the chief, and I made numerous tests be- fore the actual photographing of the scenes was begun. The next thing was to attach suitable camera mounts to this giant airship and arrange them in such places as to photograph the story action to advantage. Joe picked three set-ups and I de- signed the mountings for the Zeppelin, one shooting back out of a window in the rear of the control car, one in a side motor gondola shooting out, and one in the rear motor gondola shoot- ing forward. It might be explained that a motor gondola is not such an ideal place for a cameraman to work from, but since the front of the gondola is the radia- tor it sure is a "hot" one. With an enormous motor turning up 1200 r.p.m. the sound is terrific. After a few hours of this one is nearly deaf and half cooked. The stunt being photographed was a small Vaught-Cossar pursuit plane hooking on to the trapese arrange- ment attached to the bottom of the Zep. Many trials were made before a successful one could be completed. We were about four hours in all getting one hook-on, as the service men call it. New York at Night At the same time Frank Capra, the director, wanted a camera placed on the rear end of the fuselage of the plane to catch a close-up of the pilot's action and the actual contact. Here is a nice piece of business to watch. It sure is a kick to see the pilot jockey his plane with the finest ac- curacy, for one bad move might mean disaster, but the navy fliers are good, they know their airplanes and put on a real exhibition for the camera. We got the scenes, and as I have heard since they were the best that ever have been done. I had a lot of wonderful experience on this production, especially the two- day trip we made in the big Zep Los Angeles. The night we went over New York City was a great treat for us. The ship took off in the dark for the big city and we had no thought of being in the air. I just can't get away from that sight. Coney Island looked like a fairy- land of glimmering diamonds, and the buildings looked different than I had ever seen them before. They were all lighted up, it being the time of night when the scrubwomen are all doing their tasks. The buildings all ap- peared to be hollow and transparent like great honeycombs. Broadway at Seventh avenue with all its dazzle of lights looked like a great Milky Way on the earth. We did not attempt to shoot this, as the lights were too weak for registration. We were waiting for daylight. The coming of morning up there was some sight and a great effect for the camera. The sun rose like a great crimson ball of fire over a vast sea of white billowy clouds casting its bril- liant yellow and pink rays over a dead sea of cold mist. Shooting pictures in or from a dirigible is much easier than from a plane. There is an extreme smooth- ness that you do not have in a plane. There is no terrific wash to cope with, the wind is broken, there is no whip or blast. Going ninety miles an hour in a dirigible is like riding on a cloud. One does not realize he is off the ground. It is glorious flying in a man-made bird, and it is so steady to shoot from. I have shot air scenes from many kinds of air craft, but this tops them all, and I hope everybody will some time have a chance to ride in one. Hunting a Set-Up At Lakehurst we had some prob- lems to work out besides shooting from the Los Angeles dirigible. First we had to get scenes of the Los An- geles itself and we needed a place to stand. You know, we couldn't just walk over in the air and pick a shot. So the navy solved the problem. They gave us a blimp for the camera ship, sort of a miniature edition of the great Los Angeles, and you can handle them like nobody's business. It was quite a problem to mount the Akeley on the gondola of this blimp, or "J" ship. We placed a plank two feet wide and twelve feet long across the gondola. This was chained fast to the forward end and furnished a nice spot from which to shoot, giving May, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Five 1. Dirigible Los Angeles passing over Liberty in New York harbor. 2.Los Angeles on the ground. 3. Dirigible at- tended by several of her satellites, the blimps free access to most all angles. On this plank we screwed down the Akeley air camera. These procedures took care of the camera — but just where the camera- man was to stand was something else again. So I just straddled the side of the gondola and rode it like a horse and strapped myself to the plank di- rectly in back of the Akeley. A "J" ship is powered with two 200 h.p. Hiso motors and flies at top speed about 70 miles per hour. We were able to keep fairly close to the zep and get many intimate shots. We shot the dirigible over New York city, and there is where I had much g-rief with the light and smoke. Although the sun was shining, a terrible yellow pall hung over Man- hattan Island. This, I understand, was caused from carbon and dust par- ticles in the air from the factory chimneys on the Jersey side, and it just so happened the wind was in the right direction to carry it all over the city, nearly blocking out the back- ground. For these shots I employed heavy haze cutting filters, and yet the detail is not as I would like to see it. The Los Angeles was flying at an altitude of about 2000 feet, and this made all the more haze to cut. Seven Hours in Air I had to make a shot of the statue of Liberty and we descended to about 300 feet and circled around it. This was a kick, as we practically stopped for a few minutes while we took a shot. Since we had reduced our alti- tude, the photographic quality was much better, as there was much less haze to penetrate, and these shots came out very fine. We returned late that day, having been in the air about seven hours. We overtook the Los Angeles above a very beautiful spot where the lakes and inlets reflect like mirrors. With a low sun the big cigar registered beautifully in the backlight and we landed just before darkness near the hangar at Lakehurst. The next day was a real day for air shots. The weather had changed and the atmosphere was clean and snappy. Aided by a good wind the clouds were the cumulus kind that float about like big mountains of white snow. We were assigned a navy plane to use for the camera ship — another Vaught. I mounted the camera on the scarf mount ordinarily used for the machine gun, and by adding sev- eral pieces it makes a very wonderful camera mount, since it can be moved from one position to another by re- leasing with a hand lever. Also the motor batteries can be carried in the baggage compartment. The stunt plane was a navy Boeing pursuit ship piloted by a little flyer named Pee Wee O'Brien from the Anacosta naval air station at Wash- ington, D. C, and I mean to tell you he's a real flyer. We hopped off about ten. o'clock, got about 9000 feet altitude, jockeyed into position, and then we went into a power dive, and this flyer certainly did some real flying — upside down, tail spins, nose dives, loops, spirals and about everything else I can name and then some. He did one of the most spectacular stunts I have ever shot. He came down in a dive and did a half loop and at the top spun straight up. This was a most unusual stunt. It's in the picture and gets a lot of comment. Bouquet for Two Pilots We spotted a beautiful cloud stand- ing high like a frozen tower of snow. O'Brien flew right into this beautiful mass of mist and out the other side, giving an unusual effect. Then he would go flying into great shadowy canyons and out over big billowy golden crowned clouds. This was the background I had to shoot against, with a couple of sweet pilots to man the ships. Last but not least is the great hangar where the giant dirigible Los Angeles and her three baby blimps rest. My first look at this place stopped me. Unless one has seen this great "Cathedral of the Air" he will have no idea what a massive piece of architecture it is. Something around 750 feet long, 250 feet high and 300 feet wide, it houses all four of these ships and has room for some airplanes and other paraphernalia. My first impression was that it was not so big, but when I started to walk from one end to the other I soon found out otherwise. Other members of our company made the same discovery, for shortly we were employing a light truck to transport our camera and props around. Then when I rode an eleva- tor up about ten or twelve stories I knew it really was big. The view from the top level of the runways is a fine one and we made many interest- ing shots as the ships were being taken in and out. Man chained for ages has broken his earthly bonds and soars to glorious new conquests. We saw the greatest array of both lighter and heavier than air craft ever assembled at any time. It presented one of the mighty spectacles against which the story "Dirigible" is staged. This was done with the full co- operation of the United States Naval Air Service at Lakehurst. Thus was made possible the massing of large amounts of both types of aircraft, affording marvelous backgrounds. It was beautiful to see the dirigible Los Angeles in flight — and unforgettable. Gliding gracefully and majestically over cloudbanks, drifting over some dream world vista and more fanciful than real, bound heavenward seeking new adventures, this wonder ship seems to represent man's glorious con- quest of the furies and forces of na- ture. Truly of such things mighty dreams are made. Six The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER May, 1931 Exposure Control Serious 'Problem, By Tests and Experiments Cameraman Must for Himself Determine New Negative's Speed And Other Chief Characteristics BY LEWIS W. PHYSIOC Technical Editor THE perfection of the new, high- speed panchromatic emulsion has suggested to the mind of the cameraman a very serious con- sideration of the problem of control of exposures in motion picture pho- tography. It should be needless to call the photographer's attention to the im- portance of exposure, but it may be interesting to some, especially the Lewis W. Physioc veterans of the industry, to review the history of motion picture photog- raphy from the standpoint of the ex- posure. There are a few cameramen still operating who can revert to the early days when motion picture operations were confined to New York and its vicinity. Their tools and conditions, at that time, consisted of cameras without any shutter control, a single lens working at F4.5 aperture, nor- mal speed of sixteen pictures a sec- ond and a film much slower than the present emulsion. We presume that only the manufac- turers could furnish records that might show a comparison of the emul- sion of those early days with that of the present time. During that early period the ex- posure was controlled entirely with the diaphragm of the lens. Many operators can affirm the statement that proper exterior exposures were obtained with the diaphragm closed as far as F16. and F22. for direct light, Fll. for cross light and F8. for reverse lighting, using only a soft white reflector. Under hazy, over- cast skies and on diffused sunlight stages ample exposures were had at F6.3 and F8. That California Light When the scenes were shifted "to the Coast" the general cry went forth : "Be careful of that fast Cali- fornia light!" However, many cam- eramen, on their first visit to the Coast, discovered that the western boys were exposing much more heavi- ly than those in "the East." Investigation proved, further, that the western laboratories were very admirably meeting this condition with developing formulae greatly modi- fied in comparison with those of the eastern labs. The few succeeding years ushered in some remarkable changes in mo- tion picture photography and general technique. First among the innova- tions may be mentioned the improved cameras, providing an additional means of controlling the exposure with an adjustable shutter. Faster lenses were introduced. The daylight stages were abolished and covered stages, lighted entirely with artificial light, were instituted. Fi- nally, a very important period was recognized in the development of the fast, panchromatic emulsion. During these rapid developments the cinematographer might justly be concerned about his exposures. But the surprising fact was observed that exposures began to increase, with a further modification of developers containing a small percentage of alkali and the ultimate substitution of borax for sodium carbonate, to compensate for the increase in ex- posure. Seeking a Reason In search of a reason for this we are inclined to go beyond the argu- ments which claimed that these con- ditions represented the natural ex- pedients in the aesthetic developments of the art of photography — advanced ideas of technique. We may find the answer in a purely psychological con- sideration. Incidental to these technical evolu- tions, the pictures began to develop a degree of elaboration and financial display that excited a sense of awe, not only in the minds of the laymen but also in the minds of picture op- eratives. It is generally thought that there is (or should be) an idea of respon- sibility associated with the spending of vast sums of money, and with the cameraman rests a healthy share of this responsibility. After all the ela- boration and preparation it is he who must give assurance that these efforts should not be lost in the mysteries of photography. The day had now passed when pro- ducers could trust these enormous in- vestments to crank-turners relegated from alien departments of endeavor. Such a responsibility may have in- timidated some of the cameramen into a supposed position of security by employing all the light furnished by the Creator (or his specially ordained agent, the electrician) and availing himself of the full limits of the cam- era and to intrust the rest to the lab- oratory. The lab expert, in turn, realized that if he should develop such ex- posures in the accepted formula he would never be able to print the nega- tives, or if he could, they would be harsh, grainy or flat and he would lose a customer. He, consequently, modified his developer in order to ob- tain printable negatives. Responsibility for Negatives To excuse such conditions the writer can freely state that, even after many years of experience, he knows of no other thought so terrify- ing as that of judging the exposures of a motion picture negative where so much expense is involved. Variations in exposure are likely to be the result of as great a variety of influences in each production as the changes in natural conditions, the shifting of a chief electrician or change of personnel in the lab; the very mystery, itself, of working with photographic materials, contemplat- ing that magic latent image over which he has no visual control and which he must intrust to the lab ex- pert. The responsibilities and difficulties have increased also with the intro- duction of the developing machine which demands greater accuracy in exposures. However, this laboratory improvement ultimately will work to the cinematographer's advantage, for while the former system of developing could sometimes compensate for er- rors, in exposure it just as frequent- ly aggravated those errors. The machine can standardize de- velopment to such an extent that the progressive cinematographer can check his exposure from day to day and greatly improve his work. In reverting to our consideration of the new type of emulsion we linger over the comparison of the film of early days, and the eyes of our cam- eras approach this brilliant achieve- ment as do our own eyes when look- ing at the sun — through a "smoked glass." Little Lab Change The manufacturers have furnished us a material that greatly broadens the cameraman's scope of endeavor; but its control is directly up to him, May, 19S1 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Seven for we anticipate very little change in the routine of the laboratory. Let us consider the treatment of the new film, therefore, from the cinematog- rapher's standpoint. Some new prob- lems are introduced and these are worthy of study. For the last few years observations in the laboratory disclose the fact that negatives in general are printing on the heavy end of the printing range, particularly the exterior scenes. The shadows have a clogged or veiled appearance. Prints from such negatives lack brilliancy, the shadows are gray and muddy, and the highlights are lacking in transparency. Such quality is due to the tendency to overexpose and the incumbent method of superficial de- velopment. Herein lies the danger of fast lenses and speedy film. The ideal negative should print in the middle of the range, but this is not now so important as in the days of tank and eye development, when modification of contrast could be ob- tained by using the printing latitude on either side of the range, as the case required, and compensation made in development. The machine has dispensed with this treatment. Much Work Ahead However, there is some danger that by poor control of the fast emulsion the density may increase to such an extent as to throw the printing range so far toward the heavy end that the entire printing system must be changed or the increase in exposure must again be taken care of in the de- velopment in order to maintain the present density. But we must ever bear in mind that too superficial de- velopment does not produce desirable negatives, and muddy, flat, gray prints will be the result. All this establishes the fact that the cameraman, while taking advan- tage of this increase of sensitivity when needed, must control this same additional speed when light conditions are more than ample. In controlling exposures, the cine- matographer has several elements at his disposal: the diaphragm of the lens and shutter adjustment in cam- era manipulation; the use of filters, both color compensators and the neu- tral, and in conjunction with these, he has the important matter of judg- ing the quantity and quality of light, both natural and artificial; and last- ly, and not least important, the speed of the emulsion. Since the introduction of sound the rate of speed at which the film travels through the camera is hardly to be considered. These expedients have their dan- gers, disadvantages and abuses, and should be studied individually. Diaphragm of Lens Many cinematographers prefer to work with open lenses, for it is gen- erally accepted that the wiry sharp- ness of the diaphragmmed lens is not desirable in portrait treatment of close-ups. Even in exteriors more artistic effects are achieved with the softer focus of the more open aper- ture. Without discussing the abuse of carrying this system to extremes or speculating as to the popular accept- ance of highly blurred objects moving in the background of "close-ups" or "medium shots" the determined use of wide open lenses removes the dia- phragm as a means of exposure con- trol. Shutter Adjustment Before the introduction of sound the closing of the shutter, in varying degrees, was not very objectionable except in some instances of rapidly moving objects across the camera at close range. But in talking pictures the shutter opening is an interesting factor. Even with the full opening of 170 degrees we have the proposition of a 100 per cent record of the sound with less than 50 per cent of the action in the picture that must accompany the sound. It should, therefore, appear that the most perfect synchronism would require a picture recording as much as possible of the action; and that a shutter closed down to too great a degree would impair the synchron- ism. This is particularly noticeable in the lip movement of large close-ups or some accompanying rapid, staccato movements. This may not be generally noticed, but the trained eye catches it, and it will certainly not be improved by re- sorting too much to the use of the shutter in controlling exposures. There are times when the picture appears to run out of synchronism and again readjusts itself. Even the public sometimes feels the lack of perfect illusion, and it is probably due to the insufficient record of the action compared with that of the sound. Film cutters have observed this with particular systems of recording, for which reasons "circle marks" when being photographed are held in contact long enough to avoid the pos- sibility of the shutter being closed at the moment of the sound emission. Filters The matter of filters is a very ex- tensive subject in itself and much has been said and written on this topic. Suffice it at the present to say that it takes a great deal of nerve, knowl- edge and self assurance for a cinema- tographer to place any sort of a me- dium in front of his lens, particularly the so-called "smoked glass" or neu- tral filter; yet surely these are among the expedients of exposure control, as well as a means of insuring quality. This is a very complicated demand on his judgment. It requires much experience and knowledge in select- ing the proper filter in conjunction with a correct judgment of the qual- ity of the light and color and charac- ter of the subject to be rendered. Here the dangers of overcorrection may be encountered, aside from any consideration of exposure. The neutral filter has been very successfully employed in controlling exterior exposures. In strong sun- light it appears to prevent that un- desirable veiling of the shadows and yet permits of soft illumination of the shadowy portions of the picture and at the same time prevents the choking up of the highlights. Care must be exercised not to use too heavy a degree where brilliancy and Dirigible Los Angeles sailing over her hangar at Lakehurst, and (2) through the clouds. Photo by Elmer G. Dyer Eight The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER May, 1931 contrast are sought, especially in bright diffused light. Lighting In discussing the subject of light we need take natural light into con- sideration only where boosters and reflectors are concerned, for with the high speed emulsion we may nearly always be assured of an exposure, and these aids are to be used where contrast is to be enhanced in dull, flat light, in back lighting or great areas of shadow cast by large masses such as trees or buildings. In treating of the artificial lighting of the studios we find a great deal of matter for speculation in the wide discussion of the saving of electricity by the use of the new fast emulsion. This suggests an interesting question as regards the individuality of the cameraman. Will he be concerned about greatly reducing the cost of lighting or will he use this new condition to work our a new technique in lighting? Here- tofore he has had to crowd the set pretty closely with an extensive equipment. We may find him taking advantage of the situation by adopt- ing a longer range. This would mean more freedom of operation, personal comfort for the players, entirely different effects by better diffusion of the general light- ing, soften the shadows and produce better balance between shadow and highlights, smooth out skin textures, permit of the proper "kick" in the special effects and we know not what Masquers Reorganize Keystone Cops HEREWITH we present the Key- stone Cops up to the minute. Readers will recall in the April issue we reprinted Harry Vallejo's photograph of the original Keystone Coppers. Over in the Pathe Studio, where the Masquers Club has just finished "Stout Hearts and Willing Hands," the first of a series of comedies being produced for the pur- pose of raising funds to build a club- house, the picture attracted real at- tention. A request was made of Mr. Vallejo that the studio be permitted to re- produce the still and use it in ex- ploitation of the series. The okeh of the photographer was immediately and cordially returned. Phil Gersdorf of the Pathe organi- zation writes that in the initial sub- ject the Masquers have incorporated a chase wherein the heroic coppers of the reorganized world's most famous police force save the hero and hero- ine, Frank Fay arid Laura La Plante, from the clutches of the villain, Lew Cody. In this chase have been incorporated as many of the original Keystone cops as possible. "I am sending you a still of this revamped group and thought you might like to use it in a forthcoming issue," adds Mr. Gers- dorf. So here are the coppers, reading right to left: Ford Sterling, chief; Chester Conklin, Bobby Vernon, Mack Swain, Clyde Cook, Hank Mann and Jimmy Finlayson. As the heroine and the hero are busy being pursued by the villain they are unable to be pres- ent. other improvements may be achieved. Some critics have felt that the fast lenses and speedy emulsions have cre- ated a tendency to overlight interior sets. There has not been a proper separation between background and subject. There has been an apparent desire to light every nook and cranny, thereby destroying those mysterious, shadowy recesses so interesting in in- terior lighting. This excess of overall lighting also neutralizes any positive light effects, such as lamps in the set or light through windows, etc. Anything that will help us overcome such errors will be worth more than a saving of elec- tricity. Speed of Film We see nothing in the use of the new film that should disturb the pro- ducer. It is merely an improvement of one of the elements of his indus- try. Neither should it worry them as to the processing, for the labs should soon be able to determine what pre- cautions, if any, they must adopt to prevent light or chemical fog. In summing up this consideration, we can see but one issue — it is the cinematographer's individual respon- sibility. It is merely a new tool that has been handed him, and he is expected to master it. We can accept the man- ufacturer's word as to its speed and characteristics, but the wily camera- man should determine these for him- self by making careful tests and ex- periments. The manufacturers have done their part in furnishing a fine material; the photographer must now do his by demonstrating his control of it. Engineers Convene at Night So Workers May Be Present THE tentative program for the spring meeting of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers to be held in Hollywood, May 25 to 29, just an- nounced by W. C. Kunzmann, chair- man of the convention committee, shows that every effort has been made to allow eastern members to see as much of the studios as possi- ble and also to permit the studio workers to attend meetings without interfering with their regular work. Only one afternoon session will be devoted to papers, while the three others will be given over to trips to studios and other points of interest. Two technical meetings will be held at night so that studio workers may attend. The banquet will be held Wednes- day evening in the Hotel Roose- velt, convention headquarters. All technical sessions will be held at the American Legion Auditorium. Peter Mole has been appointed chairman of the arrangements com- mittee and a reception committee of twenty will welcome Eastern dele- gates. One of the features of the meeting will be an exhibit of new equipment developed in the last year. From the number of manufacturers who will display equipment an exhibit of unu- sual interest is assured. May, 19S1 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Nine /After tests covering two years time The Raytar Lens is ready for your approval Now, two years after the completion of the first Raytar Lens (designed under the direction of W. B. Rayton, director of the B. & L. Scientific Bureau), the complete line is ready for distribution. During these two years the lens has been subjected to exhaustive labora- tory tests much more exacting than the actual requirements of the studio. These tests prove that no competing lens equals it in the even definition it produces over the whole picture area. The results of these tests supplemented by the enthusiastic approval of users whom we have been able to contact directly, abundantly justify us in an- nouncing them to the Cinematographers backed by the full B. & L. guarantee as to quality and performance. Positive Focus Sharp definition and positive focus are characteristic of the Raytar. The point of focus is very definite and a slight adjustment in either direction shows the image to be distinctly out of focus. Hence there is no uncertainty and an exact focus is easily obtained. Glass That Will Not Tarnish The Raytar is made from glass de- veloped and made in the Bausch & Lomb glass plant and it will not tarnish or discolor. Rigid tests over a three-year period confirm this statement. Fully Corrected These lenses are fully corrected and perform equally well with arc or incan- descent illumination and with ortho- chromatic, panchromatic or high speed film. The Mountings Special attention has been given to the accuracy and mechanical construc- tion of the mountings and they will stand up under more abuse than they would ordinarily be expected to endure. Speed and Focal Lengths Lenses of the following speeds and focal lengths are now in stock: f2:3 35 mm 40 mm 50 mm 75 mm 100 mm f2:7 152 mm The above statements are made only after the most severe tests and can be confirmed and substantiated. You are invited to try the RAYTAR. Bausch & Lomb Optical Co. ROCHESTER, N. Y. Ten The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER May, 1931 Controlenceg to tfje Harrp Earners from Snternattonal $fjotograpf)erg Leivis Warner Evolution '^^{jcreasi, the officers and members of International Photog- raphers, Local 659, of the International Alliance of Thea- trical Stage Employees and Moving Picture Machine Operators, having learned with deep regret of the untimely passing of Lewis Warner, only son of Harry M. Warner, it is hereby Resolved, by the Executive Board of this organization, that the sympathy of our members be extended to the father and mother in their great bereavement over the loss of this son at the door- way of a career which his associates had every reason to believe would be of large scope and usefulness; and be it further Resolved, that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to Mr. Warner, with whom during the past two decades many of our cameramen have been closely affiliated; and that a copy be spread upon the minutes and also be printed in the next issue of the Inter- national Photographer. Engineers to Hold Session on Photography in Color DR. C. E. K. MEES, director of research, Eastman Kodak Com- pany, and acknowledged to be one of the foremost authorities on photography, has just accepted an invitation to preside at a special color photography session to be held during the Society of Motion Picture Engi- neers' Spring Meeting in Hollywood, May 25 to 29. At this session a number of papers will be given by leading authorities and specialists in the various color processes, and outstanding examples of color photography will be shown. Special sessions also will be devoted to sound recording, studio practice and film characteristics and process- ing. According to 0. M. Glunt, chair- man of the papers committee, lead- ing authorities in each of these fields have been secured to give papers and demonstrations. What is expected to be of unusual interest for the sound recording session will be the showing of outstanding examples of recording which have been produced in a num- ber of the studios in the last few months. Los Angeles Camera Club Moves to Larger Quarters THE Los Angeles Camera Club is moving May 1 from its quarters at Third and Spring to 2504 West Seventh Street, near Westlake Park. In its new home the club will have a laboratory and projection room, por- trait room, two enlarging rooms, two printing, two dark rooms for negative development, and work rooms for fin- ishing. The equipment will be mod- ern throughout. The club also is the possessor of a library on art and photography. All members of the I. A. T. S. E. are invited to attend the meetings of the club, which are held on Thursday evenings. At the present time there are 125 members, with 100 applica- tions pending. These latter will be acted upon by the club immediately following its occupancy of its new quarters. The local club is a member of the American Association of Cam- era Clubs. S tuber and Mees to Coast W. G. Stuber, president of the East- man Company, and Dr. C. E. K. Mees, chief of the Eastman research department, will leave Rochester May 14 for the west coast, arriving there four days later. The president will be in Los Angeles for a week. It is his first visit in two years. Dr. Mees will be in Hollywood for the Engineers' convention, the ses- sions of which will run from May 25 to 29. It is Dr. Mees' first west coast visit in four years. Death of Edward Bader Edward Bader, father of Walter Bader and father-in-law of Ben Rey- nolds, both of the International Pho- tographers, passed away March 27. May, 19.ll The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Eleven THE FEARLESS CAMERA CO. ^Announces. . . A new Magazine Adapter for Bi pack color photography and process shots. The Dual magazine adapter is built for Mitchell, Bell & Howell and Fearless Cameras. 5=50^=5 Illustration shows new Fearless Camera ar ranged for color. Price of adapters: $200 for 1000 foot Magazines; $150 for 400 foot Magazines The Fearless Camera Priced at $4000 Complete for either 35 or 50 mm. film. Equipment Consists of Camera and Case, Fear- less Friction Head Tri- pod, Matte Box and Filter Holder, Fearless Synchronous Motor, Fearless Motor Adapter and Clutch Combina- tion, 2-Magazine Cases, 4 Fearless Film Maga- zines (1000 foot), 4 "Hugo Meyer" Lenses 1. Saves costs of special magazines. 2. Made for Mitchell, Bell & Howell and Fear- less cameras. 3. Enables every cameraman to make Multi- color negatives. 4. Saves time and space. 5. Uses standard magazines. 6. Ball bearing construction. Eliminates trouble and buckles. 7. Finest workmanship and material throughout. THE NEW FEARLESS CAMERA IS 1. A universal camera for both 35 or 50 mm. film. 2. Built for colorwork. 3. Is silent and requires no booth. 4. Ball bearing throughout. 5. The only camera built with all working parts enclosed and running in oil. THE FEARLESS CAMERA CO. Phone GRanite 7111 7160 SANTA MONICA BLVD. HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. A SUBSIDIARY OF THE GENERAL THEATRE EQUIPT. CORP. Twelve r1' The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER May, 1931 'M% k Nw wry -*?r ^ *c J^^c ^^^w^v^l£_^- 5 / ^ r Isb HELP A UWy jf <\AW ■'>' fc U wikk yM R&D COftTrJTjusfS \ I '/{PO WD E^' SOflgTWNG NS.W " May, 19S1 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirteen A REMARKABLE NEGATIVE FILM IN OW you can have from two to three times the speed of ordinary negative, especially under Mazda lights . . . greater exposure and developing latitude . . . un- excelled color balance . . . every other quality essential to the finest sound pic- tures, including typical Eastman uniform- ity.. . at no increase in cost. Every test, in the laboratory, in the studio, on the lot, confirms the belief that Eastman Super- Sensitive Panchromatic Negative, Type 2, is the most remarkable negative emul- sion ever offered the camera man. Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, New York. (J. E. Brulatour, Inc., Distributors, New York, Chicago, Hollywood.) Eastman Super-Sensitive Panchromatic Negative, Type 2 Fourteen The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER May, 1931 Rose Takes His Camera Into Local Beauty Spots IT may be true a prophet is not without honor except in rhis own country. And most flRBrv true it is that a photographer in A search of a subject sees beauty and charm in a country or a town other than his own. In other words it is the natural thing that familiarity shall breed indifference even if it do not reach the dignity of con- tempt. Jackson J. Rose, one of the early members of the Interna- tional Photographers, while be- tween pictures was seized with the thought that within the boundaries of some of Los An- geles parks there might be found spots as yet unsighted by the many hunters for photographic gems. One of the first of the locations sought by Mr. Rose was Lafayette Park, ranging between Sixth and Seventh streets and forming the terminus from which the majestic Wilshire Boulevard starts on its approximate fifteen mile crow's flight to the sea. From the eastern side of the park a few minutes' Jackson J. Rose May, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Fifteen rive lands one in the center of the busy business district f Los Angeles. Possibly no park in Los Angeles affords such a striking Dntrast with its immediate surroundings as does Lafayette, hown in the photograph in the lower right-hand corner of tie preceding page. Mirrorlike pools reflect the heavy foli- ge of the trees which in turn provides shade for graveled ralks. Directly overhead is a glimpse of Hollenbeck Park, at East 'ourth street and Boyle Heights, just outside the business istrict on the south. To the right of the latter picture is what Mr. Rose has amed "Sunlit Shadows." It was photographed near the icnic grounds in Griffith Park, those four thousand acres f mountain and valley and plain which with the exception of he beaches form the principal within-the-city playground for le residents permanent and temporary of Los Angeles. Below is one of the drives near the picnic grounds in [riffith. The road leads to the famous Griffith Park golf Durse, one of the most popular recreation spots in the city. The upper left panel brings us to one of the beauty spots f Los Angeles. It is a lesser known area paralleling for a alf mile on the west the prolongation of the Western avenue ntrance to the park. The gardeners have constructed or erhaps preserved and enhanced a jungle-like glen of brook nd fern and rock and log and tree, interlaced with graveled ralk, such, for example, as we see below. In the lower picture of the right-hand panel will be found nother shot in this same half mile of beauty, a visit to rhich well will repay either visitor or resident. In the upper half of the right-hand panel is a reproduction I some gnarled old-timers found near the zoo in the north- rn part of Griffith Park. Sixteen The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER May, 1931 Tielieving Excessive Production Costs a If it s not a CONSISTENTLY striving to anticipate as well as to meet the demands of advanced motion picture production, j£a&e*^fe4 continue to contribute to the motion picture indus- try countless incandescent lighting fea- tures developed and produced at con- siderable cost after long-time tests — with intensive study given to the req- uisites of modern production — features that in their proven indispensability to the industry relieve the motion picture producer of necessity for experimental work which greatly adds to his costs. These important «^^r develop- ments are protected both here and abroad by Lakin Corporation — a mani- festation of pride for a product that today is recognized as the utmost in studio lighting equipment. it's not silent! )) LAKIN CORPORATION 1707 Naud Street Los Angeles, California CApitol 14118 ($ream oth Stills c^^L'O* // */om womM star* f/ie summer right come into Coachella Valley with Shirley Martin — assuming of coarse you are strong on heat. If at all susceptible to the effects of a rising thermometer better make the date for January .*^r'o„. Gream oth Stills rf!^?oA °CRN*" With Chief Photographer J. M.'F. Haase, U.S.N., look down upon the ice-capped summit of Mount Fair weather, Alaska, the first close-up camera record of this elevation of 15,460 feet. Not even fur-lined suits, chamois face masks, double gloves and fleece-lined mocca- sins over boots could stop the unspeakable cold "Merced River Rapids" is the best information obtain- able from Les Rowley regarding this interesting shot of tumbling water — a teaser to a man who owns a pair of hip boots and a fishin' pole *w,~ "°CR^ Qream oth^tills „SAT/o '°6rn*" // you have suffi- ciently recovered from the chill of that Alaskan summit take a peek at the power schooner Eloria frozen in plenty near Flaxman Island in the Arctic Ocean. Will E. Hudson of Pathe News tells us just this and not another word, but his picture speaks volumes What press agents these photographers are — not! Oliver Sigurdson goes so far as to stamp his name on the back of the original of th is picture, leaving it to the imagination of the editor. Well, it looks like one of those impromptu cabins we used to see in the Bronco Billy westerns — and nmaybe it is Mack Elliott gives us a flash of the Biy Tree Grove at Wawona, California. The deep calm of the sylvan setting has settled down upon the tempestuous Lupe and the temperamental Ri)i Tin Tin, the former seated upon a chair that has been rooted to the spot for thousands of years May, 19.il The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Seventeen // HOT POINTS CONDUCTED BY MAURICE KAINS // SINCE there still is considerable controversy among assistant cameramen regarding their choice of studios, systems and equip- ment, let me speak my mind on the subject right here and now. By act- ual experience in almost all of the studios I find that the equipment in use by the Fox organization is the most portable, the least complicated and requires less time in changing set-ups. Its most competent corps of cam- era machinists is ever devising new and better equipment or is servicing the outfits to perfection. Here is, for example, a most clever and efficient follow-focus device which is simplicity itself. The accompanying photograph Follow Focus Device needs almost no explanation. It is the product of Grover Laube, who is in charge of the camera research de- partment, and his associates, Charles J. McGraw and Charles M. Miller. These men deserve our congratula- tions for this progressive step. Each lens mount is fitted with a little knob over which a snap socket fits snugly. This eliminates the loose play or back lash of gears. The socket is part of an arm which is con- nected to another arm by means of a snap socket at a lower point. This second arm runs directly through the entire length of the interior of the iris rod, where it is out of the way. A quadrant is affixed to the end of the iris arm and can be adjusted at any desired angle and then clamped. Quickly Dismounted Various engraved calibrated cellu- loid strips fit into a curved slot on the quadrant and correspond precisely to the lens in use. A handle with pointer completes the accessory. It can be locked at any point. In shots where the follow focus is not required, the snap socket arm is quickly detached from the lens. The whole device comes apart in a second. Its most at- tractive feature, however, is this: In watching the action it is not necesary to turn the head away from the action to look at the calibrations, and the lens stop cannot become acci- dentally disturbed. Mr. Laube also has used a flexible cable for operating the device in cases where the assistant could not be close to the lens. Note the large finder bracket en- ables the camera cover to clear the equipment nicely. Measuring Short Ends "Imagine my embarrassment" .... "We ran out of film on that shot" .... "It was the loader's fault" .... "He didn't have the correct footage marked on that short end." And so we find a device in use at Technicolor which eliminates that "take a chancey" feeling. It is a shoe salesman's measuring rule converted to show the exact num- ber of feet in a roll of film of any size up to a thousand feet, to be employed in cases where only one size of spool is used. The photograph tells the story. One studio uses a pair of calibrated calipers for measuring from the in- side of the roll to the outside dia- meter. The spool is first partially removed. Another studio uses a weighing scale and measures the footage exact- ly by the weight of the film. Now that faster film is coming in we'll probably have to use less light in the darkroom, which may necessitate a change in your methods of determin- ing exact footage of short ends. Take your choice! Come on, fellows, send in some "Hot Points" and help a fellow out. I ran diy for a long time. Device for Measuring Short Lengths Columbia Buys Caves Film Elmer G. Dyer has sold to Colum- bia Pictures the two-reel subject of the Carlsbad Caves in New Mexico. Aided by Hatto Tappenbeck the pho- tographer took many shots from the mountains covering the caverns, showing the heavy banks of clouds the vapors of which were responsible for the remarkable formations inside the caves. The two men with their equipment penetrated to the floor of the caverns 800 feet below the surface. Double Exposure Motorized Policeman — How did this accident happen? Motorized Inebriate — Hie — I saw two bridges — hie — musta ran over the wrong one. Mickey Marigold brings in these stills in illustration of the manner in which directors secure explosion shots. The picture on the left first was taken, then the second and then one was printed over the other. The finished result >'« shown in the picture on the right Eighteen The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER May, 1931 Engineers Name Groups to Study Projection Practice THE Society of Motion Picture Engineers has begun a special- ized study in all phases of mo- tion picture projection and has ap- pointed three separate committees to carry out the work. The committees consist of projec- tion practice, projection theory, and projection screens, with H. Rubin, W. B. Rayton and S. K. Wolf acting as chairman of each committee respec- tively. The projection practice committee is dealing with problems such as the ideal layout of the projection room and is collaborating with theatre architects to insure the most satisfac- tory location of the projection room. Other problems under investigation are projection room routine and maintenance, monitoring and control of sound in the theatre, improvements in projector design and accessories, film buckle, prevention of film mutila- tion, and fire prevention. The projection theory committee is making studies of the optical system of the projector, methods of diminish- ing eye strain, projectors with optical intermittents, and rear screen projec- tion. The projection screens committee is assembling data concerning the optical and acoustical characteristics of screens, and from these data will make recommendations to the stand- ards committee of the society on a standard of screen intensity. Curtis After Hole in One Returns to Rochester Home Edward P. (Ted) Curtis, sales man- ager of the motion picture division of the Eastman Kodak Company, left Hollywood for Rochester April 27. Mr. Curtis has been in Hollywood since January 14, and during his stav has bought a home in Beverly Hills. It is his intention to live on the west coast at least four months in each year. Whether Mr. Curtis' return to Rochester was hastened in any man- ner by an adventure experienced bv him on April 18 is not definitely known by his friends. On the dav mentioned Mr. Curtis from the tee of the fourth hole at the Riviera Club smacked a ball on Lo the green for a hole in one. The dis- tance is 225 yards and the green is so fortified in front by traps it was necessary to plant the ball on the green to accomplish the feat. It is the golfer's first hole in one, and an achievement not only to write home about but one really justifying a personal delivery of the message. Local 683 Will Fight for Loving Cnp on Golf Links OF INTEREST to all film tech- nicians members of Local 683, I.A.T.S.E., will be the golf tourna- ment to be held by that organization at Sunset Fields, Course No. 2, Mav 24. The arrangements committee is T. C. Bryan, Harry Low, Charles Dexter, James Bray, Robert Shaw, Harold Palmer, Julius Cindrich and Norman Carlin. A handsome loving cup and other prizes will be awarded to the winners. Business Representative Karl Kountz will answer all inquiries at the organization's office, 1605 North Cahuenga Avenue, Room 14. Len Powers Directs Monks in First "Coo-Coo Capers'1'' LEN POWERS of the Interna- tional Photographers has di- rected "His Gal," first of the Coo-Coo Capers Series. The entire cast is composed of monkeys. To be sure these do lean on humans for the dialogue, which was written by Al Martin. Courtis Mick and Ernie Kline wrote the story. Hap Depew photographed the picture, Dean Daily assisting. The subject was previewed at the Belmont early in April and made a good impression. Especially respon- sive to the dialogue and the gymnas- tics were the youngsters; they were far more interested in what the simi- ans did than in what they presumably were saying. Cameramen Agree Blimps Are Objectionable On Set SIXTY first cameramen, represent- ing all Hollywood studios, replied to the questionnaire on camera silencing sent out by the Academy in March. Of the replies 91 per cent advocate strong efforts toward the development of cameras which will not require blimps or covers. The weight of the blimps in use was condemned by 90 per cent of the re- plies, and the bulk by 87 per cent. Over half said the blimps made focus- ing difficult and 73 per cent said they crowded the sets uncomfortably on close-ups. Practically every tyne of camera cover in use in Hollywood was criticised for one or more of these reasons. At the meeting of the producers- technicians committee April 16 it was resolved to bring this situation to the attention of the camera manufactur- ers and inquire what efforts are being- made toward the production of a silent camera. The committee will offer to have studio experts confer with the manufacturers. The committee expressed its appre- ciation of the cooperation of the cameramen. The questionnaire also inquired the effects of directional microphone de- vices (concentrators, ribbon micro- phones, etc.), and also of "noiseless recording" systems. The replies, how- ever, revealed that too few camera- men have worked with any of these devices to permit generalization as to their effects. Several leading cameramen ex- pressed the opinion that the develop- ment of adequate concentrators would reduce the importance of silencing the camera. Peggy, the chorus girl, says she joined the movies because on her last job as an artist's model she made only a bare living. Kling Does It Again Clifton L. Kling has gone and done it again. The still which served as copy for the front cover of the March International Photographer has been selected by Screenland for May as "the most beautiful still of the month." The picture was taken for M-G-M's "Shipmates." This award to Mr. Kling makes the eighth he has received from Screenland in an even two years. ELMER G. DYER Photographer of Aerial Shots On DIRIGIBLE HE8116 A Columbia Production HE1128 Maij, 19.il The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Nineteen era /RA HOKE Alas, Poor Yorick Where is the tragedian of yester- year whose life ambition was to play a role from the pen of the Immortal Bard? Certainly he is not to be found on Hollywood Boulevard, as is witnessed by this scrap of conversa- tion overheard on that famous thoroughfare. "Would you like to play Hamlet?" queried the Variety reporter. "Not unless he'd give me a stroke a hole," countered the veteran actor. Fiend for Exercise Strolling down Cahuenga Avenue — Letter carrier coming out of tennis shop proudly examining a new tennis racquet. Meow The cameraman had been annoyed all day by a chorus girl who persisted in asking questions about every con- ceivable part of the equipment. At length in desperation the cameraman blurted out: "Miss, don't you know that curios- ity once killed a cat?" "Is that so?" asked the chorine, "What did the cat want to know?" Keewee Cameraman — You sure had me scared the way you were flying that ship around — that's the first time I ever flew. Aviator — I know just how you feel, sir; that's the first time I ever flew one. Wasted Effort The movie company was making a sea story on the old Norwall in the Catalina channel. During the lunch hour an unusually high sea washed the efficiency man overboard. He was rescued by a wide-awake prop- ertyman. "What can I do to reward you, my friend?" said the efficiency expert coughing up a goodly amount of chan- nel water. "The best way," answered the propertyman, "is to say nothing about it. If the rest of the company knew I pulled you out they'd chuck me in." Oh, Gosh! Oh, Gee! Lab man — I get a kick every time I kiss Betty, the cutter girl. Cameraman (absently)'— She doesn't object to me. Silent Production Second Cameraman — My wife doesn't speak to me for days. First Cameraman — What's the idea ? Second Cameraman — I'll sell it to you for fifty dollars. Traveling Salesman A clergyman was sitting at the same restaurant table with a stranger. He spread a plentiful layer of sauce over the steak, then passed the bot- tle to the stranger, who tried it spar- ingly and gasped: "I suppose you preach Hell-fire and damnation ?" "Why, of course," answered the clergyman. "Well," replied the other, "you're the first parson I've found who took his samples with him." Dawn in Hollywood A well lit actor banged lustily on the last door down the hall. "Shay, is this Billy Bing's apart- ment?" "Yes, what do you want?" "Well, will you pleash come down and pick out Billy so the rest of us can go home?" Seventeen's a Crowd A Beverly Hills society woman wrote to a movie director: "Mrs. J. Bentley Manners requests the pleas- ure of Mr. Donleigh's company at dinner on April 10th." The following day she received this note of acceptance: "With the excep- tion of the mixer and the chief elec- trician, who have to double on another unit, Mr. Donleigh's company accepts with pleasure Mrs. Bentley Manners' invitation for April 10th." Secret Formula A certain Scotch cameraman who is addicted to amateur photography re- cently went to the Braun Corpora- tion to get an empty bottle. Selecting one that suited his purpose, he asked the price. "If you just want the bottle we charge 25 cents," said the clerk, "but if you want something in it we don't charge for the bottle." "That's fair enough," said the cam- eraman, "put in a cork." Light Housekeeping "George, George," screamed tin sweet young wife, "baby has swal- lowed all the matches. Oh, George, what shall I do?" "Here, try my cigarette lighter." answered the nonchalant George. Appropriate Why did Smith name his babv "Bill"? Because he arrived on the first of the month. No Fooling Second — Yep, times have changed. Assistant — Zat so? First — You bet. It used to be that when a man was run down he took a tonic. Now he takes an ambulance. Historical Note Swimming did not become a nation- al pastime in Scotland until the in- vention of toll bridges. This Super Sensible Film Thing Has Ihari Kardi Utterly Desolated Hon. Howard Hurd & Brother, Business Representative Location 659. Dear Mr. & Sir: As I am Japanese assistant cameraman and a green ticket member of Location 659, I bow in my middle to you in greeting. I have much reading on the subject of Super Sensible film being- made by Hon. DuPont and Hon. Eastman. After absorbing into my knowledge many gammas, balances, longitudes and SPEED, I am writ- ing in letter to you this question for a puzzle. Directions for loading this super film are as follows: 1. "Load in complete darkness." Now, Hon. Mr. Hurd, I desire to impart to my memory how dark is "complete." Because this new film is so very sensible to the least light I have entertainments of fear and misgiving about opening tin cans in ordinary dark room. Is it necessary to render the darkness in my dark room a very dark black darkness before opening cans? If so, how can it be? Hon. Sir, I would depreciate a careful answer as I realize loading must be done in sufficient darkness that a double exposure of my face does not appear on this very rapid film along with artistic interruptions placed thereon by my Hon. 1st cameraman. Otherwise my face will be double-exposed upon the out-of-working list also. Hoping you are same, Fraternally yours, IKARI KARDI. Twenty The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER May, 1931 J«**fc' ^"pODAYin Andalus- ian Spain there still re- < mains a sleep- ^prAjf ing city un- 3 ^r spoiled by the ™ onrush of a Esselle Parichy commercial J world, where no gigantic Neon lights blaze bril- liant benedictions on her mediaeval, evening skies. This city is Granada, the traditions of which are mellow with age, and old customs survive and gem with vivid reflections from the highly polished civilization of the Moor, who left his imprint down the Steps of Time. The high serpentining Sierra Nevadas in their perpetual mantle With His Q Parichy n By esji Upper row, reading from lei right : The Gate of Justice . . . the t portal of the Alhambra. The Court of Lions in the Alhau at Granada, where gory seen foul butchery and flam swo?~d were enacted. The Court of Canal— with' closely cropped hedge mir,* in the canal below. Center row : One of the picturesque yuan the Alhambra at Granada. May, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Twenty-one and Pen Hd Granada jCHY vrish window in one of the ts of the Alhambra. I row : 'f the winding trails in the ktainside descending the Al- ;mbra Hill. Uhambra at Granada, the ited magnificence and grim rbidding walls of which com- ind the city below, untain at the Gate of Justice e Alhambra at Granada, de- ding the three rivers of \anada. of white form the backdrop of Granada's stage. Off in the dis- tance is Boabdil's "Hill of Tears," and below the airy heights shrouded in purple, red and green draperies nestles this quaint City of the Pomegranate with its fountains and orange-bordered paths. The undulating hills form a huge amphitheater dotted with the whitewashed walls and red tile roofs of humble abodes; down through green fringed cavities murmuring waters tumble to cool the aromatic fragrance of small patios, where solemn eyed inhabi- tants dream through chiffon shad- ows of a lazy topaz sun, while love- ly days and the breathless beauty (Continued on Page 32) I r*. ~ ' . ma i %k •• - ---— ■ y " » t */ m I J Twenty-two The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER May, 1931 ' In on Just a Few New Ones LADIES' MAN Victor Milner, Cameraman PARAMOUNT production chiefs are to be congratulated on the possession of sufficient sand to al- low a story to run its logical course, even to an "unhappy ending," as the strange expression goes. This, being- interpreted for the benefit of those untouched by amusement traditions, means a tragedy, and in this instance the death of the chief character in the story. It is truly a surprise finish, partly perhaps because the more or less seasoned picturegoer has been trained to Victor Milner expect anything before the death of the first character in a story. "Ladies' Man" is a good picture, especially on the side of the dialogue, which is of the ultra-smart type. There is every reason it should be so, seeing that the production was adapted from Rupert Hughes' novel of the same name. Herman J. Man- kiewicz is responsible for the screen play. Under the direction of Lothar Mendes the story from the drop of the hat takes on a touch of distinction, like unto that of a cleverly conceived and executed stage play about people of means and education and especial- ly of keen wits. One of the toughest handicaps to be overcome by the finished product is its title, redolent of some sweet- scented exotic not exactly filled with appeal for the average male person. The completed product is quite to the contrary, and in this respect a pleas- ant surprise. The average male is likely to find William Powell's charac- terization such that strange as it may seem in many respects it might qual- ify as that of a "regular guy," one whose death under such circumstances would be regrettable. The picture is notable for several particularly strong individual inter- pretations. Olive Tell as the matron with a busy husband and who falls in love with the ladies' man and who gives him her jewelry along with her affection has a part that ranks at the top in interest and dramatic impor- tance. Carole Lombard as the daughter of this matron, also so madly in love with the hero that like her mother she is ready to kill him rather than see him fall into the arms of another woman, mingles a bit of comedy in her char- acterization that proves strongly dramatic at times. She plays a per- fect souse, of the crying and fighting kind, one that will stand out. Kay Francis as the woman selected by the hero when it comes to marry- By GEORGE BLAISDELL ing has little to do in the first half of the picture but has abundant oppor- tunity as the tale nears its end. Hers is a fine performance, as with such a role it is bound to be. Gilbert Emery has the part of the business man too much absorbed in moneymaking to dance attendance upon his wife's social engagements, the man who at the end when he learns his wife and his daughter each intends to kill Darricott decides to take that duty upon himself and spare them the task. It is a thrilling finish, with the drop of the victim over the balcony to the pavement. The production is given the advan- tage of noiseless recording. As the staffs progress in experience with this new device the contrast between pic- tures of the present and the recent past is most striking. Much care and expense have been lavished on the making of the picture, which will qualify as high class in all departments. KICK IN Victor Milner, Cameraman THERE are thrilling moments in Paramount's "Kick In," star- ring Clara Bow. It just hap- pens that Bartlett Cormack so adapt- ed the play by Willard Mack that the burden of the work falls not on the billed chief player but on Regis Too- mey mainly and Wynne Gibson in a lesser degree. Toomey carries the burden easily and to the entire satisfaction of those who admire thoughtful acting. Miss Gibson's Myrtle, wife of a wounded and dying burglar, is a pathetic fig- ure, one commanding deep sympathy. James Murray is the husband. Donald Crisp is the irritated head of the police board, caught between the rage of the district attorney when the family jewels are stolen and the sneers of the public. Paul Hurst is an unscrupulous detective who gets a smack behind the ear with the flat of a pistol in the hand of the heroine when he double crosses that young woman and her husband. Juliette Compton contributes an entertaining bit in the role of a suc- cessful underworld character who maintains her poise in the face of a severe police grilling. Leslie Fenton has a tough part as a dope fiend brother of the heroine. It is a good cast Director Richard Wallace has selected to fortify Miss Bow, who is not called upon to dis- play any large dramatic effort. The role is a serious one, to be sure, a departure from the frivolous kind that have gone before. It is likely a forerunner of a different note in the Bow pictures — an intimation that hereafter she will be seen in pictures carrying real entertainment with a background of drama that will be in- trusted to players especially quali- fied to transfer it properly to the screen. FATHER'S SON Art Miller, Cameraman NOT to be outdone by Paramount with its boyhood stories of "Tom Sawyer" and "Skippy" First National steps into the ring with "Father's Son." The Burbank pro- duction staff has done a commendable piece of work. In the first place it has rested its case upon a rarely simple story; and it has not cheap- ened it by slip- ping into the trap made ready to hand by the story — of building a romance between the doctor friend ?f the boy and his mother separated from the father. Art Miller The sequence or series of sequences remained untainted, as wholesome as any one might wish. The friendship between the doctor, finely played by John Halliday, and the boy continued, one of the finest phases of the tale. Leon Janney is Bill, the hero of this everyday story of a boy who in spite of his multiplied seeming misbehavior somehow always follows the lines you personally would select were you for the moment his guide and mentor. Lewis Stone is the father, an every- day sort of father, too. There is noth- ing exaggerated about the characteri- zation. Ask any boy his opinion of the father he sees on the screen and its better than an even wager he will offer to swap with Bill. In fact, Stone's characterization is another one of the factors of the story that give it added value. The subject has un- questioned strength without resort to any kind of exaggeration or of what may be described as harsh discipline. The third member of this family circle is Irene Rich — and how with- out apparent effort does she fit into her appointed place ! That place is the feminine head of what in many respects is an ideal American family — in the bearing of its members one to the other, in the niceties as well as the plainer duties of home life. Because that harmony is not quite 100 percent is the reason for the story. The inharmonious element as we see it is the inability of the father quite to catch the spirit of boyhood. In his lonely life following the reluc- tant but determined separation of the mother with the son he gropes, in- effectively at first, for the path that will lead him to a family not only reunited but tranquil. The drama that rides on these scenes more sombre in tone is of suf- May, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Twenty-three ficient power to constitute this story of Tarkington's one of the best the screen has known not for sons pri- marily but rather for fathers. In fact, it well might have been titled "Son's Father." William Beaudine directed the pro- duction from the adaptation, continu- ity and added dialogue of Hope Lor- ing — a most creditable achievement on the part of both. GUN SMOKE Archie J. Stout, Cameraman HOW the man of the range would combat the gang killer of the East is rather convincingly outlined by Grover Jones and William McNutt in Paramount's "Gun Smoke," directed by Edward Sloman. It is not exactly clear how l this mountain railroad town is unable to get word through to the outside when its inhabitants are \ m held under the lash of gunmen from the eastern A part of the coun- try, but if we overlook that point the remain- der of the story is not hard to Archie J. Stout take. On the contrary it is distinct- ly interesting. Richard Arlen is featured as the head of the crew of wild horse hunters who comes to grips with Kedge Dar- vis, leader of the killers, played by William Boyd. The object of the dif- ference is the attention of Sue Van- cey, a rather colorless part rather colorlessly played by Mary Brian. The quartet that constitutes the show is composed of Arlen and Boyd for one-half and Eugene Pallette and Louise Fazenda for the other. The latter pair is a rare team, either sing- ly or doubly measurably qualifying under the abused "inimitable." Others substantially lift the story on its characterization side. There are Charles Winninger as Tack and Willie Fung as John the Chinese cook and William V. Mong as Strike Jack- son. The opening of the story is a side- walk murder committed by a quartet of automobile killers, who following the commission of the crime take the train for the west to "cool off." Re- sponse to a booster ad has opened the gates of Bunston for them — wide. They are "big men." The jam starts following the dis- covery of gold by Strike, when the easterners send home for more men and sew up the town while they get away with the gold. When the re- turned wild horse hunters hear of the situation things start moving. Dependence is placed not alone upon markmanship. There are accessory aids such as rolling holders into the ranks of the frightened refugee plun- derers or by diverting the course of a group of panicky wild horses into the same trail as that occupied by Darvis and his followers. There may be plenty of dialogue in the story, but also there is an abundance of action. In fact, in spite of the dialogue, it is a motion picture of the old regime, and a real western at that. It ought to be, seeing that one of the writers of the tale, Grover Jones, for many years found this brand of stories proving to be the chief source of his ham and eggs. Those who are surfeited with con- versazioni, or gabfests if you will, be- hind three walls will find welcome re- lief in a breath of mountain air where tremulously and maybe badly broad- ened As are burned with the prairie chips. Lee Garmes CITY STREETS Lee Garmes, Cameraman BOX office sticks out all over Para- mount's "City Streets." Whether you like the underworld rough stuff or not there is here stark melo- drama that will stir your blood. You may enter upon the picture in an in- different mood, in a hostile one, even. You may have in your own way and after your own dumb fashion sort of sized up the new femme featured lead and decided you still remained to be shown. It is just about at this point the illusion takes command of the brain cells. When following the con- clusion of the smashing penultimate sequence you gradually get yourself together you realize your first impres- sion reflected no credit on your selec- tive or judicial capacity. You have reached the conclusion that Paramount may have in its mitt a picture worth so near seven figures that what it falls short of that sum will be negligible. Gary Cooper comes out of the realm of the western or outdoor picture to step into a tale based on the beer racket, a general screen background not calculated to call for three ap- proving cheers on the part of the average adult citizen. But behind the gripping story pro- vided by Dashiell Hammett, adapted by Max Marcin, put into continuity by Oliver H. P. Garrett, and directed by Rouben Mamoulian, there rides such an abundance of elemental ap- peal any thought of breaking new ground is forgotten. Then again as a sort of preparatory course as it were players in western subjects acquire an acquaintance with firearms. Possibly the major interest in the production on the part of the average picturegoer is the impression regis- tered by Sylvia Sidney, an impression handicapped at the start by the seem- ingly flossy and stagey alliteration of the new name. There can be no question the new- comer plays her part — a hard one, that of a woman surrounded by racketeers and subject to their mur- derous orders. So well does she play it there is a not unnatural interest as to how convincing the young wom- an also might be in a more softly feminine role. Paul Lukas is cast as a Capone. With him as associates are William Boyd, Guy Kibbee and Stanley Fields. Wynne Gibson as Agnes, the favorite of the gang leader discarded for a new face, is given plenty to do — and well does it. The high spots of a fast-moving picture are the closing scenes, those in which the chief character "takes for a ride" three leading racketeers. Reversing the usual procedure, as the layman visualizes it, the three occupy the rear seat in a machine, but their ready weapons are useless. If they are brought into play the five persons in the car will be destroyed as the machine leaves the road. It is a hair- raising sequence, dodging railroad trains and negotiating beetling switch- backs. "City Streets" is tall melodrama. Ernest Palme t A CONNECTICUT YANKEE Ernest Palmer, Cameraman WHETHER or not "A Connec- ticut Yankee" owes more of its paternity to Will Rogers than to Mark Twain has nothing to do with the issue of whether or not it turned out to be a good picture. And there is like- ly to be general agreement that it did. One of the outstanding se- quences in the production is lifted by a Rogers touch, that of the tournament, a spectacle as well as a drama with a* comedy angle. After Hank the Sir Boss is lifted armor and all on to his horse he uncovers a lariat with which he proposes to combat the knight Sagramor, a well played char- acterization credited to Mitchell Har- ris. The screened result may not be so funny in London, but it surely was a scream in Los Angeles. The knight with his "pig-sticking" lance had not a chance. The entertainment quality of the picture is heavily fortified by the con- spicuous presence of William Farnum in the part of King Arthur. This worthy representative of the best on the speaking stage provided a most companionable foil for the rough and ready interpreter of the small town radio announcer, the one heeding all the traditions of the polished actor and the other letting the chips fall where they might. It is a team hard to match. Many of the scenes take on the pro- portions of a spectacle. Among these are the tournament already referred to, the mobilization and advance of (Continued on Page 30) Twenty-four The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER May, 1931 In zJXCernoriatn Nealson Smith passed away April 10 at his home in Los Angeles. He was 42 years old. Mr. Smith was one of the best known still cameramen in the Hollywood studios, having been equally skilled in work on portraits or on the set. For many years he was employed by Hartsook in his Los Angeles studio. He photographed practically all stills of the late Rudolph Valentino and many of Norma Talmadge. Mr. Smith was a veteran of the late war. Department of Agriculture Recording Films in Capital PRODUCTION of sound pictures has been initiated by the United States Department of Agricul- ture in its own studio in Washing-ton. A complete RCA Photophone sound- on-film recording system was recently installed by the department's office of motion pictures and the work of scor- ing lecture pictures is going forward. The recorder has been installed to run synchronously with projectors equipped for the projection of sound- on-film, so that it can be utilized for scoring existing silent pictures with sound effects or lectures. One of the films scheduled for con- version is the Indian sign language film the office of motion pictures is making for the Department of the Interior. Major General Hugh L. Scott, retired, will deliver the lecture that is to accompany this film, which is designed to constitute a permanent record of the Indian sign language. Lasher with QRSDe Vry The QRS-De Vry Corporation has appointed Phil Lasher, Ltd., as ex- clusive western distributor, with of- fices at 300 Seventh street, San Fran- cisco. The company will specialize in motion picture equipment and photo- graphic supplies, dealing in both 16 mm and 35mm equipment, silent and sound with a special department on visual education. Phil Meisenzahl, who has repre- sented the parent company for the past twelve years, will join the Phil Lasher company May 1. Mr. Meisen- zahl will have charge of the southern district. Arnold Heads Cinematographers At the annual election of officers of the American Society of Cinematog- raphers, Inc., Hollywood, the follow- ing were chosen for the coming year: President, John Arnold; first vice president, Victor Milner; second vice president, John W. Boyle; third vice president, Al Gilks; secretary, Wil- liam Stull; treasurer, George Schnei- derman. The annual installation banquet was held Monday evening, April 20. Kruse Musician, Too J. Henry Kruse, a musically inclined member of 659, has organized the Melodie Club Orchestra. Mr. Kruse specializes with a violin. Recently he arranged the music for the Swedish sequence for Fox's "Women of All Nations." Photophone to Install Three Rear Projection Equipments SPECIALLY designed RCA Photo- phone sound reproducing equip- ment modified to meet the re- quirements of rear projection will be installed in the first three of the ex- tensive circuit of theatres to be es- tablished in the principal cities of the United States by the Trans-Lux Movies Corporation. Two of these theatres are to be opened in the Lefcourt building, 1619 Broadway, and the third in 625 Mad- ison avenue, New York. Rear projection will be employed in all theatres operated by Trans-Lux, Photophone installations being the first in New York City since sound motion pictures were introduced. Tested in a model theatre installed at the Photophone engineering de- partment in East Twenty-fourth street and employing the new loud speaker and directional baffle, the dif- fusion of sound by this system was said to have been of exceptional qual- ity and equally diffused throughout the small auditorium. A number of changes in the Photo- phone standard small theatre sound equipment were made necessary to meet the demands for rear projec- tion. eS^Hc. mmmK^wm«\mi$mm'"MWt]mi Jackson Rose JUNE ♦ NINETEEN • THIRTY-ONE# WELCOME S. M. P. E. *ES.U. S.PAT. OFF SMITH & ALLER, LTD. 6656 Santa Monica Boulevard HOllywood 5147 Hollywood, California PACIFIC COAST DISTRIBUTORS FOR Du Pont Pathe Film Mfg. Corp. 35 West 45th Street New York City THE V\ARK OF. QUALITY MULTICOLOR. GREETINGS to S. M. P. E Perfect Definition • No Fringe • No Bleeding No More Lighting Necessary than for Black and White »You Use Your Own Camera Staff Uniform Quality In Quantity Our New $1,500,000 Laboratory MULTICOLOR, LTD. 7000 ROMAINE STREET HOllywood 7741 Two The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER June, 19S1 Lieut. Geo. W. Goddard, U. S. Air Force, uses the Eyemo for official aerial cinematography Mr. and Mrs. Martin Johnson use Eyemos in Africa Eyemo in news reel service — filming Andre Tardieu, French statesman and former Premier ie ^jyemo 35 turn* auiomalic liana camera Three Lens Turret . . . Seven Film Speeds The greatest movie in the world has always yet to be made — and it may be made with a Bell & Howell Eyemo by someone's right hand. For the new 71-C Eyemo 35 mm. hand camera provides the versatility and flexibility of the standard camera with the portability of a 16 mm. machine. The Eyemo's three-lens turret accommodates all lenses ordinarily used on any Eyemo model, from the 47 mm. lens, which is standard equipment, up to the 6 inch telephoto. Still longer lenses may be interchanged with the shorter ones. An optional, less compact turret accommodates wide angle and longer telephoto lenses without interference. Remounting lenses used on former models to fit the 71-C turret is a simple factory operation and costs but little. The new Eyemo has a built-in hand-crank which may be used instead of the spring motor if desired. The rotation of the crank is governed by the regular speed indicator. No need to count revolutions. The film speeds are 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 24, and 32 frames a second. A speed conversion table is conveniently mounted on the side of the camera, giving correct lens stop openings for any speed. The variable spy-glass viewfinder enables the instant framing of the correct lens field by the turn of a dial, which switches into view six different fields from the 40 mm. lens to the 12 inch. The Bell & Howell Standard Camera Another achievement! In one major mechanism, with quickly interchangeable parts, the Bell & Howell Standard Camera now combines a regular, color, and ultra-speed, or regular, color, and sound camera into one. Write for the Eyemo catalog and full details about the interchangeable Standard Camera. BELL & HOWELL Bell & Howell Company, 1849 Larchmont Ave., Chicago, 111. . . . New York, 11 West 42nd Street 6324 Santa Monica Blvd London (B & H Co., Ltd.) 320 Regent Street .... . . Hollywood, Established 1907 INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Official Bulletin of the Inter-national Photographers of the Motion Pic- ture Industries, Local No. 659, of the International Alliance of The- atrical Stage Employees and Mov- ing Picture Machine Operators of the United States and Canada. Affiliated with Los Angeles Amusement Federa- tion, California State Theatrical Federation, California State Fed- eration of Labor, American Fed- eration of Labor, and Federated Voters of the Los Angeles Amuse- ment Organizations. Vol. 3 HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA, JUNE, 1931 No. 5 "Capital is the fruit of labor, and could not exist if labor had not first existed. Labor, therefore, deserves much the higher consideration." — Abraham Lincoln. C 0 N T Cover — Jackson Rose, Photo Engineers Set for Record Breaker. . . 