Moving Picture World (Dec 1917) - Learn About Movie Posters

December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 1781
portional increase in light at the crater. (Screen, not crater.
Ed.) The view is not taken dogmatically by Bowen. He
takes a slightly more liberal attitude and favors a comparatively
high amperage.
Following the line of thought let me submit the following
concerning temperature of carbon as It exists in the sun. It
is thought that carbon exists in an incandescent state in the
sun at from 8,000 to 10,000 degrees C, whereas the temperature
of the electric arc is less than 5,000 degrees C. The value
of the foregoing is as showing possibility of higher temperature,
with consequent greater amount of light from a given area.
You will, I think, agree that a greater amount ot light is
given off as crater area is increased, for the reason that a
greater number of carbon atoms are involved as area is
added. Now the point I wish to make is that the number of
light 'rays depend directly upon the number of carbon atoms
involved and the brilliancy of these rays depends upon the
degree of heat to which the atoms are subjected.
Stromberg continues at some length further, but did not set his
ideas forth in such form that I could follow his argument. His general
idea is that brilliancy depends upon degree of heat, which is quite
true. The contention has been that increase in heat was impossible
after the volatilization point is reached. Griffiths is now trying to
kick that particular pot of beans over, and I don't know but that he
has succeded. I have printed Stromberg's letter because of his farfetched
argument—the sun. Prove to us that temperature can be increased
in an open electric arc and we will—well, just do it, that's all,
friend Stromberg.
Insert in Next Issue.
J. Robert Sherman, New York City, sends in a communication with
request : "Kindly insert the following in your next isue." How many
times must I tell you that "insert in the next issue" is an utterly
impossible demand, insofar as concerns this department, because it,
the department- for the next issue, is either on the press or at
least printed when such a request is received. Getting out a publication
such as the Moving Picture World has grown to be, is a task
of rather colossal magnitude, when one considers that it is, except
for some of the smaller advertisements and the department headings,
torn all to pieces and made over entirely new each week. I do not
believe there is a firm in all this great city which would undertake
the task of getting the Moving Picture World out and agree to hold
the forms of all its departments open to within five days of date
of publication. Once and for all let me again say that this department
is actually printed fully a week before the main editorial and film
review forms are closed. Also there is always enough matter in type
awaiting publication to fill from five to ten weeks of the department,
to say nothing of dozens of pages of Mss in process of correction
being gotten ready for placing in type. Matters which demand early
publication are put through special and usually can be gotten into
the department the issue following the next issue after their receipt,
thus : suppose I receive in today's mail, Monday, November 12, a
letter which it is, from some reason necessary to rush into print.
The "next issue" is already printed, folded and ready for the stitcher.
I grab my trusty typewriter, rattle the thing into Mss form, mark it
at the top "RUSH" and give it to Keyser, the villain who manhandles
my copy. He gets busy and the article will be found in the issue
which goes forth the following week— if we are lucky, otherwise then
the next week following. And that is the best that can be done. I
set this forth fully because of the many demands for "publication in
the next issue." Of course the correspondent does not have to wait
for his reply to questions, since the carbon copy takes care of that.
Friend Sherman says
Being interested in the moving picture industry, ot least as
much as a "movie fiend" could be, it is but natural that
scarcely anything connected therewith escapes my attention.
In November 3 issue, one, Brother Feiman, permits himself to
acquaint the public at large with a few "inside facts" as to the
troubles of the operator and disadvantages under which he
labors. Generally speaking his remarks are well founded in
fact, but he is, nevertheless, quite too pessmistic. In the same
issue, in fact on the same page, we find the report of a banquet
given by the American Projection Society, at which Mr.
S. L. Rothapfel, managing director Rialto theater, New York
City, announced that his chief operator, Lester Bowen, was
scheduled to receive a salary of $5,000 per year. Naturally,
Mr. Rothapfel being a sound busines man, it follows that he
considers Bowen's services to be worth that sum. In other
words, where there is merit there must be appreciation. Of
course the appreciation of the public contributes a large share
to the success of the movie operator. A recent incident witnessed
by the writer evidenced the fact that appreciation by
the audience will stimulate the operator and inspire him with
added energy and enthusiasm. During the week of October 15
the Eighty-first Street theater, to which I often go, presented
its entire house staff, including manager, stage crew, ushers
and last but not least, its chief operator, in motion pictures.
