Boxoffice-Febuary.28.1953

EQUIPMENT MEN SUGGEST EARLY
BUT SMALL INVESTMENT IN 3-D
About $ 1 ,000 Recommended
Pending Appearance of
CinemaScope in Market
By SUMNER SMITH
NEW YORK—The advent of thirddimension
has brought about a state of
confusion within the industry, but it also
has brought about an opportunity for quick
profits if the exhibitor is cautious in its
original investment in equipment. He safely
can afford to spend $1,000 on equipment
with the expectation of getting his investment
back almost immediately, if not with
the first show. He should not plunge because
the Cinemascope process of 20th
Century-Fox could live up to the high hopes
held for it and dominate the field in eight
to ten months.
ALL URGING CAUTION
Those are the opinions of equipment men
expressed during the week. They emphasized
that they ai-e anxious to help the exhibitor to
show 3-D, but also are urging caution in a
spirit of fairness. "Install the nece.ssities
now," they are telling exhibitors, "and don't
seek equipment ideal for all needs."
The equipment men are working night and
day, weekends and holidays in filling orders.
The usual procedm-e is to learn from an exhibitor
the date he will have a 3-D picture
and then meet that date with equipment.
There seems to be little difference of opinion
over what is needed to put on a 3-D show,
such as large film magazines and reels, filters
and interlocking system, but disagreement as
to the best type of screen to use.
The advice that exhibitors order their 3-D
installations early applied only to indoor theatres.
Apparently drive-in theatres are out
of luck, at least temporarily. They have the
problems of increa.sed lighting and of car
windshields that depolarize, also those of dnt
on the screen and on the windshield. But
the belief among equipment men is that
these technological roadblocks will be "licked"
just as many others have been in the past.
ADVICE ON PAINTED SCREENS
Another bit of advice concerns specially
painted screens. This followed the early
showings of "Bwana Devil" here at Loew's
State when the regular .screen was repainted
and used with a resulting heavy loss of light,
with inferior polarization and with some eyestrain,
according to technical men. A Walker
screen was substituted with good results.
John Curry of the National Theatre Supply
Co. was among those urging cautious investment
until judgment can be passed on
Cinemascope. He said it was quite possible
for an exhibitor to get all the equipment he
needed for about $1,000. He called attention
to a Walker high-intensity screen installation
at the Lee Theatre, Fort Lee, N.J., and to
many orders being placed by circuits, as evidence
that the screen provides excellent results
whether used for 3-D, regulai-ly projected
pictures or even large-screen television.
He said it is half way between a silver
and a white screen and has a metallic sur-
BOXOFFICE :: February 28, 1953
IME nHILS Of POOR PAULINE
Advent of third-dimension is giving
tlie industry more space in the press than
almost any industry development since
sound. The Stockton, Calif. Record placed
this drawing on page one last week as a
way of showing what it believes 3-D will
do to help meet competition of television.
face that is also a form of diffusing surface.
It is designed for the wide, modern theatre
with one floor or a short balcony, where the
projection angle is less than 12 degrees, and
is being used in theatres up to 100 feet wide
with screens up to 30 feet wide. As steep
projection angles of more than 12 degrees
cannot be matched to the optical balance of
the high-intensity screen, it cannot be used
in theatres having large balconies. The cost
i# roughly $1.10 a square foot.
Radio Corp. of America has reported a
packaged 3-D "kit" providing for speedy conversion.
It includes two selsyn interlocking
motors, a mounting plate which can be
attached to the two soundhead motor mounting
bolts toward the gear side of the complete
projector installation, a silent chain
and two sprockets to couple the motors and
special screws for attaching the sprockets
to their respective motor shafts.
Also provided are upper and lower 5,500-
foot magazines and two small blowers to keep
the polarized filters in the projection ports
cooled so they will not deteriorate. The
lower magazine has a special belt-driven film
takeup. RCA also offers its "Seamless Silver"
screen. Everything is obtainable from the
company's dealers. Polarizing filters for projection
and polarized .spectacles are not included
in the kit, as they are provided by
the film booking agencies. RCA did not
state the cost, but other sources in the trade
put it at between $750 and $800.
Leonard Satz of Raytone Screen Corp. supplied
some specific advice. He said it was
apparent that exhibitors have third-dimension
very much in mind for the next six to eight
months because CinemaScope, the 20th Century-Fox
process, with its large screen and
stereophonic sound, won't be ready before
then. He said they are asking if a 3-D screen
can be used for regular projection, and that
the answer is "yes, with qualifications."
"Nothing will beat a good, white .screen for
regular projection," Satz .said. "The best
aluminum screen can't give the same results.
"For 20 years the Society of Motion Picture
and Television Engineers and the American
Standard A.ss'n through theii- interest in projection
have brought about a standard of
whiteness, brightness and reflection. When
a good, white screen meets those standards,
the exhibitor has ideal projection.
TENDENCY TO 'HOT CENTER"
"On the other hand, a polarizing screen
must have a metallic coating and there are
certain limitations. This .screen is inclined to
have a rather 'hot' center, that Ls, a concentration
of light, and the contrast ratio is
increased. The tones on a screen, of course,
should be pleasing. When the ratio is increased,
as on an aluminum screen, the black
is still black but the white is much brighter,
so the contrast is distorted. Color values on
an aluminum screen do not compare with
those on a white screen, becau.se the trueness
of color is not as perfect.
"The disadvantages are: Diffusion of light
to the side so that patrons in the side seats
.see a quality that has been greatly affected;
brightness is 45 per cent le.ss than on a good,
white screen.
"The exhibitor wants one screen for both
3-D and regular projection. I have been
testing various types of screens and working
on giving him one which polarizes the light
but does not fall over too severely at the
sides. I have one now which is satisfactory for
normal projection needs. Technical men can
see the difference but it is doubtful if the
patrons will. However, it is ideal to have two
screens, one for 3-D and one for regular
projection.
NEED PROPER MATERIALS
"Painted screens are fine if the proper material
is used. Polarizing aluminum paint is
necessary. The sm-face m.ust be absolutely
smooth and it must be a brand new surface,
not a retouched one, or imperfections will
show up. Woven fabric cannot be used as the
light will be reflected sidewise too much and
won't polarize. The seams in woven fabric will
become twice as prominent when painted."
The Strong Electric Corp. is offering new
projection arc lamps which deliver an increased
volume of light, for an extended
burning time and with light characteristics
identical in every instance and with automatic
fan cooling. It plans early dehvery of
higher power 3-D rectifiers for use with lamps
burning 10mm carbons.
Al Hurley of the Hurley Screen Co. said
design and manufacture of 3-D equipment is
in the development stage, so it is much too
early to make any predictions.
"The situation is one of flux at present,
with each day producing something different,"
Hurley said. "Besides, we're working
day and night and seven days a week filling
orders, and just haven't the time to try to
help out with information."
The Society of Motion Picture and Tele-
( Continued on page 12)