4 Leezer's Wonder Box Fermenting. ... 8 By John Leezer Simplicity Keynote of Multicolor. ... 10 Continuous Movement Camera Here 12 By Ira Hoke Dirt and Scratches 14 Conducted by Ira Hoke Chicago Letter 18 By Norman W. Alley and the Sassiety Reporter Portable Sound Recording Device Built by RCA for Mitchell Camera 19 Australian Censors Harsher on Brit- ish Films than on American 20 What Talkers Mean to Tomorrow... 21 By John E. Otterson in Broadcast Address E N T S Navy Training Men to Install and Operate 250 Reproducing Plants... 22 Ohio and Washington States Lead in Changing Over Picture Plants.... 23 Cameraman a-Cruising Goes with Uncle Sam's Speedy Carrier Divi- sions 24 By Charles A. Marshall Science Now Has Micro-Cine Plant. . 33 By Heinz Rosenberger Use Pan Film for Air Photography. . 35 Looking in on Just a Few New Ones 37 By George Blaisdell Fearless Dual Magazine Adapter Revolutionary 40 Bell and Howell Expands in Re- search Department 41 Technical Editors The International Photographer is published monthly in Hollywood by Local 659, I. A.T.S. E. and M. P. M. O. of the United States and Canada Entered as second class matter Sept. 30, 1930, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, Calif., under the act of March 3, 1879 Copyright 1930 by Local 659, I. A. T. S. E. and M. P. M. O. of the United States and Canada Howard E. Hurd, Publisher's Agent George Blaisdell - - Editor Lewis W. Physioc 1 Ira Hoke Associate Editor Fred Westerberg S John Corydon Hill - - - Art Editor Subscription Rates — United States and Canada, $3.00 per year. Single copies, 25 cents Office of publication, 1605 North Cahuenga Avenue, Hollywood, California. HEmpstead 1128 The members of this Local, together with those of our sister Locals, No. 644 in New York, No. 666 in Chicago, and No. 665 in Toronto, represent the entire personnel of photographers now engaged in professional production of motion pictures in the United States and Canada. Thus The International Photographer becomes the voice of the Entire Craft, covering a field that reaches from coast to coast across North America. Printed in the U. S. A. 1=^^>2 at Hollywood, California. Vf7 Four The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER June, 1931 Engineers Set for Record Breaker Spring Convention Is Certain to Exceed in its Scope and Importance to Industry Any Meetings Previously Held NEVER before in its history has there been such an extensive and inclusive a meeting as that planned for the spring meeting of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers to be held in Hollywood at the Amer- ican Legion Auditorium, Mav 25 to 29. Sixty-eight papers and ten committee reports are scheduled for presentation during the five days of the meeting. Five ses- sions will be devoted to sym- posiums on color photography, studio practices, sound record- ing, laboratory practices and theatre practices. These sym- posiums will be held Monday afternoon, Tuesday morning, Wednesday morning, all day Thursday and Friday morning respectively. Among the papers of especial interest and value are three on "Sensitometry" to be presented by L. A. Jones of the Eastman Kodak Company. D. K. Gannett of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company will present a paper entitled "Detail in Tele- vision." "Pioneer Experiments in Sound Recording" by Eugene Lauste will be an interesting contribution from a historical standpoint. Five papers already have been scheduled for the special color session, at which Dr. C. E. K. Mees, director of research of the Eastman Kodak Company, will preside. These papers and their au- thors are "Technicolor" by J. A. Ball, "Hand Coloring of Motion Picture Film" by Gustave Brock, "Design and Construction of Multicolor Equipment" bv Bruce Burns, M -G - M Color Process" by 0. 0. Ceccarini, and "Multi- color Process" by R. M. Otis. "The Latin American Audi- ence Viewpoint to American Films" by N. D. Golden, Motion Picture Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, should prove of value to producing or- ganizations as have Mr. Golden's papers in the past. A group of films called the "Baron Shiba Films" will be exhibited. These pictures were made in Japan and loaned to the society through the courtesy of the Bureau of Stand- ards. The pictures are made at an extremely high rate of speed and are projected so as to show in slow motion certain very high speed phenomena. At least four papers will be read on new developments of noiseless recording. Two papers will describe two new types of microphones. During the sym- posium on "Studio Practices" talks by prominent actors, direc- tors, musical directors and writ- ers are scheduled. C. H. Dunning will give a paper entitled "The Dunning Process and Process Back- grounds." S. K. Wolf's paper, "Noise Measurement," will pre- sent the latest problems and methods in noise measurement, control and abatement. "Making Motion Pictures in Asiatic Jungles," by G. S. Mitchell of Universal, will be an interesting highlight of motion picture adventure. The banquet will be held Wednesday evening in the Blos- som Room of the Roosevelt Hotel, at which time a number of prominent men in the indus- try will speak. Trips have been arranged for those from the East to visit the studios, Bev- erly Hills, the beaches and other interesting points. MONDAY, MAY 25 8:30 A.M. — Convention registra- tion. 9:30 — Convention called to order. Address of welcome. Response by the president, J. I. Crabtree. Report of the convention commit- tee, W. C. Kunzmann, chairman. Reports of secretary and treasur- er— J. H. Kurlander, secretary; H. T. Cowling, treasurer. Report of the historical committee, C. L. Gregory, chairman. Report of the progress committee, G. E. Matthews, chairman. "Detail in Television," by D. K. Gannett, American Telephone and Telegraph, New York. "Pioneer Experiments in Sound Recording," by Eugene Lauste. "Baron Shiba Films." (These films were made in Japan and loaned to the society through the courtesy of the Bureau of Standards. The pic- tures are made at a very high speed and are projected so as to show in slow motion certain very high-speed phenomena.) "The Latin-American Audience Viewpoint to American Films," by C. J. North and N. D. Golden, Motion Picture Division, Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, Washington. 12:30 P. M.— Luncheon. 2:00 — Symposium on Color Photog- raphy. (This section will be princi- pally devoted to papers leading to a thorough discussion of the status and progress of color photography. Dr. C. E. K. Mees of the Research Labor- atory of the Eastman Kodak Com- pany will preside.) Introductory remarks by Dr. Mees. "Technicolor," by J. A. Ball, Tech- nicolor, Hollywood. "Multicolor Process," by R. M. Otis, Hughes Development Co., Ltd., Hol- lywood. "Multicolor Laboratory," by Bruce Burns, Hughes Development Com- pany. "Comparison of the Technic of Making Two and Three Color Sep- aration Negatives," by P. D. Brews- ter, Brewster Color Film Corporation, Newark, N. J. "Hand-Coloring of Motion Picture Film," by Gustav Brock, New York. Report of Color Committee, W. V. D. Kelley, chairman. Report of Papers Committee, O. M. Glunt, chairman. Report of Membership and Sub- scription Committee, H. T. Cowling, chairman. 8:00 — Exhibition of recent films of interest in Auditorium. TUESDAY, MAY 26 8:30 A. M.— Registration. 9:30 — Symposium on Sound Re- cording. (This section will be prin- cipally devoted to papers leading to a thorough discussion of the status and progress of sound recording.) "Noiseless Recording," by H. C. Silent, Erpi, Hollywood. "A Shutter for Ground Noise Re- duction," by E. W. Kellogg and M. C. Batsel, RCA Victor, Camden, N. J. "Noise Reduction with Variable Area Recording," by B. Ki-euzer, RCA Photophone, Inc., New York. "The Ribbon Microphone," by H. F. June, 1931 T h INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Five Olson, RCA Photophone, New York. "A Moving-Coil Microphone for High-Quality Sound Reproducing," by W. C. Jones and L. W. Giles, Bell Telephone Laboratories, New York. "A Sound Film Reproducer for Re- recording Work," by J. J. Kuhn, Bell Telephone, New York. "Recording, Re-recording, and Edit- ing of Sound," by Carl Dreher, RKO Studios, Hollywood. "Recording Sound for Split Mat Photography," by L. E. Clark, RKO Pathe Studio, Culver City. 12:30 P.M. — Luncheon. 2:00 — A visit to one of the large studios. 8:00 — Papers. "Sensitometry — Part I," by L. A. Jones, Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester. "Characteristics of New DuPont Negative Film," by D. R. White, Du- Pont Pathe, Parlin, N. J. "Characteristics of New Eastman Negative Film," by Emery Huse, Eastman, Hollywood. "High-Speed Oscillograph," by A. M. Curtis and C. H. Rumpel, Bell Telephone, New York. "Improvements in Motion Picture Laboratory Apparatus," by C. E. Ives, A. J. Miller and J. I. Crabtree, Eastman, Rochester. "Recent Developments in Ther- mionic Devices," by M. J. Kelly, Bell Telephone, New York. Report of sound committee, H. B. Santee, chairman. Report of standards and nomencla- ture committee, A. C. Hardy, chair- man. Report of publicity committee, W. Whitmore, chairman. WEDNESDAY, MAY 27 9:30 A.M. — Symposium on Studio Practices. (This section will be prin- cipally devoted to papers leading to a thorough discussion of the status and progress of studio practices.) "Sensitometry — Part II," by L. A. Jones, Eastman, Rochester. "Miniature Models of Sets," by Hans Dreier, Paramount, Long Island City, N. Y. "Use of Dialog in Sound," by Col- onel Joy, Association of Motion Pic- ture Producers, Hollywood. "The Depth of Field Camera Lenses," by A. C. Hardy, Massachu- setts Institute of Technology, Cam- bridge. Talks by prominent studio person- nel— actor, director, musical director, and writer. "Making a Motion Picture," by Paul Snell, Paramount, Hollywood. Report of Studio Lighting Commit- tee, M. W. Palmer, chairman. 12:30 P. M.— Luncheon. 2:00 — A visit to one of the large studios. 8:00 — Semi-Annual Banquet in the Blossom Room of the Hotel Roosevelt. THURSDAY, MAY 28 9:30 A.M. — Symposium on Labor- atory Practices. (This section will be principally devoted to papers leading to a thorough discussion of the status and progress of laboratory practices.) S. M. P. E. to 659 Rochester, April 28, 1931. Editor International Photographer In your next issue will you please extend a cordial invitation to all members of Local 659 to at- tend our convention. The meetings are open to all in- terested. H. T. COWLING, Treasurer Society of Motion Pic- ture Engineers. "Universal Developing Machine," by J. A. Dubray, Bell & Howell, Chi- cago. "M-G-M Developing Machine," by J. M. Nickolaus, M-G-M Studios, Cul- ver City. "Variable Area Processing," by D. D. Foster, Bell Telephone, New York. "The Study of Exposure and Film Processing for Variable Area Re- cording," by E. W. Kellogg and G. L. Dimmick, RCA Victor Company, Camden. "The Processing of Variable Area Sound Records in the Film Labora- tory," by W. P. Bielicke, RKO Stu- dios, Hollywood. "Processing for Variable Density Records," by J. G. Frayne, Erpi, Los Angeles. "Analysis of Negatives," by L. A. Jones and C. M. Tuttle, Eastman, Rochester. "New Semitometer," by L. A. Jones, Eastman, Rochester. "Two Special Sensitometers," by B. R. White, DuPont Pathe Film, Parlin, N. J. 12:30 P. M.— Luncheon. 2:00 P. M.— A bus trip to Beverly Hills, beaches, etc., for those who wish to take it. 2:00 P. M.— Continuation of Sym- posium on Laboratory Practice. "Sensitometry — Part III," by L. A. Jones, Eastman, Rochester. "Directional Effects in Sound Film Processing," by J. Crabtree, Bell Telephone, New York. "Straight Line and Toe Records with Light Valve," by Donald Mac- Kenzie, Erpi, Hollywood. "Reducing and Intensifying Solu- tions for Motion Picture Film," by J. I. Crabtree and L. E. Muehler, East- man, Rochester. "Electrolytic Regeneration of Mo- tion Picture Fixing Baths," by K. C. D. Hickman, Eastman, Rochester. "Automatic Control of Electrolytic Recovery Apparatus," by K. C. D. Hickman, Eastman, Rochester. "The Dunning Process and Process Backgrounds," by C. H. Dunning, Hollywood. 8:00 P.M. — Exhibition of represen- tative films from various studios rep- resenting recent advances in sound picture technique. FRIDAY, MAY 29 9:30 A. M. — Symposium on Theatre Practice. (This section will be principally de- voted to papers leading to a thorough discussion of the status and progress of theater practices.) "An Apertureless Optical System for Reproducing Sound on Film," by R. C. Burt, R. C. Burt Scientific Lab- oratories, Pasadena. "Continuous Non-Intermittent Pro- jectors," by A. J. Holman, East Orange, N. J. "Properties of Low-Intensity Re- flecting Arc-Projector Carbons," by D. B. Joy and A. C. Downes, Nation- al Carbon, Cleveland. "An AC Operated Sound Motion Picture Reproducing Equipment," by T. D. Cunningham, RCA Victor, Camden, N. J. "Motion Picture Screens," by F. M. Falge, Beaded Screen Corporation, New York. Committee reports : Projection Theory Committee, W. B. Rayton, chairman. Projection Screens Committee, S. K. Wolf, chairman. Projection Practice Committee, H. Rubin, chairman. 12:30 P. M.— Luncheon. 2:00 P. M.— Papers. "New Printing Machine," by O. B. DePue, DePue & Vance, Chicago. "Air Conditioning by Carrier Meth- od," by A. H. Simonds, Carrier En- gineering Corporation, Newark, N. J. "Reversing the Form and Inclina- tion of the Motion Picture Theater Floor for Improvement in Vision," by Ben Schlanger, New York. "Noise Measurement," bv S. K. Wolf, Erpi, New York. "Measurements with a Reverbera- tion Meter," by V. L. Chrisler and W. F. Snyder, Bureau of Standards, Washington. "Application of Optical Instru- ments in the Motion Picture Indus- try," by I. L. Nixon, Bausch & Lomb, Rochester. "The Mercury Arc as a Source of Intermittent Light," by H. E. Edger- ton, Massachusetts Institute of Tech- nology, Cambridge. "New 35-mm. Portable Sound Equipment," by H. Griffin, Interna- tional Projector Corporation, New York. 8:00 P. M. — Papers. "New Newsreel Camera," by J. L. Spence, Akeley Camera Company, New York. "Making Motion Pictures in Asiatic Jungles," by G. S. Mitchell, Universal. "Simple Apparatus for Cine-Pho- tomicrography," by A. C. Hardy and O. W. Pineo, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. "A Stroboscopic Darkroom Inspec- tion Lamp," by K. C. D. Hickman, Eastman, Rochester. "Protecting the Theater against the Fire Peril," by R. B. Dickson, Py- rene Manufacturing Company, New- ark, N. J. "Storage and Handling of Films," by E. W. Fowler, National Board of Fire Underwriters, New York, and L. B. Newell, New York Fire Insur- ance Rating Organization, New York. (Continued on Page 28) Six The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER June, 1931 (il,-nn E. Maltkt Progress hihur C. Hardy Standards nnj5 ^^k ^r' ^CTl1 \I Imr^ iiii \\ ^n Sr - ^ 1 OH^k I 1 _«LbJ^^ S fl H9M Sfl " • * m « *^H? i jB 3fH PP.' 11! ^ VB r# :* J / i*il 4 dfei ^^K^^^^k^^^^hMl P^^IP f^TW*'* r/- - r bi-% 1 EHtlC/677 .v '***$S$? 7 SIGNED Moreno-Snyder Cine Corporation, Ltd, GARCIA GABRIEL MORENO, Chief Engineer WILLIAM G. FAIRBANK, President SILAS EDGAR SNYDER, Sales Promotion Eighteen The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER CHICAGO June, 1931 Over the Grapevine Philadelphia, May 14. YE ED, being now something of a Globe Trotter, is scribbling this page out way down in som- bre ol' Philadelphia. . . The boss says for us to take a two month flit- flit in the interests of good old Hearst Metrotone Newsreel, and here I am. . . And Sunday will see us still here, tsk, tsk, tsk. . . Gene Cour handling Audio-Camex in midwest territory, Burton Holmes has purchased and others are nibbling. . . Soundie Har- ly Neems has went New Yawk again. . . George Brown, chef de gare over at number 2, Chicago stage hands, is going to take over sound men in midwest — so the grapevine re- ports. . . When he does there will be several 666 members among the missing. . . Rumors afloat about Chi Daily News taking over complete control of Universal Newsreel produc- tion; no announcements, but its okeh with Charlie Ford, if so. . . Indie producers showing more and more in- terest in low priced recording equip- ment catalogues; as the repression subsides the Indie plants will be pre- pared for the rush. . . Dominick Montemurro, 644 camera wizard, has been shifted from New York to Chi- cago to spend the summer — what with a new Mayor, a windy jubilee and the three other speak softies all open it looks like Monty will not have to join the Navy this year. . . Prexy David looking very sad these chilly nights; someone finally broke the news to him that it's impossible to put sound on an Eyemo. . . Now they've gone and bought Charlie a nice new Mitchell with Vitaglow sound attached and the old back is moanin' even before it arrives. . . Vi Braun reports collec- tions are picking up and hopes they will stay that way, sodowe. . . Jack Barnett has gone in for housekeeping, ah well! after all, there ain't no place like home. . . Jack Chouinard, Chi- cago Surface lines lens snooper, ad- vises the accidental season is well un- der way and his squad are legalling more wrecks than ever. . . Wilding wildcats over in Detroit finishing an- other automotive soundie. . . Ralph Biddy likewise has just completed a silent two reeler for Standard Oil of Indiana. . . Ralph Phillips is synking his trailers these days. . . Charley Geis went over and helped Command- er Rosendahl take over command of the new super gas bag at Akron t'other day. . . News photogs of Chi- cago had a big jamboree over at the Illinois Athletic Club's swimming By NORMAN W. ALLEY pool recently and Chick Keller did his famous standing, sitting, standing back flip off the high board; he's rest- ing comfortably, thanks. . . Presi- dent Canavan has okeyed the news- reelers' agreement and same is now before the producers; they're making book on the result over at Al Simons' smoke emporium. //? Focus In Spots! By THE SASSIETY REPORTER I SEE where somebody out there on the coast must of figgered it wuz old times because they slipped Harry Birch's monnicker at the start of the page as the conductor of same. So I s'pose the head man, Alley, will be kinda hot under the collar and maybe cut up this here razz line of mine. That's the trouble, though, with a fellow pinnin' his old standby, what he uses on his checks what bounce back, on a news Page. Now you take my ole name what's signed at the top, regardless of who should write it I guess I'd get the credit for it be- cause everybody'd think it wuz me anyhow. So I just want to tip you off, Mr. Page editor, maybe you ought to sign it by "The Herring Choker" and then everybody would know it wuz you, Alley, what wrote the darn thing. [The crime on the "by" line was committed in Hollywood by one old enough to know better, one who here- with and now apologizes — and how. — Ed.] SIX-SiXTY-SIX Agt Xe Cannot W ither And while we're on the subject of Harry Birch. A bunch of us 666's was swappin' lies the other night about a certain car some of us is drivin' and what trouble we is havin' with same, and old pal Harry, who drives one of these here buggies him- self, goes into goose pimples about what a swell boat his is and then after the meetin' I pass him up like the rush of dizzy blondes for Reno with my not so good copy of the same make car. SIX-SIXTY-SIX David I\o Longer Silent Shades of the good old silent gal- loping tintypes! T'other night I stroll into the joint where our worthy Prexy Charlie David grabs the weekly pay check from and there sits the famous Charlie on the floor with a contraption he calls an amplifier try- ing to figger out how to make a needle move by hcllerin' "woof-woof" and clapping his hands. I thought maybe he was practisin' the high sign of some lodge he wuz plannin to join. Well, about six burned out tubes later the maestro of 666 gets up, says some several pages of dirty words and then tells me maybe the good old days wusn't so bad after all. After beggin' Charlie about what's up I find out this. Charlie David, Pres. of 666, has now also went sound. There's only a few of 'em left now. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Under Your Hat Gene Cour, when he ain't busy on new by-laws or sumpin, is keeping a pretty close eye on the home fires. The Cours are expecting company any day now. Maybe there'll be a Gene Cour Jr. now to follow a famous papa behind the lens. This is con- fidential nooze. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Some Robins Jack Barnett returns from a barn- storming trip in Southern Illinois telling weird tales about the size of the robins down state. Jack saw flocks of birds down there, and when he asked Brother Shorty Richardson what kind they wuz, Rich pipes up, "Robins!" And the ever trustful Jack lets it go at that. Jack, for your informa- tion, when this dept. worked on the farm before graduating into the movie game they wuz named, "Rhode Island Red Hens." Information was the idea when this collim was organ- ized. SIX-SIXTY-SIX That Irish Spirit The old Irish Gridiron at Notre Dame looks like a west coast movie lot. A series of shorts are bein' made to enlighten the world on how the Irish spirit marches on every fall to the enemy's goal line. There's a whole crew of 659 film burners down there with blimps and everything. Will Klein of 659 heads the explor- ers from the land of sunshine, and his staff includes the following heavy- weights of the lens: Fred Eldridge, Will Dodds, Lloyd Ward, and the old still end is held up by our old vet- eran, Bob Hollahan of 666. Max Markmann also represents the June, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Nineteen Windy City end of the expedition into the wilds of the fightin' Irish. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Real Fan Then there's the story about our old pardner Urban Santone, another six-six-sixer. Urban used to brag that you couldn't drag him near a big league ball park unless he was as- signed to cover one. Well, this same baboon Urban gets himself a hotel room out on the road, has the bell hop cart in one of these radios what runs a half hour on a quarter and then spends two bucks on the radio contraption listenin' to the ball game. Oh, well, maybe it's the fun of hearing the two-bit piece drop in the slot. SIX-SIXTY-SIX A W atch to Keep Old George Lockyear, the sergeant from the Signal Corps who led many a newsreeler into the smoke of army maneuvers, has went and retired from Uncle Sam's lens snipers. The army gave George a big fare- well feed and then the General got up and made a swell speech all about how George spent twenty-eight years in this man's army and never shot a picture out of focus and then he winds up and hands George an ele- gant watch as a keepsake, but the funny part of it is George ain't going to have ever to hock the watch, be- cause Uncle Sam takes care of you for keeps when you grind his cam- eras that long. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Confidential Well, I gotta close, as I want to get over to the bank and make an- other deposit on my old age fund, as I ain't working for the Army. See you next month. Portable Sound Recording Device Built by RCA for Mitchell Camera ENGINEERS of RCA Photophone, in collaboration with engineers of Westinghouse and General Electric, have produced a new port- able sound recording equipment for use in connection with the Mitchell camera that is claimed to be one of the most efficient apparatus of its kind that so far has been introduced in the field of outdoor recording ac- tivities. For news reel and "location" work it is said to meet demands that here- tofore have been impossible and in connection with the recording of in- dustrial and commercial pictures and the chronicling of expeditions upon land and sea and in the air the ap- paratus appears to fill a long-felt want. Including cables, cases and all ac- cessories the entire equipment weighs less than 400 pounds and can easily be transported in the rear compart- ment of a small automobile. The operating equipment necessary for "location" work weighs about 245 pounds. The new outfit employs a combined camera and recorder designed to ex- pose 35 MM. film at a speed of 90 feet per minute, a condenser micro- phone for sound pick-up, a portable recording amplifier and the necessary power auxiliary and spare apparatus. The recorder head is mounted be- tween the film magazine and the top of the camera. The recorder is made up of two main assemblies. Speed Control In the optical system of the me- chanical film-drive assemblies a 32 volt DC drive-motor is provided to operate both the recorder and the camera. The speed of the film through the camera during operation must be maintained at 90 feet a min- ute, and for this purpose a speedom- eter on top of the recorder and a motor speed control rheostat is pro- vided. A storage battery is used to operate the motor and is contained in an individual battery box. A mechanical filter system is in- corporated within the recorder to pre- vent sudden changes in film speed. The tube condenser microphones are each mounted within a cubical metal case which also incloses a three-stage microphone amplifier. The main recording amplifier is contained in its own individual case together with all batteries necessary for its operation, as well as for that of the interphone, the microphone, and the microphone amplifier. It consists of a Radiotron UX-864 trans- former coupled to the microphone amplifier cable. This tube is resistance-coupled to another Radiotron UX-864, which is in turn resistance-auto-transformer coupled to a push-pull circuit utilizer tube Radiotron UX-112A; and the output transformer of the push-pull stage is used to operate the recorder galvanometer. The amplifier panel contains the necessary instruments and controls for the operation of the recording apparatus. The unit for the recordist consists of a double-headband with a low im- pedance phone on one side for the inter-phone and high impedance phone on the other side for monitoring. The unit for the cameraman consists of a single headband and one low im- pedance phone. A feature of this apparatus is the adoption of the single system of re- cording by means of which the sound is recorded upon the film 19 Ms frames in advance of the exposure of the pic- ture, which makes possible the im- mediate reproduction of the subject after it has been developed and printed. For the purpose of demonstrating its efficiency under unusual conditions one of these new machines was oper- ated successfully in a cabin airplane,, and it has been put to severe tests in various other ways. France Has Silvertone Silvertone-Carpentier is the name of a new recording unit which is be- ing made by the Establissements Car- pentier, a large engineering firm in France. Silvermount-Films has been founded to make and distribute French production of the Silvertone system, the acting directors being P. H. de Monteynard and A. de Saint- Andre. Production will be carried out at Joinville under the direction of Bur- ton George. These rose-croivned, raven-haired Gitana senoritas, bedecked in carnival cos- tumes, who dance the "Flamenco." Photo by Esselle Parichy in Granada Twenty The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER June, 1931 Australian Censors Are Harsher on British Films Than on American THE annual report of W. Cress- well O'Reilly, chief Australian censor, as stated in the Bioscope, says that in the island continent re- jection of British films represented 8 per cent of the total of 50 submit- ted and but 3.2 per cent of the total of 525 of American origin. Besides the American and British subjects but five were imported from other countries. During the year ending January 1 last 2,148 films of varying lengths were imported. Of these 1,647 were passed without cuts, 380 were passed after being cut, and 121 were in the first instance totally rejected. During the year the Appeal Board dealt with 132 appeals. Of 73 rejec- tions it upheld 39 and dismissed 34, of 37 suggested revisions it upheld 10 and dismissed 27, and of 22 cases Greetings s. M. P. E. While you are here in Hollywood we invite you to visit our plant and let us show you our new line of Sun-Spots. The IN- TEGRAL INKIES — these lamps by virtue of their integral construction may be lighted and shut off at will without producing any MR Type 324 — 24" Sun Spot expansion noises — their light weight commends them for convenient hand- ling. If It Isn't An It Isn't An Inkie. MOLE- RICHARDSON, INC. 941 SYCAMORE AVENUE, HOLLYWOOD relating to divorce it upheld 8 and dismissed 14. More than half the films rejected by the censor in the first instance were later released by the Appeal Board. Special comment is made by the Australian Censor concerning British films. He says: "The outspoken comments on last year's report re- garding the character of British films were misinterpreted and misunder- stood. Criticisms offered in sorrow and with a sincere desire to lead to improvement were taken in some quarters as evidence of anti-British bias. I am glad, however, to say that there is a marked improvement, some of the recent British films surpassing the American in every department of production and entertaining value. "There is still, however, too great a proportion which are of poor quality. Even when some of the latter are passed by the Censorship, either dis- tributors or exhibitors will not show them, which is rarely the case with American films. "It is a pity also that British pro- ducers are exploiting the bedroom farces ad nauseam. Surely there are other humorous ideas and situations available, besides men and women getting into one another's rooms. There is also a tendency for smart- ness and sophistication to step over the borderline of suggestiveness and indecency. "An examination of the figures and percentages in respect of elimina- tions and rejections during the past few years," the report continues, "does not afford much ground for as- serting that there has been an im- provement in the moral standard of the pictures submitted." Six-Sixty-Six Grows Fast The International Photographer is in possession of No. 5 of "Six-Sixty- Six," a five by eight and a half inches house organ for the Chicago local of International Photographers. The publication contains sixteen snappy pages and is edited by V. M. Braun. Incidentally more than six pages are advertising. The text is devoted to organization happenings, all of which are readably presented. The publication reflects credit on those responsible for its making. Dodge Dunning Home Dodge Dunning, who left Holly- wood March 26 for Europe for a brief business trip and to escort home from a European tour his mother and sister, returned home May 18. While away he made arrangements for opening Dunning laboratories in Lon- don and Berlin. John Alton Writes John Alton, Local 659, is still at the Paris Paramount studio, where he is in charge of the camera department and occasionally shooting. He writes he will be glad to show around any visiting brother. June, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Twenty-one What Talkers Mean to Tomorrow Remarkable Summary of Audible Screen's Aid in Advancing" Public Health, Industry and Civilization as a Whole By JOHN E. OTTERSON President of Erpi, in Coast to Coast Radio Broadcast TALKING motion pictures are the product of telephone re- search. The Bell Telephone Lab- oratories have been studying the prob- lem of voice transmission for over fifty years. Thirteen years ago inten- sive research was directed to the re- cording and reproduction of sound from records. The result has been the modern phonograph and the talk- ing motion picture. Talking motion pictures in the ac- cepted public sense are about four years old. Thus far they have been used principally in the theatrical en- tertainment field. So great has been their success that they have complete- ly displaced the silent picture, revo- lutionized the motion picture industry and given the world a more expres- sive, comprehensive and versatile art. The defects that were present in early presentations have been over- come, the prejudice that arose from changing the habits of the motion pic- ture public has died down, motion pic- ture audiences are devoting less time to sleep. Meanwhile another awakening has been going on, an awakening in other fields. However important and signi- ficant has been the introduction of talking pictures into the entertain- ment field, we are confronted today with an infinitely more important and far reaching application of this new found medium of expression. I refer to the use of talking pictures in the fields of education, religious teaching, politics, industrial training and adver- tising. Transferring Personality There is a Chinese proverb to the effect that a picture is worth ten thou- sand words. We are conscious of the truth of this when we realize the ex- tent to which American motion pic- tures have made their influence felt throughout the world. American cus- toms, manners and culture have been carried to every quarter of the globe. Silent motion pictures have been used in the field of education for a number of years. The addition of speech supplements the instructional quality of the picture itself and makes it possible to bring to the classroom the personality of great teachers. The mind looks out upon the world through the portal of the eye. Understanding and interpretation of that which we see is for the most part dependent upon that which we hear. Talking pictures have the virtue of making an appeal to the mind through both the sense of sight and the sense of hearing. Instructional material is presented in a form that is at once entertaining, understand- able and impressive. Vast Influence on Health Experience with these talking pic- tures has been most encouraging. They have been presented to pedagogs and pedagogical gatherings through- out the country and have been re- ceived with approval and enthusiasm. There has been perhaps no more graphic and impressive application of talking pictures than in the field of medicine and surgery. There can be nothing more vivid than the motion (Continued on Page 46) John Boles Lois Wilson Genevieve Tobin in 'Seed" a Universal Picture Max Factor's Make-Up Used Exclusively Harry Osborne, Stills Tel. HOlly 6191 Max Factor's Panchromatic and Technicolor Make-up for the Screen Jackson Rose, Cameraman Max Factor Make -Up Studios Jack Pierce, Make-up Artist Cable Address "Facts" Highland Avenue at Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood Chicago Office 444 West Grand Ave. Other Foreign Branches 4-C Her Majesty's Arcade Sydney, Australia 67 Foochow Road Shanghai. China 399 West Street Durban. So. Africa Benson, Smith & Co. Honolulu, T. H. 249 McCall St. Toronto, Canada London Office 10 D'Arbay Street Max Factor's Theatrical Make-up for the Stage 'Twenty-two The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER June, 1931 Navy Training Men to Install and Operate 250 Reproducing Plants THREE officers and twenty-eight enlisted men from the scouting fleet, formerly known as the At- lantic fleet, with headquarters at Brooklyn Navy Yard, and three of- ficers and twenty-eight men from the battle fleet, stationed at San Diego, jhave been graduated in the first classes of the sound motion picture tech- nician's schools which were organized by RCA Photopone, for the instruction of students in the operation of sound reproducing equipment which is soon to be installed on all battleships, cruisers, destroyers and land stations of the navy. The classes were held daily for six weeks and the officers and men who received diplomas have reported to their ships and stations to begin the installation of the sound motion picture apparatus. Two more classes reettngs are sincerely extended to the Society of Motion Pic- ture Engineers, members of which are cordially invited to visit our c^c^, pro- duction plant and rental department, during this spring convention of 1931. LAK1N CORPORATION 1707 NAUD ST.— 1120 NORTH LA BREA CAPITOL 14118— GRANITE 0298 LOS ANGEL E S— H O L L Y W O O D "If its not a <&cc its not silent!" of six weeks' duration each will be conducted. It is expected approxi- mately 250 installations will be made before the end of the year. A tech- nician's school will be opened at Ca- vite, Philippine Islands, within a short time. All of the men who took instruc- tions in the first classes were either chief electricians or chief electricians' mates of the first or second classes. All were obliged to pass preliminary examinations before they were ac- cepted in the classes and practically all of them had had experience in the operation of the silent motion picture apparatus with which the ships and shore stations of the navy have been equipped for many years. Under the direction of Lieutenant Franz O. Willenbucher, who has charge of the purchase and distribu- tion of motion picture films, the Unit- ed States Navy maintains the largest active film exchange in the world. Twelve hundred programs are pre- sented annually. Shows are given every night aboard ship, weather per- mitting, and it is estimated 50,000 of the 86,000 officers and men attend each exhibition. In addition to the ships which com- prise the Atlantic and Pacific fleets and the shore stations on the conti- nent, Photophone apparatus is to be installed at the shore stations of the Virgin Islands, Haiti, Nicaragua, Porto Rico, Hawaii, Guam and the Philippines. Permanent equipment will be installed on the battleships and portable apparatus on the smaller vessels. The "Hip" Goes Sound The Hippodrome, for thirty years one of the most famous legitimate theatres of London's West End, is to show talking pictures. A contract has been signed for the installation of Western Electric. Charlie Chaplin was in the cast of the first of the many famous specta- cles that made the Hippodrome fam- ous throughout the world. The pro- gram was altered after the rebuilding of the theatre in 1909. Under the present plan talking pic- ture equipment will be used to show pictures between stage plays and also to give trade shows. The Hip has 1473 seats. One for Every 5000 Saturation point has been reached in Australian cinema construction, it is stated, and neither circuits nor in- dependents will construct more new houses for some time. Australia is stated to have a higher percentage of cinemas per head of population than any other English-speaking country, approximately 1,200 houses catering to a population of little over six mil- lions. The State capitals, such as Sydney, which concentrates nearly a fifth of Australia's total population, boasts some of the finest cinemas in the world. June, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Twenty-three Ohio and Washington States Lead in Changing Over Picture Plants SOUND motion pictures as a me- dium to provide entertainment and relaxation for inmates and patients of hospitals and other insti- tutions in which the mentally ill, the physically incapacitated and the so- cial offender are confined, are attract- ing the attention of leaders in the study of criminology and mental de- ficiency throughout the country. The States of Ohio and Washing- ton have so far taken the lead in the conversion to sound from the silent picture, with growing interest in evi- dence from other commonwealths. In Ohio the reproducing equipment in- stalled several months ago by Photo- phone in the State Penitentiary, the State Hospital at Toledo and the State Hospital at Dayton have been pronounced successful. In a recent statement Warden P. E. Thomas of the State Penitentiary said: "The 'talkie' equipment is working perfectly and has been of Interesting Session Held by Western Engineers at Pathe \ T the Pathe Studio on the eve- A\ ning of May 7 the Pacific Coast Section of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers held its last stated meeting prior to the opening of the spring convention in Hollywood May 25. It proved to be controversial and interesting. G. F. Hackett was chairman of the papers and program committee and introduced Emery Huse of Eastman, who spoke on "Some Practical Appli- cations of Sensitometry"; D. G. Til- ton, R.K.O., who discussed "Fre- quency Control of Photophone Sound Track," and Michael Leshing, super- intendent Fox Laboratory, whose subject was "Transition from Rack to Machine in the Development of Picture Negative." At the conclusion of Mr. Huse's paper a single reel of film was pro- jected showing actual development of silver grains photographically taken under 900 times magnification. Leshing's contribution was infor- mal and decidedly frank, with the re- sult there developed a discussion which caused one of the members to remark at the conclusion that the meeting had proved to be the most interesting of those held by the Pa- cific Coast section. Among those taking part in the discussion precipitated by Leshing were John Nickolaus of Metro, Rob- ert M. Pierce of Universal, Roy Davidge and other laboratory repre- sentatives. High Powerful Aviator — Florence has the biggest Hispano-Suiza I have ever seen. Cameraman — -Yes, I know, and she will wear those tight dresses. benefit to the institution. The pris- oners say they are now 'doing time from Saturday to Saturday, looking forward to the next picture.' "In other words it is a break in the sentences. I am very well satisfied and would recommend this feature of entertainment and education to other prisons." Washington recently acquired the first four of a large order for Photo- phone equipment for installation in the State Reformatory at Monroe, the State Penitentiary at Walla Walla, the Eastern State Hospital at Medical Lake and the State Training School at Chehalis. It is proposed to install similar equipment in practically ev- ery state hospital and penal institu- tion. Other institutions in which equip- ment has been installed are the Pa- tients' Recreation Hut at Letterman's General Hospital, San Francisco; the Central State Hospital, Indianapolis; the Michigan State Reformatory, Lansing, and the Pondville State Hospital, Wrentham, Mass. Hughes Development Co., Ltd. 1001 North Orange Drive Hollywood, California Specializing in Meeting the Requirements of the Motion Picture Industry. Miniatures Props Patterns Printers Special Equipment Processing Machines Camera Repairs Heat Treating Welding— Electric Arc, Spot and Acytelene Sheet Metal Complete Engineering Facilities Unsurpassed Technical Staff will advise as to methods and means of creating special effects and unusual shots. Ph one GR a n 1 1 e 2155 Twenty-jour The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER June, 1931 Gatun locks emptied of water Gatun locks with carrier passing through, pilot sus pended in cage over the deck Cameraman a- Cruising Goes with ON authority from the Secretary of the Navy to the commander of car- rier divisions, Metro-Goldwyn-May- er was granted permission to shoot the sea and air sequences for the production "Sea Eagles" on board the U. S. S. Sar- atoga during the winter cruise to Pan- ama, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and re- turn. Our party consisted of three sound men, a business manager, a camera crew of six and Lieutenant Commander F. W. Wead, U. S. N. retired, author of the story and in charge of the entire party. The camera crew included Harold Win- strom, first camera; Charles A. Marshall, first camera and aerial photographer; Reggie Lanning, second camera, and As- sistants Charles Straumer, Al Scheving and Wilbur Bradley. The entire party boarded the Sara- toga off Coronado Roads on February 3 and the Saratoga weighed anchor Wednesday morning about 10:30 and headed south. Charles E. Marshall when photograph- ing "The Flying Fleet" at Pensacola, Florida Arrangements had been made to fea- ture V-F-l Squadron in the air shots. This is the crack fighting and light bombing squadron of the Saratoga, un- der command of Lieutenant Commander A. W. Radford, and equipped with the latest type Curtiss "Hell Diver," capable of diving vertically from ten thousand feet, dropping bombs on an enemy and rapidly climbing up out of danger of anti-aircraft batteries. Plane No. 14 of the second division of this squadron, flown by Lieutenant C. W. McCluskey, was assigned to me for a camera plane and the necessary mount- was installed, adaptable to both Bell and Howell and Akeley cameras. First flight quarters on the cruise were sounded for 8:30 A. M., Feb. 6. Our squadron made two hops this day of about one hour each and I shot some beautiful formations and flew along side of the ship shooting landings and takeoffs and landings of other planes. Seaplane Hazards It is quite a thrill to fly off the car- riers far out at sea with no place to land but the water in case of motor trou- ble, unless the carrier is prepared to re- ceive planes back aboard. Occasionally a bad landing is made. A pilot may have his wheels practi- cally on the deck, only to find that the ship has passed over a ground swell and the deck has dropped away from under him. He may be then ten or fifteen feet in the air again, and no flying speed left. So he just drops on, or the deck comes up and hits him, and may wipe out his landing gear. From overhead the Sara appears to me like a big board floating on the water, covered with a swarm of yellow hornets that rise from the bow and head out to sea. After a few days at sea it is necessary to refuel the accompanying plane guard destroyers. The ship is slowed to eight By CHAF E Chief Aerial Phot knots, a six-inch hose is passed < and they take on thousands of gal from the Saratoga's fuel tanks that \ a capacity of two and one-half mil gallons. When flying is in progress, one stroyer is about two hundred y; ahead and the other about the same tance astern to pick up any planes may have motor trouble and be fo into the water. Every cooperation is given by ship's officers and crew in designing building stationary mounts for cam at various positions on the planes, crew seems anxious to do its par make this a great navy air picture. Flight quarters are called from to day as we cruise south fifty to a 1 dred miles off the coast of Mexico Central America. I spend from tw four hours in the air each day shoo the various operations of our feati squadron, sometimes flying from seve five to a hundred miles away from ship and often being out of sight of for two or three hours at a time. Flying Upside Down During these flights practice bom attacks are carried out against the ington or Langley carriers, or a st ing machine gun attack on a line of tleships or supply ships is engaged i During the first dive bombing at I was privileged to ride in I ran conditions which, unlike all my othei periences in the air, I found mad impossible to handle the camera with degree of accuracy. At the start of their vertical dive squadron fly in echelon; that is, plane behind, above, and to the rigr the preceding plane. From this formation the leader over on his back and from that inve June, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Pedro Miguel locks, with airplane carrier in background Inspection at sea aboard airplane carrier ncle Sam's Speedy Carrier Division MRSHALL on "Sea Eagles" _ sition dives vertically. The others f ol- lb him at intervals of about two see- ls. Well, when No. 14 rolled over, there s one aerial cameraman in the rear cfekpit who wished for a few seconds tit he had stuck to "horse operas" or ' )udoir dramas"! jrhe first thing that happened, the n.gazine cases were up off the floor try- i| to get out of the cockpit and crack- is me on the knees and shins in doing sf By the time I had slapped them Avn we were in the dive and getting up t> terminal velocity, about two hundred ad forty knots or two hundred and sev- e;y miles an hour. jrhe terrific wind pressure had my kid- ifs plastered up against the rear of the ckpit and my head pushed back at a ixish angle. The wind was under my tmet, the strap tugging at my throat, ad the goggles blown down to the end 0 my nose had cut off my breathing. By the time I got a secure hold on eiugh cockpit to pull myself out of this HBcarious position we had dropped about e;ht thousand feet. As the pilot pulled ot over the masts of a battleship the citrifugal force folded me up on the fpr like an accordion pleat with my bad lee out of joint and my life belt up ider my arms and most of my clothes 4h it. It was impossible to get my eyes be- 1 ul the finder and pan or tilt with any cipee of accuracy. However, since then I lave found ways and means of tying itself so that I can work with some de- gje of success. An Early Start vVenstrom and Lanning cover import- * scenes on the deck while I am in the a . All preparations for flight and re- cl of planes; the great elevators that take the planes down to the hangar deck; close shots of planes landing and mak- ing contact with their hooks in the ar- resting gear; take-offs and the action of the landing crews and wing folding crews; process backgrounds and many other angles and scenes our script calls for, too numerous to mention. Some days flight quarters are sounded as early as 5:30. It is quite a thrill to be on the flight deck before daylight with seventy or eighty planes packed tightly together and all motors warming up, spitting blue flame from their ex- hausts, and their whirling propellers just missing the tail of the plane ahead by a couple of feet. Four days out and we begin to feel the heat and humidity of the tropics. Most officers have cots out on the for- ward gun galleries and enjoy sleeping in the salt night air. Unfortunately we were not given cots so we had to sleep and sweat inside. Each night a movie is provided for entertainment on the flight deck, although most of the pic- tures are very old and silent. However, in a short time all navy ships will be equipped to project sound pictures. Early on the morning of Feb. 12 we sighted the jungle-covered mountains of the coast of Panama. By 6:30 we have dropped anchor in Panama Bay, and a sketchy panorama greets our eyes. Luncheon Is Delayed As the early morning mist clears we see twelve or fifteen dreadnoughts and the same number of light cruisers; thirty or forty destroyers and about half that number of submarines, supply ships and navy tankers anchored in various posi- tions around the bay. And above them all, tied to the moor- ing mast of her tender, the Petoka, floats the great dirigible Los Angeles, the navy's queen of the skies. All this great armada is joined here for war maneu- vers in defense of the Panama Canal. By 1 P.M. we are ashore and put up at the Hotel Central in Panama City. Not being acquainted with this place we looked for the dining room and got into the bar by mistake, so we had lunch a little later. We spent the next three days lining up shots around town, along the water front, roads leading to the Canal and at Miraflores and Pedro Miguel Locks. We are back aboard on Feb. 16. That night at 10 o'clock all ships are dark- ened, having previously been divided into the "blue" and "black" forces, and head to sea for the great game of war. Our part of the war is to photograph as much as possible of it from the air and from the decks of the Saratoga. Two mornings later our scouts make con- Street scene in Panama City Twenty-six The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER June, 1931 Charles E. Marshall all set to go tact with the enemy and all of our fly- ing fleet take off and head for the attack. At 5 A.M. I am up on deck check- ing lenses and filters and trying to guess what kind of light my cameras will be grinding in three or four hours later. I was severely called by a guard of the security watch for trying to hold a flashlight concealed in my hand to see my stops with; all lights are strictly forbidden, and when a door is opened on to the flight deck the lights in that compartment automatically go out. All portholes have light-proof ventilators. Matching Wits with Old Sol Will it be cloudy or will the sun be out with all its tropical value? Will the cameras be headed into white hot skies, or will we have blue skies and good clouds; or how much of it will be shooting down at deep blue ocean? I try to hit a happy medium for all these conditions, knowing that some will be over timed and some under, my sky possibly undercorrected, while my ocean may be overcorrected. For who among all the genius of our members can tell at 5 A.M. what the light conditions may be a hundred miles away and three or four hours later in the morning? Today a squadron of eighteen tor- pedo planes get lost. All other squad- rons have returned from the attack, and there is an atmosphere of tense watching and waiting aboard. The admiral and air commanders pace the bridge. All eyes are scanning the skies with powerful glasses. There are five men aboard each of these great planes and they are two hours overdue with only enough gas left for one more hour in the air. No one goes below for lunch, all eyes watching for the first sight of this lost squadron. The commander does not want to send up a smoke screen from our funnels for fear of disclos- ing our position to the enemy, and we would be caught at a disadvantage. For all of our planes are forward on the bow and none of them could take off to repel the attack. But after a conference they decide to take a chance and great clouds of smoke belch forth from our huge funnel. There being no wind at the time the smoke rises straight up to a great height, and within fifteen minutes the powerful glasses on the bridge sight the first planes of the squadron. They had seen the smoke signal from a distance of thirty-five miles and were headed for the Saratoga. A cheer went up when they came close enough to be seen with the naked eye, and within half an hour they were all landed safely aboard — all except one. Number eight ran out of gas less than two hundred yards off the stern, dropped into the water and went up on its nose. Safe Return However, the flotation gear worked perfectly and the plane guard de- stroyer threw a line until the Sara could turn around and get a line over from the forward crane. The plane was a wreck, but the crew was none the worse except for a good ducking. At 7:30 P.M. on the 21st the initial stage of the war was over, and we steamed back into Panama the next morning. We need some long shots of the fleet at anchor with the Los Angeles hovering overhead and the entrance to the Canal in the back- ground. The Sara now being at anchor no planes can take off of her deck. So it is necessary to switch camera mounts to an amphibian type of scout- ing plane and be lowered over the side by a crane. Conditions are very poor; no sky, no clouds, no horizon. Just pea soup atmosphere on every side. So we fly across the canal to the Atlantic side, and find good con- ditions for making some process back- grounds in level flight and also in steep dives. As we fly over it is interesting to see the great British dreadnought Nelson easing her way through Cule- bra Cut, with not too much room to spare on either side. She is on her way to the Pacific side to pay a re- turn call to the American Navy. We later saw her tied up at the dock in Balboa. From all I saw and heard she entertained very wetly dur- ing her stay. Shooting Under Difficulties After about three hours in the air we landed alongside of the Sara and signaled for a hoist aboard. The water was quite rough so I was stand- ing up on the fuselage laying over the top wing preparing the plane's lifting cables for the hook when a big roller lifted us high and the whirling prop crashed into the big steel hook. I had visions of pieces of the prop coming my way so I pulled in my neck in a hurry, and the pilot cut his motor. Then we were adrift and the wind was blowing us back into the side of the ship. I climbed out on the wing and wound up the starter and the motor turned over just in time to pull us away from the ship. This time we made good contact with the hook and were hoisted aboard without further trouble. I felt I had not obtained 100 per cent results on the shots I had gone after. The next day we worked from a tug around the harbor and landed all of our equipment ashore. We stayed ashore for several days and shot a great deal of footage for process, at- mosphere and some shots with doubles along the roads and around the locks of the canal. The following Tuesday we are back aboard and ready to go to sea for three weeks. It has been arranged to have a massed flight of all the com- bined squadrons of the carrier divi- sions over our battle line far out at sea. I have been granted permission to fly free from our squadron, so I am out ahead of the great flight getting a long shot of nearly two hundred nlanes flying high over the line of battleships, and then I move in, get- ting some closer shots missing the surface craft. During this flight our motor cut out for a few seconds. We had run out of gas in our main tank. But the pilot was on the alert, turned on his reserve tank in a hurry and pumped up pressure iust in time to catch it before it died completely. Pilot Is Missing The next few daiTs our efforts were directed against the light cruisers and submarines of the "black" fleet. The week end was spent in Bahia Honda, about 180 miles north of Panama. Here we enjoyed wonderful fishing and swimming. About five men in our boat caught four hundred pounds between them in a few hours. The largest was an amber jack that weighed about eighty pounds. The next two weeks were spent at June, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Twenty-seven sea getting various shots of our squadron's activities in the air and aboard ship. The torpedo squadron made an attack on the battle line using real torpedoes with dummy heads. It was interesting to watch the course of the torpedoes just under the surface. A few of them went wild, some leaping out of the water, others div- ing deeply, and some going around in circles. However, several direct hits were made. This day a pilot was lost from one of the squadrons off the Langley. The entire fleet conducted a search day and night for three days, scour- ing the sea along the Panama and Colombian coasts. Two seat cushions were picked up at sea, but no other trace was found. The search was finally given up and the fleet steamed back to Panama. Two days later the pilot was picked up by a coastwise steamer and taken to Buenaventura, Colombia. His plane had stayed afloat for eleven hours, and then he took to his rubber life boat and floated for five days. Dur- ing these days it rained heavily at sea, which provided him with drink- ing water. On March 3 the Saratoga was scheduled to transit the canal for the Caribbean Sea. This was to be one of our most important day's work on the entire trip. We were set up at 0 A.M. and the Saratoga approached the first locks at 6:30. "Although scarcely light enough to shoot at this early hour, we started to work as soon as we entered the first lock. Around the Canal Our script called for shots from the control towers, shots from the walls of the locks, traveling shots mounted on the iron mules that pull the ships, and many other angles while the ship was being slowlv pulled through the locks. By 7:30 it started to rain, so we had a bad break for getting anything In the lower picture is seen the U. S. S. Saratoga, and above it is the Lexington very good. After we passed out of the last lock at Pedro Miguel I had a car waiting and rushed up to the signal tower to Culebra to get shots of her slowly easing her way through the cut. The carriers are so big there is only about one foot clearance on each side in the locks. Winstrom and Lanning crossed the isthmus by train and photographed the ship going through Gatun Locks on the other side. The next day we duplicated some Striking scene on flight deck of U. S. S. Saratoga of the same scenes as the Lexington passed through, and fortunately had much better light conditions. That night we were back aboard in the harbor at Colon ready for the trip through the Caribbean to Guatanamo Bay, Cuba. This phase of the war had to do with the defense of the Windward passage and protection of the ap- proaches to the canal from the At- lantic side. The Lexington represented an en- emy carrier now, and the Saratoga squadrons attacked and bombed her several hundred miles off the coast of Cuba early on the morning of the 26th. On this flight we had a head wind of forty-two knots at 1800 feet to buck, so it took us about an hour to get to the Lex, which was then about seventy-five miles awav, and only twenty minutes to make the re- turn trip. The Lex had many more scouting cruisers and the Arkansas on her side now, so it was necessary for the Sara- toga to keep at a great distance. On Saturday and Sunday all pilots stood ready in flight quarters to take off on short notice. But our scouting line made no contact and nothing hap- pened until Monday morning. At 5:30 we were on the run, mak- ing a speed of about thirty knots an hour, to keep out of range of the Lex and her scouting line. Eighty Planes in Scramble At 8:30 the position of the Langley was known to be about one hundred miles southeast, and all squadrons took off for a long hop to attack her. (Continued en Page 32) Twenty-eight The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER June, 1931 Engineers Set for Record Breakers (Continued from Page 5) JUST to give an inkling of the variety of subjects to be dis- cussed in the papers to be presented to the delegates to the spring convention of the engi- neers the following abstracts prepared by the officials of the organization are presented. A casual examination of the twenty-four subjects, practically but a third of those to be read, will reveal the quality of the entertainment to be provided aside from that of the physical and optical brands Officials of the engineers have been kind enough to extend invi- tations to members of the Inter- national Photographers to at- tend the sessions at the Amer- ican Legion Auditorium, the hours of which are set forth on another page. A reading of the abstracts undoubtedly will cause the cameramen wherever possi- ble to avail themselves of the courtesy extended by the engi- neers. But here are the abstracts : Reducing and Intensifying Solu- tions for Motion Picture Film By J. I. Crabtree and L. E. Muehler Kodak Research Laboratories IT is possible to correct for errors of exposure and development with incorrectly processed images on motion picture negative and positive film by either adding an opaque sub- stance to the image which is known as "intensification," or by removing silver therefrom which is known as "reduction," or by a combination of the two processes. The properties of a large number of known intensifying and reducing solutions have been studied in detail to determine formulas suitable for use with motion picture film. For intensification the chromium, monckhoven (mercury), and silver intensifiers were the most satisfactory. The monckhoven intensifier is useful for extreme intensification where permanence is not essential and the chromium intensifier is suitable for negatives where a medium increase in contrast is desirable. The degree of intensification may be controlled within limits by a varia- tion of the time of redevelopment. For negatives and projection prints inten- sification with silver has been found to give strictly neutral images and the process permits of easy control of the degree of intensification. So far as is known both the chromium and the silver intensified images are sta- ble. For subtractive reduction such as in the case of overexposure or fogged images the use of either ( 1 ) a two- bath formula comprising separate so- lutions of potassium ferricyanide and sodium thiosulfate or (2) a modifica- tion of the Belitzski reducer is suit- able. Where proportional reduction is required a solution containing fer- ric ammonium sulfate with sulfuric acid is recommended. It has been found that the above methods of intensification and reduc- tion are applicable to sound film with the possible exception of subtractive reduction which, by virtue of the low- ering of resolving power, causes a loss of high frequencies. where people are working should be kept as low as possible. Vaults and cabinets strategically placed are of great value. Automatic vents in each room will carry away the poisonous, flammable fumes of de- composing film. Film in vaults con- structed and protected in accordance with the standard requirements is relatively safe. Laboratories and studios also re- quire good sprinkler protection. Con- gestion of workers with considerable quantities of film must be avoided for reasonable safety. Machines and workers in a laboratory should be sep- arated as much as possible. For ex- tinguishing fires in film and in the quantities of combustible material found in studios water, and lots of it, is the best medium. Storage and Handling of Motion Picture Film By E. W. Fowler and L. B. Newell SEVERAL serious fires in film ex- changes early indicated the need of careful attention to methods of storing and handling motion picture film. Many tests were run to deter- mine proper methods of storage. Film needs especial consideration in storage and handling because of low ignition temperature, rapidity of combustion and quality of decompos- ing with little air, evolving poisonous, flammable gases. Fundamental safe- ty precautions include elimination of means of starting fires, adequate pro- vision for control of fire, minimizing quantity of film subject to one fire, and ample means of exit. More im- portant provisions of Regulations of the National Board of Fire Under- writers, based on above considera- tions, are discussed. Because of possibilities of panic from fire or smoke in a motion pic- ture theater construction and protec- tion of projection booth and care in handling of film are of great import- ance. Each booth in a theater should have a vented cabinet for keeping film. Automatic sprinklers, although not much used, have been effective in controlling fires in projection booths. Film exchanges not protected by sprinklers have had a number of seri- ous