They were all warmly aplauded, but the greatest enthusiasm
was shown for the chief operator, whom I afterward learned
was I. H. Lobel. The house programme of this theater shows
the names of the entire staff. I for one can tell when a production
is properly projected and interpreted on the screen,
and I appreciate good work in the operating room.
I heartily wish your statement that "where there is merit there
must be appreciation" were true. As a matter of fact it was a long,
very hard and steeply uphill pull to get friend manager to discern
between ordinary and artistic work on the screen ; also it was a'
difficult matter to educate the public to differentiate between high
' class projection and ordinary, and the education of both manager and
public in the matter of interpretation of the photoplay on the screen
is as yet hardly begun, this department being the pioneer in that hugely
important matter, even as it has been the pioneer 'n almost every
movement for better projection. Even Mr. Rothapfel has yet to give
that matter the attention its great importance merits. As a matter
of fact, instead of appreciating high class work it Is a lamentable
fact that a very large percentage of managers do not themselves know
more than enough to distinguish between very poor projection and
excellence in that direction. They are utterly unable to differentiate
as between high class work and ordinary, and Insofar as concerns interpretation
of the screen drama, why they would look at you in sheer
amazement did you but mention it. There are, of course, Isolated cases
where the operator gets his due, but as a whole und^r present conditions.
I cannot agree that Feiman was more pessimistic than facts
warrant.
Three Hundred Pictures Per Second.
Eberhardt Schneider, New York City, builder of experimental apparatus,
whose services are much in demand by inventors and experimenters
in the motion picture field, is the inventor of an elliptical movement
for special motion picture cameras which enables the taking of
pictures at the wonderful speed of one hundred and sixty per second
in fact a little in excess of that figure. Those who may wish to examine
this movement can get the patent description and drawings by
sending ten cents to the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C,
asking for specifications and drawings on patent No. 1,1(>5,G29, granted
December 28, 1915. In connection with this movement is a plan, also
Mr. Schneider's invention, for eliminating static by blowing a strong air
current crosses the film at the aperture.
Mr. Schneider is now perfecting a plan and constructing the necessary
apparatus to take pictures at the rate of five hundred (500) per
second. Oh yes, I said "second" allright ! This scheme is being worked
out to enable the government to study more intelligently shell action in
some of its phases. The seemingly impossible feat is to be accomplished
by constructing a special triplex camera having three of the
aforesaid rapid movements. The movement is a modification of the
continuous moving film idea and, as before set forth, enables a speed of
about 100 pictures per second. The camera will be so geared that each
of its three films will be exposed alternately, there being three negative
films in the camera. The impressions thus made will be printed in
their proper order on one positive film and we will thus have a standard
film upon which are impressed photographs taken at the rate of
500 per second. This film will be projected to the screen in the usual
way, and its projection at normal speed will have the effect of slowing
down the shell flight, or its impact, as the case may be, about twenty
times, since, whereas, 500 pictures are taken per second, only from 16
to 20 will be projected in that period of time. But even so, the action
of a shell is at such tremendous speed that one-twentieth will, I think,
be plenty swift. The chief interest, however, centers about the taking
of pictures at such terrific speed, and Mr. Schneider is to be complimented
on having found the answer to such a problem.
Boylan Even Tension Reel.
The editor is just in receipt of a communication which conveys information
that the Boylan Even Tension Reel will be placed on the
market in the not distant future. We are especially interested In the
marketing of this reel, because it will do away with all tension
troubles, relieving the operator of much trouble and the film from
much very unnecessary and damaging strain and will do all this in an
extremely simple and effective way, without excessive cost or added
complications to the machine.
Projection Experience
There Isn't »n cperator'e
booth in the unl-
Teroe In whlrh tht» carefully
compiled book will
not aare lu purchaae
price each month.
Bay it Today
$4 the Copy
Postpaid
picture Handbook
For Managers and Operators
By F. H. RICHARDSON
The recognized standard book on th« wort
of tbe operator. Coin.de** deaerlptloaa and
instructions on all leading
operating equipment.
MOVING PICTURE WORLD
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This paper has never been published except in a Union shop,
so It makes no difference whether we print tbe Union Label or
not, but at the request of a few of our readers to the editor of
this department it Is printed herewith