fires, while sprinklered exchanges have been free from fires of such se- verity. Quantities of film in rooms A Simple Cine-Photomicro- graphic Apparatus By Arthur C. Hardy and 0. W. PlNEO THIS paper describes a simple cine-photomicrographic appara- tus built for the Bio-Cinema Research Laboratory at the Massa- chusetts Institute of Technology. The essential feature of the appara- tus is an optical system which per- mits the separation of the microscope and illuminating system from the camera and its driving mechanism. The microscopist is thus enabled to use the microscope in the ordinary manner for visual work and has merely to insert the unit under the camera when the subject is ready to be photographed. In this way the same camera can be used interchange- ably with a number of microscopes. Recent Contributions to Light Valve Technique By O. 0. Ceccarini 1-vHIS paper describes structural changes made in light valves, with the object of improving their quality, stability of operation and efficiency, the most important being the introduction of damping to offset resonance. These features are chiefly consid- ered from the standpoint of produc- tion requirements and engineering economics. The shape of exposure wave for the two outstanding types (single and double ribbon) is being considered. A new type of oscillograph (syn- chronous slit type) is being described. This oscillograph permits observing the behavior of the valve at any fre- quency within the recording range. Officers of Pacific Coast Section Hand Coloring of Motion Picture S.M.P.E. Film Chairman . . . Donald MacKenzie By Gustav Brock Secretary Emery Huse ^THE .paper /ea,ls J^K th5 a(l" vantages of selective hand col- Treasurer L. E. Clark A oring, as distinguished from Managers more or less complete coloring which /-, ' ™-Y i ' ii t't' A ' nW ' 1 ^s not yet perfected, and covers . . .George Mitchell, H. C. Silent shortly the use of hand-coloring in June, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Twenty -nine educational, commercial and theatri- cal pictures. Finally, a description is given of the equipment used for hand-coloring. Noise Reduction with Variable Area Recording By Barton Kreuzer ME T H 0 D S of accomplishing noise reduction are described, together with the factors in- fluencing equipment design. An an- alysis of the circuit operation is pro- vided. "Time Constants" of the apparatus are covered and a complete descrip- tion as well as photographs of the final commercial equipment now in use in studios are included. Motion Picture Screens — Their Selection and Use for Best Picture Presentation By Francis M. Falge MOTION picture screens, being the background for the picture, are very vital to its success. A poorly selected or poorly used screen will result in immeasurable harm to pictures on which huge sums of money are spent. A good screen surface costs so little that its importance is often deemed negligible, but its importance is beyond all comparison with its cost. This paper deals practically with this subject of selecting and using a screen to insure the best possible pic- ture at all times. An A. C. Operated Sound Motion Picture Reproducing Equipment By T. D. Cunningham THIS paper describes, in illus- trated form, the RCA-Photo- phone Type PG-30 sound motion picture reproducing equipment, which requires no batteries or motor gen- erator sets for plate, filament and bias voltage supplies, for operation in theatres wired with the normal 105 to 125 volts, 50 to 60 cycle, A. C. power. This equipment, primarily designed for theatres having seating capacities for 1000 persons or less, operates with inaudible output "hum" under operating conditions, is economical of the space it occupies, is easily service- able, has an overall frequency char- acteristic anticipating future improve- ments in sound on film recordings, has sufficient undistorted power output for providing satisfactory distribution of sound in the type of theatres for which it is designed, and has provis- ion for the addition of a remote- operated volume control where de- sired. The Depth of Field of Camera Lenses By Arthur C. Hardy THE usual formulae for depth of field are expressed in terms of the focal length and relative aperture of the camera lens. By ex- Dr. C. E. K. Mees, Director of Research, Eastman Company. pressing the depth of field in terms of the magnification between the object plane in sharp focus and the film a very simple and rigorous formula re- sults. This makes it evident that the depth of field of all lenses giving the same magnification is the same under comparable conditions. Since the lack of depth of field is important only when it is apparent to the audience viewing the projected picture the theory is extended to in- clude positive prints produced either by contact printing or by projection printing from a larger negative. Improvements in Motion Picture Laboratory Apparatus By C. E. Ives, A. J. Miller, and J. I. Crabtree Kodak Research Laboratories THE increased entertainment val- ue of the modern motion picture is due in a considerable degree to the elimination of spots, scratches, and unevenness in the film. This achievement is a result of continuous effort on the part of the laboratories to improve their methods and equip- ment. One problem which the laboratory supervisor has always to face is that of securing a definite degree of de- velopment and a uniform exposure control in printing. In a paper on laboratory apparatus a number of improvements are de- scribed which assist in giving the de- sired conditions. Among them are a cooling coil for adjusting the tem- perature of a developer, a new type of rack guide for a developer tank, a compact light lock, a waterproof and corrosion-resisting portable darkroom lamp, and some auxiliaries for the prevention of spots and contamina- tion on film. Improvements in printing room equipment include the addition of a flywheel to a continuous printer to eliminate unevenness in exposure due to variation in the motion of the film during exposure. Also a light change has been equipped to control either of two lamps of different wattage giving in each case exposure values which have exactly equal relationships. Some modifications have been made in rewinding equipment which have for their object the prevention of ground noise and damage to the pic- ture and which result from cinching of badly wound film rolls. A film storage cabinet has been designed for laboratory use which gives an increased degree of protec- tion from fire and water at the same time assisting in the convenient and orderly arrangement of the film. Reversing the Form and Inclina- tion of the Motion Picture Theater Floor for Im- provement of Vision By Ben Schlanger THIS article presents two new forms for a motion picture thea- ter, which is considered as a structure intended purely for motion picture exhibition under the best con- ditions. These forms affect the pres- ent floors. One is arrived at by reversing the slope of the orchestra floor, by raising the position of the screen, and adjust- ing the seats to the new angle of vision. The other is by changing the hori- zontal angles of the seats in relation to the screen. The balcony pitch is also lessened, thus economically reduc- ing the height of the structure, and also affording a more comfortable view of the screen. This plan also adapts itself more readily to the use of the enlarged screen than does the present type of theater, and also allows for better pro- jection and acoustics. Laboratory Processing of Varia- ble Area Sound Track By W. P. BlELICKE THIS paper discusses from a prac- tical standpoint commercial meth- ods of developing and printing variable area sound film. An effective method of processing sound film must produce the optimum values that have been determined in theory, the prob- lem being to obtain these values in commercial laboratory practice where large quantities of film are processed. An Apertureless Optical System for Sound on Film By Dr. Robert C. Burt AN optical system is described which uses positive and negative cylindrical lenses with their axes at right angles. The image of a source is optically elongated and flat- tened by these cylindrical lenses to the proportions desired and is then focused on the film. Advantages are maximum possible Thirty The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Jane, 1931 brilliancy with a given source tem- perature; not sensitive to position of the lamp filament; sharpness of image; and it gives intrinsically per- fectly uniform brilliance throughout the length of the beam. Measurements with a Reverber- ation Meter By V. L. Chrisler and W. F. Snyder A DESCRIPTION is given of ap- paratus with which the rate of decay of sound energy in a room may be measured. A loud speaker is used as a source of sound. When the sound has reached a steady state the loud speaker circuit is opened and at the same time a timer is started. When the sound energy has decayed to some definite value the timer is automatically stopped. If made in a portable form this equipment may be used to study the acoustical proper- ties of auditoriums. Attention is called to the errors which may occur in these measure- ments. Split Mat Shots in Sound Recording By L. E. Clark TECHNICAL problems which arise in motion picture studios must be solved quickly, cheaply and with the utmost simplicity. All engineering work must be done with an eye to production. As a result the methods and equip- ment developed in the studios are fre- quently peculiar and highly unortho- dox when viewed alongside scientific developments produced in the labora- tory. The present paper describes the problems which arose in one particu- lar studio, as a result of the use of double exposure photography, and the methods, more practical than scien- tific, which were developed to meet these needs. Properties of Low Intensity Reflecting Arc Projector Carbons By D. B. Joy and A. C. Downes THE characteristics of the latest type of low intensity reflecting arc carbons (which are capable of burning at higher currents than those previously available) are pre- sented. These include current ca- pacity, candle power, angular light distribution, crater diameter and in- trinsic brilliancy. These characteristics are discussed in relation to the optical system. It is shown that although the maximum screen light from the present optical system as determined by photometric measurements can be obtained at a comparatively low current, there are decided practical advantages in using a higher current and larger carbons than the minimum theoretically pos- sible. It is also demonstrated that the faster projection lenses now available, together with a change in the mag- nification of the reflector system, should make possible an increase of theoretically 75 per cent in screen light over that now available with the present system. This increased screen light will have the same uniformity, flexibility and factor of safety as that now ob- tained provided the correct carbons and currents are used. the paper is to dispel the unbelief and skepticism regarding the possibilities of nonintermittent projection and to clear the way for scientific investiga- tion of the continuously illuminated non-periodic screen image. Recording, Rerecording and Editing of Sound Film By Carl Dreher THIS paper is on the borderline between the artistic subject of editing sound film and the tech- nical fields of recording and rerecord- ing. The topics discussed are charac- teristics of effective sound recording, functions of rerecording, equipment for rerecording, common faults of re- lecording, sound effects — analogy with special process photography, personnel and organization for rerecording and editing, and choice of sound tracks in rerecording and editing. The purpose of the paper is to show how rerecording and editing must be closely coordinated to give the desired emotional and artistic effect in the finished picture. The Mercury Arc as a Source of Intermittent Light By Harold E. Edgerton THE possibility of the use of in- tense intermittent light for mov- ing pictures and special photog- raphy are discussed. Physical limita- tions of sources of intermittent illumi- nation are reviewed. The characteris- tics of the mercury-arc thyratron that are advantageous for flashing inter- mittent light are enumerated, these being namely: 1. The light is photographically ac- linic. 2. The duration of a light flash can be made less than ten micro- seconds. 3. The light intensity is high. 4. The frequency of flash is easily and accurately controlled by means of a grid. An example of the use of intense intermittent light is given showing how stroboscopic moving pictures of the angular transients of synchronous motors are taken. Continuous Non-Intermittent Projectors By Arthur J. Holman THE ideal projector and its prod- uct, ideal projection, are defined in terms of the screen image. The particular characteristics which distinguish continuous non-intermit- tent projection are given. The apparent attitude of the motior. picture industry toward improvement; in projection and the reasons therefor are presented. Types of variable re- fraction projection systems are dis- cussed with a view to pointing out the advantages possessed by the revolving lens wheel system. The single lens wheel system is de- scribed briefly. The main purpose of A Moving Coil Microphone for High Quality Sound Reproduction By W. C. Jones and L. W. Giles IN this paper is described a micro- phone which retains all of the in- herent advantages of the moving coil type of structure, but unlike the earlier forms this microphone re- sponds uniformly to a wide range of frequencies. It is more efficient than the conven- tional form of condenser microphone and its transmission characteristics are unaffected by the changes in tem- perature, humidity, and barometric pressure encountered in its use. Unlike the condenser microphone the moving coil microphone may be set up at a distance from the associated amplifier and efficient operation ob- tained. Owing to its higher efficiency and lower impedence it is less subject to interference from nearby circuits. It is of rugged construction and when used in exposed positions is less sub- ject to wind noise. A Sound Film Rerecording Machine By J. J. Kuhn IN sound picture production the process of making the release print negative for sound requires the reproduction of the existing sound record in order that it may be re- corded in proper continuity and cor- rected for volume level. The machine used for this purpose is called "re- recording machine." This paper describes a new rere- cording machine recently made avail- able which is suitable for use in studios using either the variable den- sity or variable area method of sound recording. The machine described employs a novel type of film aperture and a new method of focusing the sound lamp. To insure uniformity of film move- ment and to eliminate unwanted noises in the rerecording process workman- ship must be of the highest order. Some of the requirements and testing methods employed in the manufacture of the machine are described. The Ribbon Microphone By Harry F. Olson THE ribbon microphone consists of a light metallic ribbon sus- pended in a magnetic field and freely accessible to air vibrations from both sides. The vibration of the rib- bon due to an impressed sound wave leads to the induction of an e.m.f. corresponding to the indulations of the incident sound wave. The ribbon is driven from its equilibrium position by the difference in pressure existing between the two sides. In general the ribbon is made June, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirty-one light so that its motion corresponds to the motion of the air particles to very high frequencies. One of the important advantages of this type of microphone as compared with a pressure operated microphone is that it possesses marked directional properties. This has decided advan- tages in sound motion picture work. lyzer attachment permits either band or single frequency analysis. Some limitations in its use in noise meas- urements are discussed. Making Motion Pictures in Asiatic Jungles By Gordon S. Mitchell WHEN Universal Pictures de- cided to send a company to Borneo to film an adventure picture it realized it was inviting problems which would take more in- genuity— more actual pioneering on the part of the sound personnel ac- companying the troupe — than had ever before been necessary since the advent of recorded sound to motion pictures. Accordingly it selected from among the sound technicians at the coast studios two men who because of their past experience both with sound and in their former occupations would b3 able to meet and cope with any prob- lem which might present itself. Clarence Cobb, former naval radio technician, went along as amplifier man, and Fred Feichter, former mo- tion picture electrical man, was re- sponsible for mixing and recording. These two together brought back approximately ninety thousand feet of sound recorded under the severest of handicaps. Noise Measurement By S. K. Wolfe and G. T. Stanton 1'^HE instrumental measurement of noise presents difficulties that have in the past generally de- feated its successful accomplishment. While noise exists in a physical state and certain of its quantities are sus- ceptible to direct measurement the magnitude of a noise is evaluated through the interpretation of the hu- man ear. The ear is non-linear in its evalua- tion of the various factors of noise. The degree and nature of the ear's non-linearity to the principal factors is discussed, with respect to the chief interpretive impression, that of loud- ness. Audiometric measurements ap- proached a more proper evaluation of noise, but in addition to dependency upon human judgment were only ap- proximate and represented compari- sons of physiological effects of noise rather than true noise values. An instrument is described that measures intensity, expressed in terms of loudness, valuated for frequency and duration, and combining portions of a complex wave shape in a suitable manner. The characteristics of the meter and the ear are compared. The readings are in decibels above a zero reference point near the threshold of audibility. The selection and meaning of this scale is explained. Where it is desired to analyze the pitch or frequency of a noise an ana- Eighteen Equipment Firms to Exhibit at Convention EIGHTEEN motion picture equip- ment concerns already have ar- ranged for space to exhibit new motion picture equipment at the So- ciety of Motion Picture Engineers' spring meeting to be held in Holly- wood, May 25 to 29. The companies to exhibit are R. C. A. Photophone, Mole-Richardson, Movieola, Weston Electric Instrument Corporation, Elec- trical Research Products Inc., Pacent Reproducer Corporation, Oscar B. DePue, Newmade Products Corpora- tion, National Projector Corporation, Ashcraft Automatic Arc Company, Eastman Kodak Company, Bell & Howell, Moreno-Snyder Camera, Hollywood Camera Exchange, Lakin Corporation, Spindler & Sauppe, West- inghouse and Beaded Screen. The Historical Committee of the So- ciety also will have an exhibit of mo- tion picture equipment and films of historical interest. It is expected a number of com- panies other than those listed will ex- hibit. These exhibits are under the chairmanship of Kenneth Lambert of M-G-M. The New "CHICAGO" SOUND on FILM Projector with Amplifier and Loud Speaker WEIGHS ONLY 74 Pounds ^ $ \ * and HIH - COSTS : li ONLY KiPS $975.00 JL^lfl^ Made and w • 1 Guaranteed by fOjM Herman A. DeVry, Inc Dept. C 55 E. Wacker Drive CHICAGO Thirty-two The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER June, 19.il Cameramen a-Cruising (Continued from Page 27) About 10 o'clock our squadron dived to the attack from 7000 feet, but the Langley's fighters were high above and dove down on us. Airplanes were thick as flies and coming from all directions. There were about eighty planes in this one big scramble. I took quite a beating in the rear cockpit, as my pilot stunt- ed and zoomed around trying to get outside of the mess so I could photo- graph it. How all these planes missed each other I do not know. After that we afforded protection for our torpedo squadron and got our first sight of the coast of Cuba and Guantanamo Bay. We spent two more hours search- ing for the Lex, but never did locate her. We landed back aboard at 1 P. M. after four and one-half hours in the air, only to find that during our absence the Lexington's squad- rons had attacked the Saratoga with machine gun fire, 50 and 100 pound bombs and torpedoes, and theoretic- ally disabled her completely. Late that afternoon we dropped anchor in Guantanamo Bay. Here the United States Government main- tains a naval base, and farther up the bay lies the interesting little town of Caminero. At the Officers' club we enjoy wonderful swimming, and in Caminera find the rum punch very soothing to the throat, in fact to the entire system. Three very pleasant days were spent here, and at 5 P. M. on April 2 we weigh anchor and head for Colon, glad at last to be pointed to- ward home. On Sunday at 5:30 A.M. we ap- proach the first lock at Gatun to re- transit the canal. At some places in Gatun lake it is necessary for the Saratoga to back up to get her great bulk around some of the bends in the channel. We are busy all day securing shots from the deck approaching the locks, etc., and getting many interesting- angles going through Culebra Cut, where high peaks tower above, only thirty or forty feet from the sides of the ship. It is slow work going through the locks, but we finally tie up at the dock in Balboa at 7 P.M. At 1 o'clock April 7 all lines are clear and four tugs start pulling us out into the channel. The next stop is San Diego. The mess call for din- ner that evening is "California, Here I Come." During the eight-day trip north there is only one day of flight opera- tions, during which I got some close shots of our squadron doing reverse- ments, changing flight wings, and very beautifully changing from one formation to another. Outside of this one day there is nothing much else to do except read and relax and an occasional sun bath out on the forward gun galleries or on top of the turrets on the flight deck. Early on the morning of April 16 we are due to drop anchor off Long Beach, get all of our equipment ashore and head for Hollywood. McMillan Using Multicolor The McMillan expedition to the North Pole will be filmed in Multi- color, under contracts just completed, and a number of other spectacular filming projects are being planned with Multicolor. The Brown-Nagel Company, pro- ducers of "Romantic Journeys," for Educational release, has arrived in Morocco to begin a series of Multi- color travelogue. Nathan-Hahn and It May Be News to You By J. T. (Spikel Sullivan in "Six-Sixty- Six" of Chicago A PERSON known as Gene Cour is in the LA. office in New York City. President William F. Canavan glances over a Bulletin called Six-Sixty-Six. "Do you know," asks President Canavan, "that the International Photographer of Hollywood is the best magazine on earth?" [The Big Chief was kind enough to say pleasant things about the International Photographer when he was here last year for the con- vention. The members of 659 will be glad to know he is of the same opinion still.] Fairbanks, producing the "Strange As It Seems" short subjects for Univer- sal, have also started a fresh series, in Multicolor. Griffith Productions has signed contracts with Multicolor. Berlin Reducing Tax AS A relief to the small exhibitor, a sub-committee of the munici- pal Council of Berlin has decided and the tax committee has approved entertainment tax reductions for cine- mas whose maximum admission price does not exceed 1 mark. Thus, for entrance prices of less than 1 mark existing rates are to be rduced from 15 to 12 per cent, from 12% to 10, and from 9 to 7 per cent, respectively. /l's Come to This Chorine — Betty is terribly First blase. Second Chorine — How come? First Chorine — She's quit smoking. Universal cameramen making tests of the new Eastman supersensitive and Dupont special films, left to right standing — Allen C. Jones, King Grey, Faxon M. Dean, Tony Komman, Joe Brotherton, Harry Neumann, Jerry Ash, Charles Glouner, chief camera department; Paul Hill, Wilfrid Cline, Dick Fryer, Charles Stumar, Bob Kline. Kneeling — Len Galezio, Jackson Rose, John (Honey) Hickson, George Robinson, Jake Kull. The two young men a,nd the girl on the extreme right are actors supplied by the casting department. During these tests over 50,000 feet of film were used under all conditions, to the satisfaction of the cameramen. @ream oth Stills This rare shot of the sun sinking behind the surf off Waikiki Bench, Honolulu, was captured by Alexander P. Kahle. Natives man the outrigger off shore. * * Qream oth Stills C*«*1'0* Lindsay M. Thompson catches preparations for the round-up on a ranch in Ventura County — and it happens to be the home of a well-known screen player Vieiv from Cap Ferrat along the shore from Beaulieu to Monte Carlo — recorded for us by Monroe Bennett .***r'o„. @ream oth Stills Up in the high Sierras near Bishop, Calif., David Ragin secures this striking view of Desert Ranch, with the snow-covered mountains behind Robert S. Crandall has caught a rare shot of Hollywood from northwest to southeast, speaking generally, with the Boulevard in the center from lower right to upper left C*™1'0,. Qream oth Stills e&!02*>* $l> %5RK** Ned Van Buren gives us this picture of joshiia trees in Antelope Valley, fifty miles north of Los Angeles — a perfect portrayal of desolation, of desert plain and mountain. June, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirty-three Science Now Has Micro- Cine Plant Designed to Answer Requirements of Research Work in Laboratories and Production of Educational Subjects By HEINZ ROSENBERGER Of Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research MOTION pictures have been used frequently in science and edu- cation. Their greatest value for scientific investigations lies in their domination of time. Very rapid movements photographed with the slow motion camera and very slow movements taken with the time lapse camera are translated into perceptible speeds. Another point in favor of motion pictures as applied to science is their usefulness for the demonstration and study of microscopical phenomena. Except for a few attachments to be used by amateur photographers for their cameras, there has been, up to the present, no micro-cinema equip- ment available for scientific purposes. Attempts have been made by micro- scope manufacturers abroad to con- struct micro-cinema apparatus suit- able for laboratories, but the results have not been encouraging. The de- signers of these apparatuses had er- roneous basic ideas, for they had little or no conception of the requirements of research work. The constant demand for a micro- cinema machine which would meet the requirements of research work and the production of educational films brought the author, a microscopist as well as a trained engineer, to the study of what such a machine must accomplish. Apparatuses devised by the author have been used in the pro- duction of the films of Dr. Alexis Car- rel on living cells and of the late Dr. Hideyo Noguchi on Leishmanias and Trypanosomas. Practical and Efficient Figure 1 represents the latest model of a complete micro-cinema apparatus which is the result of many years of experience. This machine has the especial advantage of being practical, efficient, and within the means of the average laboratory. The instrument consists of four parts: (1) the optical bench with microscope and light source; (2) the camera table and stand with driving and timing mechanisms, exposure counter and revolving shutter; (3) the motor and reduction gears, and (4) the panel for the various elec- trical connections. The optical bench is rigidly con- structed of cast iron as a separate unit and hence is vibration-free. The height can be adjusted and the bench brought to level by means of leveling screws under each leg, which rests on a vibration absorber. Standard micro-cinema apparatus for scientific purposes designed by Heinz Rosenberger of Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research. The microscope, which rests on a table the height of which is adjust- able, can be moved either sideways or back and forth by means of screws. An incubator may be slipped over the microscope when the subject, such as tissue cultures, to be photographed has to be kept at a temperature above normal. The camera unit is composed of two parts: the stand and the camera plat- form. The stand has a T-shaped, cast iron foot with a leveling screw, rest- ing on a vibration absorber, at each one of its three extremities, two ver- tical steel rods and a cross bar. The platform may be moved the entire length of the vertical steel rods by means of a hand pulley or simply by sliding. Stops Automatically Synchronously connected with the camera is a revolving shutter which provides intermittent illumination when high frequencies are used. For low frequencies an electric timer starts or stops the motor and turns the light on or off. The timer is governed by an electric clock which closes a circuit at predetermined in- tervals. This is accomplished by means of a relay which starts the driving mo- tor. When the camera drive has com- pleted one revolution one exposure has been made, the machine stops auto- matically, and is ready for a new im- pulse from the clock. The length of exposure is regulated by a screw. The motion picture camera is mounted on a slide so that it can be moved from side to side to align the tube of focus control with the optical axis of the microscope. In order to exclude transmission of vibration, no mechanical connection exists between the microscope and the camera; a telescope tube hanging into a collar attached to the microscope eliminates the outside light and al- lows the projected light to come on to the film. Instead of the telescope tube an observation tube or a bellows, slipped in from the front part of the camera platform, may be used. With Macroscopic Pictures If macroscopic pictures are to be taken a photographic lens is screwed into the face plate of the bellows and the microscope is removed. The ad- justable microscope table can then be used to hold the object to be photo- graphed. With this arrangement the apparatus is employed for ordinary vertical cinematography (for objects immersed in water, for small animals or animated drawings). In order to photograph phenomena which have to be taken horizontally, for example, objects is aquariums and slow chemical reactions in test tubes, a 45 degree mirror is attached to the photographic lens. Film records can therefore be taken without using the optical bench with the microscope. (Continued on Page 35) Thirty-four The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER June, 1931 Multicolor Branch Slated for Construction in Japan HOWARD HUGHES will con- struct a branch laboratory of Multicolor in Japan to supply Far East film companies with all- color photography. The decision was made after contracts were closed with Pan Pacific Productions to make twelve all-color Japanese feature films. The first of the Pan Pacific pictures will be produced in Hollywood, and the remainder in Osaka, Japan, where the new Multicolor laboratory will be constructed. Miss Makoto Toyoshima, Japanese actress, will be starred in the Pan Pacific's Multicolor films. She has arrived in Hollywood to appear in the initial production. Other Far East film companies are negotiating for Multicolor also, and the Osaka laboratory, it is anticipat- ed, will do a large-scale business in coming months. Manufacturers Installing Sound In Recreation Halls DURINC, the past few months Photophone equipment has been installed in auditoriums and recreation halls which are maintained as social centers by the Good Pine Lumber Company, Good Pine, La.; Merrimack Manufacturing Company, Huntsville, Ala.; Consolidated Coal Company, three locations in Ken- tucky; Newton Falls Paper Company, Newton Falls, N. Y. ; Pelzer Manu- facturing Company, Pelzer, S. C. ; Kopper's Stores, Inc., two locations in West Virginia and Kentucky; River- side and Dan River Cotton Mills, Schoolfield, W. Va.; Pacific Lumber Company, Scotia, Cal.; Pacific Mills, Limited, Vancouver, B. C, and Irwin Cotton Mills, West Durham, N. C. New Three-Color Process It is reported a new and extremely simple three-color film process is being worked out in Germany. The process has been tested and the re- sults reported satisfactory. The system in question is an in- vention of a photo-chemist, W. Leyde, who has promised to make a public demonstration of his invention in the near future. jl/rAURY KA1NS brings to us ex- lYJi amples of makeup as demon- strated by Cecil Holland, ivhose portrait is below the four characteri- zations given above. On the left Mr. Holland is shown in a portrayal of "In the Good Old Days"; second, as "Just a Bum," and third as "The Old Salt and His Son." These three were photographed by Charles Pollock. In No. h, in a photograph by Don- ald Keyes, Mr. Holland portrays "The Sheik." The artist is in charge of the makeup department at M-G-M. In the accompanying portrait by Clar- ence Bull we see him as he is known to his associates. Hoiv Should He Know Alvin Wyckoff (examining assist- ant who wants rerating to second cameraman) — Can you operate a camera? Assistant — I don't know — I never tried. Klenke Named to Head RCA Western Recording Sales JOHN KLENKE, who for the past seven years has been identified with the production and distribu- tion of commercial motion pictures of the General Electric Company at Schenectady, N. Y., has been ap- pointed assistant manager of the de- partment of recording operations of RCA Photophone. He will make his headquarters in Hollywood, where, in addition to functioning as head of the recording department's sales organi- zation on the West Coast, he will maintain direct contact with RCA Photophone recording licensees. During the past three years Klenke has devoted his attention to the pro- duction and distribution of sound pic- tures in the commercial field. He pro- duced his first all-talking pictures for use in sales training activities. These utilized sound on film and constituted probably the first instance of a man- ufacturing company having a reg- ular schedule of talking pictures. He supervised the production of twenty-nine sound pictures in 1930. Included among them was "Stepping Ahead," the first all-color, all-talking picture made in an industrial estab- lishment, the story of incandescent lamp merchandising. One Way to Even Up Many Scores Without Comeback On the Editor's desk is the follow- ing clipping, without clue to its origin or identity : In Birmingham, England, a retired manufacturer made his will, had a talking picture made of himself read- ing, selected the friends and relatives who will be invited to witness it after his death. Seating arrangements are planned so that his image on the screen will speak to each individually as if in real life. His speech will begin: "Now that I am dead, I claim the right to speak to you impartially . . . ." He will point out faults and virtues of one and all, concluding: "And now, my dear nieces, nephews and friends, I will bore you no longer ... To save unpleasant law- suits my solicitors will now read you a will in similar terms which you will find drawn up, testified and witnessed in correct legal manner." June, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirty-five Use Pan Film for Air Photography Especially if Shooting- Over Manufacturing District, Advises Charles Ford After Wide News Service Experience IN May Filmo Topics "Filming as You Fly" is the subject of an arti- cle addressed to the rapidly grow- ing army of amateur movie makers who wish to make worthwhile pictures on their air trips. The article is based upon an inter- view with Charles Ford, editor of the Chicago Daily News-Universal Screen Service, who has taken thousands of feet of motion pictures from the air and is an authority on aerial movie- making. He writes: Panchromatic film should be used exclusively, and is particularly neces- sary over a city or manufacturing district. Regular film will not get satisfactory pictures if there is any haze or smoke in the air, and a cer- tain amount of haze is present any- where, city or country, "except one day in a million." Panchromatic film, used with the right filter and given the correct exposure, will return the definition you are after. Do not expect the "pan" film to do the haze penetrating job alone; give it the necessary aid of a filter. When flying over water use a 6x filter ("pan" factor, 3x) as more correc- tion is required than when over land. Of course the flying speed is so great that you may not be able to take a reading upon a given area and still have time to film it, but at least you can take a reading which will serve as a base for mental modifica- tion if conditions change quickly. After he has decided on the best stop to use Mr. Ford tapes the dia- phragm ring in that position so that it won't be shifted by vibration. When a change is required the tape is quickly removed and replaced. The light and atmospheric condi- tions are best for aerial work be- tween 9:30 A.M. and 3:30 P.M., though if, like the newsreel man, you must shoot when you can, you can't afford to be too particular. Passen- ger planes, like news events, wait for no cinematographer. Angling light, as contrasted with the overhead light of noon on a summer day, gives high- ISew Micro-Cine Plant (Continued from Page 33) The motor is connected by a leather belt, directly for high frequencies or indirectly, by means of reduction gears, for low frequencies including stop motion. The distributing panel supports rheostats for the motor, for low and high intensity arc lamps, connections for foot switch and light increaser and several additional plug recep- tacles. Casters under the panel per- mit its being moved about so as to be close to the hand of the observer. lights and shadows to objects on the ground and provides the desired relief. The question of altitude is closely related to the matter of camera angle and camera speed. You can take movies from any height provided the air is clear enough so that you can see your subjects from that elevation. Of course the higher you are the smaller ground details will be and the more use you'll have for a tele- photo lens in order to get pictures of some significance. The smaller the area taken in by your lens the more liable you are to get blurred pictures if the camera is pointed straight down. To shoot straight down with a one-inch lens on a Bell & Howell amateur camera, for example, the plane must be at least 400 feet high and the camera operated at double speed. Also the more the camera angle is away from the vertical the less chance there :s of blurred pictures, particularly if the camera is pointed forward rather than at right angles to the line of flight. Speaking of camera speeds, double speed is recommended, 32 frames a second, for aerial work, as it mini- mizes the effect of the plane's vibra- tion. It is advised 48 speed be used for rough air. In cabin planes it is better to shoot through an open window than through the glass used in such windows. Keep Just before leaving the ground photographically minded tourists allow a friend to take a snap of two charming subjects. Photo courtesy Bell and Howell. Thirty-six The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER June, 1931 your camera inside, for even thougn you may be able to keep the wind from tearing it from your hands and dropping it as a gift to some land- owner below, you'll probably be un- able to hold it steady enough outside to get a scene of any value. Hold the camera in your hands and do not rest it against any part of the plane. Then your arms will absorb the plane's vibration. So much for the mechanics of aer- ial movie making. Another prereq- uisite of success in this, as in any type of film, is continuity and human interest. You won't be satisfied with a mere collection of scenes showing the earth far below, however interest- ing and varied the country may be. So get other shots, too, which will permit you to build up a complete story of your trip — a story which, when flashed on the screen for your friends to see, will interest them as much as the actual trip did you. As a title film the sign which tells your plane's destination and time of departure. Film the attendants as they load the baggage into the plane. Get a scene, if you are there early enough, of another plane as it takes off and gains altitude. Splice this scene in after those which show your own party entering the plane and after the effective shot forward from the cabin window as the ship, after speeding over the ground, gradually rises, bringing more and more of the landscape within the angle of your lens. The scenes you take of the ground below can well be varied as to camera angle, some being largely of the earth, others including considerable of the sky with its cloud formations. Still further variety can be gained by filming the passengers as they gaze through the windows or otherwise pass the time. The thrilling sensation of landing should be filmed, too, and with that you will have a well-rounded film that will virtually take you and your friends into the air again whenever you wish to fly. Six Pages Devoted Bell & Hozvell HOW Bell & Howell manufactur- ing precision is maintained by close factory inspection is in- terestingly told in a profusely illus- trated six-page article in a recent is- sue of The Iron Age, a leading maga- zine of the metal working industry. The results obtained by the company's inspection system obviously are the reason for such extensive space being devoted to its description. Those who have visited the Bell & Howell factory state that the in- spection program in operation there is designed to control every possible source of inaccuracy in manufacture. Certain parts of Filmo equipment are held to a tolerance of one ten-thous- andth of an inch, and inspectors see that no lapses in tolerance are per- mitted in these or other instances, every manufacturing operation being given the acid test of efficient inspec- tion. A Filmo 70 camera, for example, is inspected over 2500 times during its manufacture. The company is re- quired, states the article, "by the very nature of its product to work to ex- treme accuracy not alone in the man- ufacture of single parts but to hold to fractional thousandths of an inch on small parts that are on a quantity production basis. "A background of this character quite readily brings to light special equipment, inspection methods, and the organization by means of which desired accuracy is attained. "Also a point not to be overlooked is the deliberate purpose of making the workers, inspectors, and shop su- pervisors accuracy minded. This can be accomplished only by educational methods, stimulation of individual and departmental pride in the com- by Iron Age to Brand of Precision pany and its product, carefully pre- pared plans, frequent and thorough inspections, and the selection and use of first-class equipment for manufac- turing and for inspecting purposes." Intensive efforts are made "to bring the individual worker to rec- ognize the importance of accuracy. He has been taught to appreciate his importance in a plant organization which turns out a quality product." Europeans Keen on Sound Quality, Declares Batsel PATRONS of motion picture thea- tres in England, France and Italy are more particular about the quality of sound reproduction than are the patrons of theatres in the United States, according to M. C. Batsel, chief engineer of RCA Pho- tophone, who has just returned from a five weeks' business trip abroad. American made pictures are the backbone of the industry in each of those countries, although local pro- ducing corporations are beginning to become more active. "The installation of sound repro- ducing apparatus in the motion pic- ture theatres of England, France and Italy is progressing rapidly with a definite demand for equipment that will deliver sound of high quality," said Mr. Batsel. "The people have become sound conscious, and as a re- sult inferior sound apparatus is being replaced. "Splendid recording is being done in the Pittaluga and Luce studios in Italy. I looked at a number of pic- tures in the viewing room of the Luce studio, which is sponsored by Premier Mussolini and which does considerable government work, and while there was told that the viewing room had been a Roman bath in the time of Nero and Caesar. "They go in extensively for bill- board display in Italy, and all over the country the stars of American- made productions are on constant exhibition. The Pittaluga studios in Italy have been active in the produc- tion of Italian dialogue pictures. The death of Mr. Pittaluga was a tre- mendous shock to the industry be- cause he was the leader in Italy. His passing, however, will not affect the program he had outlined. "The Pathe Cinema and Jacques Haik studios in France are the most active producers in that country; and in England, the British International, British Lion, Gainsborough, Nettle- fold, Twickenham, First National Pathe and Gaumont studios are con- tinuously busy." German Theatres Steadily Install Sound Apparatus ACCORDING to the new Tobis- Klangfilm statement there were, as of February 1, 1178 Tobis- Klangfilm sets installed in cinemas. Of these 788 were installed in Ger- many (including Gaumont sets) and 390 abroad. These figures, however, include sets installed in private pro- jection rooms and studios, to the ex- tent of 41 sets in Germany and 14 abroad. The total number of sets installed is divided as follows among the vari- ous makes: Klangfilm, 897; Tobis, 247; Gaumont, 28; combined Klang- film-Gaumont equipments, 6. This shows that 88 theatres were wired by the German electrics since Jan- uary 1, of which 36 were in Germany and 52 abroad. As of March 1 last 782 German cinemas with a total seating capacity of 550,629 were wired with Klangfilm- Tobis-Gaumont installations. Of the newly wired houses (those that were wired since January 1) the majority are of the smaller category, i.e., with up to 600 seats. Cameramen Write Papers The following papers have been contributed by members of Interna- tional Photographers to the Engin- eers' Convention. "Standardization of the Picture Aperture and the Camera Motor — A Needed Development," Fred Wester- berg; "Needs Felt by Cameramen for Redesign of Auxiliary Camera View Finder," Friend F. Baker; "The Camera of Tomorrow," Ira B. Hoke; "Problems of the Cameraman," Lewis W. Physioc. Fred Archer was the representative of the cameramen in securing the contributions. For Shame, Jean It is stated that the French cruiser Jeanne d'Arc, which sails shortly on a world tour, is to be equipped with a Gaumont sound reproduction set. Officers alone will benefit by this in- stitution, which will provide for both educational and dramatic films. June, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirty-seven Looking In on Just a Few New Ones ATLANTIC Charles Rosher, Cameraman IN "Atlantic" we have what fairly may be called an international pic- ture. Made in England about a year ago by Elstree, it is directed by E. A. Dupont, a German, and pho- tographed by Charles Rosher, a born Englishman with many years of Hollywood photo- graphic training. The subject will qualify as a major production in spite of the time that has elapsed since its making, for in a sound picture at this particular period fifteen months is as so many years in n, , D 7 au • j j. Charles Rosher another industry. The story is an adaptation of Ernest Raymond's play "The Berg." The action takes place within three hours. Undoubtedly it is based on the destruction of the Ti- tanic, sunk following collision with an iceberg. Several incidents in the action are remininiscent of the Titantic sinking — one of which is the declination of a drink by a minor officer. The inti- mation at the time was that the re- verse may have been the fact. Another incident that was not resurrected was the transfer to a boat of one of the liner's owners — and the resulting burst of public indignation that for all time and beyond all question re- affirmed the unwritten rule that even more than in the case of a captain it is the duty of an owner to be the last off of a sinking ship — and if there be no room in the boats to do the next best thing. As may be judged the outstanding factor of "Atlantic" is the series of scenes of the sinking. If anything at any time anywhere in the way of a marine spectacle has been produced approaching in magnitude or realism this work of Dupont's and Elstree's this writer did not see it. The production is in a class by it- self. It is not only in one instance, say, of water flooding the main salon of a liner — which may have been proc- ess— but in numbers of other and undoubtedly straight shots portraying the sinking of the ship. In at least two of the scenes, the action taking place at a time when any moment the ship may slip under the waters, there is displayed an ex- asperating deliberation by some of the characters, a deliberation perfectly understandable by the Englishman at home but thoroughly incomprehensi- ble to the less stoical American. As a result the audience at the Filmarte plainly was uneasy during the long silences. By GEORGE BLAISDELL The drama leans not so much on any particular love story but rather on the instances where the women re- fuse to go in the boats and leave their husbands to sink and also for a few moments in the brief religious service as the water continues to rise. Another striking phase is the play- ing of lively bits by the orchestra while the end approaches — reminis- cent of that band on the deck of a sinking English battleship playing the national anthem with officers and crew at attention as the ship slides under the waters. The principals are Franklin Dyall and Ellaline Terriss, the latter a sis- ter of the American director. Mon- ty Banks is a member of the cast. "Atlantic" is a picture well worth seeing. Inquiry of Mr. Rosher brings to light that "Atlantic" was the first multilingual picture to be made. It was recorded in English, French and German and was photographed not in 1930 but in 1929. making the record- ing all the more remarkable in quality in view of the primitive conditions prevailing in the sound field at that period. The scenes on shipboard were re- corded by remote control, perhaps the earliest examples of this method. Where the great liner on which the cameras were mounted was moored in the Thames estuary the sound was being conveyed over a telephone wire fifty miles away. In the night shots lights for work- ing and photographing were supplied by a fleet of tugs and barges. The engines of the ship were kept running to add to the realism. To flood various parts of the ship its own pumps were used. The photographer was asked as to the method employed in securing a shot of one of the lifeboats being lowered seemingly right down on top of the camera and then from one side shown as it took to the water. The explanation was that his camera was mounted on the bow of a tug pushed against the side of the liner. When the boat was nearly touching the camera the tug was backed so as to permit the photographer to shoot down on the lifeboat. "Atlantic" was the first 100 percent feature talking picture to be shown in Berlin. Mr. Rosher was present at the premier showing of the German version, which took place at the Gloria Palace, and following his pres- entation to the big house was hon- ored by a curtain call. featuring Reginald Denny demon- strated that prizefight pictures could be so designed as to make popular entertainment for mixed houses. The principal difference is that the early subjects were of two-reel length where the present picture is of full feature footage. The outstanding personal factor in "The Iron Man" is the work of Robert Armstrong, who portrays the manager of the pugilist played by Ayres. The work of the latter is well done. It shows the restraint imposed by Direc- tor Tod Browning. In fact the same restraint shows through the whole subject and to the advantage of the production. The only exception to the good judgment displayed by the director is in the closing scenes when John Mil- jan playing the paramour of the prize- fighter's wife plants a smashing blow full in the face of that erring wom- an. It was an unspeakably brutal and brutalizing thing to do, the scene was sufficiently strong without the injec- tion of any such offense against ordi- nary good taste, and furthermore went far toward removing the fine impression built up by the picture to that point. The incident is bound to harm any one who possessed authority to eliminate it. Coming back to Armstrong, it is a delight to watch work so faultless in technique, so entirely natural in man- ner. Jean Harlow plays the chiseling wife of the prizefighter, the woman who has no use for a loser but who loses no time in crawling back to him when he wins a championship. This young woman certainly displays ca- pacity for taking punishment in an unpopular part. If that faculty real- ly be the hallmark of a good trouper she should qualify without question. Others in the cast are Mike Donlin, Eddie Dillon, Ned Sparks, Mildred Van Dorn and Mary Doran. The picture is derived from a novel by W. R. Burnett, with the scenario and dialogue by Francis Edward Faragoh. THE IRON MAN Percy Hilburn, Cameraman STRONGLY reminiscent of "The Leather Pushers" of early days is UniversaPs "The Iron Man," starring Lew Ayres. And talking in that fashion is in no wise to speak ill of any subject — for that old series BOBBY JONES Frank Kesson, Cameraman LITTLE serious effort has been expended on the first of the se- ries of golf instruction pictures to be made by Warners starring Bob- by Jones. The major part of the foot- age is devoted to a ballyragging match between Frank Craven and Joe E. Brown as to their relative merits as talking golfers. The possibilities of entertainment on a golf course lie heavily with this pair of funsters, the only fly in the ointment being in this particular case the customers come to see Jones. The champion opens the ball with a few practice shots that will furnish thrills Thirty-eight The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER June, 1931 for the average dub golfer. Following each smack the ball travels the same route with machinelike regularity and undeviatingly — that is, it does as far as the eye can follow it. To witness such precision is a treat. As Jones is warming up he is in- terrupted by the appearance of Bar- thelmess, who warns him of the ap- proaching talkfest of Brown and Cra- ven. After the battle is won bv the former, the latter drops into conver- sation with the golfer, who explains his own method of putting and guides the actor through a lesson. The re- sult is that Craven jibes his con- frere and inveigles him into playing a hole with him to settle the outstand- ing account. Of course, Joe takes it on the chin. The series is being directed by George E. Marshall, and in this in- stance any one who utters the not infrequent charge that the mega- phone wielder does not know what it is all about will commit a serious er- ror. Marshall is one of the best golf- ers not only among his own division of the industry but throughout the entire film business — and that is tak- ing in considerable territory. The producers need not be afraid of displaying "too much Jones." He is the one the crowd goes to see. Chip Shots A DECIDED buzz of animated conversation followed the cur- tain on "Chip Shots," second of the single reel series in which Bobby Jones explains some of his golfing methods. Warners' Holly- wood seats 2650, and all chairs were pretty well filled. The only conjec- ture on the part of the reviewer in seeking an explanation of the decided interest was that those who were con- cerned were very much vocal. It may have been like the prohibitionists, a noisy minority. Nevertheless it was a silent house while the reel was run- ning— which went to prove that the few persons in Southern California who do not themselves play golf some- times are forced to listen to the chat- ter of those who play it or at it. The number is devoted to chip shots, the champion showing how he lays them down by the pin from the apron of the screen to a distance of several score of feet away. What may interest many is the fact that he uses four clubs of the mashie and niblick families in these shots, their character depending on the nature of the shot. Many of the approach shots rolled close to the pin, seemingly within a few inches, and stopped dead. In- variably the failure of the ball to slip into the cup seemed to be occasion for mirth. Also the failure was evidence the champion is playing the game straight and that the shots are not being tricked, as of course they easily might be. But when from forty feet away from the edge of the green a player may lay pushover after pushover alongside the pin why call in the ef- fects department? Dev Jennings THE PUBLIC ENEMY Dev Jennings, Cameraman THE opening of the latest of the gangster pictures, Warners' "The Public Enemy," at the Hollywood theatre of the company, was attended by a full house. The turnout undoubtedly was ascribable to the advance screen advertis- ing. It was rather interesting to glance around the house and note practically the entire absence of grayheads — of which in Holly- wood there is a host. It is here that great num- bers come late in life to finish the slide down the hill. These older residents are theatre- goers, too. If in doubt you should have seen the way they turned out to greet George Arliss in a homely everyday story of today, one without a gun in it or even a thought of one. So strongly and enthusiastically did they and their youngers respond it was necessary to hold over the sub- ject for the second week, both in Hollywood and in the downtown house. The age of the house the opening night of "The Public Enemy" ran mainly from the later teens to the early forties. There were few ex- ceptions. It demonstrated that the appeal of the gangster picture is to youth and the younger division of the middle-aged and the intervening- strata. The story, which was directed by William Wellman from an adaptation by Harvey Thew, does not match up with some of the preceding subjects of its kind. There is no love ele- ment worthy of the name in the pic- ture if we except the affection of a mother for her sons — and this hardly attained anything approaching mois- ture in the region of the optics or a stirring of the heart. James Cagney, who headed the cast, did his capable best to put into the tale what its creators intended. Some day this young man is going to get a chance in a story that is with- out an underworld slant, one that will give his talent an opportunity, some- thing; like that bit we saw in "The Millionaire," and then watch his smoke. Jean Harlow was seen, much of her, in her customary Conformist garb and in her usual daring charac- terization. The young woman seem- ingly has designs on the vamp's yel- low jacket earned by Theda Bara and the glory of which still is undimmed in the memories of older picture goers. Possibly Miss Bara will sur- render it without a struggle. Any of her friends will tell you the decora- tion as a symbol was the antithesis of the real personality of a charming woman — which also Miss Harlow seems to be. There is a competent cast, among the players being Edward Woods, Joan Blondell, Donald Cook, Beryl Mercer, Ben Hendricks Jr., Robert Emmett O'Connor, Leslie Fenton, Louise Brooks, Murray Kinnell and Mae Clark. James Van Trees THE MILLIONAIRE James Van Trees, Cameraman DELIGHTFUL entertainment is Warners' ''The Millionaire," starring George Arliss. It is major comedy in large part, but there is a flash of serious drama, the kind that imposes deep silence even on a large house. The stillness comes when the man of threescore forced into retirement by the commands of his doctor and the pleas of his wife bids goodbye to his assembled employes. The situation is splendidly han- dled and reflects credit on Direc- tor John Adolfi. It is a sequence that notably moves even the less susceptible. No one will sit through the running of the subject without being impressed in the first place by the story, all the greater by reason of its simplicity, and secondly by its treatment and its dialogue. An examination of the credits clarifies matters. The basis is "Idle Hands," by Earl Derr Biggers. Julien Josephson and Maud T. Howell adapted it. Booth Tarkington wrote the dialogue. That is a combination which should be able most satisfactorily to answer the prayer of any leading player in search of a play. The picture is one for all ages. Supporting George and Florence Ar- liss among others are Evalyn Knapp and David Manners. This pair of at- tractive and enthusiastic youngsters supply the love romance even as Ar- liss and his associates furnish the business romance. For the tale as it touches Arliss is of business and of business men. That is why it will have marked appeal for those who really may qualify in the field of the much kidded t. b. m. To see Arliss in the role of an everyday man of the moment is a treat — especially when he dons over- alls and drops the monocle. What a thought it was to place in charge of a gas station a successful automobile manufacturer who had started as a mechanic! What motorist will not be thinking of the possibility of million- dollar advice being lavished on a fifty- dollar car? Excellent support is accorded Ar- liss. As his associates in the making of automobiles are Sam Hardy and Charles Grapewin. Noah Beery is a crooked owner of a gas station who unloads on Arliss and later through June, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirty-nine the business finesse of his victim is forced to buy back. Tully Marshall appears for a moment as the notary. Then there are James Cagney and Ivan Simpson and Bramwell Fletch- er. THE SECRET SIX Harold Wenstrom, Cameraman HERE is another to add to the growing list of gunman stuff pictures. "The Secret Six," produced at the M-G-M studio, is rem- iniscent of the recent slaying of Lin- gle, reporter on the Chicago Tribune. On the screen the reporter is shown as an honest man, accepting bribes offered by the leading bootleg- ger and handing over the money to the city's safety committee of six. The dramatist did not show us the final disposition of the $40,000 thus handled, which would have been interesting. The picture Harold Wenstrom opened to a smashing business at the Criterion in Los Angeles. Written directly for the screen by Frances Marion and directed by George Hill, the subject carries all the suspense which with comparative ease is in- jected by a talented scenarist into a tale in which life is so cheaply held, especially when interpreted by an un- usually competent cast. Just to mention a few of the play- ers, there are Wallace Beery, Lewis Stone, John Mack Brown, Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Marjorie Ram- beau, Paul Hurst, Ralph Bellamy, John Miljan, De Witt Jennings, Frank McGlynn and Theodore Von Eltz. Beery is a stockvard employe taken over by a bootlegger and who througu frequent resort to murder becomes one of the big underworld bosses, winding up in the death house. Lewis Stone is a smart lawyer who serves and richly profits from the lawbreak- ers. Brown and Gable are reporters who in the end uncover criminals. The picture is well made, and as has been said before skill is displayed in the choice of the cast. About each member of it there is a smartness of manner and attire that matches the prevailing night club atmosphere. If we must see this gunman stuff through to the end of the period of producer inertia, until the orgy of mental laziness has waned and again we are given tales that enhance rath- er than cheapen the price of human life, by all means let us have the characters presented to us in garb other than that of dead tough muggs. It makes the "Oh, yeah?" and "That's just too bad!" so much easier to take as a steady diet. It may be fair to add the immediate foregoing is an afterthought. Dur- ing the unfolding of the story the writer was too much absorbed in its working out to find time for any mor- alizing. TWO FOREIGN WAR FILMS THE Filmarte Theatre among the subjects shown at the end of April included two foreign war films — "Suspense," a British Elstree subject, and "Comrades of 1918," produced in Germany by Ne- rofilm. The English picture was directed by Walter Summers from the story by Patrick Mac-Gill and was photo- graphed by T. Sparkhul and Hal Young. The theme of the tale was the state of mind produced among soldiers already fed up with the grind of the war when they discover that the ground under their dugout is being mined by the Germans. As steadily as the ticking of a clock the excavat- ing machinery works. One of the most thrilling moments of the story is where led by Scruffy, played by D. Hay Petrie, the deni- zens of the dugout at the peak of their frenzy slip into the song and dance of "Parley Voo." It is a situa- tion to stir the blood when men on the verge of a break are led into a dance that starts as sheer hysteria and gradually as it increases in tem- po and in spirit merges into riotous amusement. At the crest of the song and dance some non-com bawls out the group and automatically destroys the morale that is being builded. Like "Journey's End," the picture is staged without the assistance of even a lone female, but unlike the American-made English story men- tioned "Suspense" fails to make good on its title — that is, to an appreciable degree. It is interesting, as must be any war subject made in a nation where a majority of the male persuasion are experts in the art of outlining what a first-class war must look like. But the bite is absent. Comrades of 1918 There is in "Comrades of 1918" much of interest for the American picturegoer and the American pic- turemaker as well. A majority of the footage is devoted to the trenches and the ground between the lines, with most of the remainder to dug- outs. While even in the more quiet phases there is a steady noise from the vari- ous death-dealing engines neverthe- less there is an absence of the deafen- ing sounds that have proved so ob- jectionable in many of the war pic- tures. The explosions are toned down materially and without loss of effec- tiveness and realism in presentation. The sequences range from the cries of badly wounded as they are brought into a field hospital — one of the most grewsome scenes ever put upon i^n American screen; from the homecom- ing on furlough of a long-absent rifle- man to find his wife in the company of a lover — and after deliberation the rifle is not used ; to the concert given by the regimental band and the en- tertainment provided by professional talent for a group of soldiers. The picture was directed by G. W. Pabst. The cast included Fritz Kampers, Gustav Diesel, Hans Joach- im Moebis, Claus Clausen, Gustav Puttjer, Jackie Monnier and Hanna Hassereich. The Germans have made progress in noiseless recording as well as the Americans. There was a noticeable absence of ground noises during the quieter scenes. One of the points where it particularly was noticeable was with men in the trenches whis- pering to each other. There was a marked advance in the recording over some recent German sound films. Karl Struss UP POPS THE DEVIL Karl Struss, Cameraman THERE'S a strong and a dramatic finish to Paramount's "Up Pops the Devil," from the play by Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich, with adaptation by Arthur Kober and screen play by Even Unsell. Edward Sutherland directs. The be- ginning and de- velopment are in riotous frivolity, the major appeal of which very likely is for the younger element rather than for the more staid. But there's no age limit on the picturegoers who will respond in full measure to the moving de- nouement of the story. Carole Lombard has an abund- ance of opportunity here, one of the best that has been given her — and what she does with it is a delight. She is seen in moods gay and grave — as to the latter her role at times taking her into the realm of the deeply emotional. Miss Lombard is reported to be very busy these days keeping her pro- fessional engagements. It is entirely understandable — for she is a real actress. Norman Foster plays opposite in the part of the aspiring writer who accepts the suggestion of his wife to remain at home and do his work and who quickly discovers he also is slated to do hers. It is then the husband is seized with a shortness of temper and the parting comes. The wife does not inform the husband he also is to be a father, a detail of sufficient impor- tance notably to enhance the suspense. Theodore Von Eltz is the publisher who proves to be the friend of hus- band as well as wife in spite of the fact he is in love with the latter. The restraint displayed by the unsuccess- ful suitor contributes to the whole- someness of the story and proves that human interest will follow a man who thus conducts himself as well as it will one who is guided by opposite motives. A negro laundryman does well enough to deserve being credited with a name more resembling what might have been his own rather than with the absurd one employed. Joyce Compton as a teasing "baby" southern girl is great. Others in the cast are Skeets Gallagher, Stuart Forty The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER June, 1931 Erwin, Lilyan Tashman, Edward J. Nugent, Eulalie Jensen, Harry Beres- ford and Effie Ellsler. Arthur Todd THE LAWYERS SECRET Arthur Todd, Cameraman CLIVE BROOK carries off the prizes in Paramount's "The Lawyer's Secret" — for the win- ner of the big part and for doing the big job. It is a role that will give birth to the greenish hue in the hide of every ambi- tious actor who is so fortunate as to follow Brook's portray- al of it. The story was by James Hilary Finn. Max Mar- cin shared with Lloyd Corrigan the writing of the screen play and then with Louis Gasnier its direction. There is a finish to the plotting and the dialogue that smacks of stagecraft, of having been touched by the trained mind and the skilled hand. Certainly from the opening of the picture to the drawing of the curtain there was no let-up in interest, and the greater part of the running: found the pie- turegoer under the spell of an ab- sorbing drama. Brook has the part of a lover who at the beginning of the tale learns his prospective brother-in-law is an accomplice of a murderer. The chief embarrassment comes later when an innocent man is convicted on circum- stantial evidence and the sweetheart of the doomed man pleads with the lawyer to take the case on appeal. That's just the opening. Richard Arlen is the innocent victim and Charles Rogers is the accomplice too cowardly to come forward and save an innocent man. It is a new kind of role for the latter young per- son and emphasizes the elimination by his employers of the exploited diminutive "Buddy." He is being given a chance to become a full adult rather than a playboy. If in the role he lose cast with the sweet young and maybe older things to whom we have been assured his screen counternait meant so much surely there will be a more than compensating counterbal- ance in the changing attitude of adult males. The part is plenty serious in tone and is so handled. Fay Wray and Jean Arthur have the feminine characterizations, both of whom are entirely satisfactory in their interpretations of their parts. Service Y Installs The Army and Navy Y.M.C.A. in San Diego, the membership of which comprises the officers and men of the army and naval bases on the South- ern California coast, has installed RCA Photophone sound apparatus in its auditorium. Fearless Dual Magazine Adapter Is Revolutionary In Principle WITH the bi-pack color proc- esses coming to the front as they have during the past year a need has arisen for some type of magazine to properly handle the two films. The Fearless Camera Company has brought out a new magazine adapter which is revolutionary in principle and application. This sys- tem uses a special magazine adapter in connection with standard mag- azines, which may be either 400 or 1000 feet in capacity. This adapter is made to fit either a Ball and How- ell, Mitchell or Fearless Camera, and, if necessary, Bell and Howell mag- azines may be used on a Mitchell cam- era or this may be reversed. In using, as soon as the supply magazine is emptied, it is moved to the other side of the adapter to be filled with exposed film, thus mini- mizing the number of magazines in use. In this way one adapter takes the place of an unlimited number of special dual magazines, saving a con- siderable investment in apparatus which has but one use. As may be noted from the accom- panying photographs the dual mag- azine adapter fastens to the camera in the same manner as a regular magazine and in turn two standard magazines are attached to the adap- ter. One of the magazines contains the two special unexposed negatives, while the other is used to take up the films after exposure. The film is easily threaded through the adapter by means of a large door on one side. The rollers over which the film passes are mounted on pre- cision ball bearings, eliminating any possible frictional loss at this point. As soon as all the film has been ex- posed the magazine containing the exposed film is removed and the empty magazine takes its place. A separate belt passing over both pulleys is used on the take-up mag- azine so that equal tension is main- tained on both films. This feature minimizes any possibility of trouble from buckles. The drive belt pulley also rolls upon ball bearings. The principal advantage of this system lies in its ability to use stand- ard Bell and Howell or Mitchell mag- azines interchangeably for either bi- pack or ordinary photography. Also a standard magazine is less than one- half the weight and size of a dual magazine and may be handled ac- cordingly, a point the cameraman will appreciate. Miller Device Offers Wide Reflectors for Photoflash THE Miller Fold-O-Flector for the Mazda Photoflash Lamp is the new reflector which holds from one to seven Mazda photoflash lamps, according to the area and amount of light desired. This Fold-O-Flector offers a wide reflecting surface of nineteen inches, but folds down to a small packet of 2 by 11. It has the usual central Photoflash lamp, but up to six addi- tional lamps may be clipped to the Miller Fold-O-Flector for Mazda Photoflash Lamp edge of the reflector, all set off by contact with the central bulb. This is welcome news to the profes- sional photographer or to the ama- teur who does beautiful work. These enthusiasts can now have a large re- flector which amplifies any light, and they can increase or decrease the number of Photoflash lamps accord- ing to their needs. Moreover, they can carry the apparatus in a small convenient package. The Fold-O-Flector is not expen- sive. Three clips come with the out- fit and more can be purchased at a negligible price. Likewise it can be set upon a tripod if desired. Groups, interiors, or attractive night scenes can now be photographed with little or no trouble. Fearless dual magazine adapter Schools Install Sound Recent contracts for sound instal- lations by RCA Photophone, Inc., in- clude the University of Cincinnati, at Cincinnati; St. Lawrence University at Canton, N. Y., and the high school at Sandusky, Ohio. June, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Forty-one Bell and Howell Expands in Its Research Department THE immediate addition of a third story to the Bell & Howell Company's engineering: building in Chicago is announced. This build- ing was erected only about two years ago, but is already outgrown. The structure is devoted exclusively to experimental and development work, and the additional space, total- ing 17,000 square feet, will be given over to experimentation on talking picture apparatus. Outstanding fea- tures will be a completely equipped sound laboratory and a sound projec- tion studio with stage. The construction of the new addi- tion will be of reinforced concrete flat slab with exterior walls of face brick with stone trim and steel sash, to match the present building. The roof will be insulated. Interior partitions will be mainly of glazed tile. The addition will be 112 by 153 feet and will be 13 feet high. The engineering building is sepa- rate and distinct from the company's main offices and factory, which like- wise are situated in Chicago. Work has been begun on the com- pany's two-story branch sales, service, and engineering building in Holly- wood. Academy Issues Glossary The extensive and often picturesque technical vocabulary of sound motion pictures has been gathered and de- fined in "A Selected Glossary for the Motion Picture Technician," now being issued by the Technical Bureau of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This little dictionary is intended, first, to help the sound engineers, cameramen, laboratory, workers, and theatre projectionists to understand one another better: and, secondly, to remove the mystery from the techni- cians' vocabulary, for the benefit of their co-workers in related crafts, such as directors. European Sound Theatres Now Total Nearly 8000 THAT Europe has gone "talker" in no uncertain manner is evi- denced by the striking increase in the number of theatres wired for sound reproduction during the past few months, according to advices re- ceived in the Commerce Department motion picture division from Trade Commissioner George R. Canty at Paris. According to the report the number of sound theatres in Europe increased from 5,400 on October 1, 1930, to 7,720 on January 1, 1931, a gain of 2,320 within three months. The following table shows the ap- proximate number of wired theatres in the individual countries of Europe: Great Britain 3,163 Germany 1,801 France 565 Sweden 411 Italy 218 Spain 173 Czechoslovakia 159 Austria 153 Netherlands 150 Denmark 125 Hungarv 118 Switzerland 104 Belgium 1 00 Rumania 89 Yugoslavia 68 Baltic States 67 Finland 65 Poland 62 Norway 39 Greece 36 Turkev 23 Bulgaria 22 Portugal 9 Total 7,720 ROY DAVIDGE FILM LABORATORIES An Exclusive ' 'Daily ' ' La boratory Quality and Service 670 1 -67 15 SANTA MONICA BOU LE VARD GRanite 3108 Forty-two The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER June, 19-31 Miniature and prop department of the Hughes Development Company. On the right is the general machine shop. Hughes Development Company Plans Heavy Manufacturing Expansion '■pHE Hughes Development Com- pany, Ltd., a Howard Hughes subsidiary organization, is ex- tending its scope to include the manu- facture of motion picture and process- ing equipment of all kinds. The com- pany with its large machine shop facilities has been at its present loca- tion in Romaine street, Hollywood, for three years. During that period it has conducted mechanical research for its owner as well as carrying on the manufacturing work necessarily associated with motion picture pro- duction on a large scale. As an ex- ample practically all the experimen- tal and manufacturing work sur- rounding the making of "Hell's An- gels" was done at the company's plant. The expansion program was due to A. A. McDonald, former general manager of the Hughes Tool Works and general representative of Howard Hughes. Mr. McDonald, who is now president and general manager of Multicolor, made a survey of the mo- tion picture business and decided there was abundant room for a larger plant. Howard Hughes agreed with him. As a result the Development Com- pany, following the installation of a wide variety of machinery, is pre- pared to make special equipment, miniatures, props, printers, process- ing machines, patterns and to attend to heat treating and camera repairs. In charge of the expanding activi- ties of the concern are Harry Rey- nolds and H. W. Houston. The for- mer will be the representative on the outside and will have supervision of the motion picture effects and minia- ture work, a field in which he has had much experience. The latter will have charge of the internal conduct of the plant. Associated with these are Bruce Burns, Roy J. Pomeroy, Dr. Russell Otis and as consulting engineer Dr. L. M. Dieterich. A working agreement has been effected with the Cinema Studio Sup- ply Company, which at its plant in Beechwood Drive has large manufac- turing and foundry facilities. The Development company executives be- lieve between the two organizations and their respective equipments there will be no difficulty in executing any contract likely to be presented for their consideration. It is intended to expand the scope of the experimental department, espe- cially in the field of inventors' models for cameras and other motion picture equipment and in the realm of effects. Klangfilm Leads There are two traveling sound-film cinemas and four reproduction equip- ments installed in projection rooms of distribution firms in Prague, and one in Aussig. The sound film reproduction equip- ments installed in Czechoslovak cine- mas are of 16 different makes. Klang- film is in the lead with 88 equipments; then come Kinophon with 28, Ameri- can made 44, Nitzsche with 16, Power- phone with 15, and Belcanto with 13 sets. King Charney says . . . WHETHER IT BE CARBON OR INCANDESCENT LIGHTING WHETHER IT BE TALKIES OR SILENT Negative For definite results AGFA RAW FILM CORPORATION June, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Forty-three Camera and -precision machine shop of Hughes Development Company. On the right is the pattern and cabinet shop. Motion Picture Camera Indorsed by Pro Golfers as Help in Teaching HAVE you ever had your golf strokes x-rayed? Well, pos- sibly not "x-rayed," but rather submitted to the acid test of analysis by means of the slow-motion movie camera? Many golfers are improv- ing their game by the motion-picture method. Even Bobby Jones has for some time been accustomed to have pic- tures made of his strokes for his per- sonal use, studying the result in order to catch possible imperfections. When he was in England last year the Prince of Wales used his own Filmo movie camera to "shoot" the Georgian as he played. "The point is that a new method of teaching and learning the ancient and honorable game of golf has arrived — the movie method," says a writer in June Filmo Topics magazine. "This new method, besides winning the com- mendation of thousands of players, has been unqualifiedly indorsed by the Professional Golfers' Association of America, composed of the best golf instructors in this country. The movie method aids the tyro and more ad- vanced player as well." As a sort of second-line auxiliary in the golf-by-movies idea, slow-mo- tion film studies of golf stars can be projected on a movie screen and studied by the aspirant who wants to see how the big ones do it. There is available a fine selection of 16 mm. golf films, including several "talkers." The Professional Golfers' Associa- tion, quite generally known as the P. G. A., recently sponsored the making of super-slow movies of Jones, Joyce Wethered, and Harry Vardon. These pictures are doing much to arouse in- terest in golf instruction. Following a showing of these pic- tures in Chicago an Associated Press report of the pictures was carried in many newspapers throughout the country. For making golf pictures the small, portable and relatively inexpensive 16-mm. camera will fill every ordinary requirement, provided care is taken to select an instrument of reliable make, constructed to film pictures at the rate of 64 or 128 exposures per second, which are the speeds necessary for making satisfactory slow-motion golf pictures. "Deutsche Tonfilm-Gesellschaft m.b. H.," by Erich Engels and E. E. Her- mann Schmidt. Engels is a well- known German producer, and Schmidt a specialist of film publicity. The new company plans to produce feature films of a popular character, educationals and publicity pictures. The production of the first feature, "The Secret of the Red Cat," is under- way. Cat Getting Out of Bag A new production firm has just been created in Berlin, under the name of Lakin to Engineers The Lakin Corporation has extend- ed to the members of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers an invita- tion to visit the plant of Laco Pro- ducts at 1707 Naud street as well as its display and rental departments in 1120 North La Brea avenue. At the latter address will be found on dis- play a full line of Laco parts as well as complete units. Welcome S.M.P.E. A FEW CURRENT RELEASES CONTAINING DUNNING SHOTS "Connecticut Yankee" Fox "Traveling Husbands" R.K.O. "Subway Express" Columbia "Rebound" R.K.O.-Pathe "Dirigible" Columbia "Front Page" United Artists "Cracked Nuts" R.K.O. "Join Dunning and See the World on the Screen" 932 No. La Brea Ave GL 3959 Hollywood, Calif. Forty-jour The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER June, 1931 School of Mines Engineers View Continuous Projector A SPANIARD, Carlos Mendizabal Brunet, of Palo (Malaga), has invented and exhibited before engineers of the School of Mines in Madrid a film projector called the Kinisophote, according to Commercial Attache Charles A. Livengood, Madrid, in a report to the Department of Commerce. This machine runs continuously, at a constant speed, as its name implies, and the screen receives a constant amount of light, thus doing away with flickering. It suppresses the Maltese cross and allows the use of very thin (cellephone) film, driven by only one WILLIAMS' SHOTS New and Improved We have discovered and pat- ented a new and improved method in the making of mattes for the Composite Processing of WILLIAMS' SHOTS which com prises photographing the actor before a blue or red background with two negative films, one re- sulting in black background matte and one with a white background matte, the two being combined. Panchromatic Color Values Under two new process patents and with special film made to order for us we exclusively se- cure full panchromatic color values. In addition to normal lighting this process uses flat or black lighting and any desired lighting effects. We have the only pro- cess which photographs the act- or in long shots without building any part of set. Action may be photographed in advance of the backgrounds, saving time and money. Double Matting Process Which guarantees you perfect results, quick delivery of finished shots, with no halo or ghost ef- fects, and no retaking of action to correct matching or change of background scenes. COMPOSITE LABORATORIES COMPANY 8111 Santa Monica Boulevard OX 1611 side of the film being perforated. The sound groove is placed in a 5-millimeter space, so that the section for pictures retains its normal one- inch width without narrowing. The film is driven at a constant speed at every point, so that the sound impres- sion can be taken up anywhere. Instead of being 75 holes distant from the corresponding figures it can be placed immediately opposite them, thus avoiding the difficulties arising from cuts and repairs. Finally, after being wound up as usual during projection the film is not rewound, but is picked out from the inside of the reel to be projected again. This operation is done by conical rollers. Patents rights have been obtained or solicited in the prin- cipal nations. New Sound Installations Announced for Manchuria SEVERAL new installations of mo- tion picture sound equipment are in course of erection at the pres- ent, according to Trade Commissioner A. Viola Smith, Shanghai, China. At Harbin, Manchuria, and the Portu- guese Colony of Macao the first thea- tres to be equipped with sound ap- paratus are now in process. Other installations are being made at Can- ton, Amoy and Peiping. It is estimated there are at present a total of 50 theatres throughout China equipped with sound apparatus. Of this number, 35 are American equipment. The remaining 10 or 15 installations are reported to be of French disc type (Pathe-Orient), be- ing utilized by the cheaper Chinese theatres in and about the Shanghai area. The new King's Theatre at Hong Kong opened on March 31, making a most favorable addition to the cinema houses in that city. Interest is being noted among Chinese producers as to the possibil- ity of producing sound pictures in Chinese. The "Singing Peony," a Chinese talker made with French disc record- ing equipment, was recently shown at the Strand Theatre in Shanghai. Con- siderable favorable comment was made upon this latest effort of Chinese producers. Silent Features in England Slump to an Eighth in Year THE principal feature of the sta- tistical report for the month of March, just published by the British Board of Film Censors, is the striking decrease in the number of silent feature films, according to Trade Commissioner James Sommer- ville, Jr., London. There were only three silent feature films passed by the Board, as com- pared with twenty-five in March, 1930. The total number of sound feature films, on the other hand, was 63, as against 41 a year ago. The number of feature films, both sound and silent, was exactly the same as a year ago. As regards the 88 shorter films, un- der 3,000 feet in length, the report Lester Cowan Lester Cowan Promoted to Executive Secretaryship THE designation of Lester Cowan as executive secretary of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is announced. The action was taken by the Academy Board of Directors at its last meeting. Cowan has served as assistant sec- retary of the Academy since he be- came associated with the motion pic- ture industry in 1928 after previous experience in the field of business re- search. Increased responsibilities de- volved upon him following the recent resignation of former Secretary Frank Woods to accept a studio position. For the past two months Cowan has been assisting in the negotiations between screen writers and producers leading toward the establishment of standard contracts similar to the minimum contract for actors success- fully administered by the Academy. When the coming of sound revolu- tionized the technical aspects of mo- tion picture production Cowan was active in the program through which basic research was undertaken on be- half of all the studios under the pro- ducers-technicians committee of the Academy. shows, on the other hand, a somewhat less marked decrease in silent films than was the case in February. Never- theless, the number of short sound films was more than double the num- ber of silent films, whereas in March, 1930, the position was reversed. The total number of both short and feature films passed by the board dur- ing March, 1930, was 154, as com- pared with 156 in March, 1930. Of the number of films passed 114 were certified for universal exhibition, the remainder being given the "A" certifi- cate, as recommended especially for adult audiences. June, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Forty-five Sound Men When Balked by Police Appeal to Wife of Newspaper Man THE wife of a newspaper man was responsible for three crews of sound men and several still cameramen securing a set-up position at the funeral of the late Knute Rockne when the police had blocked off the street in which the home was situated and refused to let in the sound trucks of Fox, Pathe and Para- mount. John L. Herrmann, on tour of the Middle West for Paramount News, had just completed a 450-mile night drive from St. Louis and was feeling none too complacent. Like his asso- ciates, among them Fred Felbinger and the latter's sound man, W. A. Robertson, both of Local 666, and his own sound man, George Graham, also of the Chicago local, Herrmann did not relish the action of the police in placing a man on each of the three trucks to make sure they took no photographs. Then it was Herrmann made in- quiries at a home opposite the Rockne residence, one where there was a gen- erous driveway leading to a garage, which proved to be the home of a newspaper man. The lady of the house said to bring all three trucks on to her driveway. Fortified with this message the cameramen found the police willing to cooperate, and a few moments later the three were parked on the drive- way, with seven cameras on top of the three trucks. One of the photogra- phers was President Charles David of 666. Each of the three companies also was represented by a truck stationed at the cathedral and cemetery. Lancaster' s "Ghost Town'''' Subject Sold to All Star GEORGE J. LANCASTER of In- ternational Photographers has sold to All Star Distributors for national distribution his single reel subject of "Ghost Towns." Before release the picture will have a lecture added. The subject of the cameraman's production were the former mining camps of Virginia City, Aurora and Rhyolite, booming towns in the early days. The first two named are filled with memories of Mark Twain. International Photographer in a coming issue will carry still pictures of some of the interesting spots touched by Mr. Lancaster. Sensitometer Announced by Eastman for Picture W ork ANNOUNCEMENT is made of an Eastman Sensitometer, designed especially to meet the needs of the modern motion picture film lab- oratory and sound department. It aims to provide a precise and rapid means of making routine sensitomet- ric tests for the control of develop- Unusual photograph of a sound news cameraman caught ivhen he was not looking and unaware, the tables were being turned on him. John L. Herrmann, on tour in mid-west for Paramount, had just turned on the motor at Fort Des Moines and was keeping tabs on the tachometer to note when the camera was up to speed as Captain George Yates of the Des Moines Register-Tribune took a snappy and highly successful pot shot at the photographer. ment processes and for other purposes bearing on the production of picture and sound prints of the highest quality. The device is designed for operation on an alternating current line of ap- proximately 110 volts, either 50 or 60 cycles. One of the instruments may be inspected at the local laboratory of the company. Every one of these placed in the motion picture field will be kept thoroughly standardized at all times by the local Kodak labora- tory. Emery Huse of the west coast di- vision of the manufacturers read a descriptive paper on the Sensitometer to the delegates to the Engineers Con- vention. Portable Sound on Film Reproducer — For Discriminating Purchasers Complete Equipment Packs In 2 Trunks. Total Weight of Equipment, 190 Pounds Manufactured by ototone Equipment Corporation of America 309 IN. ILLINOIS ST. INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA Forty -six The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER June, 1931 What Talkers Mean to Tomorrow (Continued from Page 21) picture portrayal of the work of the skilled hands of the great surgeon, nothing more educational than his running comment on the work of his hands. Of Value to Future Here is a record that the medical student can examine as minutely and as frequently as may be necessary for his training, and that can be made available to medical schools through- out the world in this day and in the years to come. It is difficult to esti- mate the value to future generations of the record thus formed of the teachings and technique of great doc- tors and surgeons or of the influence on public health of the graphic pre- sentation of lectures on hygiene and sanitation. In the field of religious teaching, talking motion pictures make it pos- sible for the sermons of great minis- ters to be faithfully reproduced in even the small churches of rural com- munities and for these same churches to have the music of fine choirs and of great organs. They offer a medium for the dramatic presentation of Bible stories and teachings in so graphic a form as to reach the understanding of children during their most impres- sionable age. They have received the approval of leaders of the church of all denomina- tions. A studio organized by a group of churches has recently been opened in California for the purpose of mak- ing religious talking pictures exclu- sively. Used in Religion and Politics Aside from their use as related to religious subjects they make it pos- sible to present ethical and cultural material in an interesting and enter- taining form and in this manner to broaden the scope and increase the in- terest and influence of church work. The talking news reel has brought us the personalities of foreign political leaders and statesmen and made them familiar figures to American audi- ences. In recent campaigns through- out the country political candidates have presented themselves to their constituencies through talking pic- tures. The limitation upon this form of po- litical campaigning has been the lack of available apparatus for the public presentation of such political ad- dresses. When this deficiency has been remedied we may assume that the talking picture will exert a pro- found influence upon our political des- tinies in future. As was to be expected the value of the talking picture for instructional purposes has been most quickly seized upon and most widely used in the field of commerce and industry. Many of the great corporations are using talk- ing pictures today for the training and instruction of their personnel and for conveying the personal messages of their executives to outlying offices. The epic story of many industries is being recorded and portrayed. Through these we may attain to an understand- ing of how these great industries came into being and why they exist, and to understand these things is to interpret the forces that underlie our modern life and civilization. Wide Variety of Use Already talking pictures have been made to advertise commodities of everyday life. The cough that is never present in a carload can be recorded in talking pictures. The man who owns one can tell of his satisfaction with his motor car. Railroads, air- lines, trade associations, insurance companies, newspapers and public ser- vice companies have used this medium to advertise their services and to create public understanding. Manufacturers, department stores, banks, hotels, theatres and other in- dustrial and business organizations are using talking pictures to train employees — churches to train their ministers and schools to train their teachers ; athletic coaches to teach ©ONEMA THIS ! SIZE IS BEST — W& f FOCUSED AT W % [ 20 FT. FROM \\\ \ 1 CAMERA - IF ONE IS DEINC USED ^av^ FOCUS W% THIS SPACE / I 25 FT. FROM CAMERA r FRONT AND BACK OF FOCAL POINT HBSUg CHART: ssS5sffi5Ssbfi**Ss*sss5R5*s*ffis5sffisssss5ifi Combination focus chart and scene slate designed by Jackson Rose, Interna- tional Photographers, for accurate focusing of all sizes of lenses and adapted for all distances from one foot to infinity. Size opened 12 by 18 inches, folding to 6 by 12 inches. games; Bobby Jones to teach golf; Bill Tilden to teach tennis. There are few fields of education or training in which talking pictures have not already been used and no conceivable field to which they cannot contribute. There would be, perhaps, small use or need for talking pictures if we were all privileged to see in person the great artists of the stage, to hear the great operas, to meet personally the great statesmen, to sit in the pres- ence of great religious leaders or to talk personally with great industrial leaders — but this privilege is accorded to but a few. The talking motion picture affords the opportunity thus denied us. It not only creates a permanent record but makes it possible to distribute this record throughout the world and to present it at convenient times and as frequently as may be desirable for purposes of instruction or entertain- ment. Medium of Opportunity We are concerned not only with the acquisition and accumulation of knowledge but with the spread of knowledge, and for these purposes we require a medium that will at once es- tablish a permanent record and make it available to those of this day and to posterity. The value of talking pic- tures lies not only in the effective pre- sentation that can be made but in the wide distribution that is possible. They bring knowledge within the reach of the average man. They sim- plify the search for knowledge. They open the royal road to learning. There is a philosophy which teaches that we live to make life better for the generations to come. It is a fortu- nate characteristic of many modern inventions and scientific developments that they have contributed to this end, and of none is this more true than of the talking picture. When I contem- plate the opportunities that lie before the children of the next generation to become rich in learning and knowl- edge I envy them the opportunity for a broader and fuller life than has been made available to you and me. I see in talking pictures a reason for wanting to live one hundred years from now and a force that will pro- foundly influence economic, political, cultural and religious thought in fu- ture. Talking motion pictures are in truth the medium of universal oppor- tunity. James E. Woodbury Portrait and Commercial Photographer GRanite 3333 5356 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, Calif. "THE SINGLE SIN" A Tiffany Production Photographed by Max B. Du Pont June, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Forty-seven NEW Trueball Tripod Heads Of Special Alloy, Lighter Weight MODEL B (PROFESSIONAL) Smooth operation for follow shots. Equal tension on all movements. Action unaffected by temperature. Instant release telescopic handle. FRED HOEFNER Cinema Machine Shop 5319 Santa Monica Blvd. GLadstone 0243 Los Angeles MEYER LENSES The cin ematographer, who discriminates in fa- vor of the best, finds enduring satisfaction in Hugo Meyer Lenses, for he appreciates their careful calculation, pre- cise construction and complete correction. We shall be pleased to send a booklet upon re- quest. Hugo Meyer & Co. 245 West 55th St., New York Works : Goerlitz, Germany MELROSE Trunk Factory UNION MADE Camera Cases for UNION CAMERAMEN UNION MADE Camera Num- ber Boards Trunk and Luggage Repairing Our Specialty Automobile Trunks, Sample and Make-Up Cases to Order GLadstone 1872 646 N. Western LOS ANGELES, CALIF. BASS-CHICAGO Pays Spot Cash for used Bell & Howell Professional Cameras and De Brie Motion Picture Cameras. Bass Camera Co. 179 W. Madison St., Chicago Cinex Testing Machines Cinex Polishing Machines Developing Machines Printing Machines rebuilt for Sound Printing Special Motion Picture Machine Work Barsam - Tollar Mechanical Works 7239 Santa Monica Blvd. Hollywood, California Phone GRanite 9707 The new "Local 659" emblem. Small, chic and attractive. Or- der from your Secretary or direct from manufacturers. J. A. Meyers & Co. 822 South Flower Street The largest jewelry factory in the West •Diamonds — Watches — Jewelry Phone GLadstone 4151 HOLLYWOOD STATE BANK The only bank in the Industrial District of Hollywood under State supervision Santa Monica Boulevard at Highland Avenue ILTEI^S vrvJucc OvoofcjM' w4 NiqhlCFfats in fayhm? FvjScfiKs-tiiHusHTvras an4 miny tttwr vffvcts cAsfe. your dealep, or typite to GEORGE H. SCHEIBE PHOTO-FILTER SPECIALIST Forty-eight The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER June, 1931 W. A. SICKNER FIRST CAMERAMAN COMPLETE AKELEY EQUIPMENT CRestview 7255 GLadstone 5083 HEmpstead 1128 Glenn R. Kershner First Cameraman Culver City 3154 ELMER G. DYER HE8116-HE1128 Walter J. Van Rossem PHOTOGRAPHIC LABORA- TORY. MITCHELL CAMERA No. 225, COMPLETE. FOR SALE HOlly 0725 6049 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, California Alvin Wyckoff Multicolor George B. Meehan, Jr. Specializing in Process Miniature, Trick and Unusual Shots 4128 Rhodes Avenue North Hollywood Phone No. HO. 2280 CLASSIFIED Turn your scrap film and short ends into cash HORSLEY CHEMICAL COMPANY 1123 Lillian Way GLadstone 5490 Hollywood Dr. G. Floyd Jackman DENTIST Member Local No. 659 706 Hollywood First National Bldg. Hollywood Blvd. at Highland Ave. GLadstone 7507 Hours: 9 to 5 And by Appointment FOR SALE— Cameras— Mitchell, Bell & How- ell, Akeley ; lenses and accessories of all kinds ; new and used. HOLLYWOOD CAM- ERA EXCHANGE, 1511 Cahuenga Boulevard. MITCHELL high-speed Camera No. 225. Van Rossem, 6049 Hollywood Blvd. HO 0725. FOR SALE^Mitchell Camera equipped for black and white or for Multicolor. Harry Perry, OXford 1908. FOR SALE — Bargains in cameras, lenses, new and used. Voigtlander 9x12 cm with F 4.5 lens, $30. Sept, complete, $25. Rolleidoscope $135 size 6x13. Leica with F 1.5 lens, com- plete $95. Stineman 16mm printer, $45. Oth- ers ; also rentals, repairs, exchanges at Peter- sons Camera Exchange, 356 S. Bdwy., L. A. MUST SELL MY NEW 400 FOOT UNIVER- sal 35 M.M. Motion Picture Camera com- plete, F' 3.5 B and L Tessar lens. Shipping trunk in addition to regular case included. Original cost $685.00, sell for $150.00 cash. Guaranteed perfect in every way. Box 10005, REXO Bulletin, 223 W. Madison St., Chicago. GOERZ CINE LENSES/ In the manufacture of Goerz Cine Lenses, con- scientious and intelli- gent application is displaye in each successive process — from the careful selection of the optical glass used to the last ultimate polish and ad- justments of the lens elements. ./ new catalog IP6, lirting the com- plete line o\ Goerz Lenses ami ac- cessories will be wailed on request. C.P.GOERZ AMERICAN OPTICAL Co 319 B EAST 34™ ST. NEW YORKCITy With Compliments Earl (Curly) Metz Assistant Cameraman // you want to sell or buy this is the place to tell your story. Art Reeves Cliff Thomas Phone Hollywood 9431 EXCHAN0E 1511 N. Cahuenga Blvd. HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA The Clearing House for Cameramen Mitchell and Bell & Howells FOR RENT Cameras and Projectors and Accessories bought and sold Commercial Photography Kodak Supplies Still Finishing 16 mm., 35 mm. Developed and Printed WELCOME! S. M. P. E. <><><>«> ♦ ♦ The Membership of Local 659 INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS Extends Greetings Courtesy J, E* Brulatour, Inc. ERECT IMAGE VIEW FINDER WITH ADJUSTABLE MATTES This finder has built-in Mattes that are adjust- able to lenses up to six inches. The Mattes are set by the adjustment knobs on the sides of finder and permits the viewing of action, before it enters the field, through slits in the mattes. The finder is of rigid construction and has a positive cam lever lock to hold the finder in place on the camera. This is also a new feature. Mitchell Camera Corporation 665 North Robertson Boulevard West Hollywood, California Cable Address "MITCAMCO" Phone OXford 105 HOTOGRAPHER HOLUVWO OD W+ :p??r ^K&l *£, & ■t- — * -# *- —-fr**' ' iSti. *^ > ULY ♦ nineteen; •"■thirty-one# "EG.U.s.PAT.OFF "The oupqn! Trade Mark Has Never Been Placed On An Interior Product" Regular Panchromatic Special (Hi Speed) Panchromatic Special (Hi Speed) Anti-Halation Panchromatic SMITH & All I 15 LTD. 6656 Santa Monica Boulevard Hollywood 5147 Hollywood, California PACIFIC COAST DISTRIBUTORS FOR Dii Pont Pathe Film Mfg. Corp. 35 West 45th Street New York City July, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER ANNOUNCING The New Bell & Howell Fully Automatic Sound and Picture Production Printer PRINTING both sound and picture at one operation under fully automatic interlocking control, the new Bell & Howell Sound and Picture Production Printer is presented to the film producing world. It is the result of several years of experimentation in the Bell & Howell Engineering Research Laboratories. Every requirement in modern sound film proc- essing has been anticipated in the new machine. Notches on the film are com- pletely eliminated, the densitometric value of the print being absolutely and perfectly controlled by a travelling matte between negative and film. After being set up, the machine needs only a new supply of positive stock at the end of each reel. The operator threads the machine, pulls the lever, and walks away. It is impossible to start the machine with any gate open, any lamp out of order, or any other item out of adjustment; the machine stops auto- matically at the slightest sign of irregu- larity. One operator can easily handle six or more printers at the same time. The new printer introduces many new concep- tions of printing practice and unquestion- ably establishes a standard in the field simi- lar to that enjoyed by the Bell & Howell Model D Semi-Automatic continuous printers so widely known and used through- out the world. Write for full details. BELL & HOWELL COMPANY 1849 Larchmont Ave., Chicago, 111. . . . New York, 1 1 West 42nd Street . . . Hollywood, 6324 Santa Monica Blvd. . . . London (B & H Co., Ltd.) 320 Regent Street . . . Established 1907 Two The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER July, 19 SI «fei S> S> ■s ^ £ Si I5 S I ii *> « 56 s s "3 -si \t7 C31 1 — Turning Cape San Lucas. 2 — Lighthouse. 3 — Hole in the Wall. Small Boat No Place for Big Fish When Fourteen-Foot Craft Already Carries Four Men and Camera Outfit Eight-Foot Swordfish Sort of Crowds Crew By RICHARD WORSFOLD ATRIP from San Pedro, the port of Los Angeles, down to Cape San Lucas, the southernmost point of Lower California, is dog- goned monotonous. It is anyway on a sixty-three-foot purse seiner like the Amalia II, on which for five days and six nights we whizzed along at eight knots. We were on a hunt for some fish big enough to make an in- teresting picture for Mack Sennett. In the party on the camera side there were Charles P. Boyle, camera- man, and yours truly; and also there were Director Del Lord and Skipper Johnny Falcone. We found San Jose del Cabo very interesting, but we spent only a few hours there and then set out up the Gulf of California to Los Frailes Bay. It was in this neighborhood we were to catch most of our swordfish. On the first day's fishing the cam- era duet remained en the Amalia II to photograph the director and the skipper as they fished from the 14-foot whaleboat. Though only two were caught that day, one weighed 196 pounds and the other 200. Then again catching on a light rod and get- ting on board a tenth of a ton of leaping, pounding fish certainly makes for excitement. The second day's work was more profitable, from a picture viewpoint, as we doubled our catch of the day before. Likewise it was more excit- ing for the camera crew. In order to get some rare shots of the swordfish jumping as they struck the two of us went aboard the whaleboat. Close Quarters The commotion really did not begin until the fish were gaffed and pulled into the boat. When four men and a Stillman shoots cameraman (right) as latter prepares to photograph sunset, after which stillman does a little sunset shooting himself (left). Richard L. Worsfold struggling, twisting eight-foot sword- fish, not to mention a camera and tripod and related paraphernalia, are mixed up in a boat only fourteen feet long about everything human and otherwise is bound to get wet. It re- quired two hours' work that night drying and oiling the camera. The third day netted us eight fish, averaging 200 pounds apiece. What a busy day that was! The picture will be enriched by some of the thrills the skipper unexpectedly staged for us. Johnny would gaff one of them big boys and then grab him by the tail and wrestle him into the boat. Twice he fell in the ocean with his fish. I thought then and think now that he did it purposely, for he might have let go his hold of the fish without los- July, 19S1 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Nine 1 — Waiting for fish to get hungry — cameraman is whistling, but not for a breeze. 2 — Mania, or sea bat. 3 — Camera- man sets up to shoot seals. A Catch of Swordfish ing it, as the hook was still in its mouth. If he was simply aiming to add a thrill to the scene he certainly was successful, for it was an exceed- ingly dangerous thing to do. Not all the big fish that took the bait were registered as among those present when the show was over. A goodly number of the more insecure- ly hooked sort of put their heart into their work and jumped and went through enough antics to throw out the bait and hook. Singularly enough the less securely hooked fish were best suited for the job of picture performers, for they made better and bigger jumps. When one of the finny tribe finds the hook firmly fastened pretty well along in- side the works he is disinclined to do much jumping. Instead he spends much of his time deep under the sur- face. He seems to realize the futility of trying to throw the hook. Waves Tricky Wind and wave played some tricks on us. I was the victim of one big roller. It caught me unawares and threw me clear across the fo'c's'le to land against the captain's chart table and break it up. The skipper was plenty cross about it — wanted to know in his own unmistakable man- ner how I expected him to lay out the course. I suggested maybe he could use the galley table until we anchored, at which time the chart table could be fixed. And that was how the galley table did double service the remainder of the trip. After several days spent in fruit- less search we harpooned a huge manta ray, or sea bat, and were towed around the ocean for an hour. The catch had to be speared fifty or sixty times before he was conquered. When hoisted on deck we found he had a "wing" spread of 10 feet 3 inches. The crew estimated his weight at two tons. Even allowing for exaggeration he was still plenty heavy. Manta Adds Thrills The manta added some thrills which will not be on the screen. After he had been harpooned he got under the boat, and regardless how benevolent may have been his inten- tions it was too many seconds before we felt any assurance he was not go- ing to overturn the boat. On the return we visited San Benito Island. Here is a rare loca- tion for a castaway story. We pho- tographed thousands of seals there and also found a couple of sea ele- phants. The home stretch if anything was more monotonous than the downward trip. Bucking the wind and the swells all the way reduced the mile- age to about six per, day and night. It was hard to sleep with that old Diesel pounding away all night and the waves "socking" so hard against the sides. The craft must have been plenty tough. Then in the daytime all we could do was hang on to something' to pre- vent being thrown over. Neverthe- less twenty-nine days after we left San Pedro we were home, not much the worse for wear. Three White Star Liners Install RCA Photophone Contracts have been signed by the White Star Line for the installation of RCA Photophone sound reproduc- ing equiDment on the Majestic, Ho- meric and Olympic, the largest liners in the White Star Atlantic fleet of passenger steamships. Two equip- ments will be installed on the Majes- tic, a standard size unit in the first class salon and a portable apparatus in the second class salon. Portable units will be employed on both the Homeric and Olympic. Benton Roberts, formerly with technical forces at Roach Studio, and his West Yacht Basin at San Pedro The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER July, 1931 Looking In on Just a Few New Ones Norbert Brodine REBOUND First cameraman, Norbert Brodine ; sec- ond cameramen, Norman DeVal, Jacob Badaracco ; assistants, John Eckert, Clar- ence Slifer, John McBurney ; stills, Wil- liam Thomas. TO SET down on paper impres- sions registered by Pathe's "Re- bound" is a task not to be light- ly approached — at least by the person who takes such work with sufficient seriousness as to aim at reasonable accuracy. It is one of those pictures about which ex- travagant lan- guage is easy to employ. And ex- travagant lan- guage and reader credibility do not go together. Ex- travagance does not convince. Nevertheless Ina Claire in this Horace Jackson photoplay version of Donald Ogden Stewart's story must be credited with a real screen contribution. Be- hind the actress with her skill in de- lineation is a tale not only cleverly conceived but one that in the framing of its dialogue is concededly smart. Wise old stage producers tell us that greatly to portray a great part a player must have lived, must have suffered, must have been touched by some tragedy of the soul or the heart, which may be the same thing. Regardless whether the aforesaid pro- ducers be correct surely Miss Claire does greatly interpret what deserves to qualify as a great part. Its writer so conceived it and the actress makes it vibrate with tragedy. The story from the opening rolls smoothly and during the brief period in which the onlooker is conscious also without visible effort. At the same time and all the time it is climb- ing, steadily, remorselessly. The opening is intriguing not only in its banter among the week-end guests as they straggle in at the Monday morning breakfast table, but there is a touch of mystery as to the identity of the couple overheard talk- ing in the garden until 4 o'clock. It is learned later there was signifi- cance in that meeting. A million- aire has upset a perfectly good en- gagement, and an egotistical fiance who serenely boasted on Monday morning that when he kissed 'em goodnight at 1 o'clock in the morn- ing they went straight to their room and to bed discovers for once he has been mistaken. Even more than that, the Great Lover is a free lance again in the game of catch as catch can. So when the impulsive woman, the woman who knows not the art of con- cealing from anyone any thoughts that may possess her, sets out to console the egotistic Great Lover things happen. The man who was slipped By GEORGE BLAISDELL the mitten in the morning has another fiancee at night. A month after the wedding the bride is extravagantly demonstrative in her affection. The big love has come to her. In Paris the old flame of the Great Lover enters the scent. The two of them get tanked up the first time they meet. The wife is a good sport. She tries to be that and measurably succeeds: more so than could be expected. When all are back on Long Island the situa- tion is aggravated, never ameliorated. The explosion is slow in arriving, but all the time inexorably it is coming. In the background also all the time is Johnny, faithful boyhood friend of the suffering Sara. As the trageciy climbs Johnny's kidding fades out, he offers his own hand and fortune now in all seriousness. He definitely is in the story, lifting the tale out of the triangular category so far as the audi- ence is concerned. His entrance seems the solution. There is an explosive blowup and later in Paris divorce papers are signed by the applying wife. The husband chases across the sea to stop the divorce, but at first is unsuccess- ful. Suddenly the wife relents and swings into Bill's arms. The action is a distinct disappointment to those who take a story with seriousness, and if stories cannot be taken that way why waste time in going to them ? As she swings into his arms the Great Lover emits a bit of charac- teristic braggadocio. From dramatic heights we smash down to just piffle. The steamed-up auditor slumps back into his chair with an oath on his lips — not because an ordinary woman would not have done the same thing in life, but because you had come to look upon Sara ?s something apart, and certainly up to that point she had been. Nevertheless there was no occasion to cause the man to make an ass of himself. Miss Claire is supported by an ex- cellent cast — Robert Ames and Robert Williams as the husband and the one willing to be — of Williams we are going to hear much; Myrna Loy as the woman who set aside one man ;n favor of eight million dollars and later regathered to her arms the first love; Hedda Hopper, Hale Hamilton, Walter Walker, Louise Closser Hale and Leigh Allen. The very competent direction was the work of E. H. Griffith. der Gintzboorg. The direction was by Alexander Ivanoff. The theme is the revolt of 1906. Most of the exteriors, streets and fields, railroad tracks and trains and around railroad stations, are of winter. In many scenes not only is snow falling but it is being blown by fierce gales. Nothing much is over- looked in the way of impressing the beholder with the sternness of the battle for life in Russia, especially on the part of the less fortunate. In the picture these latter are between the elements and the Czar's police. The picture is interesting from the angles of photography and acting. In the latter department there are re- markable examples of type and ac- companying characterization. A no- table instance is Fedor Slavski in the part of the organizer — with a face that in its strength would bring fame to any painter able faithfully to transfer it to canvas. The picture moves fast in some sequences, the shifts flashing with such speed it is difficult to follow with clarity at all times in spite of the English titles. TRANSPORT OF FIRE PRODUCED in Russia and dis- tributed by Amkino "Transport of Fire" is a silent picture with English titles. It was shown at the Filmarte in Hollywood early in June. The subject contains some strik- ing photography, the work of Alexan- THE VICE SQUAD First cameraman, Charles Lang ; second cam- eramen. Bob Pittack, Frank Titus ; assist- ants, Cliff Shirpser, Russell Harlan ; stills, Ray Jones. IT'S a remarkably strong picture story Oliver H. P. Garrett has pro- vided for Paramount's "The Vice Squad." From the drop of the hat the man out front is laid under the spell of a tale that never lets go until the final fade of the picture. Right up to that frac- tion of a minute there is doubt as to which of two women the chief character will se- lect for his part- ner. One of these is a woman of means, Alice, por- trayed by Kay Francis, who had been engaged to Lucarno (Paul Lukas) when the latter had been an attache at a for- eign embassy and who has remained faithful to the man who so strangely walked out on her and his former associates. The other is Madeleine, interpreted by Judith Wood, a young woman come to New York to make her way as a writer but who slipping in her own fortunes when Lucarno is at the lowest ebb goes to his assistance, raves him from the wheels of a sub- way train and nurses him through a breakdown. There is a decided society slant to the story, although the backgrounds range from the magnificence of a Charles Lang July, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Eleven spectacular embassy ball to the squalor of a hall bedroom in the tene- ment district. The theme is derived from the mat- ter uncovered in recent municipal in- | vestigations in New York, especially affecting the vice squad in its attitude toward women, in the imprisonment of these guilty or otherwise on stool pigeon evidence — bringing into view 1 some of the details of an unspeakable I police trade, to employ a mild ex- pression. It is a New York story and un- 1 reeled in New York backgrounds, whether actual or synthetic no longer | being a matter of much concern to the wise picturegoer. If you are looking on a perfectly good picture of Broadway "lit up like a church" what is the difference anyhow whether it was shot by the same camera that exposed the film on the automobile in the foreground or whether it wasn't? Here is a story in which the hero is a stool pigeon — accepts the degra- dation as his only escape from facing trial for a murder in the commission of which he had not a hand, the choice given to him by the chief of the squad because of the dearth of suit- able material. If Lucarno escapes facing a jury he does not escape fac- ing himself, and we see him sinking in humiliation to the vanishing point. Rockcliffe Fellowes has the role of the sergeant. The sacrifice of the actor is complete. The character he paints of the sergeant is black indeed. Fellowes must have filled the concep- tion of the author and of Director John Cromwell. His preformance is the last word in realism. Standing out in the picture are the sequences that bring together Lukas and Judith Wood. The author has not found it necessary to destroy the reputation of the girl in order to bring her into the Greenwich Village atmosphere — she is still on the right side of the personal ledger even though the balance of morale be sinking. But best of all about the story is its capacity for taking hold of the person out front and lifting him out of him- self for an hour and a quarter. And even though you be fed up on under- world and gang stuff you will agree "The Vice Squad" is something else again in spite of its name. FORBIDDEN ADVENTURE First cameraman, Charles Lang ; second cam- eramen, Guy Bennett, Bob Pittack, James Knott; assistants, Cliff Shirp^er, Thomas Morris, Russell Harlan ; stills, Gordon Head. HERE is an effort to capitalize what is assumed to be the vogue for plays featuring children. It attains reasonable success, thanks to the comedy contributed by Louise Fazenda and Edna May Oliver as the mothers respectively of Jackie Searl as Tiny Tim Tiffany and Mitzi Green as Daisy Tait. In bringing screen and Hollywood atmosphere into "Forbidden Adven- ture" Paramount displays its entire disregard for any strength of that rule which would forbid dramatists having regard for illusion from en- croaching on the medium in which they are dealing. For the two children named become successful screen players, lifting their mothers from circumstances less rather than more than ordinary to the heights of undreamed of affluence. The rivalry is between the mothers even more than between the children, which is saying much when it is taken into consideration the two kids do their stuff on the same lot. Edward E. Paramore, Jr., and Joseph Mankiewicz wrote the screen play and Agnes Brand Leahy the scenario from the book of the same name by Sinclair Lewis. Norman Taurog again is assigned to direct a kid picture, and meets with success. The picture was at an initial dis- advantage to the leviewers, its show- ing following immediately upon the heels of "The Vice Squad," which may prove to be one of the pictures of the month at least. Few subjects wit- tingly could invite such competition. There's a third pair which figures materially in the story, Virginia Hammond as Queen Sidonia and Bruce Line as the boy King Max. The climax of the tale comes when Max and Daisy in order to secure a bit of that freedom so dear to childhood decide to run away and upon starting out are joined by Tiny Tim, who has overheard the plotting and does not choose to see his screen competitor putting over on him anything in the way of a solo escapade with the boy king. There are large thrills for young- sters in the exciting things that hap- pen before the trio are returned to the arms of their respective mothers, in their terror grouped about one table with distinctions forgotten. THE MALTESE FALCON First Cameraman, William A. Rees ; second cameraman, Harry Davis ; assistants, Fred West, Palmer Belmont ; stills, Mac Julian. IF YOU never have seen a picture without a heroine — or a hero either for that matter — go see Warners' "The Maltese Falcon." The fore- going is not in any measure to be construed as a recommendation unless by the reader. For while this adapta- tion by Maude Fulton, Lucien Hubbard and Brown Holmes of Dashiell Ham- mett's novel is de- signed to be a mystery story and measurably suc- ceeds nevertheless any interest built up in the charac- ter of the pre- sumed heroine played by Bebe Daniels is shaken in the middle of the story when the lady most nonchalantly and quite professionally spends the night with Spade, the detective in her employ, in his apartment. And for additional "box office value" we see the adventuress in the detec- Willicmi A. Rees five's bathtub in the morning while her host is out gathering groceries for breakfast. The remaining sympathy is pretty well eliminated toward the end of the tale when it is revealed the leading female character is guilty of a couple of killings. To Ricardo Cortez falls the chief masculine role — that of a sardonic, satanic libertine who at the end of the story proves to be a detective. As a performance it is remarkable. The sweet young thing tremulously will adore it. The matron young and otherwise interestedly will study it. The male person, credited with anxiety to protect every woman from every man but himself, will revile it. Walter Long is the partner of Cortez, who as Spade is conducting a liaison among others with his asso- ciate's wife. Long is in the story but briefly, due to his getting in front of one of the adventuress' bullets. Robert Elliott contributes his cus- tomary excellent work as a head- quarters man, and he is finely assisted by J. Farrell McDonald. Dudley Digges is a promoter concerned about getting hold of the fabulously valu- able falcon, a stray souvenir of the crusading Middle Ages. And there also is Una Merkel, the office assistant of Spade, who sits on the arm of her boss' chair and tips him off as to the more or less stunning qualities of the women who wait in the outer office. Roy Del Ruth is the director of this strange picture of 1931 which goes back to the time of the Crusaders for its fantastic theme and title. YOUNG DONOVAN'S KID First cameraman, Eddie Cronjager ; second cameramen, Joe Biroc, Bob De Grasse, Harry Wild ; assistants, George Diskant, Harold Wellman, Willard Barth ; stills, Freddie Hendrickson. THERE'S rather an unusual de- mand on the tear ducts in Radio's "Young Donovan's Kid," an adaptation by J. Walter Ruben of the Rex Beach story which Fred Niblo directed. It was shown at the Los Angeles Orpheum early in June to good business. Richard Dix is seen as an east side leader or more precisely as leader of an east side gang who seems to be en- tirely too clever to fall into the clutches of the police. According to these and the parish priest his crowd is a hard one and responsi- ble for serious mischief and worse in the neighborhood, but nothing can be pinned on the individual. All this of course avoids alienation of sym- pathy toward the chief character on the part of the audience. Somehow or other the inclination is to stay with Jim Donovan from the beginning. Marion Shilling as the niece of the (Continued on Page 36) Edw. Cronjager Twelve The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER July, 1931 An Announcement by Lakin Corporation Uue to the increasing popularity of jgx&^Z&e* and the preference shown for them by a number of our principal motion picture organizations, manufac- turers of competitive studio lighting products have made repeated offers to purchase the JZacvJZTt& interests of this corporation. Erroneous statements to the effect that one of such transactions has been consummated, and which have gained publicity in the motion picture industry, prompt us to emphatically announce that we do not contemplate such a move* While Lakin Corporation is justifiably flattered over the propositions offered by competitive man- ufacturers, the enormous volume of j£xc**^te^ business which we have enjoyed since their intro- duction— and continue to enjoy, together with the anticipation of a prosperous future — warrants the manufacture of a product recognized as fore- most in the field of studio lighting equipment ♦ "If it's NOT a ^ it's NOT Silent!" LAKIN CORPORATION 1707 Naud Street Los Angeles, California CApitol 14118 July, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirteen Y. OU have heard of Cineglow Sound Systems, but this is our first official announcement nnnn We waited until we were sure it was perfect Those who were fortunate enough to wait with us find us now ready for delivery. nnnn CINEGLOW SOUND SYSTEMS for sound on film recording nnnn Studio or Location Recording System. nnnn Newsreel and Industrial with the Akeley Audio Camera. nnnn Recording unit for Bell and Howell Camera. nnnn All using the famous CINEGLOW THREE ELEMENT RECORDING LAMP and CINEGLOW RECORDING_OPTlCAL._ nnnn Patents Pending. nnnn Write or Wire CINEGLOW SOUND SYSTEM WITH AKELEY AUDIO CAMERA. BLUE SEAL SOUND DEVICES, INC. Cable Address Soundfilm, New York. 130 West 46th Street New York, N. Y. Fourteen The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER July, 1931 SIX - SIXTY - SIXERS came up with the greatest thrill shots ever seen in newsreels last month: President Charley David grabbed off the flight and crash of "Speed" Holman at Omaha for his Universal reel and Fred Felbinger had his finger on the button when six cars jammed together at the annual 500-mile classic at Indianapolis — two of which leaped the retaining wall — all in full view of Red's Paramount News recorder. Great shots, both! . . . Eddie Morrison, Phil Gleason and "Soundie" Robertson are planning on making a two-reel fashion picture soon. They are going to do the pos- ing in the new rainbow wardrobe get- up they assembled while sojourning at Indianapolis; understand from our operative that smoked glasses were at a premium when the trio made their nifty knickered debut. . . . Sound trucks moved in en masse on the Gov- ernors convention at French Lick, Indiana, not so long ago, golf clubs and all! Governor Roosevelt and his water power, Gif Pinchot and his fa- vorite utility trust discourse, together with a few remarks from Will Hays, were all duly canned and sent screen- ward. . . Billy Andlauer, between pix, down in Kansas City, is pro-ing at the Meadow Lake golf emporium. Jimmy Pergola and Billy will have to battle out the intersectional cham- The Cover Artist Alexander Kahle By NORMAN W. ALLEY peenship one of these days. . . . Gene Cour passed cigars around the other day — it's a boy. . . . Hugo Kuersten reports from Minneapolis that the home brew is n.s.g. since the "G" men knocked off one of Al Capone's agents up there. Hugo opines that all the good malts and hops have skipped town since, and trying to make it out of apples and what not isn't so good. . . . Tony Cermak, Chicago's latest mayor, attended the last meeting of the news cameraman's club recently and thanked the gang for the support they gave him. . . . See you next month. SIX-SIXTY-SIX In Focus — In Spots! By THE SASSIETY REPORTER WELL, I'm asittin here in a Cleveland hotel what advertises "Radio in every room" writin this because they only give you one set of ear phones and just because my sound Engineer (capital E) thinks he's gotta wear 'em because he covers up them lovin cup ears of his when he's out ketchin noise for the stuff I shoot. But just wait until ten o'clock when "Amos and Andy" come on — then we'll see if a lousy cameraman ain't entitled to some rights when travelin with these here high brows whats had big technical edications and what has to travel with guys like me what got their start sellin papers. Furthermore I ain't writing this to Horatio Alger. All I'm drivin at is maybe we button-pushers (formerly crankers) wore them ear phones be- fore these here noise ketchers got in the game and found out all about rooms with baths, manicurists and ex- pense accounts. I'm gonna make a man out of this bird with me yet. Why only yester- day I caught him smokin a cigarette, but he tossed it when I caught him, but I bet it was cubeb. I got him now so that he'll take a second gin buck providin he don't have to get in on the split when the bill comes up. You know the talkies is a wonder- ful invention when you sit down and figger what marvelous effects them birds get twistin them thar dials of theirs when all that us cameramen have to do is to push a button ac- cordin to the one I travels with. Yours for gettin us birds what used Have Your Finger Prints Been Modulated Today? PLENTY of action over at the Action Film plant the other day. It seems that the synk- ing of an animated trailer called for soft purring music, and instead it came out sounding like a ma- chine gun barrage ! After much perusing of the amp, the mike and other mitigating causes, the boys were ready to give up the ghost, call it a day and start cutting out paper dolls, when in popped Sammy Ember, the de- mon manager, with the solution: It seemed that Stan Polinski, chief developer, had tried out his new idea of finger printing the noise track, and the only trouble with the test was that Stan's finger printing striations were a wee bit too coarse for what the job called for! N.W.A. to slop the week day pants full of hypo, dippin em in on a par with the sound Engineers. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Must Be Good All kiddin aside, tho, my sound man aint so bad as all that. (He just looked over my shoulder.) We just come up from French Lick, where all the governors showed up to make speeches into the lenses of a troup cf 666 news shooters. The gang was all there, Floyd Traynham and Ralph Saunders did the aimin for Pathe, Eddie Morrison and Phil Gleason furnished the laffs from the Fox end and me and Rob- ertson brought up our heavy artillery also. You know down there at French Lick they got a spring which fur- nishes a certain kind of water whats in competition with Nature, and Phil Gleason sure sent out a lot of post cards telling all his friends how the gang was keeping on the move on that story. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Coughin Up Ran into a couple of 666 Cleveland- ers on the street tonight — Bob Sable and Dave Sandler, who are connected with Jack Flannigan. They was just handin over two bits to an old pand- handler on the main drag. How I could teli them from the P. July, 19S1 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Fifteen H. was they wuz well dressed like most cameramen. Thought maybe I could get to see Jack Flannigan, too, but the boys said he was over in- spectin a new German beer garden. New York Film Technicians Sign Agreement With Labs SIX-SIXTY-SIX Alley the Wizard Norman Alley, who runs this Page, bust into Indianapolis in a great big Pierce Arrow, which he says is his, and which he claims the depression drove him to buyin. He immediately bet Eddie Morrison he could get twelve miles to a gallon and Eddie, thinkin Alley wuz pullin a Charlie Ford on him, took him up on it. Well, the bet was started at 1 A. M., and what else could we do? It had to be settled right away, and off we breezes on a hundred mile jaunt which lasts almost until dawn to prove Eddie wuz wrong. Alley averaged 15 miles to a gallon going down the hills he picked for the test. The official observers in the back seat, consistin of Gleason, Lip- pert and yours truly, slept soundly throughout the run, provin the test wuz run on the up and up. Alley says the hardest part of the whole grind wuz wakin Eddie up when he finally piled back into In- dianapolis. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Fambly Reunion The air maneuvers at Dayton sure was a fambly reunion for a lot of the old gang. Even Hy Lutz showed up. Alexander blew in just as noisy as ever and let the shower bath overflow in a certain hotel so's the help had to soak up the water with a shovel, so's the guest on the floor below didn't feel like the tropical rains were about to bust loose. Tony Caputo wuz there with Jerry Altfleish, his sound man. The gang decided one certain night that Leon Errol's legs are super rigid to Jerry's when he starts to put on a show. SIX -SIXT1 -SIX New Star for John Brother John Herrmann of 659 blew in to the benzine derby also, flashin another new badge from the Omaha police department. Herrmann ought to be right in line soon for the job of "head house dick," for some ho- tel with all the tin stars he has accu- mulated in the Middle West. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Pres Gets Shock President David turned up at the Indianapolis races belchin that his worthy brothers are turnin out dressed like la de das, seein as how most of us had struck a fire sale on loud colored sweaters and golf hose. The worthy President was all dressed up like a business man, but he didn't ketch on to our get-up at all. What had happened was Robertson had just had a brand new set of golf clubs made to order and he had thir- teen of 'em, and we wuz just all goin out in our spare time to help him break em in. Did we break 'em in? Ask Morrison — he killed the most NEW YORK LOCAL 669, film technicians, has signed an agree- ment with Paramount, Fox, Warner Brothers, Pathe, RKO and M-G-M whereby in the future the eastern laboratories operated by these companies will be on a closed shop, eight hour a day and forty-four hour week basis. There will be double pay for overtime. The laboratories included in the transaction heretofore have been working on an open shop basis. The negotiations leading to the present result were conducted by Sal J. Scoppa, representing Local 669, and Pat Casey for the employers. Conversations have been carried on for many months and have been marked by cordiality on both sides. snakes on a fairway and his score looked like a good bowling average. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Short Ends Flashed around the windy burg: Jack Barnett is still dashin up and down Boul. Mich, in the little flivver with his little blonde lady . . . While brother Martin still rushes his same lady friend . . . President David flash- in new kicks by the half dozen pairt — where's the fire sale, Charlie? . . . Brother Blakely invitin the Geises up to Kootchy Koo, the new offspring — which reminds this department where's the cigars, Verne, for the of- ficial announcement we made of the arrival? . . Red Felbinger sportin a half dozen labels sent to him by Brother Wienert of Buffalo when on in seven hells fellows get that way teasin a bird — "Aint the stuff bad enuf we gotta consume without hav- ing it rubbed in?" . . . Morrison and Gleason housewarming Montemuro's new apartment . . . Montemuro gettin a room at a hotel for a decent night's rest . . . Jerry Altfleish tryin out the new Buick, with the help of a couple of coeds . . . Shorty Richardson dash- in home in the old flivver, hopin against hope he won't be late for the supper the Mrs. has prepared for him ... A group of brothers standin out in front of headquarters razzin this column and wonderin how much longer it'll last . . . Can I help it if they still accept it??? Arrousez Denies Lakin Has Sold or Intends Selling Any Interest in That Company ERRONEOUS statements to the effect that Lakin Corporation has sold its Laco Lite interests to a competitor have been circulated in the motion picture industry, ac- cording to Frank Arrousez, sales- manager and patentor of Laco Lite, with Lakin organization. "These statements," Mr. Arrousez says, "have traveled fast and on their way have gained ridiculous propor- tions. Some accounts tell of flatter- ing offers we have received and our having accepted one of them. These statements are not true. "We have sold our Laco Lite inter- ests to no one, neither do we intend selling, and we feel the industry ap- preciates that such a move would be absurd — in view of the success of La- cos and the popularity they are enjoy- ing. Any one associated with the motion picture industry will do Lakin Corporation and me a great favor by contradicting statements to the effect that we have accepted an offer to sell our Laco Lite interests." Crew from "The Bells" photographed above the clouds in mountain pass in Scotland by Gerald Haley as the unit clears away the snow preparatory to hoisting cameras Sixteen The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER July, 1931 era IRA HOKE Call a Cop "Anyway," says Louis De Angelo, "assistant cameramen need not worry about conscription in the next war. By that time all of them will have flat feet from carrying camera blimps." Beauty Note Assistant Director — You say the leading lady's legs have no equal ? Cameraman — No, no. I said they have no parallel. And a One-Man Top First Actor — I've been bumming rides for the past two weeks. Second Same — Sold your car? First Again — No, I'm having a one- day paint job done on it. Drastic Figures First Business Agent — Do you know what the studio efficiency men are figuring on now? Second B. A.— No; what? First B. A. — Paper. Ain't This the Cat's? That extra man is really dumb. How so ? He went out to the dog hospital and asked to have his corns removed. Not So Green Billy Marshall — What did you no- tice most in Hawaii ? Dan Clark — The grass. Oh! Lily After considerable difficulties a scene was made of Lily Damita tak- ing her morning shower supposedly nude. "That was O.K. for me," exclaimed Director Schertzinger, "providing her undies didn't show. Did anyone see them?" "They didn't show, Mr. Schertzin- ger," sang out Maury Kains. "I was watching very carefully." Depressing Cameraman — Sold anything lately? Scenario Writer — Yes, my overcoat. Purity Squad One of our prominent first camera- men was arrested the other evening while strolling along Hollywood Boulevard. "What is the charge?" asked the night-court judge. "He is wearing a dandelion in his lapel, your honor," answered the ar- resting officer. "I don't see why that is an excuse for an arrest," countered the judge. "Please be explicit." "Well, your honor," said the cop, "he is under the influence of poten- tial liquor." Inside or Out? "That bootlegger said the stuff he sold us last night would put hair on our chests." "Gosh, come to think, it did taste like hair tonic." Dot that A "Peggy, the cutter girl, has just become engaged to an Irishman." "Oh! Really?" "No— O'Reilly!" Just Imagine First Cutter Girl— I hear that Di- rector Klink gave his new leading lady some pearls. Second Cutup — Yeah, but there is the same old string to them. Vps and Downs Cinematographers often make mountains out of mole hills. It de- pends entirely upon camera angles, of course. Oh! Gosh! Assistant Cameraman — I surely like to take you experienced girls home. Cutter — Why, I'm not an expe- rienced girl. Assistant — Yeah ? Well, you ain't home yet, either. In Hollyivood Jimmie — Are you serious ? Betty — No, French. Long Contract Actress — Four lipsticks, please. Max Factor — What size, madam ? Actress — One serial and three five- reelers. Final Fade Wardrobe mistress (showing studio visitors through costume department) — And in this room we have several dyeing vats. Lady from Iowa — Oh, dear! And can't you do anything to save the poor things ? Chick, Chick Chorus Girl (at wild party) — I'm so happy I feel like a little bird. Cameraman — Yeah, a fried chicken. In Hollywood, Too Assistant — Jim is an awful ladies' man. Second — I've noticed he picks some awful ones. That's Different Cameraman — That actor is adept at handling figures. Sound Man — I didn't know he was a mathematician. Cameraman — He isn't. He does the Apache dance in the cafe scene. His Only Satisfaction Electrician (after losing his shirt in poker game) — Well, anyhow, I don't have to explain this to my wife. Cameraman — How so, Charlie? Electrician — I'm not married. Piker Professional Beggar (on Hollywood Boulevard) — I am in terrible distress, sir. My wife wants food. Movie Magnate (the victim) — Gosh. You're lucky. My wife wants a pearl necklace. Trade Secret "Forbidden Adventure," new Par- amount picture, was previewed in Glendale recently. Naturally Mitzi Green, Jackie Searl and other mem- bers of the cast were present. Afterward, director Norman Tau- rog was talking to Jackie and his mother. "What is your ambition, Jackie?" he asked. Jackie replied, "I haven't any ambi- tion. I just want to be a direc- tor."— Paramount News. Rubber Filling After working for nearly a month on Paramount's "The Secret Call," Richard Arlen finally had a day off. He decided to pay his semi-annual visit to the dentist. "I'm sorry, I can't take you this afternoon," the dentist told him. "I have eighteen cavities to fill." An hour later Arlen bumped into him on the fifth hole at the Lakeside golf links." — Paramount News. Weather Note It must really be summer at last. My Scotch neighbor threw away his Christmas tree last week. Inverted Noise First Grip — How come, Bill? We just finished construction on this set yesterday. Now we have to tear it down. Second Grip — Well, you see, the office hired a new architect and he de- signed the set with the soundtrack space on the right-hand side. Engineers Exchange Honors Honorary membership in the Deutsche Kinotechnische Gesellschaft (German Society of Motion Picture Technicians) has been conferred upon the presidency of the Society of Mo- tion Picture Engineers, according to an announcement from Professor E. Lehmann, president of the German society, and received by J. I. Crab- tree, president of the Society of Mo- tion Picture Engineers. Similar honorary membership was conferred upon the presidency of the German society by the Society of Mo- tion Picture Engineers last May dur- ing the spring meeting of the society held at Washington. Qream oth Stills cttH'O*. From the decks of the battleship New Mexico Richard Worsfold photographs some of Uncle Sam's mighty fighters as they rest at their anchorages inside the San Pedro breakwater $8k Gream a th Stills ^^.'o^ saw From the Turkish Coast Peter Denie catches the bursting rays of a descending sun While off Catalina's Twin Pen lex Fred Archer snaps this old windjammer as she sets sail — and that doesn't mean getting up steam — for Callao, chief port of Peru @ream oth Stills «.SAT/o. °CRK<" — ' " ■ — 1 khi 1 )3Blr Ljgfc. Off in mid-Pacific Alexander Kahle lays his camera across the rail of a liner and over its wake shoots a bear's r ' .*:. - - ^4##**^- head — in the sky - ■ ■giMJei 6/r />< Catalina waters David Rag in photographs the $200,000 replica of Old Ironsides, later with all ceremony sent to Davy Jones by mandate of its motion picture builders <>^r'q, £ °GTL>f .* fier^ Lynch brings this charming view of MuzatUtn with the water pacific in all tnrth July, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Seventeen An improved method of blocking out splices in sound film X >| OW the sound track need no longer be painted out at the joints to silence splice noise. The Eastman Sound Film Patch enables the laboratory worker to block out joints with greater ease, speed, and uniformity. The patch is made of light-weight, opaque film. For convenience in handling, it is provided with a quickly detachable finger tab. With the aid of this tab, a simple but accurate registration block, and cement, the patch is quickly applied to the film. Because of its design, the patch is practically inaudible in projection. At the same time it obscures a minimum of the sound record, and assures fast, accurate treatment of all splices. These factors make the patches and the block a valuable feature of Eastman Service. Eastman Sound Film Patches, per thousand $5.00 Eastman Sound Film Patcher (registration block) 4-25 EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY ROCHESTER, NEW YORK J. E. Brulatour, Inc., Distributors New York Chicago Hollywood ■ I !■ I Eighteen The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER July, 1931 New Devices to Help Cameramen Lens Shade Invented by Maurice Kains and Finder by Friend Baker Will Go Far to Eliminate Camera Handicaps By IRA B. HOKE NECESSITY, the mother of in- vention, has been doing her bit lately in the interests of the overburdened and hampered cam- eramen. Silent cameras, unincumbered by blimps, bungalows, doghouses, blan- kets, or what have you, are a dream come true at last. They are yours to use from now on provided you insist on them. Finder troubles, our next bugaboo, have been overcome to a large extent by the combined ideas of that inven- tive pair, Friend Baker and Maurice Kains. While their ideas were worked out independently, they discovered that by combining their efforts an ideal finder arrangement could be produced. Maury's invention, an improved lens shade, started the ball rolling. His idea is ridiculously simple, but practical, and makes us wonder that it was not stumbled on years ago. The accompanying photographs il- lustrate the idea quite clearly. Note that the finder extension has been en- tirely eliminated, thus giving us a more rigid and accurate finder sup- port. Also note that the finder lens and prisms are reversed, bringing them closer to the photographing lens, a decided advantage in all close- ups and perambulator shots. The finder lens is placed directly behind the lens shade, and instead of looking past the shade, as of old, now looks directly through the shade. No Objectionable Shadow That is, it looks through three louvres or adjustable blades which form one side of the shade. These blades may be set at any desired an- gle and are invisible in the finder image. Even when the shade is slid to the ends of the iris rods there is no objectionable shadow in the finder. Another feature in its favor is that the angle of the shade or its size is unlimited. Wide-angle lenses can now be shaded efficiently. When And They Do Wonder Why Men Starve to Get On Screen CLAUDETTE COLBERT was kissed 134 times within the span of three hours by Maur- ice Chevalier, in "The Smiling Lieutenant" at Paramount's New York studio. The oscillation was necessitated by the rehearsals, takes and re- takes of one of the many love scenes which they share. viewed from the side, it will be seen that these blades overlap each other and thus prevent any rays from lights \ at the side of the camera entering the shade or striking the photograph- ing lens. Clever Idea This clever idea, especially when the blimps are discarded, can be fitted to any make of camera. Friend Baker's idea, a new finder, while primarily designed to be built into the new Mitchell camera, also can be adapted for use on any other The 100% Silent -INTEGRAL INKIE This amazing new Incandescent, the Integral Inkie, with lamp head made entirely in one piece from silicon aluminum, overcomes dif- ficulties encountered in set light- ing. It is 100 % silent because of its unique integral construc- tion which eliminates cracking. It projects more light due to a special mirror. Aluminum con- struction makes it lighter in weight. It may be switched off between shots without popping hazard. Every element in these lamps is exhaustively tested before they are released for use. The Integral Inkie is a Mole-Richard- son product. MOLE- RICHARDSON, INC. 941 N. SYCAMORE AVE., HOLLYWOOD If It It Isn't An Inkie. July, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Nineteen Diagram illustrating the -position of pr focusing tube as well as finder lens make. As you doubtless know, the new Mitchell camera has a single lens instead of the turret. Friend's plan is to replace this single lens with a plate carrying two matched lenses. They are to be geared together and therefore focus simultaneously. Many Advantages Its many advantages are as fol- lows: 1. Finder mattes are entirely elimi- nated. 2. The image on the finder ground glass automatically is changed to a larger image as the longer focal length lenses replace those of short focal lengths, an advantage in fast panning on close-ups. At all times it is possible to see a margin outside your actual picture area, thus ena- bling the cameraman to judge micro- phone clearances, etc. 3. The angle of the finder is auto- matically set at its correct position, as the lenses are focused on objects located at various distances from the camera. These angles are predeter- mined at time of manufacture and re- quire no further adjustments. 4. Follow focus can be handled through the finder if desired. 5. The finder is not a separate ap- pliance, but is incorporated in the camera door, in a manner similar to the present eye focus tube and there- fore cannot be lost, bumped out of position or dropped. The finder does not need to be removed for reloading of the camera. 6. Quicker set-ups are made pos- sible. The image is of course right side up, and left becomes left, right becomes right. 7. The operation of matching the finder aperture to the photographing aperture becomes superfluous. A mirror placed at a 45 degree an- gle behind the ground glass can be flipped up or down at will, thus allow- ing the image to rest on the ground glass in the upper tube or the ground glass in the lower tube. The same result can be obtained in the present model by diverting the image side- ways rather than upward. The finder lens and the photograph- ing lens are quite close together. The oposed finder at left of present Mitchell wedge controlling angle of distance. Kains' lens shade is utilized for the finder lens. Friend Baker has obliged us with a sketch which will simplify matters for you considerably and serve to prove the practicability of his clever and well thought out optical system. Chicago Sound-on-Film Projector Is Invention of Pioneer Herman DeVry THE new Chicago Sound-on-Film Projector is a product of the in- ventive skill of Herman A. De- Vry, long and favorably known in the portable motion picture machine field. The firm is now known as Herman A. De Vry Inc., and is situated at 55 East Waeker Drive, Chicago. The projector itself is the DeVry portable projector, the pioneer 35mm. projector brought out by Mr. DeVry twenty years ago, and continuously improved since that time to keep it abreast of all important developments. It is now manufactured by the QRS- DeVry Corporation, which acquired the rights to its production. The DeVry firm has taken this pro- jector and adapted it to the use of photo electric cell for sound-on-film projection. The following list of ad- vantages among others is supplied by the manufacturer: The new photo cell unit is an in- tegral part of the projector itself. 1 he photo cell reproduces all sound directly from the film track alongside the pictures. Thus no synchronous motor, turn table, flexible shaft, discs, tone arm, needles, batteries, ground wires or complicated meters or switches are necessary. Sound-on-film projectors use the large full theatre size 35mm. film, thus giving ample area for both film tiack and pictures, and providing both theatre size pictures and the- atre size sound volume for audiences of 1000 people. In the Chicago sound- on-film projector the film travels over tracks of hardened steel so construct- ed that there is comolete emulsion clearance for picture and sound. All switches and controls, both for sound and pictures, are outside the projector case, yielding instant con- trol by either hand. Weight, bulk and cost are reduced to a fraction of that of the earlier machines. Only the space necessary for two suit cases is required for in- stallation. One minute is all the time required to start sound and pictures with the Chicago sound-on-film projector. Weighing only 74 pounds, the ma- chine should present a powerful ap- peal to the non-theatrical world. Sound Helps Germany Herr Sander, foreign publicity manager of Ufa, indicated recently in England the extent to which the coming of the talker has helped Ger- man film distribution in Europe. Ufa, for example, now is surmlying Hol- land, Austria, Hungary, Czechoslo- vakia, the Scandinavian countries and other markets. Even in France Ger- man films are doing good business. RCA Photophone sound apparatus has been installed in the auditorium of Elks Lodge of New Albany, Ind. The lodge had silent equipment for many years. Left — Rear view of lens shade showing finder in position without extension. This large-sized shade will clear wide-angle lenses. Right — Inventor Maurice Kains alongi\,de new device showing how finder shoots directly through lens shade instead of past it TlVi III a The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER July, 1931 Major Treatt Seeking Sound and Film Data BRINGING a record of more than twenty years in exploration and picturemaking in Africa Major C. Court Treatt, F. R. G. S., is a visitor in Hollywood. The major is here in quest of the latest gadgets and information bearing on photography and sound re- cording in order that he may better or- ganize and fortify his coming motion picture expedition into the Sudanese country, and also for conferences with his American representative, Francis Wright. Of the twenty-two years spent by the major in Africa the last ten have been devoted largely to picturemaking. In that time he has produced "Stampede" and "Stark Nature," released by Pro- Patria, and the last named of which was shown in Paramount's London Plaza; "Cape to Cairo," which as a road show ran fourteen weeks in the London Poly- technic, and series of animal and other short subjects. Incidentally "Cape to Cairo" as a pic- ture now is in its sixth year and still is going strong. It is the story of the au- H Major Treatt Arabs, one of i elephants on I tomobile trip named and cov i 12,732 miles ov but 6800 miles. The disparit; I lay in the netji places cutting ally due to thr hazards encoun Nubian desert i places. The tour raj complete. The I The beautiful and the beastly — Thompson's gazelle frightened by camera's click and hyena with bent legs drinking at waterhole "* ^ Boru and Loweno, the Sudanese All photographs are copyright ' July, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Twenty-one ith Baggara t bes hunting tth spears h two points Md record of I distance of i iajds of miles oe party in a and especi- hndicaps and Iptiating the nny swampy e< months to reeled the en- In Hollywood Preparing for Sudan Picture tire route on its own wheels, an achieve- ment that up to the present time has been matched by no other automobile. In the party were Major and Mrs. Stella Court Treatt, Cameraman T. A. Glover and his assistant, E. S. Hinds, the latter Mrs. Treatt's brother and a member of all of the major's subsequent expeditions, and Fred C. Law, a special correspondent of the Daily Express of London. Mrs. Treatt wrote for publication in 1926 by Little-Brown the story of the ex- pedition. This book was followed later by others from the same author, "Sudan Sand" and "Stampede." Last year the major wrote "Out of the Beaten Track," which will be reprinted this year in this country by the Duttons. Fifteen Dialects The explorer's experience in the Dark Continent is an inclusive one, his travels having reached to all points of the com- pass. For two and a half years he was in command of parties laying the Cape to Cairo air route. In his more than score of years he has accumulated a knowledge of fifteen tribal dialects and an extensive acquaintance among natives of influence. It is by means of these acquaintances and this knowledge Major Treatt is en- abled to penetrate what to the average or casual traveler are closed territories, and heroine of "Stampede' I'. Court Treatt, F.R.G.S. ;. Victoria Falls of the Zambesi River, in Rhodesia, discov- ered in 1855 by Dr. David Livingstone and named in honor of his queen. Major Treatt with Mandala and Habbania elephant hunters, Western Sudan Twenty-two The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER July, 1931 When a hyena, exposes his own picture — On the left is seen camera and animal photographed by Major Treatt from blind fifty feet distant and on the right is the same animal as caught by camera in picture in which are seen the explosions closed by the decree of the controlling government in order to avoid almost inevitable trouble. So where the great majority of per- sons who visit Africa for picture pur- poses or others travel the beaten route, see the same natives as have been viewed by their predecessors, note the same customs and hear the same music, the older and experienced explorer possesses something ap- proaching a monopoly in the way of people, customs and music. In the making of "Stampede" Ma- jor Treatt was working on a location 200,000 square miles in extent. In the fire sequence a patch of 200 square miles was burned over — with extraor- dinary shots resulting in the way of natives and also animals domestic and wild retreating from the flames. When the nazir or king of the ter- ritory was approached regarding the possibilities of a spectacular series of pictures surrounding the fire he said that easily would be taken care of. He would assemble the men of his tribe a quarter of a mile from the river along with their families and stock and chattels and then send out two headmen who would set fire to the forest in strategic places. The nazir was true to his word. 6000 Warriors Six thousand warriors and their im- pedimenta of all descriptions were at the spot designated when the pair of torches were applied. The columns moved as expected and the animals did their part as foreseen. The major tells of his interesting experiences in hunting elephants with no weapon other than a spear, so far as he knows the only white man to have recorded that adventure on film. His companions were Baggara Arabs, nomadic cattle raisers of the Sudan. They are practically untouched by the influence of the white man. The men of the tribe, among which incidentally the major ranks as a chief, traveled 432 miles in 21 days. The distance was recorded by Treatt by means of a pedometer. One of the incidents in connection with the trip was the attitude assumed by the giant camera bearer. When it was suggested he permit some of his associates to share with him the burden of conveying a Bell and Howell camera and tripod and other equipment the bearer appar- ently was unable adequately to ex- press the scorn that surged within him. His responsible duty carried great honor and dignity with it among his fellows, and he did not propose to abate any of the dignities or to per- mit a share of the honors to get away from his own enormous bulk. Lion Turns Tail Asked regarding the experiences in photographing lions, the explorer said that at a waterhole where a lion was known to drink every second or third day a clockwork (Sinclair) cam- era connected with a distant release was planted in the mud so only the lens projected. A piece of meat was placed on top of the camera. In a Major C. Court Treatt blind fifty feet away the major photo- graphed the lion's attack on the meat. The explorer said he had taken many photos of lions drinking. It was when all set for one of these pic- tures that the animal seemingly changed his mind, stopped before reaching the water, turned and started to wander away. Hinds at the camera with great presence of mind and fearing the beast would be lost made a noise similar to that of a bleating goat. The lion wheeled abruptly and started for the camera. When within fifteen feet he suddenly stopped, for a flash seemed in doubt, and then as unexpectedly bolted. He had got a scent of the humans or else of some- thing he was unable to catalogue and classify. It is the major's intention to estab- lish a laboratory in Africa near his chief location. For the past fortnight the explorer has been bending every energy to completing the scenario of his next African production. When he was asked to what par- ticular factor he ascribes success in the case of explorers or motion pic- ture producers in Africa or similar countries, Treatt declared the great- est factor is organization, the kind that reaches beyond the human ma- terial and into the field of equip- ment. In the latter category he left a large space for a thoroughly digested continuity of any story to be made for the screen, in Africa even more than in Europe or America. The ex- plorer rather enjoys speaking of the African picture which was completed in its primitive locale with the excep- tion of a four-foot close-up made in England. "And just one more detail," was added as a parting injunction, "don't overlook the paramount importance of having in your party a man who not only knows the countries you are to visit but in whose judgment you have implicit faith." July, 19 Hi The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Twenty-three Faster Cites Data Bearing on His Mosaic Color Film Priority Claim Editor International Photographer: I have before me a clipping from The Los Angeles Evening Herald which explains itself. The same Asso- ciated Press dispatch appeared in other newspapers and is as follows: NEW COLORED FILM TESTS SUCCESSFUL LONDON, May 21.— Revolution- izing of motion picture photography is predicted today as the result of the successful tests of a process for producing pictures in natural col- ors. It was stated that the actual film base is printed with a founda- tion or matrix consisting of half a million minute red, green, violet and blue squares to every square inch of film. Over this foundation is coated a highly sensitive emul- sion. The perusal of this clipping would lead the reader to believe the invent- ors have established priority for their invention, but a careful examination of the facts here presented may con- vince one that priority really belongs to Hollywood. I herewith offer for the considera- tion of those concerned the data in connection with my own personal ex- perience in research connected with the development of the mosaic color process: 1912-13 — Correspondence with the Eastman Kodak Company relative to screen color films. 1915 — Announcement in The Brit- ish Journal of Photography, Decem- ber 3, 1915, of the formation of the Neochrome Photo-Products Company for the manufacture of screen color films, etc. 1918 — Lecture delivered and sam- ples exhibited at the University of California, Berkeley, Cal. 1920 — Review of accomplishments in The Motion Picture News, Sept. 25, 1920. 1931 — Mosaic color films shown to the technical editor of the Interna- tional Photographer, March 10, 1931, both of geometrical and non-geomet- rical construction, embodying the fol- lowing outstanding features: 1. Highspeed panchromatic emulsion. 2. Perfect adherence of the emulsion to the mosaic. 3. Facility of making duplicates. 4. Freedom from marks, spots, and abrasions, etc. L. R. FUSTER. "Yesterday in Santa Fe" Completed in Multicolor EIGHT six-reel feature films will be produced in Multicolor by Pioneer Pictures. "Yesterday in Santa Fe" already has been com- pleted at the Tec-Art studio. Nor- man Kerry is featured in the role of a Spanish don. Direction was by Jacques Jaccard, with photography by Otto Himm. Most of the action, in old Spanish background, was filmed at Vasquez Rocks, on the Mojave Desert. Three feature-length films and twenty-four two-reelers will be made in China with Multicolor process, un- der contracts just consummated with Harry Garson. The pictures will be made in Shang- hai, with native Chinese players and American methods of production. A branch laboratory of Multicolor will be established in Shanghai sim- Hnrtcbecste crowned with record horns photographed as it drinks ilar in operation to that already un- der construction in Osaka, Japan, where an ambitious program of Jap- anese pictures in Multicolor is under- way. Garson has sailed for Shang- hai. Loading the lorry in an African dawn Ira Morgan's Reno Subject to Be Released by Columbia IRA MORGAN, third vice president of the International Photogra- phers, has completed a single reel independently photographed in and around Reno. The subject will reveal the famous town as it is right up to the minute, with the divorce court and incidentally the divorcees "aplenty." Much attention is devoted to the gambling places, the producer report- ing that not only was he not handi- capped in securing an accurate record of these establishments but on the contrary was accorded every co-oper- ation. No professional actors appear in the picture, although it is promised rn abundance of high-class amateurs will be noted. The picture will be released by Wal- ter Futter through Columbia as one of the Travelaugh series. John P. Medbury will be responsible for the accompanying vocal comment. Twenty-four The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER July, 1931 Halation and Its Meaning Today Photographic Quality Will Not Suffer from Defect Because Industry Is Fortified by Ex- perience Over Sixty Years By DR. V. B. SEASE HALATION is defined as a halo of light sometimes seen around the image of a bright obect in a photographic positive print. In a negative it appears as a flare of sil- ver along the edges of the bright object. It is most likely to occur in photo- graphs of bright incandescent lamps, of strongly back lighted objects, of interior scenes including sunlit win- dows, or of the outline of a building against a blue sky. It is clearly a phenomenon of scat- tered light. It is known that the crys- tals of silver halide in the sensitive layer may scatter light, but in the fine grained highspeed emulsions of the present day it is doubtful if this scattering effect is ever responsible for more than a dulling of definition. True halation is caused by the re- flection from the back of the film or plate of a certain amount of light which has passed through the sensi- tive coating. Sensitive coatings may be quite translucent. This is evidenced by the fact that in a bipack film a very strong image is recorded on the rear film by the light which has passed through the front orthochromatic emulsion. The scattering which the light re- ceives in passing through a sensitive coating means that some of the rays will strike the rear surface of the film or plate obliquely and will be reflect- ed back into the emulsion at some dis- tance from the edge of the image. Halation Not New Halation is not a new phenomenon. It dates back to the days of the col- lodion plate. As early as 1867 we find an American inventor securing a patent on a black backing for collo- dion plates. Early workers encountered serious trouble with halation. They sought to remedy it in various ways. They recognized the fact that the rear sur- face of the glass or celluloid support was an excellent reflector of light, since the index of refraction of these materials is quite different from that of air. The surface of the support on which the emulsion is coated disappears be- cause of the fact that, the gelatine of the emulsion has approximately the same index of refraction as the sup- port, so the early experimenters at- tempted to eliminate the rear reflec- tive surface. They coated the back of plates with caramel, or other sub- stances whose index of refraction is similar to that of glass. Dyes, lampblack or other pigment were put into the caramel to absorb the light. Such back coatings accom- plished the desired results. They were temporary and very easily washed off in the developer or in run- ning water. Other backing compositions such as asphaltum in benzene, or such as pigments or dyes in collodion, gela- tine, etc., were successfully used. However, a little more effort was necessary for the removal of those backings, which were not water solu- ble. There are many references in the literature to attempts at incorpora- tion of dyes into the emulsion to pre- vent penetration by light. While the idea was fundamentally good, it was found that the dyes generally had a deleterious effect upon the photo- graphic quality of the emulsion. Back to 1893 A number of schemes have been re- vealed for putting a sub-stratum coating under the emulsion, capable of absorbing the light to which the emulsion is sensitive. An English in- ventor as early as 1893 disclosed a dyed gelatine coat between the emul- sion and the plate. He claimed that the color might remain without se- rious annoyance in printing. Seyewitz recommended a coating of transparent red, orange or green dye between the emulsion and the plate. He noted that only a few dyes such as congo red and rosolic acid could be used, as most dyes diffused into the sensitive coating and reduced sensitivity. He preferred that the dye should be capable of being read- ily bleached so as not to affect the printing from the finished negative. The dyed substratum coating was indeed a beautiful theory, but was hard to put into practice on account of the tendency of dye to diffuse into the sensitive layer. While searching for suitable dyes to try in a substratum coating San- dell recalled that lantern emulsions were orange colored, and he con- ceived the idea of coating fast nega- tive emulsion upon a lantern slide plate. His anti-halation results were remarkable. Thus originated the dou- ble coated plate which has enjoyed a wide popularity. Such plates owe their anti-halation quality, however, not to the color of the undercoat but rather to the opac- ity of the fine grained undercoat and its ability to absorb light. Satisfactory Method Undoubtedly this has proved to be one of the most satisfactory methods for prevention of halation, as the anti-halation coating disappears in the hypo bath and leaves a perfectly clear negative without any extra oper- ations of removing backings or dis- charging dyes or pigments. There have been numerous patents for brown manganese compounds in an undercoat. These compounds are capable of being destroyed in a strongly acid fixing bath. A German firm covered molybdenum ferrocyan- ide in the same manner. The alkali of the developer was supposed to de- stroy the ferrocyanide. Other workers have described the use of a colored support to prevent halation. In 1894 an English inventor defined certain permanent colors for either support or sensitive layer. A Belgian inventor revealed the appli- cation of a violet tint under the sub- stratum or on the back of celluloid film. Celluloid tints are not easily bleached out, but a violet or blue tint offers very little interference in mak- ing prints. Workers with tinted film like those with dyed undercoats, have confined their efforts to the use of colors which absorb in the spectral re- gion in which the emulsion is sensi- tive. Halation Secondary Importance Any yellow or red dye is effective as an anti-halation tint with ortho- chromatic film, but panchromatic film requires a tint secured with two or more dyes whose composite aborp- tion curve has approximately the same shape as the spectral sensitiv- ity curve of the emulsion. Thus it is seen that the problem of producing anti-halation emulsions has been tackled during the past from every angle. Early workers probably had more difficulties than the photog- rapher of today. Although they had much slower emulsions, these emul- sions were coarse grained and, there- fore, had low opacity which allowed much light to pass through their coat- ings. The modern fine grained emulsions with their high opacity have done much to relegate halation to a posi- tion of secondary consideration. Early workers also had emulsions whose sensitivity was mainly in the blue end of the spectrum, while mod- ern emulsions are becoming more and more sensitive toward the red end. A gelatine-silver halide layer has a good absorbing power for the blue, or short wave lengths of light, but it is much more easily penetrated by the yellow and red rays. So the tendency to increase pan- chromatic speed more and more has called the attention of the photo- graphic industry again to halation. But with a background of much ex- perience in combating halation, it is certain that this industry will not allow the quality of present day pho- tography to suffer on account of this defect. ,.^'Q,. %<■£ W Qream oth Stills W/ii7e Clifton L. Kling, on the rocks north of Santa Monica, shows Old Ocean in his more normal mood «.*^r^ A $l> On the rocks at Santa Monica William Grimes photographs members of the Rasch ballet as they rehearse for a picture Near the entrance to Honolulu Bay at sunrise Jackson Rose records the outline of the famous Diamond Head Qream oth Stills .' af Z>eZ i2ey, on the Southern California coast, as caught by Robert J. Bronner July, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Twenty-five Eastman Extends Film Range Introducing- Supersensitive Panchromatic 16mm. Safety Stock Making- Possible Night Shots With Inexpensive Lights THE introduction of Cine-Kodak supersensitive panchromatic safety film is big news to the world of home movie making. This remaikable new film puts an entirely new aspect on the subject of personal movies. The extreme speed and high degree of color sensitivity of super- sensitive film batters down many of the photographic barriers of the past. Motion pictures can now be made of subjects that could not be photo- graphed satisfactorily before. Pronounced sensitivity at the red end of the spectrum makes the emul- sion of this film particularly efficient when exposed to rays of artificial light — especially light of incandes- cent lamps. As a result the range of cine activities is signally extended. With supersensitive panchromatic film, it is now possible — in fact, easy — for amateurs to photograph sub- jects indoor by the light of ordinary electric lights. No longer is it neces- sary to use expensive lighting equip- ment to obtain indoor movies. To say the least the imagination is taxed in attempting to conceive of all the numerous new channels of inter- esting movie making that are now open. As a striking example your living room can be quickly trans- formed into a temporary studio sim- ply by placing two or more 100-watt bulbs in as many reading lamps. With your lens set at F.1.9, you are all ready for first-rate home movie por- traits, close-ups of the children, or numerous interesting subjects that do net require the source of illumination to be more than a few feet away. Lighting effects that are different — and beautiful — can easily be ob- tained by placing additional lights at the sides of and behind the subject. One lighted bridge lamp set behind the subject produces a "back light- ing" which gives a pleasing depth and roundness to the picture. See Figure 1. It should be under- stood that the direct rays of artificial lights should not be allowed to enter the lens. Lighted floor lamps and table lamps can be included in the picture, and will not cause fog or halation if the bulbs do not show through or under the shades. It must be remembered, however, that brilliant pictures can only be made when there are additional lights (out of range of the camera) for di- rect illumination. By increasing the number of elec- tric bulbs the camera can be placed farther from the subject, thereby in- creasing the scope of the picture. For instance, in Figure 2 the camera was 21 feet from the group. The diaphragm opening was F.1.9, and six 100-watt lamps were supple- mented by two 60-watt bulbs placed in a reading lamp. Exposure Table An exposure table for Cine-Kodak supersensitive panchromatic film when it is exposed under artificial light conditions is given. These exposures are for the cine- kodak operated at normal speed. Halve the illumination at half-speed. Distance Total from Lamps Diaphragm Wattage to Subject Opening of Lamps 2 feet F. 1. 9 200 2 " " 2.8 300 2 " " 3. 5 400 3 " " 1.9 300 3 " " 2.8 450 3 " " 3.5 600 5 " " 1.9 600 7 " " 1.9 800 9 " 1.9 1200 Best lighting is obtained by arrang- ing the lamps on each side of the camera, so that both sides of the sub- ject are illuminated. It is advisable to place the lights at different dis- tances from the subject. For example, the above table gives an exposure with the lamps 3 feet from the subject; the lamps can be placed 2V2 and 3% feet from the sub- ject. Be sure that the camera is in a position so that the lights used for di- rect illumination will not show in the finder. One of the largest fields of picture activities opened by the new "pan" film is that of indoor sports — basket- ball games played in well lighted gymnasiums, indoor track events. (See Figures 3 and 4.) Other athletic events taking place on well lighted platforms can be easi- ly photographed when stop F. 1. 9 is used. If the illumination is excep- tionally good, even smaller lens open- ings can be employed. The increased range of picture tak- ing provided by the new supersensi- tive panchromatic film actually em- braces night scenes on brilliantly lighted streets or theatre districts in large cities. (Figures 5 and 6.) For pictures of this kind the cam- era must be fitted with an F. 1. 9 lens and the largest stop (F. 1. 9) must be used. Best results will be obtained after a rain. Shooting Theatre Row The glazed surfaces of the street and the sidewalks then will reflect the rays of the hundreds of lights, giving added illumination and unusual ef- fects. If the lights are very brilliant the camera can be used at normal speed. Half-speed gives twice the exposure and generally produces more brilliant pictures. It should be kept in mind, however, that the action of moving vehicles and people walking on the sidewalks will be twice as fast. That is not so objectionable in the Fig. 1 — Supersensitive panchromatic film makes it possible quickly to transform your living room into a studio. One lighted bridge lamp set behind the subject produces a "back lighting," ivhich gives a pleasing depth and roundness to the picture. Fig. 2 — Events of the evening easily can be photogntphed anywhere in the house. For instance, in this picture the diaphragm opening was F.1.9, and six 100 watt bidbs were supplemented with two 60 watt bulbs placed in a reading lamp. Fig 3 — One of the largest fields of possibilities is that of indoor sports in well lighted gymnasiums or field houses. Twenty-six The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER July, 1931 case of automobiles or street cars, be- cause they then only appear to move more rapidly, but the action of people walking will be jerky. Animated electric signs usually make fascinating pictures. Action often found in the windows of large stores sometimes affords an attrac- tive night subject. Fireworks, flood-lighted buildings, camp-fire scenes, are all now within the scope of night movie making. The remarkable qualities of Cine- Kodak supersensitive panchromatic film are valuable for daylight photog- raphy as well as for pictures at night. The increased light-sensitivity of the film is not confined altogether to the red end of the spectrum. It is nearly twice as fast to blue and ultra-violet light as regular pan- chromatic film, permitting successful pictures to be made under very ad- verse weather conditions. Unique shots can be made during a downpour of rain with supersensitive film, and the cine camera now be- comes an efficient instrument during the early hours of the morning or in the weak light of the afternoon. Cine-Kodak supersensitive pan- chromatic safety film makes the "pho- tographic day" twenty-four hours long. Goodly Supply of 16 mm. Talkers Nozv Ready for Home Projectors «TTOME talkies are right at J~~ J hand," states J. H. McNabb, president of the Bell & How- ell Company, "and soon all over the country people will be enjoying talk- ing pictures in their own living rooms — an advance which has been attained much earlier than was anticipated by even the most sanguine. When the 16mm. talking reproducer was first announced a little over a year ago," says McNabb, "it was mournfully predicted that a long pe- riod must elapse before there would be available a library of sound sub- jects for this type of reproduction which would be sufficiently large and varied to make some programs prac- tical and enjoyable. "But already our company is offer- ing over 200 16mm. sound subjects, and it has in sight approximately 25 releases monthly for the next twelve months. Of the sound subjects now listed practically two-thirds are espe- cially suitable for home use, and the same percentage will undoubtedly ob- tain in the releases scheduled for the coming year." A number of well-known producers, including Pathe, Universal and Ufa, have been quick to see the possibili- ties of the home talker market and have made professional subjects avail- able for 16mm. sound reproduction, it is pointed out. Bell & Howell, in addition to a fine selection of Ufa educational talkers excellent for home showing, is an- nouncing over 20 Grantland Rice Sportlights, fully as many Aesop's Fables subjects, and such features as "Barnum Was Right" and "The Leatherneck," all for 16mm. sound re- production. Home Library Material "A number of the progressive pho- tographic retail dealers are already building up comprehensive sound li- braries for renting to owners of home reproducers," says Mr. McNabb, "and some dealers have even announced a rental plan by which people who are giving a social function at home can rent both reproducing outfit and sub- jects at a reasonable fee." Talkers having to do with golf are bound to be especially popular for home use. Great interest is reported in "Par and Double Par," a recent 16 mm. release in which Bobby Jones and other celebrities of the links are both seen and heard. Williams' Shots ♦ ♦ . . Panchromatic Color Values Under two new process patents and with special film made to order for us we exclusively secure full pan- chromatic color values. In addition to normal lighting this process uses flat or black lighting and any desired lighting effects. We have the only process which photographs the actor in long shots without building any part of set. Action may be photographed in ad- vance of the backgrounds, saving time and money. Double Matting Process Which guarantees you perfect re- sults, quick delivery of finished shots, with no halo or ghost ef- fects, and no retaking of action to correct matching or change of back- ground scenes. New and Improved We have discovered and patented a new and improved method in the making of mattes for the Compos- ite Processing of WILLIAMS' SHOTS which comprises photo- graphing the actor before a blue or red background with two nega- tive films, one resulting in black background matte and one with a white background matte, the two being combined. COMPOSITE LABORATORIES COMPANY 8111 Santa Monica Blvd. OX 1611 Fig. U — if you have ever had the thrill of "shooting" movies of an exciting football game you can appreciate what it means to be able to record the fast action of a basketball match. Fig. 5 — The mazda magic of the "stem" is another attractive subject that movie makers can easily film now. Fig. 6 — On brilliantly lighted streets, theater districts, etc., excellent night scenes can be filmed with the lens set at F.1.9. July, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Twenty -seven Seeking Quality for Independents That Was Object Aimed at in Organization of Blue Seal for Making- of Sound on Film Recording Equipment By J. BURGI CONTNER President Blue Seal Devices, Inc. REALIZING the field for equip- ment capable of extremely high grade sound on film recording available to the man of limited means, Blue Seal Sound Devices, Inc., was formed by myself and Verne T. Bra- man, formerly chief recording engi- neer of DeForest Phonofilm Studios, for the purpose of designing such equipment. The glow lamp method of record- ing was chosen as being in our opin- ion the simplest, most foolproof, and most dependable, eliminating mechani- cal troubles encountered with me- chanical devices. No suitable glow lamp being available, the Cineglow three-element recording lamp was de- veloped. This lamp works on a new principle which eliminates the harsh, raspy quality of ordinary glow lamps and gives a big increase in volume range. All equipment was made as simple as possible consistent with good re- sults, so that by following simple di- rections the average layman could operate it without the knowledge of an experienced engineer. The contact slit was discarded as being trouble- some and liable to clog, scratch, etc., and an optical system was employed. The optical system gives a clean, sharp track capable of recording as high as 8000 cycles. Three types of recording equipment were designed, namely, the double sys- tem studio type, a single system for the Bell and Howell camera, and a single system for the new Akeley Au- dio camera. All systems are made with Flexible cables and carrying cases for use on location work. The studio recorder employs a sepa- rate filtered sound sprocket with loops between the take-up feed sprocket. The Cineglow lamp with the Cineglow optical slit are capable of recording directly on sound positive film. The studio amplifier is provided with four microphone mixers of the T pad type. The condensers used are all of the 1,000 volt type although the highest voltage to which any one is subjected is 450. In addition to this, a spare condenser is mounted alongside of each condenser which has a high volt- age applied. Provisions are made for extra external volume indicator meters, phones, loud speakers, etc., if desired. The portable amplifier is small and light, the size being 8 by 8V2 by 11% inches including the dry cell filament batteries and two microphone mixers. An additional small battery box is supplied to provide current for the microphone, amplifier, and Cineglow recording lamp. The Bell and Howell attachment is provided for those who already have silent Bell and Howell cameras. This attachment is not merely a sound gate, but consists of a com- plete unit with separate filtered sprocket, optical slit, motor, tachom- eter, etc., which attaches on the back of the camera. One of the highest grade recording units ever devised is the new Akeley Audio camera with the Cineglow Mae Clarke and Kent Douglass in "Waterloo Bridge" a Universal Picture Max Factor's Make-Up Used Exclusively Sherman Clark, Stills Tel. HOHy 6191 Arthur Edeson, Cameraman Max Factor's Panchromatic and Technicolor Make-up for the Screen Max Factor Make -Up Studios Jack Pierce, Make-up Artist Cable Address "Facts" Highland Avenue at Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood Chicago Office 444 West Grand Ave. Other Foreign Branches 4-C Her Majesty's Arcade 67 Foochow Road 399 West Street Benson, Smith & Co. 249 McCall St. Sydney, Australia Shanghai, China Durban, So. Africa Honolulu, T. H. Toronto, Canada London Office 10 D'Arbay Street Max Factor's Theatrical Make-up for the Stage Twenty-eight The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER July, 1931 sound attachment. The camera is de- signed expressly for sound record- ing work, and is extremely quiet, fibre gears and ball bearings being used throughout, which allow for op- eration in temperatures far below freezing. A filtered sound sprocket is pro- vided, and the film is threaded over a series of three rollers in the re- cording unit which give perfect mo- tion to the film. The Cineglow opti- cal slit is used, together with the Cineglow three element recording lamp. The motor, which is readily remov- able, is replacable by motors of 12, 32 or 110 volts, d. c, or 25, 50 or 60 or 110 volts or 220 volts a. c. Before the Cineglow Sound systems were announced they were given complete tests over a period of six months at the Cineglow Sound Stu- dios and the Atlas Soundfilm Record- ing Studio, Inc., of New York, and the Motion Picture Service of Peters- burg, Fla. During this time hundreds of reels of film were recorded for out- side concerns many of which have enjoyed national release. Blue Seal Sound Devices, Inc., will announce a recording unit for the Mitchell camera, within a short time, and work is now proceeding on a simple, low-priced one-man unit for the local commercial cinematographer. AUDIC-CAMEX Practical Portable Sound-on-Film Recording Always Ahead DIRECT CURRENT INTERLOCKING CAMERA MOTOR Weight — 8 Pounds Can Also Be Used as a Regular Camera Motor EVERYTHING THE CAMERAMAN NEEDS WILL BE FOUND AT Eugene J. Cour, Chicago Representative, 1029 South Wabash Avenue Parichy Back in Hollywood After Seven Months Away BACK in Hollywood for the first time in seven months, Esselle Parichy, staff correspondent of International Photographer, finds his stay may be short. Nevertheless he expects with Mrs. Parichy to be here until early in August, long enough in any event to enjoy the season of bowl concerts. During the winter the correspondent photographed pictures Esselle Parichy in Haiti, Santo Domingo, San Juan, Puerto Rico and Florida. It was in the waters of Miami that the photographer captured the four- pound sea trout shown in the accom- panying picture. "I don't fish much and don't know anything much about how it is done, but this one must have been dizzy to come on my line. I caught him on a piece of shrimp as big as a nickel." "Again in Old Town Calle Olvera Lives," from the r>en and the camera of the correspondent, will be a fea- tured article in the August issue of this magazine. Film May Not Be Carried As Handbaggage in Yugoslavia THE Yugoslav State Railway Administration has issued strong regulations that film may not be carried as handbaggage in the cars of the railway. All film must be transported only in the baggage car. or in ether freight conveyances. At this date it has not yet been possible to establish whether or not such film as is used in the modern type of moving picture camera for tourists, etc., is affected by this regu- lation. Until this is established, however, it would be well for tourists and commercial travelers carefully to observe this regulation. July, 19.U The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Twenty-nine Glenn Kershner Off for North As Member of MacMillan Expedition GLENN R. KERSHNER, car- toonist of International Pho- tographer, sailed June 29 on the good ship Bowdoin from Rockland. Me., as an active member of Donald B. MacMillan's fourteenth expedition into Labrador and regions of the far north. Final fuel replenishment will be made at Sidney, N. S., before striking out for Battle Harbor, Labrador. At Cape Chidley, the northern point of Labrador, the cameraman Glenn R. Kershner and Multicolor camera will transfer to the plane and fly over the wild and unexplored section of Baffin Land. Any reference to Baffin Land sug- gests the disastrous Nungasser-Coli flight. On a previous trip MacMillan had been informed by Eskimos that the Nungasser-Coli plane had been sighted over Baffin Land and seem- ingly in distress. During this part of the flight every effort will be made to find some evidence of the wrecked plane. The main object of this flight is scientific exploration, but there is also a possibility of discovering and photographing a tribe of Indians the existence of which has been rumored. Should this tribe prove to be a real- ity it will have especial significance for Mr. Kershner and add just an- other redskin to a list already for- midable by reason of a previous as- signment covering a period of a year and a half devoted to photographing all the many tribes of American In- dians. A cameraman of Glenn's versatil- ity could not be expected to confine his interest to Indians. As a result of activities in the South Seas he re- ceived the picture award for the best picture photographed in 1923. When he went Mexican he covered eighteen different states. Spaghetti in a Vene- tian setting finds him quite at home and able to acquit himself like a na- tive. Naturally, Uncle Sam wouldn't have a chance of figuring in a war without this fellow being some place where he could see what was going on, and so we find him in the air- craft division, industriously buzzing around. Although he is headed where recep- tions are quite certain to be chilly and the atmosphere frequently frigid, the prospect in no way cooled the enthusiasm with which our cartoon- ist started on this new adventure. The northland is going to have a visitation of the real California spirit. In speaking of his appoint- ment as district commissioner in di- rect charge of publicity of the Cres- cent Bay Council, Boy Scouts of America, of Los Angeles, with plans of organizing a scout troop "some- where up yonder," Mr. Kershner says: "Guess that isn't stretching the city limits of Los Angeles, eh? "Best wishes to 659, and after I learn to chew blubber with the Es- kimos, will see you some time this fall." Bon voyage! Hughes Development Co. , Ltd. 1001 North Orange Drive Hollywood, California Specializing in Meeting the Requirements of the Motion Picture Industry. Synchronizing Machine Miniatures Props Patterns Printers Special Equipment Processing Machines Camera Repairs Heat Treating Welding — Electric Arc, Spot and Acytelene Sheet Metal Complete Engineering Facilities Unsurpassed Technical Staff will advise as to methods and means of creating special effects and unusual shots Phone : GRanite 2 155 Thirty The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER July, 1931 Building Engines Like IVatches That's Not So Far from the Kind of Skill Required at Hughes Plant in Designing and Engineering Miniatures TO the making of engines and machinery for use in building miniature sets for motion pic- tures the Hughes Development Com- pany, Inc., is devoting the resources of a most completely equipped fac- tory— that situated opposite the Mul- ticolor laoratory in Romaine street. While the officers of the Hughes organization will deny that the build- ing of these models constitutes a major factor in the work of the cor- poration, nevertheless the layman cannot escape being much impressed by the skill, the engineering skill, that has been expended in the crea- tion of these bits of machinery. These diminutive engines and rep- licas of airplanes and yachts are more than drawn and executed to scale. They are made to operate ex- actly as if they were of ordinary size. So carefully is the scale observed in the building of these that when so photographed as to appear of normal size all the accessory factors enter- ing into the construction, all nuts and bolts for example, take on the ap- pearance of the real thing. When an International Photogra- 'DUNNING CLEO' m Jf 'Oh! Oh! Cleopatra' AN R.K.O.-PATHE-MASQUERS PICTURE FEATURES THE PHOTOGRAPHIC EFFECTS BY THE DUNNING PROCESS "Join Dunning and See the World on the Screen" 932 No. La Brea Ave GL 3959 Hollywood, Calif. pher man expressed a hint to Harry Reynolds he would like to show read- ers of the magazine to what an art the making of these miniatures had become he was told that would be possible. When it was suggested further to the Hughes executive it was important there be included in the exposure something beyond all question indicating the tiny dimen- sions of the subjects the response promptly was returned the relative size would be quite clearly estab- lished in the minds of the readers if a copy of the magazine itself were employed for the purpose. That is the underlying reason for the inclusion in some of the illustra- tions of the International Photogra- pher, the outside dimensions of which are roughly 8V2 by 11% inches. Big Ones From Little Ones The illustration in the upper left hand corner of the layout is dominat- ed by the models in filagree work showing doors and windows among other things. The board itself is 13 by 18 inches in size. That will give a cue to the size of the guns and bat- tleships, propellers and other items surrounding the board. To the right is a power boat in miniature. In the right-hand corner is a min- iature power boat in the background. In the foreground is an ink bottle the height of which is about 2M: inches. In the left is a marine engine of ver- tical type, possibly six inches in height. The writer saw this mite in operation, motivated by compressed air, as well as the oil well drilling en- gine alongside it. The latter was so controlled it would instantly reverse in response to the throwing of the lever in the center. On the right of the ink bottle is a model of a West- inghouse steam engine. In the left-hand lower corner are three more engines guarded by the 2% -inch ink bottle. To the left is a V-type six cylinder engine, alongside King Charney says . . . WHETHER IT BE CARBON OR INCANDESCENT LIGHTING WHETHER IT BE TALKIES OR SILENT Negative For definite results AGFA RAW FILM CORPORATION July, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirty-one Examples of miniature designing and engineering by the Hughes Development Company is an eight-cylinder, and to the right is a two-cylinder marine. In the center is a two-cylinder mill type engine. Underneath it is a rep- resentation of a power house unit in miniature. In the lower right-hand corner of the layout are two minia- ture airplanes. Work Must Be Unhurried These illustrations indicate but a small part of the miniature equipment in stock at the Hughes plant. They will serve, however, to demonstrate the distance to which motion picture makers will go in order to secure realism. "Almost anything may be done where miniatures are required if the work is given the benefit of proper designing and engineering," remarked Reynolds. "In too many instances where the climax of a story has leaned on miniature work the effect not only has been lost but the picture itself as a whole has been marred because of hasty execution of the design. "Frequently it happens that minia- tures are decided upon as a last re- sort. Ordinary measures have been tried and they have failed. Then the tendency is to hurry, with the result that sometimes proportions are sac- rificed. The mistake is plain to all the world as soon as the scene is magnified on a big screen. Inevitably the situation goes flta. "Miniatures have a distinct value in pictures. Actually they are a necessity. Especially are they val- uable in the saving of human life — which in some instances put them in the category of the imperative. Then again frequently in miniatures really better results may b? recorded, more realistic, than possibly can be se- secured in the ordinary way. And after all what really is aimed at is the result on the screen." ROY DAVIDGE FILM LABORATORIES An Exclusive "Daily" Laboratory Quality and Service 6701-6715 SANTA MONICA BOULEVARD GRanite 3108 Thirty-two The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER July, 1931 J. H. McNabb, president of the Bell & Howell Company, Chicago, sailing from New York May 27 on the Leviathan as one of the vanguard of Rotarians who will attend the Vienna Convention, uses his camera to film the ship's captain, Albe?-t Randall. Phototone Making Portable Amateur Soutul Projectors FOR THE amateur motion picture fan who wishes to be able to show talking pictures in addition to the films which he takes the Phototone Equipment Corporation manufactures a portable sound on film projector which is suitable for that purpose. The projector and amplifier operate direct from 110 volt 50 to 60 cycle a.c. without the use of a motor converter. The projector will handle any 35mm. sound on film stock. The operation has been so simpli- fied that one does not need to be an expert to run it. The threading is clearly marked and the entire outfit can be set up in approximately fifteen minutes. The weight of the unit including the projector, amplifier, speaker and screen is 195 pounds. With trunks the weight is 235 pounds. Western modes and manners the royal family is taking the lead. From Bangkok Prince Purachatra has just sent his Filmo projector, bought some years ago, to the Bell & Howell factory in Chicago to have it fitted for use as a unit in one of that company's portable amateur talker re- producers. Foreign Films for Paris The Theatre Edouard VII, on the Paris Boulevard, has been turned into Siamese Prince Goes Talker Home talkers soon will be intro- duced in Siam. As in many other matters in that country related to Phone GLadstone 4151 HOLLYWOOD STATE BANK The only bank in the Industrial District of Hollywood under State supervision Santa Monica Boulevard at Highland Avenue a cinema. It is, of course, wired for reproduction of sound films and will be devoted exclusively to the showing of foreign language versions. The house seats 750 and its acous- tics are excellent, so that no recon- struction work was required. | It was opened -June 1. Burgess Goes Abroad Francis J. Burgess is leaving on an extended tour of Europe to study mo- tion picture production. He plans to investigate methods in Germany, Russia and France, where he will vis- it the studios of Ufa, Amkino and Paramount, respectively. It is also possible he may locate in France. Portable Sound on Film Reproducer — For Discriminating Purchasers Complete Equipment Packs In 2 Trunks. Total Weight of Equipment, 190 Pounds Manufactured by Phototone Equipment Corporation of America 309 N. ILLINOIS ST. INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA July, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirty-three JAMES B. SHACKELFORD Specializing in C@L© USING The Bi'Pack Process Photoplays — Short Subjects — Travel — Advertising iy2 YEARS EXPERIENCE Have Complete Photographic Equipment Business Address 6723 Santa Monica Ave Phones GRanite 3108, HEmpstead 4936 Cable Address "Shacklford Hollywood" Res. Phone WYoming 7070 Thirty- four The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER July, 1931 Engineers' Convention Is a Success While Papers Read at Sessions Receive Much Attention Exhibit of New and Historic Equipment Prove Really Popular THE spring convention of the Society of Motion Picture En- gineers, the sessions and exhibit of which were held May 25-29 at the American Legion Auditorium in Hol- lywood, was perhaps the most suc- cessful in the history of the organiza- tion. The exhibit was conceded to have been the most comprehensive yet held. The program as printed in the June issue of this magazine was closely adhered to. The banquet, held at the Hotel Roosevelt May 27, was largely attended. The exhibition of motion picture devices created within the past year was held in the basement of the audi- torium. Incidentally it was supple- mented by some very valuable relics of other days, these taking the form both of equipment and samples of films. The International Photographers, Local 659, displayed nearly a hundred still pictures photographed by its members. These had been mounted on large boards by John Corydon Hill cf this magazine and attracted wide attention. Besides the grouped photographs there were a half dozen examples of the work cf Alexander Kahle, the subjects being of Hawaiian back- grounds and in colors. Jackson Rose also exhibited a half dozen subjects of beauty spots in Los Angeles parks. One of the features of ths organi- zation's display was the group of twelve paintings executed by Lewis W. Physioc, senior technical editor of International Photographer. The sub- jects were all of Malayan background and were based upon scenes visited by the artist last year when he went to the Orient at the head of the camera forces of a Universal company. Theodore Wharton displayed his latest cameraman's slate, a most com- prehensive device. Hollywood Camera Exchange exhib- ited six pieces of sound recording apparatus, being a part of the Audio Camex system. Hooked up with these were a Mitchell camera and a Mole-Richardson microphone boom as well as the exhibitor's blimp. Westinghouse Electric and Manu- facturing Company showed an inter- locking camera motor, one-tenth horse power, 220 volts 3 phase 60 cycle, 1200 r. p. m. Also on exhibit were a panel board unit, a direct cur- rent interlocking camera motor and synchronous camera motor. The Mole-Richardson display in- cluded its tilthead lamp 118 mounted on perambulator; an 18 and a 24 inch integral inkie sunspot and a small M-R type 26. Hollywood Film Enterprises showed three Ampro projectors. Tanar Corporation exhibited port- able sound on film recorders in both double and single systems, hooked up respectively with a Bell & Howell and a Mitchell camera. From the M-G-M studio were early and late designs of single ribbon Standing on the steps leading to the entrance of the imposing quarter of a million dollar American Legion Auditoriu convention o July, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirty-five damped light valve and other devices. Spindler and Sauppe had a display of Leica cameras and microcine ap- paratus. Lakin Corporation was responsible for one of the star exhibits, a feature of which was a 36-inch Laco sunspot, equipped with a Bausch and Lomb mirror and Dietz reflector and a di- verging door. Also there were 18 and 24 inch lamps, a rifle spot, 6 hole plugging box, Laco smooth lite, re- mote control location board, carbon brake manually operated location board and spider and stage plug. Electrical Research exhibited re- producer for small theatre hooked up with super Simplex projector. Other devices shown were studio recording machine, noiseless recording amplifier and recording equipment, a new dy- namic microphone, not yet in use; automatic level recorder for acoustic analysis, 3-A photoelectric cell, densi- tometer, noise meter, reverberation meter. Movieola showed its film viewing and sound reproducing machines, re- versible projector with two pairs of 2000-foot magazines, one side sound and one side silent; synchronizing re- winders for either two films or four. RCA Phototone displayed studio type amplifier, microphone mixing panel, visual optical remote control volume indicator, four microphone control panel type, recording monitor speaker, condenser microphone with three-stage amplifier, ground noise reduction shutter amplifier, type PR4 recorder, type PG30 monitor speaker, PG30 type impedance sound attach- ments on Simplex projector, Ashcraft automatic arc; Mitchell camera hooked up to portable set, 37 inch di- rectional baffle with six units, and PG30 theatre reproducing equipment for houses of 1000 seats or less, AC operated. Eastman Kodak displayed the first of its motion picture sensitometers to reach Hollywood. Ashcraft showed its air blast pro- jection lamp (high intensity). Neumade Products Corporation had extensive showing of fume-tite vented fireproof film cabinets and related products. Victor Animatograph had on dis- play its new model 5 Animatophone, 165 watt, 30 volt lamp, complete with turntable and pickup, and model 60 Animatophone speaker. The Dietz company had on view its sectional 24 inch field reflector, chro- mium flood light, sectional baby spot, smooth light, sectional 24-inch Uni- versal reflector, sectional 24-inch highlight reflector and sectional 18- inch reflector. ABC Products of Culver City was represented, as were the Quality Electric Company of Los Angeles and the Knowles rear shutter for projec- tors. The Theisen library of historical film was represented by several hun- dred interesting examples in both black and white and in colors. The Dunning Process was demonstrated by a goodly number of examples. Of early motion picture apparatus there were more than two score examples on display. McMurray and Schwantes of Glen- dale exhibited its automatic starter and changeover. International Projector put on an attractive display with portable sound equipment attached. The Moreno - Snyder continuous camera was on d'splay in two models and attracted an unusual amount of attention. Gabriel G. Moreno was present seme of the time during the week, and Silas Edgar Snyder was on hand during the entire period of the exhibit. Also in attendance was Lyle D. Potter of Spencer Lens Company cf Buffalo, manufacturer of the opti- cal system employed in Moreno- Snyder products. Bausch and Lomb displayed a cabi- net of lenses. m these members of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers and its guests were photographed during the spring f that body Thirty-six The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER July, 1931 Looking In on Just a Fezv Nezv Ones (Continued from Page 11) priest, Father Dan, finely played by Frank Sheridan, scores heavily through the story. The characteriza- tion is restrained to a degree, the sug- gestion that Kitty Costello is in love with the gang leader coming from manner and attitude but never from words — and is all the more effective accordingly. Of course the big factor in the pic- ture, especially from the juvenile side, is Jackie Cooper in his first screen appearance following "Skippy." In the present instance the youngster's opportunities if anything are greater than in the former. Niblo has re- tained the spirit of the child, even if necessarily it be the tough child of a tough neighborhood, but it is a por- trayal always human and always ap- pealing. We see the transformation of the child for the better, see him accept and follow the suggestions of his guardian, also undergoing transition for the better when he discovers his ward looks upon him not only as a brother but as a mentor and guide and as a model which cannot be wrong. Anomalous it may seem, but any theatregoer will recognize the truth in the statement that the simplest incidents sometimes cause the most striking emotional reaction. There is an example here when the gang leader hides in the shadow of the church as he gazes through a window and sees and hears his Midge singing in the choir. It is a very quiet house that watches and listens with him. There are many moving situations in the course of the story. There are some thrilling ones, too — and there is a satisfying and a logical ending. It is a subject that should add to the reputation of all those who have touched it. It's a good subject to see, one that no fond mother need fear the lesult of her son attending. Victor Milner From Africa Martin Johnson, noted hunter and traveler, sends photo of himself with Bell & Howell profes- sional cameras. I TAKE THIS WOMAN First cameraman, Victor Milner ; second cam- eramen. William Rand. William Mellor ; assistants, Lucien Ballard, Lloyd Ahern ; stills. Earl Crowley, Frank Bjerring. FROM the day of the birth of western pictures as an institution varied and as a rule unsuccessful efforts have been made to inject into them one or more eastern sequences. The reasons back of the action were obvious. Summed up they repre- sented an at- tempt to concil- iate that part of the general pic- ture public which was reported as being opposed to subjects reflect- ing the outdoors, cr westerns, or Northwest Mounted, or any- thing other than the citified. Paramount's "I Take This Wom- an" may not be a western in the ac- cepted sense, in that it has no sheriff, no bad men, no guns and not even a single blow is struck, but neverthe- less it has to do with those who fight with Old Man Cold and Old Man Snow on the northern ranges. With- out attempting to estimate closely the footage may be nearly a half in the east. So in this story which Vincent Lawrence has adapted from Mary Roberts Rinehart's novel of "Lost Ec- stacy" there is a wide variety of background, shifting from surround- ings of wealth in the east to a com- fortable ranch in the Montana coun- try, then to another ranch in the most primitive of environment, and back again to the cushions, deep car- pets and bedsprings of the east, with gayeties and sports instead of grim struggling with nature in its roughest moods. The interest in this absorbing tale is fastened upon two persons — Gary Cooper and Carole Lombard — the one Tom McNabb, a drifting cowhand, the other Kay Dowling, free and easy granddaughter of a rancher but who knows only the east and recognizes no restraint. At first thought the team of Cooper and Lombard may seem an incongruity, but in the work- ing out of this tale of Rinehart and under the direction of Marion Gering each one seems made to order for the part. While the subject will firmly hold the interest of men it is after all a woman's picture — it clings to matters that lie closest to a woman's heart, matters which involve balancing in the scales the character combined with physical attraction and demon- strated tenderness of a male person against the accompanying hardships, even privations, as well as the sacri- fice of wealth that must be accepted as the price of his companionship. Here we see the woman crack un- der a year of grueling manual labor and unaccustomed contact with heat and cold, with pitiless blizzards; see her return to her old home and take up life where she left it off, see her enter it with a spirit that gradually diminishes following the arrival of the husband. It is from this point on a house will be very quiet, as it follows the grim husband determined to allow the wife full liberty of action, even a divorce, making no effort to sway her in her decision, and the return of the woman to her first love. There are other characters in this story, a lot of them, among them Helen Ware as the sympathetic aunt, and Lester Vail as the father's choice for the girl's hand, but the interest is glued to the young man and young woman who re-enact a tale as old as life itself — and do it well. DADDY LONGLEGS First cameraman, Lucien Andriot ; second cam- eraman, Don Anderson ; assistants, Robert Mack, Roger Shearman ; stills, Frank Powolny. FOX has given us a charming pic- ture in "Daddy Longlegs," adapted by Sonya Levien from the play by Jean Webster. It is a subject made to order for Janet Gaynor, who shines through it in spite of the brilliance of her associates. At the head of these is Warner Baxter, arrayed in business and evening garb in contrast to that of the outdoor pictures which served as the ac- tor's reintroduc- tion to the screen following the coming of sound. Baxter fills to the brim the measure of his auditor's expectations. It is a fine performance, whether i t be judged by that sequence in which Jer- vis Pendleton throws off his coat and enters a football game with the boys of the orphanage or that of the more tender moments when he learns Judy is in love with him and proceeds to declare his own regard for her. There is a third player who bulks importantly in her contribution to the color and entertainment of the story — Lucien Andriot July, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirty-seven i Una Merkel. Kathlyn Williams is seen in a disagreeable part, that of the inquisitive antecedent hunter who will cause countless thousands to squirm in their seats in futile rage even as they chide themselves for tak- ing it seriously. Director Alfred Santell is to be congratulated on his conception of the head of the orphanage as a woman within the bounds of possibility and probability rather than the ogre which almost unvarying precedent seems to demand must be imposed upon picture audiences. Elizabeth Patterson as > Mrs. Lippett is sufficiently austere in manner to cover the dramatic require- ments. And what Santell has done with the children, especially the little girls, is worthy of high praise. Perhaps Miss Gaynor has given us nothing finer than her work in "Daddy Longlegs." In the course of the un- folding of the story there appear two outstanding instances of the unusual ' acting ability of this young woman. There is the scene in the orphanage when the childish maid of all work, nagged beyond restraint, bursts into a denunciation of the institution and J its immediate ruler. There is that other when the girl graduate stands before her teachers and fellows and the ceremonial throng and outlines her views of the past and future. In both of these instances as in others during ; the showing she establishes a stan- dard that will justify comparison with the work of her sisters of stage as well as screen. The subject is one that undoubtedly will have a long life. Perhaps its greatest longevity will lie in the sim- pler communities, away from the con- centration of humanity — but who can tell? The responsible producing author- ity is to be congratulated on the cour- age displayed in permitting the story to go to its finish without scraping up at the eleventh hour some father and mother "of excellent family" to serve as the parents of the waif. The precedent has been so thoroughly established as to be practically a rule. JEAN DE LA LUNE THE French talking picture of "Jean de la Lune" is pretty near a total loss to the man who knows not his French. The chief rea- son for this of course is the absence i of action and the undue presence of conversation. There is one sequence, however, in 'which "Jean de la Lune" is entirely 'comprehensible, one where the serv- ices of an interpreter not only would be wasted but scorned. That is where at a cafe eight women — distinctly not sawed-off and hammered-down flap- jpers but full-grown and full-blown adults — break loose in the cancan, that fiercely whirling and skirt-swirl- ing dance looked upon from time out of mind in eastern rural communities 'as the topmost summit of unspeak- able urban wickedness. Of course, in other days those who with bated breath listened to the vivid 'tales of roaming sailormen could not have foreseen the twentieth century's Believe It or Not — But It Makes a Pretty Good Story Cadwallader & Jones is neither an advertising nor a law firm. Cadwallader & Jones is the name of a champion trained rooster that had its inning at the Paramount New York studio when it refused to crow for a sequence of "The Night Angel." The director wrote in a scene necessitating a closeup of a rooster on top of a stone wall signaling the advent of a new day. Two cameramen, two prop men and group of extras coaxed C. & D. for three hours before he would even condescend to notice them. Finally, almost ready to give up the attempt, someone hit on a scheme. They brought a mirror and placed it in front of the rooster. The moment the fowl saw his reflection he let out a recording- ful sound. Cadwallader & Jones, incidental- ly, is only the rooster's formal name. His owner calls him Tom for short. fourth decade successors of the can- can dancers — nor would they have be- lieved that one of these ancients at one time would have borne upon her body enough clothing material to have served a similar purpose for a dozen of her sisters in the years to come. Coming back to "Jean de la Lune," these blithe and lithe damosels burst upon the screen in full black skirts, full black stockings — come to think of it they must have been trunks — and the whitest of these linen unmention- ables now almost unknown to back- yard clotheslines and in their pendent phase abbreviated to the vanishing point. Seemingly the purpose of the skirts was to provide a background, a sort of photographic shade or contrast if you will for the highlights, for, when through the exercise of dynamic cen- trifugal force they were not lifted white waist high, then in the inter- vening moments graceful hands gath- ered them up and held them there. Especially was this gathering pro- cess in evidence as the eight in pairs prancingly descended stairways or with military precision marched about the dance floor suddenly to break into the whirling, spinning circle, the whole ending as suddenly as it began when one leaped into the air, followed with clocklike timing by one after an- other of her mates, landing on the floor in a smacking split. If it happened the whirl did not end up as described the "finis" took the form of a spectacularly reversed or about-face salaam, the skirts mean- while coquettishly flying clear of eight spreading waists which all in a row in their pristine linen whiteness shone like a barndoor on the prover- bial frosty morning, and coming to rest over eight pairs of ample should- ers. So as shown at the Filmarte on the concluding night of the run of Marcel Achard's picture the cancan sequence seemed to be a success even to those unacquainted with the mere verbal in- tricacies of the French language. HELLBOUND First cameraman, Charles Schoenbaum ; sec- ond cameraman. Earl Stafford ; assistants, John Shepek and Joe Dorris ; stills, Les Rowley. AFTER all, there is something more to the portrayal of a gangster role than the mere qualification as to type. It is still a job for an actor. All of which comes to mind in running back over the per- formance of Leo C a r r i 1 1 o in Tif- fany's "Hellhound." Carrillo qualifies J 100 percent on the 15 percent rating as to type, and better still 100 percent on the 85 percent rating as to actor capacity indicated for a gangster role. In following him through this picture C. Schoenbaum to its tragic end a picturegoer easily may forget his lack of enthusiasm for the killing stuff and its accompanying "yeah." By the way, here is a gang picture which runs its course without dredg- ing the sewers for what we are led to believe are the cheap lingual in- ventions dropped by the social rats which infest them. The dialogue is understandable even to those whose vocabulary chiefly is traceable to a reading of the national and interna- tional news in the daily press. Throughout the story Carrillo deals in Italian dialect — and in it he is con- sistent, in steadily adhering to it and in uniformity of pronunciation. The picture is well directed under the guidance of Walter Lang. The production, too, is of major rank throughout, in its settings as well as in the competence of its cast. The story is by Edward Sullivan and Adele Commandini, with adaptation by Julien Josephson. The latter also is credited with having a hand in the recent successful tale behind George Arliss' "The Millionaire." There is a pretty love story run- ning through the picture. It is a subtle one, with two men in love with the same girl, with the latter in love with one and under deep obligation to the second. The three are "regular," play the game straight, with the re- sult the production from the sex side is faultless — and praiseworthy. The two others in this benevolent triangle are Lola Lane and Lloyd Hughes. The parts falling to them are entirely dissociated with the un- derworld, the first named portraying a stranded singer who by fate is thrown into the hands of the rack- eteer, and the second that of a doctor summoned to attend the young woman who collapses in the street from an attack of pneumonia. There will be those who will sug- gest the collapse exactly paralleling the burst of a machine gun aimed at Thirty-eight The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER July, 1931 Chdiies Rosher another woman may fall within the category of convenient coincidence, but the observant man in the street knows there is more of this in life than fiction dares to imply. Other players in a strong cast in- clude Ralph Ince, Helene Chadwick, Richard Tucker and Gertrude Astor. LAUGHING SINNERS First cameramen. Charles Rosher, George No- srle ; assistants, Roy Noble. Harry Marble; stills, George Hommel. THERE'S a goodly measure of drama in M-G-M's "Laughing- Sinners," adapted by Bess Mere- dith and Edith Fitzgerald from Ken- yon Nicholson's play of "Torch Song" and directed by Harry Beaumont. Daringly fea- tured is Joan Crawford as Ivy, a free - living if not free - loving girl of the stage turned Salvation Lass — from choice and not necessity — who for a night slips from the pedestal into the building of which has gone a year's patient and per- sistent battling. Sharing the very tangible hon- ors with Miss Crawford is Clark Gable as Carl, former convict turned Salva- tion Army man — a splendid creation on paper and a characterization that must have matched the high concep- tion of the authors. In a part the antithesis of that portrayed by Gable is Neil Hamilton as Howard, the first love of the stage girl and who deserts her to marry a woman of means. Marjorie Ram- beau as Ruby, the friend of Ivy, is as breezy and likable as always, even in a minor role contributing potential strength to the tale. Others in the cast are Guy Kibbee, Cliff Edwards, Roscoe Karns, Ger- trude Short, George Cooper, George F. Marion and Bert Woodruff. The climax of the story of "Laugh- ing Sinners" is reminiscent of highly controversial lines of Byron, that young male flirt who wrote of women from a background of wide experience in affairs with females if not of the heart: "In her first love a woman loves her lover. In all the others all she loves is love." So when at midnight or earlier an unmarried Salvation Army girl of a year's training as well as abstention from former pleasures finds in her room in a small hotel the old lover who had deserted her to marry a woman of wealth what more to be expected than that the scene should fade out and be followed by a fade in with the clock pointing to 6 and the now utterly dejected girl still in the same room with the debonnair former lover? The action is not without the pos- sibilities; more than that it is in line Academy Book on Sound Recording Valuable Contribution to Industry THE fundamental changes affect- ing every man in the industry and the increased need for inter- nal cooperation in all departments occasioned by the introduction of sound into the motion picture indus- try are presented in "Recording Sound for Motion Pictures," of 404 pages, published by McGraw-Hill and just recently released. The data in the book represent a collation of practical picture record- ing knowledge gained from lectures presented as individual papers in the Technical Digest series of the Acad- emy of Motion Picture Arts and Sci- ences, this method of presentation meeting the demands of the complex and rapid development in the field much more satisfactorily than would the contribution of a single author. The editing was done by Lester Cowan for the Academy. The industry is indebted to the large group of authors, studio execu- tives, sound experts and technicians who gave so liberally of their time and experience in making the book possible. In a preface by William C. De Mille, president of the Academy, tribute is paid to the splendid spirit of cooperation evidenced. An interesting resume of the an- cestry of sound pictures brings out the fact that there is a written rec- ord of man's desire for recorded sound as early as 2600 B. C. The origin and nature of sound precedes the study of recording and reproducing. Recording sound on disc, the different systems of recording, transmission circuits, accessory and special euqipment and dubbing are treated in the section devoted to sound recording equipment. The extent and seriousness of the added problems introduced by sound have had an important effect on the procedure and operations of the film laboratory. When considering the film as a recording medium the rela- tion to the fundamentals of photogra- phy is not apt to be recognized with- out giving the subject some thought and study. However, sound record- ing is entirely a photographic pro- cedure, exclusive of the disc method and the principles of photographic theory control the recording of sound on film. Studio acoustics and technique pre- sent their individual problems, the in- adequacy in the loudness of speakers' voices having been encountered by the Greeks in their open-air theatres. The same difficulty encountered by them proved a similar handicap in the reg- ulation of sound in large auditoriums. Sound reproduction receives atten- tion in the last quarter of the book. The different systems are explained in detail. The duty of the projectionist is to make sound go places and do things, which accomplishment is as exact a science as mathematics. A glossary of motion picture terms with special reference to photogra- phy and sound recording together with a comnlete cross-index are valu- able features to the reader as aids in reading with understanding and find- ing information with the smallest in- vestment of time. The scope and purpose of the book are ably summed up in a foreword by Carl Dreher, director of the sound department RKO studios, in which he says: "This book is a record of the accomplishment of the undertaking v" to the present da'1' and it will be of interest and help not only to spe- cialists in the field but to the larger audience which desires to keep abreast of all significant developments in the arts and sciences." C. M. S. with the expected reaction from every- day human impulses. But why pick on the Salvation Army in the building of a dramatic effect that could as well have been secured in choosing for the part of Ivy a garb worn by a woman from one of the Protestant or Catholic or Jewish churches? If right in the case of a Salvation Army girl it would have been right in the case of one wearing a flowing black robe. The latter of course is unthinkable — not only ethically but also from the standpoint of ordinary business prac- tice— which of course would have meant business suicide. No screen producer in any land outside of Rus- sia for a moment would have consid- ered the implied smearing of any woman under the protection of a powerful church. No longer does he even take a chance in showing male clerics in any other than a benevolent role. Too many times in the past has his house been brought down around his ears. And the average producer is gifted with a keen memory. So in seeking a short which some- times is a lazy cut to a surefire dra- matic climax it would be interesting to know the excuse for taking a smack at the Salvation Army girl — who be- cause of her record of large public service and through her long hours and hard work with meagre physical comforts and even more meagre finan- cial remuneration is entitled to a de- gree of respect at least equal to that accorded her more fortunate and ten- derly shielded sisters of older ec- clesiastical backgrounds. Obliging Assistant Cameraman (hinting for a raise) — My wife and I are finding it increasingly difficult to live on my salary. Studio manager — Well, what do you want me to do? Arrange a divorce for you ? July, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirty-nine MELROSE Trunk Factory UNION MADE Camera Cases for UNION CAMERAMEN UNION MADE Camera Num- ber Boards Trunk and Luggage Repairing Our Specialty Automobile Trunks, Sample and Make-Up Cases to Order GLadstone 1872 646 N. Western LOS ANGELES, CALIF. BASS-CHICAGO Pays Spot Cash for used Bell & Howell Professional Cameras and De Brie Motion Picture Cameras. Bass Camera Co. 179 W. Madison St., Chicago The new "Local 659" emblem. Small, chic and attractive. Or- der from your Secretary or direct from manufacturers. J. A. Meyers & Co. 822 South Flower Street The largest jewelry factory in the West Diamonds — Watches — Jewelry Turn your scrap film and short ends into cash HORSLEY CHEMICAL COMPANY 1123 Lillian Way GLadstone 5490 Hollywood ICTEHS, produce ffamhjbt an& ftqbtCffotti in "Dsyrirrw- F7<|S<:7ii*s- uiffmHfWis ind miny ? IW effects. cAsfe ljoup deaiep or topite to GEORGE H.SCHEIBE PHOTO-FILTER SPECIALIST Someth ing Ne w 11 The Kains Lens Shade Throw Away Your Finder Extensions! Get That Finder Closer to the Camera! Size and Angle of Lens Shade Now Unlimited In some cases we will be able to re- build your old lens shade and in- clude these new features. Fred Hoefner CINEMA MACHINE SHOP ' 5319 Santa Monica Blvd. GLadstone 0243 Los Angeles Los Angeles boasts of a real Camera Exchange which was established away back in 1911 by a still compara- tively young man whose reputa- tion for fairness and whose ability in repairing cameras antedates even the period in which the exchange has pros- pered. Visitors to the Southern metropolis are invited to this friendly establishment, where a feast for the photographic en- thusiast awaits them: Bargains in new and used cameras, sup- plies, appurtenances from Zeiss, Voigtlander, Graflex, Brooks, Eastman, and Leica, and all for sale, for rent, or for exchange. Write if you cannot come to Peterson's Camera Exchange, 321 O. T. Johnson Building, Fourth and Broadway, Los An- geles, California, and if you wish, ask for Peterson Junior. Cinex Testing Machines Cinex Polishing Machines Developing Machines Printing Machines rebuilt for Sound Printing Special Motion Picture Machine Work Barsam - Tollar Mechanical Works 7239 Santa Monica Blvd. Hollywood, California Phone GRanite 9707 Forty The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER July, 1931 VERNON L. WALKER First Cinematographer PROCESS Miniature, Trick and Unusual Shots Address 601 West Fairmont, Glendale, Calif. DO. 5032-R HE. 1128 W. A. SICKNER FIRST CAMERAMAN COMPLETE AKELEY EQUIPMENT C Rest view 7255 GLadstone 5083 HEmpstead 1128 Alvin Wyckoff Multicolor ELMER G. DYER HE8116-HE1128 Dr. G. Floyd Jackman DENTIST Member Local No. 659 706 Hollywood First National Bldg. Hollywood Blvd. at Highland Ave. GLadstone 7507 Hours: And by Appointment 9 to 5 CLASSIFIED FOR SALE— Cameras— Mitchell, Bell & How- ell, Akeley ; lenses and accessories of all kinds ; new and used. HOLLYWOOD CAM- ERA EXCHANGE, 1511 Cahuenga Boulevard. MITCHELL high-speed Camera No. 225. Van Rossem, 6049 Hollywood Blvd. HO 0725. FOR SALE — Bargains in cameras, lenses, new and used. Voigtlander 9x12 cm with F 4.5 lens, $30. Sept, complete, $25. Rolleidoscope $135 size 6x13. Leica with F 1.5 lens, com- plete $95. Stineman 16mm printer, $45. Oth- ers ; also rentals, repairs, exchanges at Peter- sons Camera Exchange, 356 S. Bdwy., L. A. UNCALLED FOR CAMERAS— At a Saving. Ica Nixe B $47.50 ; Zeiss Binocular, 8x30, $59.50 ; Filmo camera, case, $99.50 ; Graflex, 4x5 Series B, R.B., like new, $80; Speed Graphic, $17.50; Kodak Enlarger, $17.50; Universal Movie, 200 ft. with shutter dissolve, 3 lenses, case, 2 mags., $125 cash ; like new De Vry movie with F1.9 lens, $100. PETER- SONS'S CAMERA EXCHANGE, 356 S. Broad- way, Los Angeles. Glenn R. Kershner First Cameraman 6,0*5 Up where the sun shines, too — sometimes — much With Compliments Earl (Curly) Metz Assistant Cameraman // you want to sell or buy this is the place to tell your story. Art Reeves Cliff Thomas Phone HOHywood 9431 EX0HANQE The Clearing House for Cameramen Mitchell and Bell & Howells FOR RENT Cameras and Projectors and Accessories bought and sold Commercial Photography 1511 N. Cahuenga Blvd. HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA Kodak Supplies Still Finishing 16 mm., 35 mm. Developed and Printed EASTMAN SUPERSENSITIVE PANCHROMATIC NEGATIVE ANTI-HALO J. E. BRULATOUR, Inc. New York Chicago Hollywood Announcing the New Mitchell Silenced Camera A Camera designed for studio use This is an entirely new camera built to the high stand- ard of Mitchell products. It has new features not pre- viously offered in a professional motion picture Camera and has been quieted so that the use of a heavy blimp is not necessary. Camera now on display at our plant Mitchell Camera Corporation 665 North Robertson Boulevard West Hollywood, California Cable Address "MITCAMCO" Phone OXford 1051 ^^Wfc' ,li f & Tl** .'".** HttBfeMfi ' • -KaSElra- 67* *EG.ll. S.PAT. OFF "The ■■'dupofi.' Trade Mark Has Never Been Placed On An Inferior Product" SMITH & All IK. LTD. 6656 Santa Monica Boulevard HOllywood 5147 Hollywood, California PACIFIC COAST DISTRIBUTORS FOR Du Pont Film Mfg. Corp. 35 West 45th Street New York City August, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER One B & H Automatic Combination 16-35 mm. ♦ Film Splicer ♦ ♦ Bell & Howell Standard Film Splicing Machines are well-known for the quick, permanent splice which they make — a splice which does not affect film flexibility or encroach upon picture space. A film joined on a B & H Splicer is perfectly welded in accu- rate alignment, eliminating misframes and other evils of inferior patching. With its new style cutter blades, and the heating unit which maintains at a steady temperature all parts of the machine with which film comes in contact, the B & H Splicer does its work at highest efficiency. The new safety lock grounded plug more than meets the rigid require- ments of insurance underwriters. The Model No. 6 Film Splicer, a standard 35 mm. positive splicer, is equipped with disappearing pilots for splicing 16 mm. film. These pilot pins are set diagonally, producing the B & H 16 mm. diagonal splice with nearly 30% more bonding surface than a right angle splice. A lever drops the 16 mm. pins out of sight for 35 mm. splicing. Write for catalog. B & H 16 mm. Contact Printer ♦ An adaptation of the famous Bell & Howell Standard Continuous Model "D" Film Printer, the B & H 16 mm. Contact Printer has every advantage and distinctive feature of the 35 mm. model. Creepage or slipping is wholly over- come, film is controlled at printing aper- ture; precision mechanism assures perfect film movement and protects film from abrasion, film contact at aperture is achieved, lighting is mechanically controlled, framing is unnecessary. If desired at any time, this machine may be changed back to a regular 35 mm. sound or silent printer. Write for data on special printers of any type. BELL & HOWELL Bell & Howell Co., 1849 Larchmont Ave. ,Chicago,Ill. New York, Hollywood, London (B & H Co. , Ltd. ) Est. 190^ Two The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER August, 1931 The Making of a Picture— -By Bert Long worth Left to right: Descending, Story, Signing of Star, Designing of Sets, Construction; Casting, Wardrobe, Make-up, Di- rector; Camera, Lights, Micro-phone, Recorder; Cutter, Bert Longworth, Production Pay Roll Closes lik C(m> SAP \A>> INTERNATIONAL PHOTO GFAPHE R Official Bulletin of the International Photographers of the Motion Pic- ture Industries, Local No. 659, of the International Alliance of The- atrical Stage Employees and Mov- ing Picture Machine Operators of the United States and Canada. Affiliated with Los Angeles Amusement Federa- tion, California State Theatrical Federation, California State Fed- eration of Labor, American Fed- eration of Labor, and Federated Voters of the Los Angeles Amuse- ment Organizations. Vol. HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA, AUGUST, 1931 No. 7 "Capital is the fruit of labor, and could not exist if labor had not first existed. Labor, therefore, deserves much the higher consideration."- — Abraham Lincoln. C 0 N T E N T S Cover — On the Truckee River Dirt and Scratches 16 Frank B. Bj erring Conducted by Ira Hoke Frontispiece — The Making of a Pic- Would Aid in Spectrum Analysis. . . . 17 ture 2 By Ernst Keil Lancaster Makes Reel of Ghost By Bert Longworth Again in Old Town Calle Olvera Towns 20 Lives 4 Don Canady of Cleveland Invents Re- cording System 24 By Esselle Parichy Physioc Pays Tribute to Assistant.. 7 Cooling System Important Factor in By Lewis W. Physioc New Eastman 16 mm. Projector. . . . 25 Looking In On Just a Few New Ones 26 New Recording Device Plants Trap By George Blaisdell for Broadcasters X Photographer of Executions Says Six-Fifty-Niners Look In On Debrie 11 Condemned's Last Look Is Into By John Alton Pages From a Photographer's Scrap- Lens 31 Assert Wages May Be Maintained If book 12 Films Are Used to Analyze Costs. . 33 Glenn R. Kershner Olsen Deserts Camera When Helper Chicago Letter 14 Meets Up With Shark 34 By the Sassiety Reporter Dr. Sease Talks to His Friends 37 Technical Editors The International Photographer is published monthly in Hollywood by Local 659, LA.T.S.E. and M. P. M. 0. of the United States and Canada Entered as second class matter Sept. 30, 1930, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, Calif., under the act of March 3, 1879 Copyright 1930 by Local 659, I. A. T. S. E. and M. P. M. O. of the United States and Canada Howard E. Hurd, Publisher's Agent George Blaisdell Editor Lewis W. Physioc 1 Ira Hoke - - - - - Associate Editor Fred Westerberg J Esselle Parichy - - Staff Correspondent John Corydon Hill - - - - Art Editor Subscription Rates — United States and Canada, $3.00 per year. Single copies, 25 cents Office of publication, 1605 North Cahuenga Avenue, Hollywood, California. HEmpstead 1128 McGill's, 179 and 218 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, Australian and New Zealand agents. The members of this Local, together with those of our sister Locals, No. fi44 in New York, No. 666 in Chicago, and No. 665 in Toronto, represent the entire personnel of pho ographers now engaged in professional production of motion pictures in the United States and Canada. Thu; THE INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER becomes the voice of the Entire Craft, covering a field that reaches from coast to coast across North America. Printed in the U. S. A. 1^§H^2 at Hollywood, California. Four The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER August, 1931 The "spick-and-spanness" of Olvera Street as it is today. Again in Old Town Calle Olvera Lives By ESSELLE PARICHY TODAY Olvera street, in the Mexican Quarters of Old- Town, Los Angeles, has a nationwide popularity and has become a show place of alluring shops and cafes. Hidden away in the heart of the city, running north from1 the picturesque Plaza, this early California thoroughfare has just recently been restored to its glamorous days when Los Angeles was a Spanish pueblo. This little street, doomed to a traditional death, lives again through the ingenuity and generosity of a group of public-spirited people, marshaled by Christine Sterling. From out a trash-can-alley of dirt and disreputable attire old Calle Olvera, as it was called in the early days, has been rescued and made beautiful, blossoming in a rendezvous where her faithful subjects rejoice in her honor renewed. In a brief space of time this California landmark again has been baptized with the waters of old Franciscan memo- ries, instilled with new breath of "spick-and-spanness" and embowered with flowering pepper trees; it now palpitates with a host of visitors who come each day to bask in the old atmosphere. Jovial senoras of the floral stalls, whose pride and pleas- ure in their waxen handiwork exceeds its commercial value. Below — Venerable resident lazily reminisces. Historic Avila House, the oldest residence of its kind in Los Angeles. It sheltered Stockton, Kearney and Fre- mont during early California campaigns. August, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Five The clay worker displays his wares in neat array. A huge wooden cross marks the entrance to this unique jseo, bearing the Spanish inscription "Pueblo de Nuestra jnora la Reina de Los Angeles." An Alcalde's Home Fronting this brick-paved thoroughfare are buildings dis- ictive of early California appearance. The Avila house, dest adobe residence of its kind in Los Angeles, is found pre. It is over a century old and belonged to Don Francisco vila, once alcalde, or mayor of the Pueblo Los Angeles. iRich in legend is this typical old adobe that has weathered e eclipse of Time and neglect. To add flavor to your visit ^cturesque and courteous sons of old Hispanic heritage act 1 guides to explain and explore with you in the inner sanc- m of the ageing structure. It was here that Commodore iockton and Generals Kearney and Fremont were sheltered iring their campaigns of early California history. All about you are fascinating scenes — shops, stalls and dewalk cafes, where viands of Old Mexico assail the nos- ils; real tamales, hot as tabasco sauce; tasty tortillas and I'ticing enchilladas are served by smiling and patient Iiozos." Here in the stalls the enthusiastic craftsman works with e wisdom of his ancient ancestry, fashioning tiny furniture t of redwood, brightly patterned baskets, little figurines Id various other things so dear to the Mexican heart. You are amply impressed by the offerings of jovial senoras | the floral stalls, whose pride and pleasure in their waxen Kndiwork exceeds its commercial value — no barking vendors 4 son of "Mananaland" rests against a Mexican cart, vhile you make your selections from the basket shop. Note the archaic vehicle. Above — A wooden cross marks the entrance to the Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles. Below — Stall where wax flowers are sold. Six The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER August, 1931 irritate here, and "a sale" or "no sale" is treated impartially to a smile. One is sorely tempted to buy little gadgets from each and every stall . . . a bag of Mexican nuts from "El Manicero" . . . spiced cookies and sugared candies of healthful pro- pensities ... or gay sombreros and plaited reeds from a son of "Man- analand" who rests dreamily on a Mexican cart, awaiting your selection. From Another Age If you are artistic and the seeker of rare treasures, visit the antique shop, where visitors are welcome and pretty senoritas elegantly offer genu- ine curios at reasonable prices; or if you wish to take away with you a souvenir of a by-gone day memory in plaster or clay, visit "Durango" across the way, where gaily fashioned jugs, bowls and miniature statuettes are displayed in neat array. You will observe in this quaint by- way serene venerables, laz.lv smok- ing and reminiscing on another age, when the daily life of the pueblo moved at snail pace and the inhabi- tants of this street pursued the good old methods of Franciscan padres . what stories and fascinating anecdotes they can retell of the heart- conquering romances when they were the belles of gay caballeros in the dashing episodes of old Fiesta Days. I like best to wander in Olvero Street when the evening shadows lengthen . . . when el paseo del Sol lowers to blot out the modern structures of a great city, leaving only the illusions of Her Yesteryears . . . I like to watch the colorful types and listen to the Mother-tongue of Old Mexico, as the street takes on a carnival spirit of the night. . . . I like to sit and sup at the little cafe while troubadours lull my thoughts with the melodious strains of the in- imitable "La Golandrina." I like to feel the cloak of Senti- mentality and Romance about me . . . I like to keep a tryst with Contentment, sequestered here from a turbulent world. In a large measure, the restoration of Olvera Street is attributed to Christine Sterling, whose tireless and neverfailing efforts plucked this ro- mantic landmark from out the debris of a century's neglect and forgetf ill- ness. The name Christine Sterling should go down in the Annals-of-California- Apnreciation ... a name that aptly implies its meaning he" e . . . "a fixed and standard national value" a true and loval daughter of the Golden State. Cameramen Travel Far to Secure Film Fare for Public Alvin Wyckoff, chief cinematogra- pher for Multicolor, has photographed in sound and color the Calgary Stam- pede, held in July. It was the first all-color film to be made in Canada. While in the north pictures also were made around Banff and Lake Louise. John W. Boyle is in Sweden to pho- tograph a series of scenic shorts. Al Gilks and Bob Bronner are well on their way around the world with the Vanderbilt scientific expedition. The Alva, owned by W. D. Vanderbilt, will be the home of the cameramen for a long time. In a note from Bron- ner just before leaving New York a pledge was given the readers of the International Photographer would re- ceive pictures from the travelers. The Alva is 265 feet long and is completely equipped for its photo- graphic and scientific work. Camera Exchange Incorporates The Hollywood Camera Exchange, which celebrated its first anniversary in business July 14, is now a limited corporation. The concern has mads a remarkable record for success in the short period it has been operating. The principal officers are Art Reeves president and Cliff Thomas secretary and treasurer. P^ . h 4 /g§> ■J^K^"* "*** rM £w j%5 Wr\ >- mr~\ ,*M \hjpjj j ^■;*--- H L i. »-/ (HC*^ Kay Norton photographed the profile vieiv of Charles Cristadoro's bust of Louis Wolheim. The picture of the lamented actor standing alongside the full view of his counterpart was taken at RKO studio. The work was com- pleted but a short time prior to the passing of the player. The sculptor had the advantage of but two personal sittings of his subject, ivho had provided many photographs. When Wolheim saiv how Cristadoro tvas getting along without him personally he remained away until its completion. The Cover Artist Frank B. Bjerring Photo by Clarence Sinclair Bull Parichy Back in Florida to Make Vagabond Adventures THE stay in Hollywood of Esselle Parichy, staff correspondent of International Photographer, was short. He is again in Florida, as a "busy person's correspondence card" indicates. From Pensacola, duly checked, comes information the weath- er is cool, he is sober, he is spending his time motoring and at the pictures and that he needs sleep. The trip across the country was by motor. The correspondent has gone back to the South to photograph a series of Vagabond Adventure Pictures for Elmer Clifton as well as to take care of personal matters. New Argentine House From Assistant Trade Commissioner Charles H. Ducote, at Buenos Aires, comes word that the firm Di Fiore y Coll, owner of the theatres Hindu and Renacimiento in that city, also has opened the Cine Monumental. Con- struction on the theatre was begun in January, 1931, the building taking in a plot roughly 200 by 500 feet.. Seating capacity will be almost 3,000, 1,200 seats being on the lower, 700 seats on the second floor and the remainder in boxes and other bal- conies. An air cooling system and the most up to date sound equipment has been installed. On Their Way Wesley Smith of Smith and Aller, Dupont representatives, is in New York on his semi-annual visit to the home office. Fred Rockett of Hollywood Film Enterprises is in the East on business. Len Roos of the Tanar Corporation is on his way to London on company matters. August, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Seven Physioc Pays Tribute to Assistant Technical Editor Expresses His Appreciation of Efficiency and Loyalty of Japanese Aid "Kawa," Master of Many Tongues By LEWIS W. PHYSIOC WHAT'S your name?" I asked of a peppy little Japanese fellow, who was recommended to me as my assistant. "Shibukawa," he answered. "That's hard to pronounce. What's your first name?" "Michael." "Michael? — that's not a Japanese name." "No, sir. You see, I'm Christian, and they named me from a saint." "Ah! Mike doesn't sound good for a Japanese. What's your own first name?" He told me, but I couldn't get it fixed mentally. "Suppose I call you Kawa," I said. "Yes, sir! Yes, sir! You call me Kawa." I did. Everybody else called him Kawa. Even his pretty little wife called him Kawa, and I think he will be known the rest of his life by his new nickname. "Do you know anything about pho- tography?" I asked. "Oh, yes, sir. I am expert photog- rapher," he responded. He verified his boast by showing me some prints that I would have felt proud to have had to my own credit. "Where did you learn such good English?" "Sir, I was educate in English school." "How about this Malay — do you speak that, too?" Real Linguist "Oh, yes, sir. I speak Malay, Gamel, Mandarin, Hokkien, eight Chi- nese dialects. Oh! I speak many lan- guage." "That's enough," said I. It dazzled me. I felt silly and ignorant, mono- linguistic American that I was. "Okeh, Kawa. First of all I'll show you how to load the magazine. Unpack those cases and take the film into the dark room." "Heh! Coolie! Coolie!" Kawa yelled, and four Chinese boys, standing by, jumped to attention. Kawa snapped out orders like an officer directing some military maneuver. From that moment those four coolies were a part of our outfit, and I wasn't cer- tain whether I yet had an assistant. "What does this mean?" I asked an Englishman who was associated with us. "It means," he answered, laughing, "that in this part of the world a gen- tleman is not supposed to pick up anything and carry it. But you may rest assured he'll see that the coolies will do it right." "Look hei-e, Kawa, there's some things I don't want to trust to those boys." "Oh, yes, sir. Some things coolie can't do. Those things I do." "You see, they might open up that film in the light." "Oh, yes, sir, I understand. I open — in red light." "No! No! No!" "No?" he questioned in surprise. "No, sir-ree, — that's panchromatic film, — ycu can only open it in green light — better still, no light." Michael Shibukawa "O-o-o-oh! Something different. I don't know about that," he said with an apologetic grin. Humidity and Humility I opened up the magazines and ex- plained their mechanism. Then I turned out the light and proceeded to show him about handling the large, thousand-foot rolls of film. What a heck of a job it was, and how foolish I felt trying to show him something I was unable to do myself. That equatorial heat and humidity had expanded the film to such an ex- tent that I could not budge the spool, in the centre. Kawa suggested a hammer. "Good idea," I admitted. Tap-tap- tan, and the spool was loosened and fell out and the roll fitted into the magazine. Kawa was delighted. "Now you try one," I said. That little temporary loading- room was like the steam room of a Turkish bath, and I came out of it with my clothes sticking to me as if I had been under the shower. Kawa remained in there for some time. a YEAR ago the senior technical _/y editor of International Photog- rapher was in Singapore pre- paring for a dash into the jungle as technical director and camera- man for a Universal picture. The accompanying tale covers an in- t< listing reminiscence of that loca- tion assignment. "He must be doing finely," I thought. Finally he came forth. He had doffed his shirt and his bare torso was streaming with sweat (not per- spiration) with a very rueful expres- sion on his face. "I'm sorry, sir," he said, "but I must ask it your assistance." When I entered the room, I stepped up to my knees in film, — it was all over the room. When he knocked out the spool, the end of the film came with it. That little curled, loose end got away from him. It slipped and ran as only a cameraman knows about. The more he tried to tuck it back, the more it ran away. He tried to find the end, and all the time that film was curling out from the inside of the roll. An Unrepeated Slip I could only break it near the roll to save what was left, and showed him how to spin it down to a small roll. "I have spoil-ed considerable of those Aims," he said, uneasily. "Never mind," I said, consolingly, "we'll charge that up to waste and to your first lesson." But such a thing never happened twice to Kawa. He was quick to learn, and careful not to repeat a mistake. He kept his accounts like a bank's bookkeeper. And those coolies! He trained them so that they knew every screw and where it belonged in the equip- ment. They set up the cameras, and threaded them while he saw that they did it correctly. He so impressed them with the value of that equip- ment that heaven help any alien who went near those precious instru- ments. At one time one of the trucks was wrecked and Poh Sing actually risked his life to save the sound camera from destruction, and spent several days in the hospital. Poh Sing had but one thought — his accounting to his little Japanese boss. Kawa also taught them how to write "NG" and "OK" ?nd the numbers on the slate. However, he never required them to do anything that he could not himself do. A Real Soldier During those trying days on that jungle river, when we held our breath as the dugouts bearing our expensive equipment dangled uncertainly on a hidden snag, Kawa, heedless of croco- diles that might be lurking around for arms and legs, showed the way Eight The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER August, 1931 by jumping into the water to shove the boats safely over the snags. And he never resorted to our usual alibis. One night in Java when he started to load his magazines he dis- covered that positive film had been sent him by mistake. Without say- ing a word of explanation he requi- sitioned a "motor car" and drove all the way to Soerabaya, a distance of a hundred miles, aroused the lab boys in the "wee sma' hours," secured the film and returned in time for a 6 a. m. start. Kawa told me, with sincere show of gratitude, that he had learned many new things from me. I also learned from him. I learned that a camera- man can become very fond of a faith- ful, cheerful assistant. When the boat pulled away from Singapore, I felt a lump in my throat as I waved a last farewell. I believe he, too, felt some emotion, for when he an- swered my salutation he turned quickly away and was lost in the crowd and I saw him no more. I have missed him, and while work- ing on location at approach of the cheerful lunch hour I fancy I can hear him call. "Heh! Coolie! Coolie! — Ah ch-ow! ch-ow," and see them run for their New Recording Device Plants Trap for Loose Tongued Broadcasters AS THE result of a successful test at the offices of the Federal Radio Commission a sweeping change in the recording of air state- ments that later may be required in testimony is forecast by witnesses to the demonstration. What might be literally termed as "the last word" in positive evidence was presented to an audience of interested spectators who had witnessed a test of a newly de- veloped device from the engineering laboratories of RCA Photophone, Inc., in New York and in Camden, N. J., which faithfully recorded radio broad- casts from a number of stations. The apparatus as demonstrated in the offices of the Radio Commission is a portable disc equipment consisting of a recorder containing two motor driven turntables, a recording am- plifier, a microphone, a radio receiver and a loudspeaker. Pre-grooved blank disc records are placed upon each of the twin turn- tables, and when in operation, with sound being recorded as it emanates from a loudspeaker, these records "rate continuously and automatic- ally change from one to the other. Gustav Schoedsack sends us this photograph of the late Samuel Gompers (centre) as he appeared late in 192b at the inauguration of President Calles in the Stadium in Mexico City. It was the last public appearance of the "grand old man," as his death occurred shortly after. The picture never has been published previously. In a lower corner will be noted the reproduction from the original motion picture film Each record is pre-grooved on both sides, making it possible to record a programme of forty-eight minutes' duration. Twelve minutes are con- sumed in recording on one side of a record. Special needles are required successfully to operate both the re- cording and reproducing equipment. Records can be reproduced imme- diately after the recording has been completed. "We believe the operation of this device will solve many of the problems that have been confronting us for several years," said E. O. Sykes, act- ing chairman of the commission. Will Have the Goods "With it we will be able to record radio broadcasts in any section of the country and have a permanent record for use in any emergency. Heretofore we have been obliged to resort to stenographic reports and oftentimes they have proved unsatisfactory. Now we shall have an absolutely perfect record, which, if needs be, can be in- troduced at hearings before the com- missioner's examiners to support alle- gations in the commission's bill of complaint. "With this new Photophone device in operation we shall be able to main- tain close contact with all broadcast- ing activities, and when it becomes generally known that we have in- stalled the apparatus we believe it will be the means of lessening the number of infractions against the commission's rules and regulations. "The portability of the apparatus, which can be transported in three small cases, will make it possible for us to carry it to remote places if necessary to procure the results we desire. We may find it convenient to employ the equipment in other direc- tions, but its main purpose will be to record radio broadcasts." The source of sound to be recorded by the new apparatus may be acous- tically connected to the recording equipment by means of a microphone or to a suitable source of electrical impulses representing sound, such as a radio receiver. Mickey Mouse in /Veto Home Walt Disney, who has just com- pleted a studio and office building on Hyperion Avenue for the production of his Mickey Mouse cartoon subjects, has installed RCA Photophone sound reproducing equipment in the projec- tion rooms that are used to review the daily "rushes" and the completed product. Great care is required in the pro- duction of cartoon subjects and the Mickey Mouse series is given meticu- lous attention. Engineers to Ballot Ballots have been sent to members of the Society of Motion Picture En- gineers for a vote on the location of the fall meeting. The board of gov- ernors have selected New York and Detroit for the choice of cities. The tentative date for the fall meeting has been set for October 19 to 22, in- clusive. August, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Nine ^"PICTU U.S/ THE IO kilowatt General Electric MAZDA lamp for photographic purposes has become more serviceable, more indispensable tothecine- matographer than ever before. This is because alert equipment manufacturers everywhere have perfected new equipments that enable the IO k. w. lamp to realize every light- ing potentiality ... to operate to its fullest advantage in every lighting capacity. The IO k. w. lamp, substantially lower in cost this year, is particularly indispensable on large sets where it must be at considerable distance from the subjects being photo- graphed. This lamp, with the fine new equipments available, forms a lighting unit that is easily set up, simply operated, flexible in its uses and thoroughly satisfactory. National Lamp Works of General Electric Company, Nela Park, Cleveland, Ohio. Join us in the General Electric program, broadcast every Saturday evening over a nation-wide N. B. C. network. The 10 KW. General Electric MAZDA Lamp GENERAL, .ELECR1C MAZDAWLAMPS The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER August, 1931 T'S Dollars & $en|^ When you choose YOUR Sound -on -film Recorder Cineglow Three Element Record- ing Lamp. Every town can support at least one hustling cameraman with a good sound recording system. Local pictures (with possibly a theatre and merchant tieup), local newsreels (newspaper tieups have been effected), advertising films, industrials, all of these have proved ways of making money, and BIG MONEY. The Atlas Soundfilm Recording Studios, in the heart of New York City where competition is tremendous, have earned expenses and a neat in- come from the very start. The CINEGLOW SOUND SYSTEM which they use has built a large customer list among the independent producers, and has never failed to give excellent results. A number of recordings have enjoyed national re- leases, playing such theatres as Roxy's in New York. Here's what we can offer you. Try to dupli- cate it elsewhere. The famous Cineglow Three Element Re- cording Lamp. The Cineglow optical slit. Mechanically filtered Sound Sprocket. A Licensed Amplifier. An equipment that records the highest qual- ity— and does it consistently. CINEGLOW SOUND SYSTEM WITH AKELEY AUDIO CAMERA. Single system newsreel "iype. Double system studio iype. Any special equipment made to order. The best is now available at the price of the poorest. Write, wire or cable your needs for prices. Cineglow Sound Systems MANUFACTURED BY BLUE SEALSOUND DEVICES,inc ■ 130 West 46th St., New York City * M Cable address SOUNDFILM, New York August, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Eleven Six-Fifty-Niners Look In on Debrie French Camera Manufacturer Conducts Two Hollywood Men Through Great Factory and Shows New Electric Tripod By JOHN ALTON A MEMBER of 659 sojourning in Paris, I. H. Borradaile, takes me on a sightseeing trip to the home of the Debrie camera. First a taxi is ordered and with the speed for which the French cab is noted, we quickly arrive at 11 Rue St. Maur. On the second floor is the office of the famous m a n u f a c- turer. Here we have to wait. John Alton The office is reminiscent o f another belong- ing to a theater owner. There is a huge desk, some old art pieces, several telephones and dictaphones, and a big comfortable deskchair with a huge panel of milk glass in back of it, causing wonderment on the part of the ob- server as to what it was all about. The entrance of Mr. Debrie offers an explanation. He switches the lights on which illuminate the milk I panel. Here is a man who realizes ; the importance of backlight. A first I impression is that he looks like a showman and as he starts to talk I about himself and his factory the j impression becomes a conviction that he is one. Not only that, he knows his optics, is a hard worker and a re- j markable organizer, a fact he demon- strates as he takes us through his factory. There is a record and a detailed history of every camera that ever came out of the Debrie factory. We are shown letters from all over the world. Mr. Debrie worked his way from the bottom up and to impress j this on every visitor's mind he dem- onstrates his factory in a similar way. 500 Debrie Employes So down we go to the receiving room, where all the raw material is checked in. Here is a stock room of which any factory could be proud. Everything is arranged in alphabet- ical order. Soon we hear the noise of machines and smell that peculiar odor that reminds me of the camera shops on the coast. We enter the machine shop and are amazed at the number employed in making cameras, over 500, and all of them experts in their lines. Each I part is accurately made, separately inspected and tested before being sent to the assembly room. Here the finished product is once more tested before it is shipped out into the dif- ferent parts of the world. So much information in a short space of time and the need for con- centration to absorb it is conducive to a headache, but this is just a be- ginning. For at this point we enter the room where the next electric Debrie tripod is being assembled and tested. It proves to be a truly marvelous piece of work. The cameraman operates it as he stands on the moving plat- form looking through the camera. Tripod Has Two Motors By switching different connections it can go forward, backward, turn around or up or down. It has two electric motors, one for running and one for elevating. It is also equipped with a clutch. By releasing this clutch the tripod can be nushed in any direction. It is easy to imagine what some of our directors could do with this tripod. The new Debrie camera is for thou- sand-foot magazines. By operating a lever the blimp cover can be elevated, which is a very practical feature. It has a tripod similar to the electric one, but has to be operated by hand and runs on silent rubber wheels. Through some mysterious channels and tunnels we find ourselves back in the office. "Well, that's all, and I am proud of it," remarks Mr. Debrie. He shook hands not like a man who is sole owner of such a huge plant, but just like a brother. "And do tell them in Hollywood that I shall be glad to show the plant any time to any member of six-fifty- nine myself," he added. All I can say is that besides the Louvre, the Follies and the Arc de Triomphe there is another place in Paris very much worth while. That is the Debrie plant. 'Let There Be Light9, Said Gerrard, But He Took Tea WHEN an American cameraman working his first day in an English studio yelled "Hit 'em!" and his order was followed by an abysmal silence and continued dark- ness he began to employ language. Henry W. Gerrard is known at home as a go-getter when on a set, and be- ing transplanted to a studio in the old country made no difference in his working plans. So he started a quiz to learn why the set lights did not shine when he so stipulated in the manner made and provided. Gerrard had not gone far in his hunt for information when it was borne in on him that it is the custom at British International as well as in other studios to serve tea at that particular time of the day. And it was engaged in the delicate art of sopping up tea that Gerrard discov- ered the "keeper of the juice." In a letter to his old sidekick Harry Merlend, the American cameraman says he is very happy in his new home. He has had turned over to him among other tools a brand-new Mitchell camera as well as a Para- Andre Debrie mount blimp. He is using Eastman superspeed film. Gerrard reports that Harry Perry was a recent visitor. He adds he be- gan work on "House Full' June 29. For his following picture, he says, the company will go to Russia for ex- teriors. The expatriate calls on his friends to drop him a line at 2 Broad- way Gardens, Watfood Way, Hendon N. W., London. Madan Circuit of Calcutta Orders RCA for Its Chain r-r- vHE Madan Circuit in Calcutta, India, has ordered twenty-five complete units of RCA sound reproducing equipment to be in- stalled in the company's theatres. Since his return to India from a pro- longed trip to the United States Mr. Madan, who operates the largest chain of theatres in his country, has acquired forty additional houses. The new RCA Photophone apparatus will be installed in them. Features and news reels are being produced by the Madan company, which operates a complete RCA Pho- tophone portable recording unit. Twelve The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER August 1931 a CO ^. * k £ n3 rt u »* c co s o 8 CO e* k} !* CO s b ^B> 84S o 8 a &3 O CO CO £ *1 H o CO co •4- 0 CO &3 1 -a ■« 5S .c s >«-, o CO CO • . 73 - CO T3 CO to * o ^ A © « s s« S oj b £ CO 3 CO CO *- •4^> ti » CO CO s CO «"K, -sj -c S CO « CO ►t? ^~- o "* S3 co ^ *g Oi fc- » ss o .s; "S e ft> » B*-< g CO -w co ' S-^-5 O CO -M co e&2 » S ^ >« £•§ O.JS CO J£ £§£.g °^- e o £ J. •5 **-» o e B 2 "S g s J *g 2 5 S<= as, CO CO ^ § I g I - - .^ is ^ - OS CO *■ co *-H g-s-o-f August, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirteen Purely Personal Notice to Golfers Among International Photographers BY JIMMY PALMER Chairman Golf Committee International Photographers THEY'RE off! That means the Golf Committee of the Interna- tional Photographers is steam- ing full speed ahead to put over the next tournament, which will be held Sunday, September 13. A committee meeting Friday even- ing, July 24, started proceedings. Announcement of the course to be played this year will be made in the September issue of the magazine. Every member knows what this tournament is and what it means to the organization. Hearty co-operation Ifrom each one is all that will be needed to make it successful and the committee feels certain of receiv- ing it. The tickets will be issued soon and ione committee representative from each studio will distribute them. Also ;they may be obtained at the local office any time after issuance. The fee will be the same as last year, $3 an entry. A description of the initial prize ito be received by the committee can- not fail to revive or renew any en- thusiastic golfer's ambition to win. It lis a complete set of Ampco clubs ;given by the Hollywood Manufactur- ing and Supply Company. They are 'something new in golf clubs and carry an unconditional guarantee for a jyear. The heads of the irons are jmade of the new Ampco metal and are the color of gold. Thanks are [herewith extended the Hollywood Manufacturing and Supply Company for its generous trophy and assurance lis given it will receive recognition and appreciation. A Private Ball One announcement of good news de- serves another to keep it company. Every golfer has his own sad story Df faith trustingly placed in golf balls ^nly to be cruelly betrayed and fre- quently completely deserted by them. Perhaps the poor fellow had to go aome with his game unfinished. A nanufacturer brings a very cheering inessage to members who have come :o look upon golf balls as traitors •ather than allies. He is putting out i special ball marked I. A. 659. This ball has been put through ex- laustive tests, and if it continues this lext week to live up to the high standard of performance it already las established the committee will idopt it as an organization ball. If -his become the official ball members nay purchase it at a great saving. The small profit which the committee vill make on each sale will go into jhe golf fund of the organization. The sole purpose of the golf fund ,s to accumulate a sum of money '/hich can be used to help members vho are sick or in need. This last 'ear $255 was turned over to the Loan Fund to assist in relieving dis- tress. No member of the committee receives a salary. Contributions to the golf fund represent the only ac- knowledgment received by members of the committee that their time and effort invested in making these tour- naments possible are appreciated. Looking into the future it is en- tirely within the realm of possibility that our organization might play a match with Charlie David and his gang from Chicago, Local 666, or Walter Strange and his New York- ers, Local 644. Stranger things have happened. How about it, Charlie and Walt? As a parting injunction, don't for- get that — when better tournaments are played the cameramen will play them. Imagine His Indifference THOSE who are bewitched or just charmed accord- ing to sex or who regard- less of sex are both bewitched and charmed by the appealing oratory plus personality of the very young man who on the in- side back cover of this mag- azine speaks with such mani- fest authority for Eastman Panchromatic and J. E. Bru- latour may be pardoned their curiosity as to the iden- tity of the five-months-old Demosthenes. If you get the chance casu- ally ask Eddie Blackburn if he has any idea who it can be. If he maintains an indifferent at- titude you may be sure it is no kin of his. Technical Products Under Guidance of Jack Marston THE Technical Products Com- pany has been manufacturing small precision parts for the studios since the first of the present year. The company recently was re- organized with Jack Marston, for six years superintendent of camera re- pairs at M-G-M., in charge of the technical department. The company has made a number of important affiliations with studios and others. Also it is developing a 16 mm. camera designed to enable the professional to do in the narrower film field the same things he does with the 35 mm. camera. This will enable pictures to be photographed with 16 mm. negative instead of first using 35 mm. and then being reduced. Distribute Victor Product The wholesale division of the Na- tional Theatre Supply Company has acquired exclusive rights to the wholesale distribution of Victor cine- cameras, cine-projectors and Ani- matophones for the United States. Glenn R. Kershner and Commander prior to sai Donald B. MacMillan aboard ship just ling for North Four'teen The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER August, 1931 In Focus — In Spots By the Sassiety Reporter SAY, you know this here journalism business is kinda bustin' right in to my private life. Here I am on my vacation, and I gotta lay off from the temporary job I took of gapin' tourist. Also I gotta horn in and tell all youse birds I got a vacation, as I guess anybody gettin' a vacation this here year of depression, especially a cameraman, is news. Well, I'm up here at Deadwood, South Dakota, which maybe ought to make old Fred Giese, Zimmerman and a couple of the other ducks kinda green. I bust in here real high class like with two big bags, you know, just like all the big shots travel. I could a got along with one grip all right with the glad rags I own, but I filled up the second one with a couple of telephone books just so 's it'd look like I had the collection of Richman suits Phil Gleason and Eddie Morri- son got. Old Bert Bell, all you newsreel grinders know, is the bird what gives me the daily baloney on how to help Standard Oil pay dividends, thanks Lo that there godam nine miles to the gallon bus I pushes around. Rock-a-Bye Baby Bert is head cheer leader for this here Black Hills country up here, anil so far he's directed me to a lot of swell places where supersensitive and a filter would come in handy, but I can't get the old hombre to direct me to a joint up here where I could filter a couple of good old steins. Guess I'm a little homesick for the new joint Tony Caputo discovered for the boys down on Michigan Avenue. Bert says these bozos up here in the hills put their giggle water in barrels and then stick the ole barrel in a tree and let the wind sway it to give it the old pre-war kick. Well, I betcha I'm gonna do a little prcspectin' and find one of them bar- rels, because from what I've heard thar's corn in these here hills. So if I don't bust up for the next meetin' why I'm just still up here bein' rocked by one of them tree aged barrels. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Paging Mister Ford Social Note: Gossip flows into this here department that the former head cameraman of the Daily Nooze, Char- lie Ford, has now changed his mon- icker to Mr. Charles Ford, Editor Uni- versal Newsreel, and you gotta get by a couple of secretaries to chin with the old Eymo expert. By NORMAN W. ALLEY Also since Charlie went off the street to sit at a desk and push but- tons the old morale of his lens snoop- ers is sumpin awful. Why, the other day I seen Charlie David sneak out to cover the meat parade with a Eymo instead of taking the Akeley, and Jack Barnett is get- tin' so's he's havin' a awful time buy- in' big enuf hats to fit him because he says he's makin' such good pictures now that they gotta use all of 'em. Well, ole Charlie David still gets by without press agentin' his stuff, and I guess he still holds the record of all us film foggers. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Only Few Left Wonder what's happened to Nor- man Alle'\ All we see of Norm now is what he puts down on this here page. Norm has also drifted into one of these here soft jobs where the old groan box don't wear grooves in a guy's shoulder. All Norm does now is pose as the "Globe Trotter" for Hearst and spend Sattiday nights stickin' figgers on the old swindle sheet. Eddie Morrison, Tony Caputo, Charlie David, Red Fel- binger are about all that's left of the ole school of over and under exposin' what's still sweatin' away draggin' around cameras to glorify the gMs up at Oak Street beach in the news- reels. SIX-SIXTY-SIX A Laff for the Girls Bert Bell up here tells me one all about Urban Santone, another of the old 666s who's still workin' for a liv- in'. Urban was up here last year and went horseback ridin' one day. The way Bert puts it, "Urban went horseback ridin' and got a misfit sad- dle, got sore and walked home." SIX-SIXTY-SIX Seen in Minneapolis Dashed up to Minneapolis with my dial twister Robertson the other week on the Knights Templar Parade and while shootin' up some of Eastman's celluloid discovered a couple of old timers up there doin' the same thing. Say, you know, I seen a couple of the old hombres up there what still know how to make pitchers by turnin' a crank instead of pushin' a button. Charlie Bell, Ray and Kress twirl away steady at makin' good movies. Multicolor is their way of tellin' of the story and they still knock 'em dead with the good old silent way. No sound experts to yell at thsm boys: "Hey, you can't shoot now. My amplifier has a hum!" Kress showed me some of his Mul- ticolor samples and they was no slouches. I spose one of these days the newsreels will try color, too, and then more grief for the gang. SIX-SIXTY-SIX Newsmen Shoot Al — Yes The whole gang was out to take in the nags at the American Derby with the six inch lens. David brought out the Akeley and put Barnett up on the roof. Just as everybody finished drag- gin' up the equipment to the top of the grandstand, old Alphonse Capone blew in to bury his worries watchin' the ponies, so down went the equip- ment to ketch a couple choice twelve- inch close-ups of Chicago's foremost citizen. Morrison finally talked Montemuro into linin' up Al in his finder and Lip- pert and Caputo did likewise. Capone didn't like the idea of the boys fea- turin' him, and Tony says Al even re- marked to him about pointin' his such and such camera at him. SIX-SIX T\ SIX Did He Lose 'Em? Gossip along the row right now: Urban Santone out in the middle of the Atlantic following Sir Hubert Wilkins' submarine on a sub-chaser and gettin' seasick but gettin' some marvelous shots. .. .Jack Barnett not only dryin' the dishes since becomin' domesticated, but washin' 'em also... Papa Cour keepin' the new offspring Gene, Jr. out of the limelight; so far nobody's even seen a pitcher of him. What you doin', Gene, pullin' a Lind- bergh on us ?... .Charlie David cov- erin' parades now from great big long wheelbase $5,000 automobiles... Eddie Morrison wonderin' what hap- nened to his pants while down at the Ryder Cup Matches at Columbus . . . Phil Gleason going gaga about an- other gal what knows her baby talk at Columbus also. . . .Tony Caputo and Jerry Altfleish breezin' around in style with the equipment mounted in Jerry's sport coup. .. .Ralph Saun- ders flashin' the future ball and chain before the boys now — sweet kid, Ralph — wish you luck. SIX-SIXTY-SIX They Hang Men for Less Well, I gotta get on the trail of them tree-rocked barrels again, so see you next month around the Windy City and 98 degrees heat. Har! Had You poor baboons! I had to sleen un- der two blankets last night. August, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Fifteen NOW... An Even Greater EASTMAN Super-sensitive jliJLREADY the film sensation of the year, Eastman Super-sensitive Panchromatic Nega- tive, Type 2, now comes with a new, gray base that makes it an even more remarkable medium than before. Here are the outstanding benefits of this new base: (l) it greatly increases brilliancy; (2) it cuts out all halation; (3) it improves the general photographic quality. We leave it to you to gauge the impor- tance of this latest Eastman achievement. Test the new gray-backed film. We know you will decide that now, especially, you can't afford to do without Eastman Super-sensitive. EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY ROCHESTER, NEW YORK J. E. Brulatour, Inc., Distributors New York Chicago Hollywood L Sixteen The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER era /RA HOKE Jurisdictional Fatigue Howard Hurd — What is the hour, Smitty ? Harold Smith— What? Howard — What is the time ? What time is it by the clock? Harold— What clock? Howard — By any clock. What time is it by any clock at all? What time of day is it? Harold— Now ? Howard — Yes, now. What time is it? Is it time to eat, or what? Harold — All right, let's eat then. The Best Talker "When I was a little girl," says Peggy, the chorus girl, "I used to go with Tom, Dick or Harry, but now I'm interested only in Jack." Race Suicide First Cameraman — I see the cops just arrested the undertaker around the corner because he had displayed a sign, "Suicides Buried Free." Second Cameraman — I fail to see why that was grounds for an arrest. First Cameraman — Well, you see, the cops said he would be charged with an attempt to exterminate the Scotch nation. No Photographic Aivard Anyway, we're glad no member of 659 made those passport photographs Al Gilks and Bob Bronner carry so carefully on their round-the-world cruise. Mathematician Maury Kains — If a girl in a candy factory has a 28 waist and is 5 feet tall, what does she weigh ? Earle Walker — The answer is candy. Brother's G. Teacher — What's that noise out- side? Kid — Oh, teacher! Lookit the horse runnin'. Teacher — Johnnie, you forgot your G. Kid — Oh, gee! Lookit the horse runnin'. Certain Cure Assistant Cameraman — Keeper, can a wart be cured by burying a dead cat at midnight? Zoo Keeper — Sure, if the wart is on the cat. Exclusive Over at the Studio Drivers' Local several of the boys were discussing which type of car they preferred to drive. "Well," said Bill, "I like to drive a limousine because the glass parti- tion gives me a rest from a lot of dumb conversation." Georgie Himself Stage Manager — Who broke that high trapeze ? Star Acrobat — I did, boss, with my little acts. Not in the Act "Ha, ha, me proud maiden," snarled Noah Beery, the heavy, "I can see through your subterfuge." Polly Moran — Well, that isn't so strange; it's only thin silk. Double Negative Assistant — Say, are you an athe- ist? Loader — No, I have no religion at all. Oh, My Gosh! Suspicious Cameraman (to his wife) — Who called this afternoon? Mable — Only Aunt Mamie. Him — Well, she left her pipe. Clothes Make the Man First Actress — Let's throw a real party. Second Actress — Who'll furnish the men? First Actress — The< wardrobe de- partment, of course. These Hard Times Prospective Actor — I don't suppose you don't know of nobody that don't want to hire nobody to do nothing, don't you ? Casting Director — Yes, I don't. Heartbreaker Assistant Cameraman (looking for a break) — Can I take you to the Zoo? Sweet Little Chorus Girl— No. If they want me they'll come after me. Can You Imagine? Him — What do you drink ? Her — I've often wondered, too. Highway Scenery Out on Venice Boulevard some wit with a piece of blue chalk has altered a famous cigarette sign to read: "For that tired feeling — go to bed." Great American Desert A drunk stopped Officer Kelly on the boulevard the other evening and asked: "Shay, officher, where am I at?" "Corner of Cahuenga and Selma," Kelly answered. The Drunk — "Aw, cut the details. What town is it?" Oh, My Dear! Cop — You're arrested for not hav- ing a red light on the rear of your auto. Actress — Sir! I'm not that kind of a girl. Air Minded Chorine — You know, I like music when it isn't over my head. Assistant Cameraman (trying to make conversation) — Say, that's just the way I feel about sea gulls. A Far Cry The difference between back home on the farm and Hollywood is that between a Saturday night bath and a Sunday morning Turkish bath. Nature Faker "This is heaven's bliss that I taste," murmured her lover, as he pressed his lips to her cheek. "You're wrong, buddy," said the fair maiden, "it's Max Factor's No. 6, Brunette." Regular Squirrel She — You must find back stage work very confining. Deck Hand — Oh, I manage to get exercise by running up the curtains. Mathematical Problem Once upon a time there were two Scotchmen. The joke columns are full of them now. I\o Labor Shortage Lady (to cop on Hollywood boule- vard)— Stop that man, officer, he's a bootlegger. Cop — Don't get excited, lady. There will be another one along in a min- ute. Shocking Charlie, the electrician, says there is nothing strange about these ac- tresses being live wires. They carry practically no insulation. Trade Secret Mac Tavish— I just received some photos of my uncle back in Scotland. Mac Laughlin — How do they look? Mac Tavish — I don't know; I have not developed them yet. Indian and Eastern Films for IS on-European Houses Commercial Attache Samuel H. Day of Johannesburg reports that plans have been completed for the establish- ment in South Africa of a chain of motion picture theatres for the enter- tainment of Asiatic and colored com- munities. Films are to be procured partly from the East, especially those produced in India with Indian actors. The promoters plan to erect a mod- ern theatre in Durban seating 1,500. They state they will then open and equip non-European theatres at Jo- hannesburg, Pretoria and throughout the Transvaal. The company is cap- italized at $125,000. *°CRk** Gream oth Stills Here's where you may enjoy supper under the sycamores, or luncheon either, if you don't care to wait for the sun to approach the horizon. The background is a bit of Santa Monica Canyon, with a fireplace for the coffee pot and settees for the diners. Ralph E. Yarger picked the spot. A multiple example of the joshua tree, ancient branch of the yucca family, making a better photograph than a place to sit, according to Les Rowley, returning from Antelope Valley. After the storm and while the clouds still show signs of anger, Harry Parsons exposes this photograph from the summit of the Ridge Route, north of Los Angeles. K ^^^^41 •"■> HRP1 imp W7t : A. flwS *^8 «J ^M£39HH BB^BIW^., Mhk^ "^aaHj^ ^^H^WWHHW %-* " " "7 SSSEJESr 677 . This is a pinhole picture, photo- graphed by Robert S. Crandall without the benefit of a lens. In the center of the extreme background is Mount Wilson, one of the larger hills overlooking Los Angeles. For this subject taken at Bel Air, between Hollyivood and the sea, by Rex Curtis, the Fox Company gave the award of best studio still of the month of April. t) Qream a th Stills # Tampa Bay is before us in this charming sketch from the camera of William A. Fraker. August, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Seventeen IVould Aid in Spectrum Analysis Technician Devises Direct Vision Spectroscope as a Beginning Toward Measurement of Photographic Quality of Light By ERNST KEIL THE study of light plays so im- portant a part in the art and sci- ence of cinematography that every one connected with it — particu- larly those at the technical end — should have at least a rudimentary knowledge of spectroscopy, i. e., the science of analyzing light, breaking it up into its component wave- lengths, and the instruments used for that purpose. Although the purely scientific as- pects of the study of light are fas- cinating beyond words, for sheer beauty and grandeur it stands with- out a rival. Who has not experienced the keenest joy while observing that bright band of brilliant colors mys- teriously produced when a beam of sunlight passes through a glass prism? It was the late A. A. Michelson, re- search associate at the Mount Wilson Observatory, who during a lecture on the study of light made the follow- ing statement: "This to my mind is one of the most fascinating not only of the de- partments of science but of human knowledge. It a poet could at the same time be a physicist he might con- vey to others the pleasure, the satis- faction, almost reverence, which the subject inspires. "The esthetic side of the subject is, I confess, by no means the least attractive to me * * * and I hope the day may be near when a Ruskin will be found equal to the description of the beauties of coloring, the exquisite gradations of light and shade, and the intricate wonders of symmetrical forms and combinations of forms which are encountered at every turn." Color Absorption To enable those eager to enjoy some of the delightful phenomena encoun- tered in pursuance of the simpler forms of spectrum analysis, the mod- est little direct-vision spectroscope here pictured and described has been designed. Anyone mechanically in- clined will find little or no difficulty in making one for himself. Although the instrument may be adapted to a great variety of uses, such for instance as research work in connection with color photography, color comparison, study of the color correction of lenses, etc., in the form presented here it is primarily in- tended for the visual observation of that mysterious, uncanny phenomena known as color-absorption. A verbal picture is a rather meager and dry thing when it comes to ex- plaining, for instance, the action of a filter of a certain color when placed in the path of a beam of light. How much more vivid and lifelike becomes the phenomena when we can "take it in" with our eyes and observe its splendor! And our little instrument provides one feature not found in any other direct-vision spectroscope so far as is known to the writer. It has been designed to allow the formation of two different spectra simultaneously — one above the other — thus affording a chance for visual comparison . A simple arrangement has been provided which permits the placing of any filter in the beam coming from a source of light in such a way that half of the light passes through the slit of the instrument unobstructed, while the other half has to pass through the filter. Thus two spectra are formed and seen in the instrument, located one above the other. The lower of the two is the spectrum of the source of light under investigation "as is," while the upper one shows the spec- trum of the same beam of light after its passage through the filter. For instance, let us place a K3 filter in the spectroscope and allow a beam of sunlight to enter. What we observe is a normal solar spectrum and right above it a spectrum with a certain portion of the blue missing, the part which the filter has mysteri- ously eaten up, destroyed, eliminated or absorbed, if you please. Thus the instrument not only enables us to see which color or wavelength has been absorbed, but exactly how much of it. Symphony in Colors Gelatin filters, unmounted, are very reasonably priced. Get a set as com- plete as you wish or can afford, secure the spectroscope in a position where it will show a brilliant solar spec- trum. Then, with your eye close to the instrument, drop one filter after another into the groove provided for them and you will witness a sym- phony in colors so delicate and viva- cious that you will never forget. And every new source of light so investigated will reveal to your de- lighted eye undreamed of color pat- terns, chromatic scales of superb del- icacy and modulation, of contrasts gorgeous and profound. And now a short description of the new spectroscope itself. A piece of rectangular brass tubing has attached to one end a slit as shown in the drawing. The other end carries the eye-piece which consists of two sepa- rate parts, i. e., the eyecup which, Eighteen The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER August, 1931 like the slitholder, fits over the out- side of the brass tube; it has a rec- tangular aperture for observing. The second part, which fits inside of the tube, comprises the optical sys- tem and consists of a plano-convex lens of about 2% inch focal length, a transmission grating which is placed against the plane side of the lens and protected with a piece of plane par- allel glass. For the latter a piece of micro- scope slide will do very nicely. The mounting for lens and grating should have a "sliding fit" inside the tube because the lens will have to be fo- cused on the edge of the slit jaws. The slot which is to hold the filters is, as shown in the drawing, cut across the entire width of the slit- mounting and to about half the height of the slit. Figs. A and B give a gen- eral idea of the spectroscope and de- tails of construction. In diagram C (S) is the slit through which a beam of light (B) enters, strikes the grat- ing (G) and is reflected to (P), where the spectrum is formed, i. e., in the focal plane of the lens. The placing of the slit way to one side has several important advan- tages for this type of spectroscope. In using a grating two spectra are formed, one on each side of the slit, and if the slit is located in the center of the tube both spectra are in the field of vision, although only one is needed. This second, unnecessary spectrum is in most direct vision spectroscopes an object of distraction and annoy- ance. However, with the slit as close as possible to the one side, the spec- trum, normally formed on that side, does not appear in the field of vision at all. It is crowded against the wall, nor- mal to the plane of dispersion, and hardly noticeable. The extra space gained on the other side of the slit allows formation of a spectrum in a most favorable position for observa- tion and permits of greater magnifi- cation, all very desirable features. And last but by no means least, the slit itself is not in the field of vision during observation. The eye-cup should be made as large as possible so that it can be brought very close to the eye. Hold- ing out stray light at this end of the instrument enhances good and pleas- ing observation enormously. Although most any kind of trans- mission grating will do, my choice is one with about 15,000 lines per inch with most of the light concentrated in the first order. The brilliancy and delicately modulated colors produced with such an outfit simply beggar de- scription. In concluding it may be stated that the instrument described in this arti- cle may successfully be modified to meet various conditions and needs in the study of light and it is hoped that some one will succeed in applying it — in modified form — to the direct meas- urement of the photographic quality of that thing called light. Meyers F:1.5 15mm. Lens Has Speed and Wide Angle WHEN used in conjunction with the new fast film Hugo Meyer's Kino Plasmat f:1.5 15mm. lens combines even more speed with wide angle properties. With this film and lens it should be simple to shoot all sorts of indoor and outdoor scenes, even under poor light conditions, a company statement declares. In its corrections and optical con- struction this lens has been corrected for the primary colors of the spectrum, affording a true-to-life rendition of the subject. The corrections of this particular lens afford extremely sharp definition even when wide open. Its unique combination of extreme speed and wide angle properties will enable the cinematographer to take indoor shots of objects comprising a wide field of view at extraordinary close range. It should prove ideal for cramped interiors and for extended views. This lens takes in approxi- mately 60 per cent wider field than the one-inch lens. In addition to the Plasmat's im- proved depth of focus the extreme short focus of this 15mm. lens assures sharp definition. The lens is in a focusing mount cali- brated from 1% feet to infinity. It is suitable for work under all con- ditions, indoors or outdoors. In bright- est sunlight it can be used at the smaller stops with satisfaction as- sured. The speed of the lens is suf- ficiently high to permit the use of a 5X filter. Scene from one of the civil war pictures made in 1913 by Kalem. It was photo- graphed by George K. Hollister senior ivith a camera mounted parallel to his motion picture equipment and shot simultaneously. Just for the record it may be stated here that Kalem was the first producing organization to recognize the importance of stills and to accord real attention to their photographic and dramatic quality. Credit for this pioneering is largely due to the combined tvork of Bill (Kalem) Wright of the sales force of the company and Hollister, who for many years was chief of the Kalem camera forces 111 Miles of 16mm. Film Go Through School Projector ONE hundred and eleven miles of 16 mm. movie film have passed through one Filmo projector in the Aliquippa (Pa.) high school in the last two school years. While this is not set forth as a school projection record, it is interest- ing to note that schools are keeping accurate count of their film activities. It is estimated the approximate time required for showing the 111 miles of film was 600 hours, and that over 23,000,000 single frames were projected in that time. For the year 1929-30 films were shown totaling 263,000 feet, or about 50 miles. During the past year 107 different films were used with a total of 324,500 feet, or 61 miles approxi- mately. The Aliquippa high school has only ten reels of film in its own library, but it makes good use of them and also is a generous user of free films. Films are used in the geography, science, industrial history and health classes of the high school. Also dur- ing the last two football seasons slow motion pictures have been taken of some of the early games, and the films have been used to show the players their faults. August, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Nineteen of the motion picture industry's consistent confidence in c^Scg incandescent lighting equipment is express- ed in orders received by LAKIN CORPORATION during July from a number of the industry's most prominent producers. ^> Warner Brothers-First National studios purchased 160 18" and 10 36" LACO Sun Spots. CJ Cinema Studio Supply Corporation placed orders for IS 36", ISO 24" and 100 18" LACO Sun Spots, 54 advanced type LACO Smooth Lites, 52 LACO Rifle Spots, 25 LACO Strip Lites, 11 LACO Location Boards and 1000 LACO Spill Lite Controls. •J Ralph Like purchased two LACO improved Carbon Break boards and 10 LACO Rifle Spots. ^ Orders were received from Radio Pictures Corporation for eight LACO Carbon Break location boards. «I United Artists studios purchased 25 24" LACO Sun Spots, 10 LACO Rifle Spots, one LACO Remote Control board and two LACO Manual Carbon Break boards. LAKIN CORPORATION herewith expresses appreciation to these con- cerns, as well as to all other motion picture producers, whose faith and confidence in J^acGV lu/hting equipment has gained for it an enviable reputation for dependability in the motion picture industry. a If it's NOT a -^ it's NOT Silent!" LAKIN CORPORATION 1707 Naud Street Los Angeles, California CApitol 14118 Twenty The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER August, 1931 House built in Rhyolite in 1905 by Bartender Kelly with 22,000 green and brown bottles. Emporium in Rhyolite, Nev,, at edge of Death \}m was built in 1906, but town has dropped to pieces aroi'.i Lancaster Makes Reel of Ghost Towns and H^ his Adventure Series Contn Gallows frame of Ophir Mine in Virginia City. HERE is a story written around a news weekly cameraman who found him- self temporarily separated from a pay roll. Snugly stowed away was a bank roll. He knew, of course, if a pay roll did not within a reasonable period again take him under its sheltering wings it was only a question of time before the bank roll would be taking flight. George J. Lancaster, member of the In- ternational Photographers, a quick thinker and as resourceful as news weekly camera- men are trained to be, cut a slice from that bank roll and started north. He was con- vinced he knew places where he could set up his camera and bring to the screen a story that would interest the world. It would be a page out of the past and the comparatively near past — one that in the course of its making barely would span the three-score years and ten of the average allotted life. It would renew to memory one of the most picturesque phases of American history and the early days of some of the nation's most noted men. The foregc the background of the single reel s "Nevada's Ghost Towns," now being on the screens of the country. Elmer on supervised its preparation for rele one of the Vagabond Adventure Series ther and most important to Photog Lancaster, a contract was offered am executed under which the former news ly man is now working on a series venture stories. As the maker of "Nevada's Ghost 1 most truly says, phantom cities indei Virginia City, Silver City, Rawhide, lite and Aurora. At the height of the: duction the population exceeded 30,000 Great Was Virginia City Let us consider one of these towns ginia City, situated at an elevation o feet on the eastern slope of Mount Da^ and the home of the Comstock mines, property, named for a miner who got tically nothing for his discovery, disj in gold over $900,000,000 alone. It Close-up of collapsed framework over shaft of Ophir, whence have issued many millions in gold ore. Silver City, Nev., with elevation of 8728 feet, was * peak in 1879. Stmcture at left of bridge is Masonic Tift August, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Twenty-one I < k oh s Church in Virginia City, now unused, built by W. Mackay, and ruins of Wells-Far go Building. Charley Ching, 72 years old, in front of his City Cafe, only restaurant in Virginia City, sole survivor of 3000 of his countrymen. ie fortunes of John W. Mackay, ' Fair, and William M. Stewart. The om the mines of the district made he admission of Nevada as a state, votes for the passage of the thii- lendment, freeing the slaves. of the fact that Virginia City was peiwith institutions designed to con- e > the comfort and education of a sizfl municipality, its population ?.n ha dwindled to 2244 inhabitants. Ten her there were but 1200 uncovered e cisus takers, and in 1930 but 588 re- >d. It will be noted in each of the d ades the population slipped prac- i I per cent. I c Virginia City's chief claims to en- I tine will be that it was here the lg bility of Samuel L. Clemens first •ecijnized; that it was in the columns irginia City Territorial Enterprise ipjared the signature of Mark Twain, toibecome the most famous nom de : v, literary history. vnin Aurora, Clemens was having adding as a miner. For the first lis more than a quarter of a cen- ife the former printer and pilot incig difficulty in making a living. In pai time, and he had much, he had some letters to the Enterprise osh." Editor Joe Goodman, hunt- ing for a reporter, was attracted by the in- troduction made by the miner to a burlesque Fourth of July speech: "I was sired by the Great American Eagle and foaled by a continental dam." "Send for him," said Goodman, "and offer him ?25 a week." When Twain Tramped Albert Bigelow Paine in his biography of Twain (Harper & Brothers, 1912), tells how after much consideration the miner accepted, putting behind him his dreams of wealth from the ground — or some of them. "It was the afternoon of a hot, dusty Au- gust day when a worn, travel-stained pilgrim drifted laggingly into the office of the En- terprise," Paine tells us, "and, loosening a heavy roll of blankets from his shoulders, dropped wearily into a chair. He wore a rusty slouch hat, no coat, a faded blue flan- nel shirt, a navy revolver; his trousers were hanging on his boottops. "A tangle of reddish brown hair fell on his shoulders, and a mass of tawny beard, dingy with alkali dust, dropped half way to his waist." The young man who but a couple of years before had been known among the Mississip- pi pilots as most meticulous in his dress and appearance had tramped the 130 miles be- tween Aurora and Virginia City. He had Fred Walker, prospector, only inhabitant of Aurora, Nev., still confident. trei in Virginia City as it was April 18, the present , flowing 18-inch snowstorm-. Photographer Lancaster in foreground. Street scene in Aurora showing at right structure that orig- inally was county court house until survey showed town ivas in Nevada. Twenty-two The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER August, 1931 been in the West but a year, having arrived in August, 1861, as secretary without salary to his brother, secre- tary of the territorial government. A Near Duel He was to remain on the paper twenty-one months, leaving suddenly for San Francisco in order to escape imprisonment for dueling. The com- bat had not taken place, but it was enough that it nearly had. Just why it didn't is a Mark Twain story in itself. When Clemens was sent to Carson City the winter of 1862-3 as legis- lative correspondent the writer then chose as a signature the nom de plume used by the late Captain Isaiah Sell- ers, "Mark Twain." It was first used by Clemens February 3, 1863. It was while on the Enterprise that Twain kiddingly suggested to John W. Mackay that they trade busi- nesses and the man who later was to be one of the nation's wealthiest men declined, saying he couldn't trade as his business was not worth as much as Twain's, that he never had swin- dled anybody and didn't propose to begin then. It was to Virginia City that the humorist Artemus Ward came to de- liver a couple of lectures and re- mained for three weeks, giving and being entertained at daily farewell dinners to and by the Enterprise gang. The great artery of Virginia City was C street. As it stands today it is desolate. Brick structures have crumpled. Portions of the Wells- Fargo building walls still stand. No longer is there a hotel. The City Cafe is the only surviv- ing restaurant. Charlie Ching, last of three thousand Chinese, and who went to the town in 1876, greeted the photographer with a broad smile. "Plenty peoples make camera click," he said. "By and by Vi'ginia lity come back." Six miles to the south, down the Ophir grade, in plain view of Mount Davidson, on the fringe of Carson Sink and the Humboldt desert, lies Silver City. Like Virginia City it also is toppling and deserted. County Seat to Gambling From here Lancaster plowed his way through snow washboard roads to Aurora. At one time in the early days it was thought Aurora was in California, so the Esmeralda was made the county seat. Later it was found the Nevada line extended farther to the west, to Bodie. The county office was moved and the Esmeralda became a famous hotel, with all western accessories. Everywhere one may see evidences of the prosperity that once was this city's. Buildings were meant to be permanent. The streets were broad, with sewers well laid. But the gold petered out, and so did the popula- tion until only one survives, hoping and prospecting, that another bonan- za will bring back the balmy days. Farther to the south, on the fringe of Death Valley, is Rhyolite. The largest of the buildings is the three- story cut-stone Overbury building. George J. Lancaster The roof has given way to the rav- ages of time, the floors have fallen through to the basement, A saloon man named Kelly built a house out of 22,000 brown and green bottles. Each bottle laid in mortar of adobe stands in perfect alignment, bottom out. It has been preserved by Paramount Pictures and the Beatty Improvement Association as a his- torical monument. "Old mine shafts and tunnels mark the spots where sweat and brawn once dripped and dug gold," says Lancaster in a note regarding his trip. He closes by quoting a remark ascribed to Mackay: "There is one very important point regarding mining, and that is the point of a pick." Mitchell Camera Company Is W est Coast Agent for Bansch and Lomb Raytar BAUSCH & LOMB Optical Com- pany announces the appointment of the Mitchell Camera Corpora- tion, Hollywood, as agents in Califor- nia for the distribution of its new Raytar motion picture lens. A stock of lenses is carried on the west coast and orders can be filled promptly. Readiness of the complete line of Raytar Lenses for distribution is the result of two years' work spent in submitting this lens to every conceiv- able test involving conditions and re- quirements much more exacting than it will be called upon to meet in the studio. Sharp definition and positive focus are outstanding characteristics of the Raytar. When the cameraman moves the lens to the proper plane, the image snaps sharply into focus and a slight adjustment in either direction throws it decidedly out of focus. Thus all uncertainty is removed. This lens is offered on the basis of having been fully tried, tested and corrected. It is declared to perform equally well with arc or incandescent illumination, with orthochromatic, panchromatic or high speed film, and it will take equally sharp pictures of any color or color combinations. Experiments and research work for the best possible glass for the Raytar were started over three years ago. Then for a three year period the glass decided upon was subjected to severe tests for weathering qualities. As a result, this lens is offered with the assurance the glass will not tarnish or discolor. Even German Silents More Popular Than Stage Houses From the statistics prepared by the German Institut fur Konjunkturfor- schung it appears that during the last years of the silent film era, from 1924 to 1928, approximately 130,000,000 marks new capital were invested in the German cinema industry. During the same period the capital applied for the construction or ex- tension of legitimate theatres by municipalities and provinces was 40,- 000,000 marks, or less than one-third of the amount spent on motion pic- ture houses, and this despite a more favorable treatment of the former in- sofar as entertainment tax is con- cerned. Junior Movie Cabinet The Junior Movie Cabinet, a prod- uct of the National-All-Movie Sales Company, is designed to store camera, projectors, reels of film, and accesso- ries. A 14 by 19-inch screen is attached to the back of the cabinet. When projecting pictures it is removed and placed on a chair or table, while the projector is operated from the top of the cabinet. The apparatus is strongly built and finished in walnut with side compart- ments for magazines, etc. August, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Twenty-three Major Treatt Will Make Feature and) 13 Shorts In the Sudanese Jungles FOLLOWING negotiations with Multicolor Major C. Court Treatt, African explorer and hunter and producer of motion pictures with na- tive Africans, will soon go to the Sudan to make in color a drama around the Dinkas, a tribe of swamp living giants. The title will be "The Fight to Live." With the feature will be thirteen short subjects. The major is one of the few white men who have established friendly contacts with the Dinkas. Also as a result of his long experience in the Dark Continent and his standing in British governmental circles he has permission from the authorities to enter territories inhabited by the Din- kas and other lesser known tribes. German Author and Censor Get Together on Standards AT the initiative of the Protec- tive Union of German Authors the film censors have formed an organization which has sent the fol- I lowing official declaration to the press: "In order to put an end to the in- conveniences of film censorship, some of the members of the Berlin censor- ship board and of the superior cen- I sorship board have created a special i section at the Protective Union of f German Authors for the collection of :' material which will be examined in [ the course of periodical meetings. An appropriate suggestion for the im- : provement of the film law will then ; be made by our organization, which | will by all means in its power en- j deavor to have this suggestion adopt- I ed and put into force." Through his fellowship in the Royal Geographical Society the major also has the advantage that accrues to that affiliation. The Dinkas are described as among the most colorful of the tribes living in the swamps of the upper Nile. Their average height is 6 feet 8 inches. This will be the first time they have been photographed by a motion picture camera. Major Treatt's last picture was "Stampede," made in the Sudan with Arabs in the principal and minor roles, and released as a silent subject in England. In a survey of the best box office subjects of 1930 in Great Britain "Stampede" was among the three listed, the two others being in £ound. The major is the author of a book of travel, "Out of the Beaten Track." Spanish Exhibitors See Hope For some considerable time the the- atres and cinemas in Spain have made applications to the Government for a reduction of the taxes which fall so heavily on their profits. The advent of the new government has given the directors courage to make a new demand to the financial minister for the complete suppression of the taxes. The ministry has replied that if a detailed report is submitted the matter will be given careful con- sideration. The largest professional motion picture camera exchange in the world ON ITS FIRST ANNIVERSARY Xk. Sends greetings to its many customers in every quarter of the old glohe EVERYTHING THE CAMERAMAN NEEDS WILL BE FOUND AT Camera exchange V LTD ^L. f CAR! F:HnrAMF*-IRIirAHMFNf.A RIVn-PHONFf,l ?R07 CABLE:HOCAMEX-l5ll CAHUENGA BLVD-PHONEGL2507 Specimen 80-inch Dinka photographed by Major Treatt in characteristic swampy tribal habitat Twenty-four The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER August, 1931 Portable recording amplifier of the Canady recording system, the invention of Don Canady Don Canady of Cleveland Invents Reeording System DON Canady of Cleveland in the inventing and designing of the Canad" Recorder has made useful application of knowledge gained by 22 years experience in the projection and radio engineering field and, more recently, with the technical side of sound pictures. He is a mem- ber of the Institute of Radio Engi- neers and the Society of Motin Pic- ture Engineers. Through the middle west Canady is known because of his developments in motion picture equipment. Among these are the Canady automatic vol- ume control for sound picture work, the Wonderphone sound reproducers for film and disc and highly improved silent camera movement for sound work. As early as 1916 Canady perfected and built the first 50 Peerless arc lamp controls which later became the McCauley arc lamp control and is now a part of the General Theatre Corporation's list. He was among the first to receive a commercial wire- less operator's license, first class, from the government under the act of 1912. As cameraman the inventor was chief for Argus Enterprises and Bradley Feature Productions. He served as cameraman for the Com- mittee on Public Information for the Government during the war. His practical experience in projec- tion and sound work covers a long period. He is now a member of Local 666 of Chicago, having formerly been a member of the New York local. Canady is maintaining offices at 714 Leader Building, Cleveland, under the firm name of Canady Recording Equipment Company. Western Films in East The entertaining capacity of Dehra Dun, Calcutta, India, as regards talk- ers was recently doubled when the Pantheon, equipped with American ap- paratus, opened in competition with the Orient. It Toole Two Years . . . BEFORE Bausch & Lomb was willing to announce the Raytar Motion Picture Lens its superiority had to be proved by every conceivable laboratory test. Now, tried and tested for two years, it is offered to the cinematographer, backed by the full guarantee of this com- pany as to quality and performance. No lens noiv on the market equals the Raytar in the even definition that it produces over the entire picture area. Sharp definition is obtained quickly and easily as a result of its positive focus. The lens is easily focused because the image snaps up sharp and clear when it is in exact focus. It is fully corrected for all motion picture photog- raphy under all types of illumination and with any film. The glass will not tarnish or discolor. Raytar lenses make better pictures. Try them. A request will bring literature and prices. BAUSCH & LOMB OPTICAL COMPANY 682 St. Paul Street Rochester, N. Y. Henry E. Polak brings home this tumbling reminiscence of a location in Yellowstone P .***T'o., "°or£* Qream oth Stills c^L'o^ While at Big Pine in the high Sierras Robert Tobey recorded the film's reaction to exposure to snow in high altitude in late afternoon. A little later by the clock, at sundown on another day probably, E. A. Schoenbaum, from June Lake Lodge, in the same range, takes this picture of Gull Lake. Demonstrating that directors, too, sometimes are adept in the photographic field, Edward Laemmle shows this picture made by him a decade ago of a native habitation in the interior of far-off Dutch Borneo. And here back in California, on fhr Seventeen Mile Drive along the coast of Monterey, W. J. Van Rossem makes a record of the surf smashing in over the rocks. /fizfc ^H^ @ream oth Stills Loyal Himes catches old Winter at Lake Tahoe — with the sun shining through the trees during a lull in the storm. August, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Twenty-five Cooling System Important Factor in New Eastman 16mm. Projector from leaving the pulleys when the arms are folded down. The latter fea- ture contributes to the freedom from adjustment with which the projector can be put into use. THE Kodascope Model K, a pro- jector claimed to give a quality of projection surpassing any- thing previously seen in the 16mm. field and with a cooling system so efficient that even after hours of run- ning the lamp house is barely warm to the touch, makes its appearance before the home movie public this month. The projector appears as a com- panion machine to the Cine-Kodak Model K, the newest Eastman motion picture camera. Simplicity of opera- tion is likewise an outstanding ele- ment in the new Kodascope, with op- erating controls grouped on a panel and with most of the important bear- ings oiled from a central point. The secret of the screen brilliance produced by the Model K is said to lie in a new and improved optical [system. The illumination, provided !by a special 260-watt lamp, is direct rather than by reflection, and the vailable light is further conserved by ight-trapping of the lamp house in way permitting but a minimum of tray light to leak into the room dur- ng projection. The latter feature adds to the dark- ess of the room — a condition espe- ially valuable in Kodacolor projection — as well as adding to the amount of light reaching the screen. Hooking In Room Light An attachment for plugging-in a floor lamp or a table lamp to the pro- jector so that the room light goes on when the projector is turned off is an innovation of the "K," an innovation designed to eliminate fumbling around in the dark at the end of a reel and to assure that the room becomes dark promptly when the picture starts. The ammeter, which is standard equip- ment on the new projector, is indi- rectly illuminated, like the instrument board of an automobile. The motor rewinds the film at high speed. Another unique feature is a rewind release and brake that assures solid winding of the film on the reel. The new device is supplied with a two-inch lens for maximum black and white brilliancy. Lenses of various focal lengths for both Kodacolor and black and white pictures are available as extra equipment. They are in- stantly interchangeable with the regu- lar lens. The lamp can be replaced and the optical parts can be cleaned very simply by opening a hinged door to the lamp house. The design of the reel arm prevents the driving belts Miller Company Now Adds the Fold-O-Flector Junior THE Miller Company of Meriden, Conn., maker of the large Fold- O-Flectors for the Mazda Photo- flash lamp, has now produced the Fold-O-Flector Junior. The device runs on the same princi- ple as the larger, but it holds from one to three lamps, being somewhat oblong in shape, and the two lamps clipped in at the ends are set off by contact with the central lamp. It is light in weight, and both reflector and battery can be carried in the pocket. The reflector folds up to a small tri- angle, yet opens out to good size. In short, it is handier than the sin- gle bulb reflectors as it can be car- ried in the pocket. The larger device primarily is for professionals and the Junior for amateurs, though they are interchangeable. Sound Unit for Ingram RCA Photophone, Inc., is shipping one of its Standard news reel record- ing trucks to the Gainsborough Pic- tures, Ltd., studios in London. Its first assignment will be with the Rex Ingram unit for the recording of ex- teriors in Africa which are to be in- cluded in a production now being made under Ingram's direction. Dorothy Mackaill and Don Cook in "Party Husband" a First National Picture Max Factor's Make-Up Used Exclusively Mack Elliott, Stills Tel. HOIly 6191 Fred Hickox, Cameraman Max Factor's Panchromatic and Technicolor Make-up for the Screen Max Factor Make- Up Studios Highland Avenue at Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood Perc Westmore, Make-up Artist Cable Address "Facts" Chicago Office 144 West irand Ave. Other Foreign Branches 4-C Her Majesty's London Arcade Sydney, Australia Office 67 Foochow Road Shanghai, China 399 West Street Durban, So. Africa 10 D'Arbay Benson, Smith & Co. Honolulu, T. H. Street 249 McCall St. Toronto, Canada Max Factor's Theatrical Make-up for the Stage Twenty-six The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER August, 1931 Looking In on Just a Few New Ones George Folsey THE SMILING LIEUTENANT WELL, when much of your story and music and all of your di- rectors are of German origin and your star is a hundred per cent French in the small part of him which is not international, what would you expect but a con- tinental result ? Paramount's "The Smiling Lieutenan t," with Lubitsch di- recting and Che- valier starring, is a European pro- duction in the showman's sense. It is sexy, ex- tremely so, as it must have been meant to be. In Europe and South America and everywhere in the world where it is assumed amusement seekers are adults whose morals need no more protection than the owners personally see fit to throw around them the oro- duction will be welcomed with glee. The picture is not slated to be ex- actly a frost in the United States, ei- ther. At the Carthay Circle in Los Angeles on about the tenth day of its showing and at the beginning of the fifth week of unrelieved high tem- perature— a month when the boost- er's much-vaunted blanket had given way at night to the bare sheet or less — the big house was packed to the last seat. If you don't think that situation on a hot July night means something in any city in any land talk to any showman you may hap- pen to know. He'll tell you. Let's get down to the genesis of the thing. The story was evolved by Ernest Vajda and Samson Raphael- son out of Leopold Jacobson and Fe- lix Dormann's "The Waltz Dream" and Hans Muller's novel "Nux der Prinzgemahl," with lyrics and music by Oscar Straus and Clifford Grey. Singularly enough, that old stuff about too many cooks is shown to be well founded because it hp-oens to be the exception that proves the rule. Chevalier as always is just Cheva- lier. According to the vehicle on which he rides is he greater than or- dinary or just ordinarily good. As we see him here he is unusual enter- tainment for the men in the house. And what he is to the women as judged by apnearances on the night in question is just nobody's business, if we mav be permitted the use of that expression. The title well might have been "What a Kisser!" Perhaps "Ma" Ken- nedy, could she be induced to bend her experienced gaze on the Apollo- like figure of the gallant lieutenant, might be inclined to withdraw with- out right of appeal that world fa- mous citation of "What a Man!" and rebestow it. Sharing the honors with Chevalier By GEORGE BLAISDELL and the director is among others Mir- iam Hopkins. She walks away with the part of the lachrymose princess, the one who loves much and yet knows not just how to translate that regar-d to the knowledge of the loved — that is, you understand, to the point of reciprocation — but she does learn later. Claudette Colbert has a difficult part as the leader of the woman's or- chestra who on sight of the lieuten- ant throws herself into his arms. To those who see this competent actress as she was, for instance, in "The Lady Lies," her work in this picture will seem something markedly different. In the last named she was a vital factor in the success of the produc- tion. Here, somehow, in spite of her enthusiasm and effort and unques- tioned skill and versatility, the char- acter and the personality of the play- er seem things apart. George Barbier as the king of the smaller kingdom, who with his daugh- ter visits the Emperor of Austria, is in the spirit of his part every mo- ment. He makes an individual hit. The production is elaborately staged. If the set call for the interior of a royal palace what we see looks as if it might well be. It was photographed in New York by George Folsey and his crew of east- ern camera sharps. The entire program of the Car- thay was noteworthy. Pete Smith, just to demonstrate his first effort in synchronizing vocally any casual mo- tion picture was not a flash in the pan, tries his voice and his nen again — and scores a hit, again. This time he talks about dogs — whippets, to be exact. Georgie Stoll and his all-around band do their unusual and novel bits, one of the best of which is "The Family Album." Then, too, there is a single reel scenic photographed by Carl Berger showing us the nation's capital from the air and from the ground. CAIN AND ARTEM THE notable thing about Am- kino's "Cain and Artem," shown at the Filmarte the first half of July, is the character of Cain the Jew. Regardless of how Maxim Gorky may have conceived this appealing char- acter he is as we see him in the pic- ture a cross between the Gandhi of to- day and the Christ of old. Displaying undoubted courage of the physical as well as the moral kind Cain as we see him possesses the non- resistive characteristics of Gandhi combined with the vision and humanity but lacking the aggressiveness of Christ. The delineation of the attri- butes of Cain is even more striking in its impressiveness by reason of the brutality of Artem, the champion strong man of the Volga longshore- The regeneration of the danger- ously wounded brute through the ministrations of the Jew, which take the form of cultural as well as physi- cal, will be followed with deep inter- est by the moi-e serious minded. The period is prerevolutionary, prewar even, and it is in the squalid quarters of Cain that the slowly recuperating Artem listens to discussions and reads books having to do with the better- ment of mankind as it especially af- fects the Russians. There are two other principals, the wife in love with Artem and the much older husband of the deserting woman. The latter is silent, morose when out of the company of Artem, with the husband seeking riddance of his rival through resort to nearly accomplished murder. Emil Call is the Jew, Nikolai Simo- nov is Artem. Elena Georgorova is the wife and George Uvarof is the hus- band. The theme of the scenarist-director, F. P. Petrov-B'ytov, is life as it was known in the lowlier levels in Russia in the days of the former regime. The photography, by Nikolai Ushakov, is striking, but the cutter has in too many instances dealt not in lengths of feet but rather of inches which in combination with the interminable dissolves in and out of backgrounds leaves the observer at times if not dizzy at least bewildered. The picture is silent, with English titles, a welcome relief to the follower of foreign pictures handicapped by unacquaintance with the language in which they may be recorded. With use of innumerable types the picture takes on the added phase of an educational subject. A FREE SOUL First cameraman, William Daniels ; second cameraman. Al. Lane; assistants, William Riley, Nelson McEdwards ; stills, Milton Brown. SINCE the beginning of pictures one of the quickest means of at- taining the indignity of "the face on the cutting room floor" has been to outpoint or submerge the reputed star of the picture. Especially did this hold true in the case of those men or women, and especially women who stood well up front — who had a jerk, so to speak, with one of the bow- wows. As to the size of the pull that might be exercised by Norma Shearer should she see fit really to put it into play there hardly will be any denial. So all the more honor to Miss Shearer for bringing to the screen in her picture M-G-M's "A Free Soul" William Daniels August, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Twenty -seven Ithat stirring contribution of Lionel Barrymore's speech to the jury near the ending of the story. It was a re- markable piece of work, this whole sequence, with the surprise entrance of the lawyer retrieved from the gut- ter to save the life of the man loved [by his daughter and his prompt tak- ing over of the defense. That the sequence reaches the screen with the actor dominating the closing scenes of the picture is proof that Miss Shearer possesses intelli- gence of a higher order than that of many of her sisters — and their yield- ing and complacent employers; proof she is willing to sacrifice her indi- vidual seniority, her so-called stardom if you will condone the chatterer's expression, in order that the pictures carrying her name may be the richer in quality for those who spend their money to see them. In fact she would seem to be a screen star really worthy of the name — and a merciful heaven knows there is a multitude so called who never have been so chosen by a patient public. Adela Rogers St. Johns in her novel has supplied the foundation for a re- markably strong production. Becky Gardiner is credited with the adapta- tion and John Meehan with the dia- logue and continuity. Clarence Brown directed. The program lists Hugh Wynn as "film director." Just what that means your guess is just as good as any assistance you may get from this column. But regardless of the various credits the outstanding fact is that "A Free Soul" is a big picture, one that no adult screen follower can afford to miss. One of the best beginnings for an interesting subject is the short cast, only six names being listed. One of the surprises is the placing of Clark Gable in a role that is worse than un- sympathetic. It is brutally unsym- pathetic. And like a good soldier he plays it for all it is worth. Leslie Howard has the part of the young man set aside by the brilliant Jan Ashe when she falls under the spell of Ace Wilfong, the gambler acquitted of murder through the ef- forts of the elder Ashe. James Gleason is the confidante and right- hand man of Ashe, his principal duty consisting of keeping the liquor al- ways on tap. Lucy Beaumont is Grandma Ashe, seen not so often but very effectively. One woman admirer of Miss Shearer bitterly resents what she de- scribes as the ruinous stories selected for that player. She explains the criticism by pointing out that the actress possesses unusual intelligence, of a quality that would make impos- sible the doing in life of the things she is called upon to do for the screen. Specifically she cites the return of Jan to Wilfong after she knows her father has broken his part of the mutual bond, saying no woman of that mentality would so demean herself. Disregarding the possible force that ' may ride in the general comment there is disagreement here on the specific instance quoted. The woman was fascinated by the man. It was with her a case of physical attraction without the matter of respect heavily entering into it. The man was in no wise a stranger to her. In going back to this man with whom she had lived and knew, she was doing what the majority of hu- mans, female or male, would have done under parallel circumstances. She was obeying impulse, not reason. The latter quickly rose to the ascen- dant, however, when Wilfong over- estimated his power, threw off the veneer of gentleness and assumed he was dealing with a weak creature completely out of her senses over him. M-G-M has made a great picture, one that will add markedly to the rep- utation of Norma Shearer and Lionel Barrymore, and one that in compelling power deservedly will rank alongside that of "Madame X" made by Sam Goldwyn a dozen years ago. Gilbert Warrenton HONEYMOON LANE First cameraman. Gilbert Warrenton ; second cameraman, Ira Hoke ; assistants, Harold Gates, Eugene Liggett ; stills, Eugene Kornman. FOR the second time within the year a successful picture comes to the market from under the hand of a director whose death precedes the appearance of the finished product on the screen. In the case of "Tabu" Murnau was killed as the result of an automobile ac- cident. During his work on the pic- ture his health was excellent. With the late William J. Craft it was markedly different. His death followed the completion of the photograph- ing of "Honey- moon Lane" by but a fortnight. During the progress of its production the director struggled under a severe handicap, making himself audible to his most competent assistant, Norman Deming, and staff and players only with difficulty. It may be he passed away with the hope his last effort would be among his best if not the best of that long list. It is possible it will be the verdict of the public it was his best. "Honeymoon Lane," produced by Sono-Art and being distributed by Paramount, is delightful comedy- drama. Eddie Dowling, the head of the cast, is credited with the screen play and Barney Sarecky with its adaptation. The picture marks the appearance of Eddie Dowling after a long absence from the screen. Nevertheless it is a welcome appearance, one which demon- strates the player possesses screen personality in a noteworthy degree. The character of his work is different from that of the average stage come- dian. It has exuberance yet it avoids the boisterous, the slapstick. The un- derlying theme, too, has the advantage of being within the bounds of logic — ar.d that in spite of the fact it con- tains a king of Bulgravia, presumably a real rather than a mythical func- tionary. The latter's entrance and his stay interfere in no wise with the smoothly flowing illusion. Further- more the character, as played by Armand Kaliz, contributes much to the comedy. There are some real funsters, too, in the cast. Among these Ray Dooley seems to have little difficulty in estab- lishing herself as the chief. She is a genuine comic, and it is reliably re- ported the great majority of her stuff here is her own. She has a way with her that is novel and likewise most mirth-provoking. Then there are Ray- mond Hatton and George Kotsonaros, who portray crooks reformed under (he gentle guidance of Mother Mur- phy— Mary Carr. And Mother Murphy is one of the main characters of the story — one of the two or three in the tale who look upon things in a serious vein. She is the one who contributes the drama, the pathos; who looks upon life through the simple vision of the small communityite and is not swayed from that attitude by promise of large financial returns. June Coilyer charmingly plays the sweetheart of the star, having the role of the niece of the gambling house keeper who fires Dugan and then tries to run him out of the town. Noah Beery is the uncle. Lloyd Whit- lock is Arnold Bookstein, the big town gambler who comes to the coun- try to open a sporting establishment and remains to pray and along with the king to eat cherry pie. "Honeymoon Lane" is a simple tale well told, nine-tenths of it in whole- some fun. THREE WHO LOVED First cameraman, Nick Musuraca ; second cam- eramen. Joe Biroc, Harry Wild, Edward Henderson ; assistants, George Diskant, Harold Wellman, James Daly; stills, Rob- ert Coburn. '~T~>HERE'S no hundred percent heroine in Radio's "Three Who Loved," shown at RKO-Hill Street early in July. The same asser- tion well may be repeated in the in- stance of the hero, who smears an otherwise spotless career by dipping his hand into the till of his fellow- paying teller and filching ten thou- sand. To be sure it was his inten- tion to employ the money over the week-end only in order to protect a margin and fur- ther in order to protect a rather generous fortune he had accumu- lated presumably as a bank clerk. He has just drawn a check for $7500 to start the building of a home for him- self and his bride to be. Then there is an admittedly bad boy, bad because he is unscrupulous in mat- ters of women and friendships or rather in matters of friendships when Nick Musuraca Twenty -eight The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER August, 1931 women enter into the situation. The veneer that covers his duplicity is so thin that every one but the near hero sees through it, with the result that the men properly will revile him and the women maybe will adore him — who knows? The principals in the order named are interpreted by Betty Compson, Conrad Nagel and Robert Ames. What appeal the subject has is supplied by the personality of the actors de- cidedly more than by the story, which is far from being anything to write home about. Martin Flavin is the author of the story, and the adaptation, continuity and dialogue are credited to Beulah Marie Dix. George Archainbaud di- rected. Two strong characterizations con- tributing to the players' side of the subject are those of Robert Emmett O'Connor as a police official and Bodil Rosing as the keeper of the boarding house where John brings his sweet- heart Helga just off the boat from Sweden. It is the first who sees through the designs of Phil to abuse the confidence of John and at the same time, with no intention of carrying through his declarations of regard, win the affec- tion of the susceptible Helga. Miss Rosing contributes some forceful ad- vice to the prospective bridegroom re- garding the conduct of her young countrywoman, who it may be assumed off the screen has coached the heroine in such use as she has been caused to make of the Swedish tongue. About News Reels In the Pathe News shown on the same program at the Hill Street is a scene of the military transfer of the bodies of famous Fi-enchmen from one resting place to another. The sequence is in sound and minus the bombastic, bathetic, sepulchral tones which some broadcasters seem to think so essential to the intelligible telling of a story. The swing and the precision of these French soldiers, the martial spirit and religious fervor that shine in their bearing and their rigid features, carry a thrill all its own. It constitutes the highest form of drama, this bit of a hundred feet of picture from Paris. With that thrill goes a message, a message that France even more than ever is a military nation. It is a message that so will be interpreted by the men in every nation accustomed to respond to a call to arms and in- cidentally by the powerful few accus- tomed to make war with the blood of others than their own. And while on this subject of news reels did by any chance any one con- nect the significance of the sound news appearance of German Chancellor B'ruening in his appeal to the Ameri- can people regarding his country's low financial situation and the almost immediately following announcement of President Hoover's suggestion for a year's debt moratorium? In the language of the newspaper shop the exceedingly impressive talk of the chancellor seemed a plant de- signed to pave the way for the Presi- dent, to put the American mind in a receptive attitude for the revolution- ary action suggested in the presi- dential note to the interested powers. In other words the talking picture may become — in the event it is not so already — the most potential force in international diplomacy now existing, even more so than the daily news- paper. Max Fabian WILD AND WOOLLY First cameraman, Maximilian Fabian ; second cameramen, Harold Marzorati, Steve Bau- der ; assistants, Jimmy Harper, Tom Dow- ling, Cecil Wright. ALL of us are more or less ac- quainted with an old saw which sets forth something to the ef- fect that "a prophet is not without honor except in his own country." That the saying has a measure of truth in it is dem- onstrated in the case of Pete Smith, head of the publicity de- partment of M-G-M for sev- eral years, in fact since the com- pany has been. In the fifteen or twenty years Pete Smith has been a part of the picture busi- ness, since the days and maybe before as a spindling youth he offi- ciated as publicity man for Bosworth pictures, he has seen title writers, gag men, dialogue writers and related smart ones near and far come but mostly go. While these great ones were in the employ of his employer the quaint Pete has told the world how good they were, for if they were employed by his employer it was accepted as granted they must be good. And when a press agent ceases to tell the world just that at least he ceases to be a press agent — for that or any other company. In all these fifteen or twenty years so far as this writer knows the world at large has never realized that Bos- worth and Lasky and Paramount among others and M-G-M in partic- ular have been harboring a screen humorist of real quality. At least it did not until it had a chance to listen to the inimitable description of a rodeo synchronized in the voice and even more unmistakable style of Pete Smith. The resulting fun has its source in two evenly balanced factors — in the indubitably original humor in which wisecracking and slang are judicious- ly mingled and in the entirely charac- teristic vocal presentation. Of the latter phase too much in commenda- tion cannot be uttered for the value given to pauses. These are so spaced as to attain the dignity of the exact psychological touch. The success of Pete Smith in a dif- ficult field, one that has been from the beginning a shining mark for thieving mediocrity, the field of humor de- signed for the entertainment of the man in the street, must be a source of pride for the M-G-M gang, the portly chief of which long has been a close friend of the revealed screen wit. A crowded house at the big Chinese Theatre the night before the Fourth followed in a gale of mirth the de- scription of the stirring deeds of the cowboys in their efforts to conquer the untamed horses and cattle as- signed to them presumably by one who cared not whose bones were broken — so long as his own remained intact. The M-G-M novelty is in one reel and was photographed by Max Fa- bian. The picture bears evidence the photographers, too, took chances on broken bones as well as the cow- boys. Karl Struss MURDER BY THE CLOCK First Cameraman, Karl Struss ; second camera- men, George Clemens, Cliff Blackstone; assistants, Fleet Southcott, Al Smalley; stills, Frank Bjerring. PULLING a loose leaf out of old Lady Macbeth's book seemingly is what Paramount has done in tak- ing on "Murder by the Clock," de- scribed as an adaptation by Henry Myers of the story by Rufus King and the play by Charles Beahan, the residue of which was di- rected by Edward Sloman. The tale plainly is designed to be a creepy, blood- thirsty mystery, and more than measurably suc- ceeds. Its out- standing char- acter is Laura Endicott, an un- human female whose chief purpose in life seems to be to kill through the hand of another and immediately to disavow any re- sponsibility in the gory premises. The word gory is an error. No blood is spilled, the several deaths resulting from strangulation. Lilyan Tashman interprets the impossible monster with a skill worthy of a more rational role. There is another character the com- pelling force of which will recur to the picturegoer on the day after look- ing on the picture. That is Philip Endicott, idiot son of a wealthy mother. Philip has two obsessions in the guise of two ways of killing, the subject that haunts his mind in wak- ing hours. One is with a knife, the other is with his hands. As to the latter Philip is endowed with enor- mous specimens, and these are forti- fied with great bodily strength. Irving Pichel is the grewsome interpreter of this sinister simpleton — a remarkable performance worthy the study of any follower of the drama including pro- fessionals. William Boyd as lieutenant of police demoted to sergeant because he has the temerity to believe a million dollars can be convicted upholds the dignity and the honor of the police- man. His part has the flavor of old Javert, the incorruptible pursuer of Jean Valjean. The lieutenant de- August, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Twenty-nine lines — after decision not too hastily ntered into — the bribe offered by aura, which of course and without tending any pun is not in the form f money. Boyd has one of his best arts so far on the screen, a relief rom the hard guy roles. Blanche Friderici as Dame Endi- ott, the austere creature whose chief bsession is fear of being buried alive, s a factor in the earlier half of the production. The contraption in the urial vault in the form of a siren ontributes to the spooky stuff. The =ver of the continuous moan is so rranged it may be reached by the ex- orpse in case life reappears. Of ourse the terrifying sound is heard jst when the plot is at its thickest nd creepiest. But the return to life momentary and takes place off ^reen. Others who have good supporting arts are Regis Toomey, Martha Mat- )x, Sally O'Neil, Frederick Sullivan, /■alter McGrail, Lester Vail, and rank Sheridan. THE PUBLIC DEFENDER irst cameraman, Eddie Cronjager ; second cameramen, Bob DeGrasse, Russell Metty, Jack Landrigan ; assistants, Willard Barth, Harold Wellman, Edward Adams, Charlie Burke ; stills, Fred Hendrickson. rHERE are plenty of thrills in Radio's "The Public Defender," featuring Richard Dix as the snevolent assailant of financial pow- •s that prey. A great majority of le sequences are stern in character, «rn rather than e n d e r, with a ild leavening of i i r t h f u 1 mo- ents. Yet all of the irring a d v e n- ires into which ike W i n s 1 o w unges are pre- pitated b y h i s ^termination to a v e the father I Barbara Ger- r, "the g i r 1," •om further im- risonment and clear the family race following the ink of which Gerry was president. The girl is Shirley Grey, who aside om a tendency to tight-lipped enun- ation acquitted herself creditably in te little she was given to do. For is a man's tale largely in its char- I'.terization, there being comparatively fw lines for the three women in the 1st. | Bernard Schubert in his adaptation George Goodchild's novel so di- led his dialogue as to give unusual portunities for individual work to Imund Breese, Paul Hurst, Purnell att, Alan Roscoe, Boris Kailoff, illiam Halligan, Frank Sheridan and arl Gerard. , The tale is of well-to-do persons and staged in well-to-do homes. That | the latter instance they are all of lat, luxurious and never glaring, ieras to reflect the touch of Max Ree, rt director on the production. Briefly the tale is of four perfectly >ol scoundrels who loot a bank and Eddie Cronjager name from dis- wrecking of the fasten on the fifth member of the gov- erning group, the president, blame for the crime. Winslow in the guise of the Reckoner, a mysterious operator, pro- ceeds by felonious means to secure possession of documents incriminating the quartet. He has two efficient aids, one of them a second-story operator as well as chauffeur and also gun threatener if the occasion demand. Winslow is an entirely modern Sher- lock, doing things and large ones timed to a split second, the watches of all three of the Robin Hood group being so synchronized the trio may work as one individual. It is this execution of carefully prepared plans that heightens the deep interest and lifts the picture out of the category of "just another mystery story." There is a love element, too, convinc- ing even if subordinated to the big job of first setting straight matters related to the bank failure. Reference has been made before in this department to the possibility of the apparent simplest sequence in a subject proving to be the strongest in emotional appeal. When the Gerry home and its fur- nishings are sold at auction an aid of the Reckoner buys in the heirlooms. Later when the homeless Barbara and her aunt are seeking an apartment Winslow shows them one they may secure at a low rental. As the girl's eyes rove about the beautifully ap- pointed rooms they fall in succession upon objects she has known and loved all her life. She realizes it all has been done by the man she loves and of whose reciprocating regard she has been dubious to that moment. It is a pretty situation and digs in. J. Walter Ruben is the director who has given us a fast and fascinating melodrama. THE TARNISHED LADY First cameramen, Larry Williams, William Miller, George Webber; stills, Herman Zerrenner. JUDGED solely by her initial screen appearance in Paramount's "Tarnished Lady" Tallulah Bank- head should be a distinct asset to motion pictures. The newcomer from the South by way of the English stage brings with her that quality of maturity and fin- ish which may be noted in the work of Ina Claire to name but one re- cent recruit from the stage. While the character of the story provided for Miss Bank- head's camera debut may mili- tate against her popularity in the smaller communi- ties nevertheless place her in the front rank in the key cities for a starter. So convincingly does the player submerge herself in the character of the adventuress that some of the less sophisticated are going to credit her with just being herself rather than Larry Williams it definitely will portraying a part. The attitude will be entirely understandable. Her eventual recognition may be used by some as a verification of the home- made but usually baseless propaganda that the public is looking for new faces. Of course it is not the public but rather the producer that is looking for new faces. The latter is seeking them because as a rule, applying to those with little previous experience, the new face is easy on the budget of the particular production into which it may be pitchforked. Old faces and favorite faces cost money, as of course also do new faces that quickly prove favorites without en- tailing expenditure of a fortune in exploitation — and are not "sewed up" under long-term, low money contracts. Miss Bankhead is fortunate in the man who plays opposite her— Clive Brook — a player whose worth is gain- ing in recognition as the roles assigned to him steadily increase in impor- tance. Brook's voice is one of the most notable in its adaptability to the microphone, and his unconscious pre- cision in enunciation and his recogni- tion of and respect for the limitations of the recording apparatus still further combine to make his perform- ance a delight to the follower. Miss Bankhead has a tendency at times to quicken the verbal speed of her lines, a leaning which does not make for 100 per cent clarity. That, however, is a matter easily adjusted by a player of her skill. One' of the chief supporting char- acters is Ben Sterner, disinterested friend of wife and husband, who be- comes the confidant and later the employer of the wife. The role is finely played by Osgood Perkins. Elizabeth Patterson as the gold-dig- ging mamma is as obnoxious as she was intended to be. The picture has good interest all the way. It was photographed at the New York studio of the company by Larry Williams and was directed by George Cukor from Donald Ogden Stewart's "New York Lady." THE SECRET CALL First cameraman, David Abel ; second cam- eramen, Dan Fapp, Ernest Laszlo ; assist- ants, Jimmy King, Thomas Morris ; stills, Elwood Bredell. WHAT opened as a flappy, sappy, just so-so sort of thing very quickly developed into stern drama — the kind that grips attention and holds it without a break. It is true there are a goodly number of smiles even if there be no tears, but the smiles in no way interrupt the steady pull of the story. It just happens that that story is a play — that is, it was a play before it came to Paramount, but it so con- tinues after its conversion into a pic- ture— a play by William De Mille, "The Woman," with screen play by Arthur Kober. After a single outdoor shot for the opening sequence, a picturesque one on the water, the subject was photo- graphed indoors. The chief difference between the production and one por- trayed upon a theatre stage before Thirty The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER August, 1931 an audience was in the size of the stage. The leads were Richard Arlen and Peggy Shannon, with the latter shouldering the bulk of the work. Stuart Walker was the director. Miss Shannon acquitted herself with marked credit in a part not always simple in character. Arlen was given a change from the outdoor and rug- ged parts he has been playing largely and was equally at home in the more sophisticated portrayal. William B. Davidson as a forceful and unscrupulous politician played with entire disregard for himself. Ned Sparks was the spectacular re- porter, the kind who is represented as making wise cracks on all occa- sions. There was some good characteriza- tion by Charles Trowbridge and Sel- mer Jackson as the bad and the good senator, the one who defended the politician, who also was his father-in- law, and the other who made good his threat to introduce a measure that would damage the politician. Others in lesser roles were Jed Prouty, Charles D. Brown, Harry Beresford, Larry Steers and Elaine Baker. The average picturegoer is going to be entertained by "The Secret Call," the significance of which lies in a message passing through the hands of the heroine, a hotel telephone op- PROGRESS In line with our policy of progressive improve- ment we present a new type "INTEGRAL INKIE" STUDIO SPOT which offers you com- plete silence in opera- tion, lighter weight, more ventilation and in- creased convenience. M-R Type 26 Studio Spot (2000 watt) If It Isn't An It Isn't An Inkie. MOLE- RICHARDSON, INC. 941 SYCAMORE AVENUE, HOLLYWOOD erator — a position sought by her fol- lowing her father's suicide. It may be surmised she blamed the politician for her father's act. It may be added the particular hotel was one in which the politicians congregated. Much of the action turns on the messages that pass through the tele- phone board, shown with its multitude of wires. Here chiefly is told the story of how an arrogant politician is humbled and by his own act de- throned in order to protect the name of his daughter, unwittingly to be- smirch whom he had spent thousands of dollars. 'Tis an intriguing tale. Precision Optical Device Is Meyer's Correctoscope THE new Correctoscope, recently put on the market by Hugo Meyer, is a precision optical in- strument for the correct determina- tion of distance and exposure. It is provided with a specially constructed, very critical focusing lens in a focus- ing mount and with diaphragm con- trol, both calibrated just like a cam- era lens. The image, which is reflected through a prism, is viewed by the eye through a highly corrected magnify- ing eyepiece, the focus of which is adjustable to the operator's particular eye conditions. It is unnecessary to remove glasses when worn. The image is seen right-side-up. To obtain the correct distance it is only necessary to turn the focusing ring of the lens until the subject is brought into exact, clear focus. The scale on the lens indicates the dis- tance. By snapping into position a special light filter and turning the diaphragm ring down until the details in the darkest part of the picture are elim- inated the proper exposure is ob- tained. The scale shows the lens stop required. Simplicity of operation character- izes this instrument. An automatic focusing feature for use on non-turret cameras enables the operator to keep the subject in focus, as it moves to- ward or away from the camera, while making the picture. In the Koda- color field of cinematography it also promises to be helpful in obtaining sharp pictures. More Light for Screen The Ufa Handelsgesellschaft (tech- nical department), after lengthy ex- periments in this connection, is now on the market with a new screen by means of which the loss of lighting power is reduced from 27 or even 60 per cent to 6V2 per cent. Another advantage can be seen in the fact that the screen can be washed and kept clean constantly without any damage to the screen itself. Portugese Houses Go Nietsche Two additional theaters in Portugal recently have been wired for sound, Olympia at Oporto and Central in Lisbon. "Nietsche" equipment was installed in both. August, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirty -one Photographer of Executions Says Condemned 9s East Look Is Into Lens MANY moving pictures of execu- tions in China in connection with the Canton Red uprising *ere taken by W. H. Jansen, well- cnown newsreel cinematographer, now n America for a short stay. Jansen jays man after man just about to be ;hot by the executioner would direct ais last glance to the lens of the •amera and assume the best possible 'nose. Jansen used an Eyemo all through hose turbulent Canton days. He says ;hings were frequently moving too 'ast to permit setting up a tripod. After being in China the past nine /ears, Jansen is visiting this country ,o secure equipment for making sound oictures in the Far East. He is espe- cially enthusiastic over the possibili- ies of talkers in educational work in Dhina. "For nearly a decade silent moving pictures have been used to an increas- ■ng extent as an educational medium n the Orient," he says, "but sound )ictures are sure to be more exten- sively used." , He is planning the production in yhina of sound pictures on such sub- ects as hygiene, good citizenship and igricultural methods for use in Chi- nese schools. He also plans to pro- duce authentic sound pictures for use in other countries on interesting phases of life in China today. Schoedsack Embarks for India on Fifth Production THE fifth Schoedsack expedition sailed from San Francisco July 10 on its way to the East Indian jungles to make scenes for Para- mount's "The Lives of a Bengal Lan- cer," by Francis Yeats-Brown. The photographic work of the ex- pedition will be in the care of Rex Wimpy and Gustav F. Schoedsack, the latter a brother of Ernst B'., head of the company. This is the fifth motion picture journey into wild spots of the earth by Ernst Schoedsack. On three of these he was accompanied by Merian C. Cooper, bringing back "Grass" from the Persian uplands — a sensa- tional novelty; "The Four Feathers" from the African Sudan, and "Chang" from Siam. "Rango," a recent re- lease, was photographed in Sumatra. Three tons of equipment went along with the party. Calcutta is the first objective, and from here trucks will convey the expedition to Bombay. From this point Schoedsack will work his way north to Delhi. The return is contingent on the speed with which is secured the material sought by the company. The wife of the head of the expe- dition also will be a member of the party. Mrs. Schoedsack was a world traveler before her marriage, the two meeting in South America, where she was doing biological research along the Amazon. Siam's King Up to Date King Pradjahipok of Siam, who with Queen Rambai Barni and the royal suite brought their extended visit to the United States to an end on July 28, has purchased three com- plete units of RCA Photophone sound reproducing apparatus, two of which will be installed in the "Charlerm Krung," a new theatre which is near- ing completion in Bangkok and which is being sponsored by His Majesty, and one for installation in the Royal Palace. Equipment for China The Star Motion Picture Company of Shanghai, China, has purchased from the Lakin Corporation 10 24- inch and 30 18-inch lights, 20 Laco spots, 10 strips and 4 new Laco Lites. All of these 74 pieces are for imme- diate delivery. Announcing THE FOR HIGH QUALITY CANADY RECORDER RECORDING OF SOUND ON FILM Designed by a pioneer in both the Motion Picture and Sound Industry. Fabricated in one of the world's finest machine shops by skilled artisans. Built to the highest standard but priced within the reach of all. Furnished with synchronous or interlocking motors. Adaptable to any type of light valve either tube or mechanical. Unconditionally guaranteed against "Wows" or "Flutter." Silent Durable Reliable Also High quality Condenser Microphones, built to withstand rough usage. "Silent" Recording Equipment. Precision Film Reproducing Heads for Re-recording purposes or "Rushes" furnished with either synchronous or interlocking motors. Full and Complete Information and Technical Data On Request. CANADY RECORDING EQUIPMENT COMPANY 714 LEADER BLDG. CLEVELAND, OHIO Thirty-two The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER August, 1931 China's Great Wall Runs Up Hill and Down 2000 Miles REMINDING one of a huge snake the Great Wall of China, as we see it in the accompanying pho- tograph by N. C. (Doc) Travers, runs down through the valleys and up over the mountains and on and on for a distance of 2000 miles. It was com- menced in the third century before Christ and carried on at intervals over many centuries. The only way to appreciate the con- struction of this structure is actually to see it and climb it. However, lack- ing this opportunity a few figures help somewhat in registering the magni- tude of the undertaking. This wall has two sides of brick 5 feet wide filled in between with earth, making the thickness of the entire wall 26 feet wide, from base to top, and in height ranging from 20 to 50 feet. Watch towers enable persevering climbers to get views of the wall and country at different intervals while the way is ever relentlessly upward. The lookout to which everyone climbs is the second highest spot in the Great Wall, and from there about ninety miles of country can be seen. Through the arch of the lookout topping the Mongolian Hills it is easy to imagine Genghis Khan and his Tartar horde swarming beside the wall in their attempt to break through. Built to defend, it has stood through all these centuries impregnable to human foes, but gradually age is de- feating it and it is slipping away un- til perhaps in a future age the great structure will be no more than a pile of rocks. But even then one feels confident it will not cease to be mag- nificent. Eastman Classroom Films Issues 84 Page Catalogue THE growing importance and rapidly widening appreciation of motion pictures made expressly for instructional purposes have neces- sitated the issuance of the first com- prehensive catalogue of this nature by the Eastman Classroom Films, Inc. It contains 84 pages. Classification of the films available is made under the general heads of Applied Art, English, Geography, Health, Nature Study and Science and .«-— r~ Section of the Great Chinese Wall photographed by N. C. (Doc) Travers, Captain Signal Corps, U.S.A., be- ween Peking and Mukden in the latter part of 1918, with watch tower is indicative of the scope of subjects treated. Teachers' guides accompany each film and include not only a working outline of the film but also a large amount of extremely valuable sup- plementary teaching material. These films are being widely used not only in American classrooms but also in the schools of no less than thirty other countries. The original English titles are supplied with the films used abroad in most cases, but some translations have been made into German and French, while titles in Greek will soon be available. The ability of the films to supply vizualization assures a clear and con- cise treatment of each subject and promises pupils fortunate enough to receive such instruction a much bet- ter chance of understanding and re- membering than has previously been possible. In fact, both teacher and pupil will be relieved of much former guesswork — one trying to guess how much the other is absorbing and the other intent on guessing "what it is all about." RCA Issues Brochure on Small Town Theatre Jams FOR some time we have had the mystery novel with us holding the secret of its solution back of a seal which need only be broken if the reader's interest were so great he could not let the matter drop without "knowing all." In like manner a brochure recently issued by RCA Photophone, Inc., com- mencing in the regulation form of the good old storytelling days, "Once there was an exhibitor," leads the reader through a maze of perplexing problems confronting the small exhib- itor desirous of matching the exact- ing standards of careful recording with perfect sound reproduction right up to the seal which holds back the magic answer. Such is the unique method employed by RCA to announce a special size all AC operated sound reproducing unit for theatres up to 500 seating capac- ity. Projectors for 16mm. Film Installed by Canadian Line MOTION pictures are more and more being used by steamship and railroad lines for sales promotion and for passenger enter- tainment. The Canadian National Steamships have placed a Filmo pro- jector on each of its Alaska vessels. The cruises are of about ten days' duration, and the plan is to show a number of films on board each eve- ning to fill in the interval between the dinner and dance hours. The Canadian National Railways recently issued a catalog listing and reviewing more than 40 films dealing with vacations, fishing, and hunting in Canada. These films are all avail- able in 16 mm. and can be had free for group showings from local offices of the railroad. They were all made with Eyemo movie cameras. Obviously the purpose of the rail- road in supplying these films is to af- ford glimpses of what is in store for the prospective traveler. August, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirty-three Assert Wages May Be Maintained If Films Are Used to Analyze Costs MANY manufacturers may be able to maintain present wage scales and still sell their prod- ucts at today's low prices by using motion pictures to analyze manufac- turing methods. This was demonstra- ted at a recent meeting of the Chi- cago chapter of the Society of Indus- trial Engineers. Movies, it was pointed out, can be used to cut down manufacturing costs by affording a means of detecting waste motion in factory operations photographed by a movie camera at the rate of 1,000 to 4,000 pictures per minute. The movies of such opera- tions are studied by industrial engi- neers and wrong methods discovered and corrected. Representatives of manufacturers in the entire Chicago area attended the meeting and saw George C. Dent, executive secretary of the society, and R. Fawn Mitchell and M. W. LaRue of the Bell & Howell Company make movies of a worker engaged in a typi- cal factory assembly job. The movies were made with a Filmo camera. A standard stop watch was ar- ranged in an attachment to the movie camera. When the camera was in operation this watch was photo- graphed as if it were actually on the bench alongside of the worker. In this way a time record of each indi- vidual motion of the assembly opera- tion was impressed right on the film. Cut Down Waste It was shown that by the movie method when waste motion is cut down a worker's production can be stepped up and his unnecessary fa- tigue reduced at the same time — that is, a worker can do more work more easily. To make the movie method still clearer motion pictures were shown of factory operations similar to the one photographed at the meeting. A talk on the advantages of mo- tion pictures in studying manufactur- ing methods and a survey of some of the work being done in this direc- tion were given by Allan H. Morgen- sen, assistant editor of Factory and Industrial Management. "Movies of- fer one of the most effective methods yet discovered of eliminating waste motion in factory production," he said emphatically. by Walter P. Chrysler, who dwells at length on the merits of the new car as compared with his earlier efforts and then goes into a detailed descrip- tion of its construction with a syn- chronized talk accompanying the scenes during the manufacture and assembly of the car and several inter- esting experiments to test the ma- chine from various angles. In two of the scenes a brand new Plymouth is tipped over and rolled down a steep hill, the camera follow- ing its descent from top to bottom. Morris Caplan, president of the Metropolitan Company of Detroit, supervised the production, employing a late model of RCA Photophone news reel recording unit on location and in the studio. Department of Agriculture Starts Educational Issues THE first educational talkers scored by the Department of Agriculture and just released through the Office of Motion Pictures include "Sago Making In Primitive New Guinea," one reel; "Forest or Wasteland," two reels, and "The Bab- cock Test," one reel. The first two are lecture versions of silent films. They were scored in the department's studio in Washington, where a complete RCA Photophone sound-on-film recording system has been installed and where the work of scoring lecture pictures, documentary films and record-of-achievement films are going forward. "Babcock Test," made for the de- partment in co-operation with the Uni- versity of Wisconsin, brings to the screen the voice of Dr. Stephen M. Babcock, the venerable inventor of the first practical test for determining the percentage of butterfat in milk. Doctor Babcock is seen in his labora- tory. with RCA Photophone sound record- ing equipment upon a number of ex- terior locations and at its studio in Detroit, already has been exhibited in many cities. The Chrysler Corporation's plans are nearing completion for world-wide exhibition of the subject. The picture opens with an address French Radio Cinema Being Installed in Prague Studio ACCORDING to reports received from Acting Commercial Attache Sam E. Woods at Prague, work was recently begun on a talking mo- tion picture studio in Prague. The structure will be 28 by 52 meters and Radio Cinema (French) equipment will be installed. Production is expected to be started in August at the latest. There are 1,817 motion picture thea- ters in Czechoslovakia. Approximate- ly 50,000,000 attend performances in these theaters each year. If the aver- age price of admission is placed at 9 cents a seat the annual entrance fees run about $4,500,000. Honduras Goes Sound Guy N. F. Nord, owner of the Pal- ace Theatre in Belize, British Hon- duras, has contracted with RCA Pho- tophone, Inc., for the installation of sound reproducing equipment, the first sound apparatus to be brought into the country. Chrysler Makes Film Story Around Plymouth Automobile SOUND motion pictures as a me- dium for the presentation of a sales talk and as an adjunct to the customary merchandising methods employed by automobile manufactur- ers were utilized on a large scale in connection with the introduction of the new Plymouth car by Chrysler. A three-reel subject entitled "The Fourth Milestone," produced by the Metropolitan Motion Picture Company Demonstration of how movies are made for studying factory operations photographed at meeting of Chicago Industrial Engineers. — Photo courtesy Bell & Howell Thirty-jour The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER August, 1931 Olsen Deserts Camera When Helper Freeing Line Meets Up With Shark By RAIDER OLSEN HILE directing and photo- graphing a tuna short subject for M-G-M and while shooting a scene of George C. Thomas third of Beverly Hills fighting a tuna weigh- ing about 70 pounds the line became fouled in the rudder. Art Lane, assisting me, volunteered to go overboard to disengage the line. Imagine Lane's embarrassment upon arriving in the water to find a huge shark for a playmate. Breaking all traditions of the time- worn profession, the writer left his post at the camera and dragged this flabbergasted brother cameraman back to the arms of safety. The shark made a terrific lunge for the tuna (that's what he was after, anyway) but — imagine his sur- Here's 721-pound shark that Art Lane dropped overboard unwittingly to meet. Art is shown stooping by the camera. Behind the instrument is Raider Olsen, who let go the works to aid Lane. And on the left are George C. Thomas III and Skipper Fairbanks prise when he found there was a hook in the tuna. Then the fight began. After three hours of terrific fight (and making Eastman rich) the shark was finally subdued and towed into Avalon, where we found his weight was 721 pounds and length 15 feet. This is the largest fish ever caught on rod and reel in American waters. The monster is called the "Bonito" shark in these waters, and is the same specie known as the "Mako" shark in New Zealand, where it is consid- ered a game fish and also a terror to the natives. Moral — Assistant cameramen should stay in their own classification. Yours truly, What-a-Man Olsen and Shark Meat Lane. Williams' Shots WHEN WE GET A BIT OF A BREATHING SPELL FROM THE PRESENT JAM OF WORK WE WANT TO SAY A THING OR TWO THAT MAY INTEREST YOU REGARDING Panchromatic Color Values AND THE NEW AND IMPROVED METHOD NOW BEING USED BY US IN THE Making of Mattes THAT PERMITS US TO GUARANTEE YOU PER- FECT RESULTS. COMPOSITE LABORATORIES COMPANY 8111 Santa Monica Blvd. OX 1611 August, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirty-jive Bell and Howell Machine Prints Sound and Picture The 35 mm. automatic sound and picture production printer exhibited by Bell & Howell before the conven- tion of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers at Hollywood, which is the result of over two years of experi- mentation by A. S. Howell at a cost of over $200,000, prints both sound and picture at one operation. Notches on the edge of the film and similar devices, which are peculiarly New Bell & Hoivell Automatic Sound and Picture Production Printer. liable to get out of order, are elimi- nated. In addition to this, the printer- is fully automatic so that one opera- tor can attend to a number of ma- chines. All the operator has to do is to thread the machine, push the lever, and walk away. Incidentally, this lever is inter- locked in the most elaborate manner. Several laboratory experts have been invited to try to operate the machine incorrectly, but they have not yet been able to do so. If by any chance the film breaks, a lamp burns out, or anything else goes wrong, the ma- chine stops automatically. In effect, this new printer brings to the motion picture industry the idea of the auto- matic screw machine, which is now a familiar unit in all machine shops. Frenchman Invents Camera Capable of 3200 a Second ACCORDING to Trade Commis- sioner George R. Canty of Paris, a fast motion picture camera, invented by a French scientist, and capable of taking between 2,000 and 3,200 views a second, was demon- strated for the first time by Dr. Mag- nan, professor in the College de France, and his collaborator, Dr. Huguenard, assistant director of the Ecole des Hautes, Etudes. Flies beat their wings 90 times a second, and small birds go almost as fast, the professors showed in dem- onstrating their camera and projector before the Academie des Sciences. This new camera will be of great value to scientists and also to avia- tors. It will be possible for the life stages of microbes to be studied by 2,000 views a second, and some of the secrets of a bird's flight can be solved for the benefit of human flyers. The growth of human hair, such as mustaches, likewise can be photo- graphed and thrown on a screen for all to wonder at. By using a narrower film than usual and a much faster shutter over the lens, the camera can take between 2,000 and 3,200 views a second. Ordi- nary fast cameras now do oidy 250. In addition the professors were able to speed up their shutter and obtain impressions of light at 6,000 views a second. The Ultimate in SOUND . ON - FILM RECORDING GENERAL SOUND CORPORATION, LTD. GRanite 4141 5360 Melrose Station 107 Hollywood ROY DAVIDGE FILM LABORATORIES An Exclusive "Daily" Laboratory Quality and Service 6701-6715 SANTA MONICA BOULEVARD GRanite 3108 Thirty-six The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER August, 1931 Left, rear view of Cineglow sound sys- tem with Akeley audio camera show- ing the Cineglow optical slit mounting and control panel, finder, inter- changeable motor, etc. Center, side view of the Cineglow sound system with Akeley Audio Camera, showing the threading of the film, the multi- roller sound gate, and the filtered sound sprocket. Right, Cineglow sound system amplifier. Provision is made for handling two microphones simultaneously. Note the angle on the plug receptacles which lead the cables away from the operator. General Sound Corporation Enters Market for Independent Contracts THE General Sound Corporation, Ltd., with headquarters in the offices formerly occupied by the Disneys at Tec-Art, is entering ac- tively into the recording of sound on film. Already the organization has completed work on "In Santa Fe," the first feature to be made in Multicolor. Contracts have been signed for re- cording twenty-six novelty shorts for Jess Weil and on August 10 work will The Cineglow sound system separate film recorder for studio use. This utilizes the Cineglow optical slit and records directly on sound positive stock be started on "Yellow Dogs," Pio- neer's second of its series. Record- ing also is in progress on a western for Dick Kahn. Willis Kent, inde- pendent producer, is keen in his ap- proval of the technical result of Gen- eral Sound's work. The officers of the company are Charles Piper, president; Frank Ar- ousez, identified with Laco Lites, vice president and general manager; Bert Bates, secretary treasurer. Piper is a member of Local 659 and was for- merly a news reel man in the north. The chief recorder is B. J. Kroger, a graduate of an eastern technical in- stitution and formerly an RCA man. The sound truck with which the com- pany is operating was purchased from the plant of Balsley and Phil- lips, and it is the conviction of the officers of the company its product will be able to match that of any of its competitors. The employes of the company who have to do with recording all are members of the Sound Engineers' or- ganization. More Sound for Harbin A motion picture house is to be built in Harbin this summer, and ac- cording to a recent newspaper report it probably will be the largest in that city. It will compete with the Moderne, which while not the largest is at present considered the finest picture house. Vienna Pieturegoers Vote on Favorite Plays and Players FOLLOWING the example of sev- eral European motion picture the- atres, a leading cinema of Vienna has made an inquiry among the public in order to determine its preference in film questions. The following questions were asked: What kind of films do you prefer — dramatic plays, light dramas, come- dies, films on literary subjects? what artists do you like best? what recent pictures have you liked best? The results of the inquiry, which was answered by 100,000 cinema pa- trons, were as follows: 1 — Dramatic plays, 36,000; opera and light dramas, 29,000; comedies, 23,000; films on literary subjects, 12,000. 2 — Emil Jannings, 30,000; Willy Fritsch and Lilian Harvey, 25,000; Jan Kiepura and Marline Dietrich, 15,000 each. The answer to the third question was: "Atlantic," "The Blue Angel," "Love Waltz," "Dreyfus," "The City of Songs," "Three Men at the Gas Station," "Storms Over Mont Blanc," and an unreported American film. These Sound Like Knockouts The following was recently reported by Frederick C. Sommer, trade com- missioner at Helsingfors, that Suomi Filmi is now recording in its studio in Helsingfors for the coming winter sea- son three distinctly Finnish sound films; "Prostens Brollopresor," "Har jag kommit till ettharem" and "Tim- merflottarens Brud." The estimated costs of these films are not known. There will be song hits in these films, but no talker dialogue. August, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirty-seven Dr. Sease Talks to His Friends In Company's House Organ He Discusses for Whom It May Concern the Importance of Panchromatic Negative Film By DR. V. B. SEASE Director Redpath Research Laboratory, In Midsummer Number of Du Pont Magazine DO you remember the motion pic- ture of a decade or two ago — its chalk and soot silhouette, its granular, squirming structure? Contrast that picture with the smooth texture, the lifelike relief and grada- ion in light and shadow of the mod- ern cinema. Many things have contributed to this improvement, but one of the most important has been the introduction of panchromatic negative film. Du Pont takes a just pride in the part it has played in furnishing such a negative film for the motion picture industry. This accomplishment is one of its best examples of applied re- search. The company's experience in producing nitrocellulose made the manufacture of celluloid film a log- ical undertaking. So a comprehensive investigation of the fundamental principles under- lying photographic emulsion manu- facture was conducted over a period of six or eight years with the idea always in mind that only a superior product could justify the entry of the du Pont Company into the motion picture field. The result was a photographic emulsion with very fine grain, high sensitivity to light, long scale of density gradation and a wide latitude in exposure and development. Some of these qualities had been achieved to a certain extent in the industry before, but never had so many desirable characteristics been incorporated in a cine film. Sensitive to Blue This emulsion, however, was only sensitive to the blue wave lengths of light. To preserve its valuable quali- ties and make it panchromatic — that is, capable of recording in gray tones all the colors visible to the eye — re- quired much more research. Earlier experimenters had demon- strated the broad principle of color sensitizing photographic emulsions by the addition of certain dyes. Minute traces of these dyes, insuffi- cient to color the silver grains or the gelatin in which the grains are sus- pended, are absorbed by the silver grains which thereafter show enor- mous increase in sensitivity toward light of certain wave lengths. The wave lengths favored depend upon the specific nature of the dye that is used. The present high-speed panchro- matic negative is a product of inten- sive research in the synthesis of new dyes, the study of the relationship of structure of a dye molecule to sensi- tizing action, the manufacture of par- ticular types of silver suspensions re- ceptive to these dyes, and the methods of incorporation of the dyes to pro- duce the maximum sensitizing action. Improved Quality Not only has panchromatic nega- tive helped to bring about a great improvement in the quality of the screen, but it has made possible the revolutionary changes that were re- quired in studio lighting with the advent of sound pictures. The old type of arc light supplied an intolerable amount of extraneous noise. The incandescent lamp is ideal from the standpoint of silence, but it could not have found a place in the modern studio if panchromatic film had not been available. The incandescent lamp is relatively weak in blue, the rays necessary for action on the old types of negative. It is rich in yellow and red rays and the panchromatic film can make full use of practically all incandescent emission. Benefits Workers This special fitness of panchromatic film for incandescent lighting not only brings about a considerable saving in current but gives the actors a more normal environment. The powerful lights of the former days were not only uncomfortable but often injurious to the eyes of the players and studio woi'kers. The sensitivity to incandescent light of the special du Pont panchromatic brought out this year is at least dou- ble that of the regular product which has been so universally approved dur- ing the past four years. In actual productions at Hollywood it has been found necessary to reduce lighting amperages by one-half. It is sufficiently sensitive to take night scenes on Broadway or similarly lighted thoroughfares without the special hypersensitizing treatment heretofore necessary. RCA for Danville Sound motion pictures, presented through the medium of RCA Photo- phone reproducing apparatus, soon will be a weekly programme feature for the benefit of inmates and em- ployes of Danville State Hospital in Pennsylvania. It is expected several other state institutions will install similar apparatus. Tanar Adds Floor Space The Tanar Corporation of 5357 Santa Monica Boulevard has moved into No. 5359 at the corner of Ser- rano street. The added space will be devoted to offices. With this increased area Tanar now has possession of the entire ground floor of the building, a total of 8000 square feet. King Charney says . . . WHETHER IT BE CARBON OR INCANDESCENT LIGHTING WHETHER IT BE TALKIES OR SILENT Insist Upon f4 Negative For definite results AGFA RAW FILM CORPORATION Thirty-eight The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER August, 1931 Here is Miss Ann Lee Petterson, who won the decision of America's most beautiful girl for 1931. The photograph was taken in Galveston during the international beauty pageant in June last. At left is John L. Herrmann, Para- mount sound news cameraman, with Soundman George L. Graham at right Sam Goldwyn Installs RCA in Santa Monica Beach Home Immediately following the announce- ment that RCA Photophone, Inc., was introducing its new special size sound reproducing equipment, Samuel Gold- wyn contracted for the installation of a complete unit in his Santa Monica Beach home. Among those who have had Photo- phone apparatus for some time are Cecil B. DeMille, Gloria Swanson and William R. Hearst. Mr. Hearst has three equipments in private theatres at his ranch near San Simeon, Cali- fornia; his summer home at Santa Monica and his eastern summer estate, Sand's Point, Long Island. panying them will be a sound and pro- duction crew. It is expected the company will work with mixed Chinese and Euro- pean casts for release by RKO. Klangfilm Clicking As of April 30, 1931, 1,375 cinemas were equipped with Klangfilm-Tobis- a recent Canadian trip, wonderin how Gaumont reproducing apparatus, re- ports Trade Commissioner Canty of Paris. Of these 915 were in Germany and 460 abroad. The total seatage of the Klangfilm equipped cinemas in Germany is es- timated at 600,000, or more than 50 per cent of the total seatage of daily operating houses in that country. Williams Reports Business Heavy For Composite Labs THE Composite Laboratories Com- pany, also known as Williams' Shots, reports it is now working on nine productions. Frank Williams says the record for the past thirty days is in excess of 115 shots and that each week the field force is averaging between 30 and 50 shots. He adds that personally he has seen no evidence of a slump in studio work and that the personnel of the laboratory has been steadily expanded. Church Changes to Sound Senator James E. Kirvan, who owns Kent Island, in which the village of Stevensville, Md., is situated, has con- tracted for the installation of RCA Photophone sound reproducing appara- tus in the First Methodist Church in order that the community, comprising about 300 persons, may enjoy the lat- est sound pictures. Cameramen Off to China Cameraman Jack Smith and Jimmy Williamson, assistant, left San Fran- cisco July 31 for Shanghai to photo- graph the productions of the Orient Pacific Picture Corporation, of which Harry Garson is the chief. Accom- EDDIE O'TOOLE Efficient B. and W. and BiPack Color Assistant OLympia 2394 Latest release: "Senior Mike." starring Norman Kerry. Photographed by Otto Himm, all color. "Let me assist you" Complete Akeley Outfit must be sold at sacrifice, offered complete as follows: Akeley Camera No. 262 with Tripod Pair of matched 50 mm. F/2.7 Zeiss Tessar Lenses Pair of matched 35 mm. F/2.7 Zeiss Tessar Lenses 12" F/5.6 Dallmeyer Telephoto Lens with matched finder 17" F/5.6 Dallmeyer Telephoto Lens with matched finder 17 Magazines Carrying Case for Magazines ('arrying Case for Camera Carrying Case for extra lenses PRICE, $2,200 Complete also Used Bell & Howell Eyemo Camera F/2.5 Cooke 47 mm. Lens and Carrying Case. PRICE $125.00 and Used DeVry, Standard Automatic 35 m/m. camera, F/3.5 Velostigmat Lens 50 mm. PRICE $50.00 Herbert f the disk prevents them from scratches or oil pick-up through contact with the turret plate. This disk is also thick enough to ac- commodate the thin stained glass filt- ers manufactured in Germany. At present these glass flats are made only in the light yellow shades, but future development will in all probability perfect a number of stable colors, suitable for more complete panchro- matic control. Turret Eliminated Undoubtedly the most modern de- tail of the entire camera is the elimi- nation of the multiple lens turret in favor of a rigid front board which supports a master mount in whicn various focal length lenses may be instantly and accurately fitted. The advantages of this type mount are many. Chief, however, is the fact that the lens itself is focused by a sliding movement controlled from the back of the camera. This, of course, eliminates the objectionable rotating movement in focusing. The focus control is calibrated to each lens by an individual "quill," or spiral adjustment, which not only insures extreme accuracy but affords an ac- cessible control in quick focus changes. The fact that there is only one lens on the front board allows the mat box and lens shade to be used on the shorter focal length lenses without the usual time consuming feature of removing all the other lenses from the turret. Every camera operator will appreciate the distinct advantage pre- sented in this feature. The film buckle safety trip has been retained as insurance against mechanical damage in the event of film breaks or buckles within the camera. It is located, as in former models, directly behind the drive sprocket and disconnects the motor switch at the slightest film buckle, thus instantly stopping the camera mechanism. Perfectly Blimped Inter-camera blimping has been carefully studied and successfully in- corporated in the new Mitchell. This is especially noticeable on the two major bugbears of silenced machines: the synchronous motor and the film magazine. The motor silencing device is adaptable to any make of synchro- nous power, a feature that should be appreciated by producing companies. In the silenced magazines all dia- phragm drumming has been deadened without appreciably increasing their bulk. The Mitchell correct-view finder has We Are Aiming to Do That . . . and please change my address as. indicated. It is hardly necessary to tell you how much we all enjoy reading all the good dope which the mag con- tains, because you probably know that you surely are putting out the real thing. Fraternally yours, DON M. ALDENDERFER (666). Metropolitan Motion Picture Com- pany, Detroit, Mich. P. S. — I am inclosing stamps for which please send me a copy of the May number, which I have lost some- where in the shuffle. Thanks. August 11, 1931. D. M. A. been augmented by a calibrated spiral adjusting and locking arm which al- lows a rapid and accurate setting of the field of view. When once set it cannot be accidentally bumped out of alignment. Considering the multitude of noise- contributing factors necessary to the construction of this type of machine the builders have been extraordinarily successful in their undertaking. From the cameraman's standpoint the new Mitchell is ideal. To the sound man it will offer no obstacle to perfect recording, and the producer will find that time saved by the use of this modern photographic equipment will quickly repay the in- itial outlay. Left, Rear view of new Mitchell camera showing synchronous motor in compact sound-proof case, also focus control at left side of camera base. Right, Front view of new Mitchell camera showing rigid front-board and master lens mount. Note simplified, clean-line construction September, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Thirteen "Over the Grapevine" LATEST murmur had Movietone News in line to take over Pathe News production of negative — an economy move. Plan has been killed . . . Captain Baynes announces new Allied newsreel pops out first of September, a chance for the silenters to dust off the old dumb boxes . . . Red Felbinger covered the launching of the new navy blimp Akron not s'long ago — Reports he found a bottle of giggle mist that Mrs. Hoover would not use . . . Billy Andlauer is putting dear ol' Kansas City on a sound basis . . . Charlie Ford, house- boating on the Chicago river, is peri- scoping about for Colonel Knox . . . Jack "Kid" Barnett, after covering the Ypsilanti torch killing yarn, claimed there ain't no justice up around Mich. . . . Hotel Sherman in- novating with gigolos at the Collidge Inn — Charlie David already squawk- ing about unfair competition . . . Harry Birch forgot to send the bot- tles with the labels from Canada; Bob Duggan thinks wine bricks might not make those frequent border trips quite so necessary . . . Let's all take up bricklaying . . . Ray Bell crew doing sound pix for Soviet govern- ment around Chicago . . . Ralph Saunders left Pathe for bigger and better dials on the Fox amps . . . Phil Gleason and Eddie Morrison broke Cannonball Baker's New York- Chicago road record by 37 minutes in Phil's Studebaker special — they made the 913 miles in just 16 hours and 12 minutes, finishing their skip from va- cation land promptly at Claude's . . . Rumors afloat regarding new cam- era-sound men organization in New York — what's the matter with IATSE? . . . Tony Caputa working Mid-West alone for Pathe News, does his own assigning, contacting, shoot- ing and shipping with time out for sleeping occasionally — in the truck . . . Exec's at sic sic sic went and bought a voluptuous safe for the office. It wasn't the first cost — it was the up- heaval! ... Off to the lake. Cheerio! SIX-SIXTY-SIX In Focus — In Spots! By the Sassiety Reporter YOU know, I'm forced to read the daily papers just to know what I ought to burn up the old raw stock on next, and a few days ago I lamps the prize rasberry story that ever rolled over them time yarn By NORMAN W. ALLEY presses. I nominates it right now and right here for the Pulitzer prize of the best "sour grapes story" of the year, if this bird Pulitzer would have wanted to waste his dough on sumpin like that. What's makin my collar wilt right now is a article written by Tom Pet- tey, a journalist who pays his weekly board bill, thanks to the Chi. Tribune. Me and Pettey is in the same game, both journalists. I think thats what we modestly and jokingly calls our- selves. I guess the only difference between me and Pettey is he's gotta be a journalist to eat and I'm one for the fun I get out of kiddin youse guys. Also, I found out I eat better by pushin a button on a newsreel cam- era and kiddin a sound engineer into doin it my way instead of tryin to stick to Pettey's racket. This bird Pettey turned the blow torch on my usual meek and mild na- ture by writing a story for his sheet all about we newsreel men being a lit- tle too high handed in our tactics of gettin what's what, and from what I know of the newsreel boys the guy is all wet. Now if this bozo is out to make a livin glorifyin the world's goins on for the Press that's all right, too, but when he gets so's he run out of ideas and has to pick on us screen histo- rians and write a lot of sour grapes about my gang okeh by me too. I'm all set on the challenge. Where's That Express Printed? Pettey says we got the insolence of a Bronx commuter on the "Lennox Ave. Express." Well, I don't know much about the Lennox Ave. Exnress, as every time I go's to N. Y. my newsreel buddies motor me out to their beautiful homes in the country to see the wife and kiddies. Pettey maybe got the inspiration to write the dang story on his way to work on the Lennox Ave. Express when some dame grabbed the seat he was tryin to land for hisself. Now this news snooper is all wet and I doubt a lightweight like him could qualify in the pitcher news profes- sion as it takes a real he-man and a broad shouldered one to lug them 150 pound groan boxes and a intelligent one to contact and shoot the assign- ments we get. Journalists only gotta lug a pencil so's to mispell the facks, but that even don't make a difference because the city desk rewrites the stuff any- how. Nobody can rewrite the scenes the newsreel boys get, though. It's either there or it ain't. That's why the lens reporters "dash around town in screaming sound wagons." Mr. Pettey, you see us bozos can't sit in some speakeasy, like a newspa- per reDorter, and listen to some hom- bre tell us what happened, then take- out a pencil and write a eye witness story and then phone a rewrite man and sob out the facts. The newsreel boys gotta get on the scene — no sec- ond-hand information for them. Thousand to One Shot You know, they say the old Chinese boys were full of wisdom, and we all heard how one of these laundry man- agers once pulled the one about "one picture being worth a thousand words." Well, Mr. Pettey, accordin to that, one newsreel hombre has got more vocabulary on one of his finger- tips than all youse high-powered journalists in a body. I see you mention in that article also about the only thing that we shoots is baby shows, parades, air formations, etc. Oh yeah? Ever see the movie "With Byrd at the South Pole"? It won out as the best movie of 1930. Well, it was photographed by two newsreel boys — Joe Rucker and Wil- lard Vanderveer. You ever covered the South Pole, Mr. Pettey? Then there's Ray Fernstrom, the first news gatherer that reached Greenley Island the time the Bremen fliers sat down there. Ray also was a newsreeler, and after he got his shots he flies back and what happens — a bunch of youse scribe heroes joe down what he saw and signs your name to it. Charlie David, another lens shoot- er, recorded one of the greatest thrills of all time years ago when he got a racing car turning over in front of his box and throwing the driver through space. It's still one of the real thrillers and the newspapers bor- rowed his shot. Ketch on? When the endurance fliers were up at St. Louis they dropped down interviews to the scribes daily, and when a newsreel wanted a interview, what happens? Norman Alley, a cameraman, goes up in the refueler and drops down a rope ladder with a mike and gets his interview. More Fourteen The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER September, 1931 Shirley Vance Martin has photographed the Four Horsemen of Football, so recognized by the world of sports. From, left to right they are Don Miller, right halfback; Elmer Layden, fullback; Jimmie Crowley, left halfback, and Harry Stuhldreher, quarterback. They were members of Knute Rockne's 1924. Notre Dame team and will be seen in Universal's "The Spirit of Notre Dame." guts there, Mr. Pettey, than any you pencil pushers got. How'd You Like to Be an Editor? Ever hear of Charlie Ford? Well, he wuz one of us newsreelers, but he's a Editor now. Guess he's one up on you, Mr. Pettey. S'pose I could keep this up indefi- nitely, and they'd all make good true adventure stories which would make good readin for guys in your callin, ridin in stuffy Lenox Ave. Expresses to cover a assignment, but these newsreel baboons is just too modest to fly their colors before some of youse high powered pencil pushers. I see you also say in your story "Personally, I am in favor of throw- ing the entire lot to the regular news photographers. Those hardy fellows would know exactly what to do with them." Well, well, ain't you the bright alert bird, though? You know all the still men is pals of us, also. What's more, most of the newsreel men have graduated from the still game, and if it came to a showdown the lens snoopers would combine on teachin youse pencil push- ers a thing or two on co-operation. I ain't mentioning any names, but I know a couple of journalists I loaned supper money and they ain't exactly made any stabs yet to pay it back. You know it's some of the fairy tales you reporter birds boil up about, some event what gets us into a jam with our editors. We cover the facts as is with a lens. It's the truth our old boxes pick up and then some of you pencil pushers get a lot of long wheel- base words sizzlin over the wires all about the stupendous, marvelous, etc., display and our editors back east think "Boy, what a hot story, what a picture!" and then the film comes in and shows a handful of planes landin and takin off, what really happened. Well, I don't know, maybe we ain't in the class of you journalists. A Cheer for a Journalist Now, when youse scribes is back sopping up more spiked beer these boys is chauffeuring their trucks out to make a human interest feature or frame some thriller, such as landing a blimp on a boat for the first time in history, and then what happens? Youse guys dash over and shoot a hot story over the wires all about it. Why ? Because it's news, but one of these here newsreel birds what don't come into your class has origi- nated, contacted and pulled it suc- cessfully, and then in dashes youse journalists with your borrowed pen- cils. Now Mr. Pettey, please don't judge the intelligence of newsreel boys by my column. The boys is really intel- ligent, but there is always one excep- tion to the rule, and I guess I am it in this racket. I write this because I think I am a journalist — (Hey! guys like you and me ought to spell that word with a capital J, eh?) and all the cameramen leave me think I am funny and then they reads it and laff and feel sorry for me, but they don't talk much about my column so's I don't ketch on that they are giving me a break. Also I notice they read your story and kept mum, so I guess they feel the same about you and are leaving you feel like a big shot writer also. You know the reason I am sticking to this writing business (pardon me, Mr. Pettey, you and me ought to al- ways call it Journalism, ain't it?) Well, the reason I'm stickin is this, in case I don't make good as a news reel historian I got writin' experience, and as a last resort to keep the Woolif from the door I can get into vour game. As they say on the "Lennox Ave. Express" — A big bronx cheer for you, Mr. Pettey. lingers Reopen Restaurant Following European Trip FOLLOWING a six months' trip to Russia Mr. and Mrs. Dave Unger, well known to the men and women of the Fox, Paramount and RKO studios as former proprietors of res- taurants in Larchmont boulevard and Vine street, have opened a delicates- sen store and restaurant at 1643 North Cherokee street. The well ap- pointed establishment is but a short distance south of Hollywood boule- vard. Mr. Unger before entering his present line of work was for many years a lithographer. Among the places he worked was in the Bureau of Engraving in Washington. Also he was employed in many American cities as well as under a transfer card from the American Federation of La- bor in many foreign countries. Vitaglo Studio Recording for Theatre and Business BRIEFLY describing Vitaglo Cor- poration and its production re- sources, that Chicago concern has issued a brochure finely printed and illustrated. Vitaglo is now engaged in produc- ing commercial pictures of a preten- tious type as well as theatrical sub- jects. One of the company's special- ties is making location shots for pro- ducers in other territories. All equipment is of the professional type, with a battery of thirty-five powerful lamps. The plant is able to concentrate 300,000 watts on a set if desired. Foxalls Celebrate Their Two Years of Wedded Life WILLIAM FOXALL, charter member of International Pho- tographers, and Mrs. Foxall celebrated their second wedding anni- versary August 15 by a reception and bridge at the Washington Hotel in Culver City. It happened the date also was the cameraman's birthday. Present were a hundred guests, many of them fellow-workers of the host. A buffet luncheon was served. As- sisting: in the reception were the Foxalls' mothers, Rosamond Witham and Alda M. Foxall. Engineers at Swampscott The fall meeting of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers will be held at the New Ocean House, Swamp- scott, Mass., October 5 to 8, according to an announcement made by the Board of Governors following its meeting held in Schenectady last week. September, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Fifteen Picture Men and Women Cooperating in Making Coming Fiesta Real Event LOS ANGELES is busy telling the world of her one hundred and fiftieth anniversary. From Sep- tember 4 to 13 inclusive La Fiesta de Los Angeles will be uppermost in the consciousness of all the individuals, organizations and industries that have been a part in making the city proud of its amazing growth and develop- ment. The motion picture industry has been one of the individual enterprises of Los Angeles. The city has given generously of its cooperation to the film industry and the entire personnel has been quick to recognize a real op- portunity in which to express sin- cere appreciation by entering whole- heartedly into the spirit of La Fiesta. September 11 is the day set aside for the special participation of the screen folk, the culminating event of which will be the huge electrical pa- rade in the Coliseum. Every studio will be represented by one or more floats, elaborately decorated, brilliant- ly lighted, and carrying famous mo- tion picture stars. Harold Lloyd will be master of ceremonies. With all the resources of the studios at their command, lighting effects will be achieved which could be produced nowhere else but in Los Angeles and Hollywood. Artists, designers and technical men whose ability is the rea- son for their presence in the film cap- ital will make this pageant one that no other corner of the world could show. The Navy is aiding by sending hun- dreds of sailors to march in the mili- Entertainment Tax Returns Steadily Decline in Germany ENTERTAINMENT tax returns in Berlin for the month of June show a further decline of busi- ness, according to Trade Commis- sioner George R. Canty, Paris, in a report to the Department of Com- merce. Total tax receipts for this period amounted to 602,000 marks, as against 670,000 marks for the corresponding month of last year. It is further stated that forecasts for July made by the officials con- cerned for tax perception seem to in- dicate that record low level will be reached. In July, 1930, receipts amounted to some 529,000 marks, but this year it is feared that they will not be far from one-third of this fig- ure. The important number of entertain- ment establishments closed in July is a further indication of the present de- pression. Berlin Amusement Tax Slips From the financial reports of the City of Berlin it appears the amount of entertainment tax collected during April and May amounted to 1,705,897 marks. The total amount of entertainment tax for the calendar year 1931 was estimated in the budge't at 12,030,000 marks. tary parade that will accompany the display" of the floats. The finest bands available will be enlisted to provide stirring music. Expressing appreciation of the spirit of co-operation evidenced by the motion picture industry, John G. Mott, chairman of the executive committee of La Fiesta de Los Angeles, said: "We especially appreciate this partici- pation in view of the fact that studios have production schedules which must be kept, and that this great electrical pageant will mean a vast amount of extra work." Chinese Censors Must Have Translation of Film Text THE Chinese National Board of Film Censorship, under the Ministries of Education and In- terior, has issued an announcement in connection with the procedure to be pursued in submitting films for cen- sorship, according to Commerce At- tache Julian Arnold, Shanghai. When a film is submitted for re- view it should be accompanied by the text of play — explanatory notes in the case of news-reels — besides other re- quirements under previously promul- gated regulations. Foreign-made films must be accompanied by a Chinese translation of the story. No native made films may be shipped abroad until they have been duly censored. PROGRESS In line with our policy of progressive improve- ment we present a new type "INTEGRAL INKIE" STUDIO SPOT which offers you com- plete silence in opera- tion, lighter weight, more ventilation and in- creased convenience. I f MR Type 26 Studio Spot (2000 watt) If It Isn't An (fp It Isn't An Inkle. MOLE- RICHARDSON, INC. 941 SYCAMORE AVENUE, HOLLYWOOD Sixteen The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER September, 1931 era /RA HOKE Oh, Gosh First Extra Girl — I did something last night that I'd never done before in my life. Second Extra Girl — I can't imagine what it could have been. Heirloom First Movie Star — What a fine look- ing husband you have, Mable! Second Movie Star — Yes, isn't he? I've had him in the family for weeks. Great Dane Is Olaf going straight now? He certainly is. Straight to the dogs. When He's Out Old Man Cheesemyer — Darling, can you forgive me? I stole ten million dollars. His New Sweetie — Have you still got it? Arctic Naturalist Cutter Girl — Did you ever see a polar bear? Roy Klaffki— Gosh, no. They all have fur on them. Our Movie Glossary Tape — A white sticky substance found on film cans, trousers, polished floors, walls and fingers. Peaceful Thoughts Maury Kains says he will marry a Scotch girl, because he is sure she will never give him a piece of her mind. D. S. C. Sweepstakes Anyway, things are picking up — in the street cleaning department. Good Siren Actress — Do you think I'll ever be able to do anything with my voice? Sound Man — Well, it might come in handy if the Hollywood dam breaks. Modern Historian Property Master — What do you know about the age of Elizabeth? Set Dresser — She'll be nineteen next April. A Union Matter Yes, I'm here for the convention of the Dyers Union. Zat so? Where are you stain? Our Movie Glossary Again Question — What is a moving pic- ture production unit? Answer — A body of expert work- men completely surrounded by red tape. And How Abie, our Yiddish assistant, says the movies have gone from bad to voice. No Question First Burglar — Where have you been? Second Burglar — Robbin' a movie production manager. First Burglar — How much did you lose? Can't Help It Cameraman (at movie ball) — I could dance like this forever. Extra Girl — Don't feel that way, Buddy. You're bound to improve. They All Do Lady (to music store clerk) — I want to exchange my radio for a dif- ferent model. Clerk — Why, I sold you the very best instrument made. What could possibly be wrong with it? Lady — Oh, you see I am a student of the classics and the radio you sold me plays nothing but jazz. Correct A prominent cameraman who lives in Beverly Hills has spent a part of his Sunday forenoon for the past two years furnishing transportation for his young son to and from Sunday school at a local church. On one of the return trips recently the father asked his young hopeful if he knew what kind of little boys went to heaven. "Yes, sir," was the reply. "The dead ones." Family Affair Cameraman's Wife — Did you at- tend the All American photographic salon at Exposition Park? Her Friend — Oh, no, we didn't need to. My husband is a still photogra- pher. No Foolin' Fred Kaifer — There is quite a Scotch atmosphere in this room — plaid blanket on the bed, crossed swords and thistles painted on the lamp-shade. M. Hall (feeling rather warm) — Well, let's open the door. Then it won't be so close. Nocturne Ray Wise (Eskimo assistant cam- eraman with Roy Klaffki in far north) — How far is it to Icy Point? Second Eskimo — Six months by dog sled. Ray Wise — All night ride, eh? We'll Bite Micky Whalen — Then I put my hands over her eyes and whispered "Guess who this is." Dumb Young Thing — And who was it, anyway? Another Plan Our philosophic assistant says that the only way to insure the success of prohibition is to drink the country dry. Only in Hollywood Bill — How did you get a date with that swell chorus girl? Bob — She was a friend of my grandfather's when he was on the stage. Because They're Bad The Scotch are protesting the num- ber of jokes told in this column be- cause some are at their expense. Not Contented The Missis — Don't bring me any more milk. It is positively blue. The Milkman — It isn't our fault, madam. It's the bad business condi- tions that make the cows depressed. Good Guesser Out on Santa Monica boulevard a company of Educational studio em- ployees were making a few scenes of pretty girls and U. S. Marines. Along came an old lady who watched the work for nearly an hour. Finally she mustered courage to speak to the property man. Old Lady — Are you making movies? Property Man — Yes. Old Lady— That's what I thought. Adv — Jimmie Palmer, while hunting near Tejunga last week, mistook a polecat for a squirrel. What a difference just a few scents makes. No Wonder A motherly old lady visiting San Quentin prison recently chanced upon Pop Beesemyer's cell. "And was it your love of money that brought you here?" she asked. "Lord, no, lady," answered the swindler. "These convicts are prac- tically paupers." Makeup Artist Little Sharon Baker was going through his father's camera tool kit case. "Pappa, is this a camel's hair brush?" he asked. "That's what it is, son." "Well," countered the boy, "it must take him a long time to brush him- self." Tournament Notice 659 Golfer — These are terrible links, caddy. Simply awful. Caddy — Why, these aren't the links, sir, you've been in the city dump for the past hour. September, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Seventeen AN UNLIMITED OPPORTUNITY ACTORS play better . . . directors have fewer worries . . . cameramen have amaz- ing new film qualities at their disposal . . . laboratories turn out better prints . . . and audiences see finer pictures, because of Eastman Super-sensitive and the changes it has brought. This Eastman film is the most far-reaching improve- ment since the advent of sound. It represents a great boon to the whole in- dustry . . . and an unlimited opportunity for the cinematographer. Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, New York. (J. E. Brulatour, Inc., Distribu- tors, New York, Chicago, Hollywood.) Eastman Supersensitive Panchromatic Negative, Type 2 Eighteen The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER September, 1931 Left — View of field house at St. Andrews, with putting green. Right — From sixth tee looking across eighth green, ninth tee and first green. All photos of course by Joe New It's September 20 at St. Andrews That's the Day and the Place When and Where Cameramen Will Do Their Best Golf- Brulatour Hangs Up Souvenirs THERE'S a handsome souvenir awaiting the first two hundred entrants in the third annual golf tournament of the International Photographers, to be held September 20 at St. Andrews course, on Ventura Boulevard, sixteen miles out from or- ganization headquarters in Holly- wood. The present is in a form that will appeal with real force to all golfers, from the rare par variety down or up to those whose scores are dark secrets between themselves and ths angels. It is a book 2% by 4 inches bound in handsome leather, with the following inscription in gold on the front cover: "Championship Golf, by Bobby Jones," followed by a figure of a golfer, and underneath "Champion- ship Film, by Eastman Kodak Com- pany— J. E. Brulatour, Inc., Dis- tributors." The title of the little book is "My Twelve Most Difficult Shots," with introduction by Grantland Rice. The chapters are headed "Putting in the Rain," "Fighting the Wind," "The Seventeenth at St. Andrews" (Scot- land), "Those Lucky Shots," "Shoot- ino- Thirty the Last Nine," "When the Driver Fails," "Why Your Best Shot Is Not Always the One to Play," "Ap- proaching Difficult Greens," "Con- trolling Your Irons in Cross Winds," "Losing Two Strokes to Save One," "Take Your Time — Don't Blow Up," and "Getting Out of Traps." The contents of the book are of such interest it is unlikely any golfer per- son once the souvenir is in his hands will do much of anything else until he has finished reading the sixty-three pages. It very much interrupted the recording of this yarn, and the only way to settle the matter was to stop work and read it. That has been done. Certainly it is a great little book. The Brulatour company also has delivered to the golf committee again this year the trophy for the member returning the first low net score. Coming in a Burton hand-sewn leather bag will be three matched Sandy Hurd woods and nine hand-shafted improved rustless Nicoll matched irons. It will be a trophy worthy of any one's best shooting. The change in date of the camera- men's tournament from September 13 as announced in the August issue to CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF BOBBY TONES CHAMPIONSHIP VMM liAS'fMAN KODAK GDMIWN V J. i.i. imm.AToiJR, inc. IHSffittOMUi ■ . September 20 was in order to avoid unintentional conflict between the photographers and the fifth annual motion picture golf tournament of the Quigley publications. As the latter already had made extended prepara- tions for September 12 and 13 at Lakeside and any change would en- tail greater embarrassment than in the case of the Photographers the latter waived the date. The Quigley publications in appre- ciation of the postponement by the cameramen have agreed in coming years to defend the Photographers in their original date, i.e., the Sunday following Labor Day. A large number of entries are looked for by the cameramen. Last year there were 243 members who made formal entry. The golf committee of the Photog- raphers is composed of Jimmie Palmer, chairman; Virgil Miller, secretary; William Foxall, Ira Morgan, John Mescal), Karl Struss, Ernest (Hap) DePew, George Stevens, Wilfred Cline, Joe MacDonald, Guy Wilkey, Len Powers and Mike Walsh. William Foxall has been appointed chairman of a sub-committee to name the handicaps. The accompanying photographs of the course were taken during a late afternoon in the latter half of August by Joe New, to whom the thanks of the committee are herewith extended. Sound Silences Astra The Astra Film Company of Vienna, belonging to Percy Felce, an Englishman, is in difficulties and offers to its creditors a 35 per cent settlement. Outstanding obligations amount to 5,000,000 schillings. It is stated the company had an im- portant production schedule in co- operation with British interests when the advent of the sound film made its plans impossible. The Vita studio, belonging to the company, has been found unsuitable for wiring and has now been unoccupied for a long while. September, 1931 The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER Nineteen Left — The old walnut tree that shelters the sixteenth green at St. Andrews — a three-par 255-yard hole — and inci- dentally guards from the sun a drinking stand supplying the coolest water on the course. Right — Looking down from third tee to island third green with its yawning ditch to the right flanked by the fourth tee and behind the third the sixth green, with field house a half mile distant Motion Picture Equipment Company Organized in Hollywood by Reeves ANNOUNCING the organization of the Hollywood Motion Picture Equipment Company, with head- quarters at 6416 Selma avenue, op- posite the offices of Local 659, Arthur Reeves enters on a new affiliation. For more than a year he has been a founder and a half owner of the Hollywood Camera Exchange, in the success of which he has had a large share. He will continue to hold a sub- stantial interest in that corporation. In his new home the veteran camera- man will specialize in sound equip- ment, to the development and in the expansion of which he has given the major part of his time during the last year, and in motion picture acces- sories generally. In the selection of the corporate name it has been the object to set forth exactly the aims of the com- pany. In other words it is intended to be able to equip a studio completely and to do the identical thing in the case of a laboratory. In both departments every effort will be made to keep a step ahead in the developmnts and improvements. Among these latter will be the realiza- tion in actualities of the ideas of some of the industry's best technicians. Among Art Reeves' achievements is the conception of the direct current interlocking motor, which has proved so successful that many of the large studios are employing the develop- ment for location work. Among the devices to be put on the maiket at the new quarters is an optical unit for recording sound on film which will give a line of light on the stock so fine and so accurate that recording has been accomplished up to 25,000 cycles. This optical equip- ment will accompany each outfit that is sold, with an accompanying guaran- tee of 10,000 cycles range. film apparatus which is claimed by Prague professional circles to revo- lutionize existing patent devices. With this apparatus the sound is elec- trically recorded on the film on two different tracks and immediately can be reproduced without any complica- tions. The apparatus will cost only from $250 to $300. In addition to this re- cording apparatus Knotek intends to turn out a camera which at the same time can be used as a projection ap- paratus and by means of which un- perforated films can be projected. It is stated the invention has been acquired by a Berlin financial group for exploitation in Germany. Knotek Rocking the Boat A Czechoslovak cinema technician, Knotek, is working on a new sound Sascha Expanding A general meeting of the Sascha Film Company is to take place in Vienna shortly. It is planned to create a tenfold increase in the cap- ital stock from 100,000 to 1,000,000 schillings. Herr Schenck, director general, will submit a project of further extension and intensification of film production, which should comprise annually from ten to twelve films, including joint productions with French and other foreign companies. Left — On the home stretch, from seventeenth green, looking toward field house in distance, with tricky fourteenth green to the left and sixteenth green to right. Right — View from knoll fortifying fifteenth green to fifteenth tee beyond the big tree by sixteenth green, at left, with sixteenth and seventeenth tees to the right and seventeenth green in center distance Tiventy Th INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER September, 1031 JVhiteHellof Algadones Plenty Hot For Production Purposes Pilot Blair Takes Chance and Lands in Sand — Starting Day With Mercury at 105 Degrees. Slory and Photographs By ELMER G. DYER and HATTO TAPPENBECK a ON WHAT probably was the hot- test day this summer, Bob Blair, our pilot; Elmer G. Dyer and Hatto Tappenbeck left the Los Ange- les Municipal Airport on board a sturdy six-passenger Buhl air sedan in quest of the desert sand dunes of Algadones on the Mexican and Arizo- na border. As by tradition in the film indus- try bathing beauty or sea pictures are made preferably to the tune of ice cold winds in midwinter, so these Sa- hara desert scenes for Will Rogers' Fox production "The Plutocrat" ran true to schedule on the longest and hottest days Algadones had seen this year. After several landing and takeoff scenes at the airport we winged our way steadily eastward. Below us passed the juicy green pastures and orange orchards of Riverside county. Then we started to climb — 5,000 feet, 7,000 feet, 8,000 feet. Many interesting views traveled by and the camera was kent busv record- ing them. We expected it to get cooler up here, but this was not the case. The pilot kept on climbing up to 12.- 000 feet, from where we looked down on Mount San Jacinto, the peak of which did not show a trace of snow on the north slopes any more. The stock shots we had hoped to get of the snowclad San Jacinto and Tahquiz mountains were soon forgot- ten as the plane descended toward the smooth surface of the Salton sea, a large salt water body of about 180,- 000 acres. Dropping down slowly we picked up Pilot Bob Blair and Hatto Tappenbeck at Elevation of 8000 Feet speed and ~ot our first taste of the real heat of the Imperial valley. The air could not cool the motor any long- er. As we flew along the west shore of the Salton sea the oil in the crank- case went up to 200 degrees Fahren- heit, almost as high as the boiling point of water. A few date farms, their trees plant- ed with military regularity, broke up the monotony of the landscape below. Some stretches almost reminded us of desert, so barren and desolate whs their sight. The only signs of civilization at times were the glistening bands of hot concrete highways which reached never-ending across the country in ev- ery direction. The rising heat waves and the bluish haze which enveloped the distant mountain ranges did not leave much beauty from a photograph- ic point of view. Doffing Leather Jackets The nearest airport to our destina- tion was at Calexico, on the Mexican border. We landed here after about two and a half hours of flying. Eager- ly we jumped out of the plane and got rid of the heavy parachutes and extra leather jackets which we had put on as a protection against the colder strata supposedly to be found at 12,000 feet altitude. After a refreshing lunch we took off again with our full equipment to- ward the sand dunes, rightly named by Elmer Dyer "The White Hell of Algadones." We found out during the next few days the appellation was well selected. From an altitude of 5,000 to 6,000 feet one could overlook the whole range of sand hills, forty to fifty miles long and close to ten miles wide in the middle. During the daytime the sun shines nearly straight down on these ever shifting, bleak white masses of sand and gives them a to- tally flat and unattractive appearance. But when the first morning rays peep over the hills, or when the sun is setting in the west, a relief of min- iature sand mountains is spread out before us, and the graceful lines and curves of the modeling suggest the hand of a master artist. Gigantic Cloudbanks The sand hills look equally pic- turesque to the camera as to the eye. We kept on shooting them again and again. Ever-" time we returned they looked different, more attractive. The height at which we were flying had a great deal to do with their aspect. Eastward, far beyond the Arizona frontier, we could see the distant mountain ranges of the Apache coun- try. Their jagged tops were crowned by high towering and massive looking clouds — gigantic cloudbanks which drift along slowly on these hot sum- mer days like phantastic ships on <».n invisible sea. Those are caused by the heat rising rapidly into the atmosphere. You will find their equal only in the South Seas and near the coast of China. Clearly cut and sharply defined they stand out against the background of a dark blue sky. They are on their way to make trouble somewhere, but at present they glide along quietly, beckoning to the distant traveler in the hot desert sands and inviting a friendly visit to the magic fairyland with cool-tinted valleys and snow white spires of fluffy cotton. Landintr in Dead Air In between the sand dunes are sev- eral level valleys, apparently ideal for landing the plane. Several times we swooped down on them, only to find everyone quite thickly covered with mesquite brush. After an hour's flying we picked out the best one and risked a landing. Down in these valleys the air is "dead." It gave the plane no support or resistance, and we rolled along the ground much farther than anticipated. As a result several times we came in severe contact with the bushes. Pieces of wood stuck in the metal propeller, mesquite brush was jammed between the rudder, and the lower wing was pierced and scratched in many places. As far as we know, our plane is the only one which ever land- ed between these sand dunes. We would never have made the attempt had we known the conditions which existed. The presence of the brush — it was not to be photographed as against the accepted traditional conception of the Sahara desert, according to the in- structions in the script — "killed" this spot for our photographic efforts. At the same time a heavy cross wind came up and blew fine sand from the tops of the dunes like sea foam from an ocean wave at a riptide. Bob Blair had his doubts about get- ting out of this hole under these cir- cumstances and with the heavy load we carried. We cleared a long run- way of the brush as well as possible with our boots, which were the only tools available. Then the weight was evenly distributed and properly bal- anced, and with the 300 horse-power motor racing at top speed we °:ot away. A Close Shave The plane missed the crest of the nearest dune by a couple of inches before it was able to head into the wind and gain altitude. The ship be- haved beautifully under the expert guidance of our pilot. We carried four different types of » ggaaa y @ream oth Stills From Beacon Reservoir, in Brookline, in the Old Bay State, comes this striking photograph by Robert Tobey From near Convict Lake, above Bishop, in the High Sierras, William Nobles brought home this souvenir of his July vacation Another spot in these same mountains is Duck Lake — without the ducks — Photographed by Ray Jones Qream a th Stills c*?^'o^ Do you wonder these Vasquez Rocks, massive, impressive, were the retreat of men who were without the law? Don MacKenzie photographed them within thirty odd miles of Hollywood Baldwin Lake, up in the Big Bear Country of California, has in its winter mantle a very strong appeal to anyone in the country at large in this month of August. We are indebted to Robert S. Crandall e.*"^. Qream o tk Stills **!2°* Some focj crept into this subject, but when Photographer James Manatt exposed the picture he knew all about it for on that morning San Pedro Harbor was full of the obscuring vapor Qream oth Stills *&B