♦ >* /-
Bfi
I F
I
£ IE mBP •
■L. -^I^JWffiSfflrt
I 1 • v ■ - — ' E '*" ' ■' \ " . ■
>■ •• • 1 3HH 93% r ;■■• t -"'••:,' gags §F>*3 l-,;.>v
'JJr.
WBBKNrfBWk IrfliiMrirnTi^TTTmfff ifrr'??
"• '■;.'.'' .- ■' §§ ■ ■ '..''■.■ A •■'• .
1 0
■■■" -'.">:? V \
HHL
"If
ART REEVES
Scanned from the collection of Dino Everett
Coordinated by the Media History Digital Library www.mediahistoryproject.org
Funded by a donation from David Pierce
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2012 with funding from
Media History Digital Library
http://archive.org/details/internationalpho13holl
January, 1^41
L ■ ^^^^
25 CENTS
^
j^^ t|
ft
fPOE
FILTER FACTORS
Filter
Aero - 1 Aero -2 21 23A 25A 29F 15G 3N5 5N5 25ND 50ND 75ND 100ND
•Times" Factor
1.5 2.0 2.5 3.2 3.2 5.0 2.5 6.3 8.0 1.8 3.1 5.6 10.0
"Stop" Factor
1X4
Wi
3 1
lli
3M
35% Motion Picture Raw Stocks
perior-3
Type 127
"Double-Quick"
The over-all sensitivity of this film is approxi- mately twice that of the usual studio negative. Yet for a high speed material, the image formed is remarkably fine-grained.
Scenes made on Superior-3 can be spliced readily with those taken on slower films. The con- trast is variable within the usual working limits. Gamma for gamma, a 50% increase in developing time is required. This builds up the low-key detail without producing hardness.
Superior-3 possesses the stability, uniformity and wide exposure latitude typical of all Du Pont Cine Negatives. When shooting with poor or inadequate lighting, its extra speed frequently spells the difference between good and mediocre results.
LOG EXPOSURE (BtL)
DU PONT FILM MANUFACTURING CORP., 9 ROCKEFELLER PLAZA, NEW YORK, N. Y. SMITH & ALLER, LTD., 6656 SANTA MONICA BLVD., HOLLYWOOD, CALIF.
International
phOTOQRAphER
Vol. XII
January, 1941 On the Cover
No. 12
Orson Welles, in the title role of "Citizen Kane." making a political address. See also pages 4, 5, 6 and 7.
LEADING ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE
Montage — Page 3
Co-operative Research Lab — Page 8 Four Lears in an Ice House — Page 11 Cameraman in the Air, Morris — Page 17 Columbia's Quake, Rosen — Page 21
PICTORIAL FEATURES
"Liquid Sunshine,'" Mortensen — Page 2
"Citizen Kane," Kahle — Pages 4, 5, 6, 7
"I Wanted Wings," Lobben and Morris — Pages 14, 15, 16
REGULAR DEPARTMENTS
16 mm Department — Page 22 Television — Page 23 Tradewinds — Page 25 Patents — Page 26 They Say — Page 27
Editor, Herbekt Allek
Business Manager, Helen Boyce. Art Editor, John Corydon Hill.
Contributing Editors: D. K. Allison, George Hurrell, J. N. A. Hawkins, Roman Freulich, Ernest Bachrach, Alvin Wyckoff, William V. Draper, Fred Gately, George Scheibe.
Copyright, 1941, by Local 659, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and Moving Picture Machine Operators of the United States and Canada.
Entered as Second Class matter, Sept. 30, 1930, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, Cali- fornia, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
International Photographer, as the monthly official publication of International Pho tographers, Local 659, of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and Moving Picture Machine Operators of the United States and Canada, not only represents the entire personnel of photographers engaged in professional produc- tion of motion pictures in the United States and Canada, but also serves technicians in the studios and theatres, who are members of the International Alliance, as well as executives and creative artists of the production community and executives and engineers of the manufacturing organizations serving the motion picture industry. International Photographer assumes no responsibility for the return of un- solicited manuscripts or material.
Subscription Rates: U.S.A., $2.50; Canada-Foreign, $3.00 per year. Single Copy, 25 cents. Australian Representative: McGill's News Agency, Melbourne.
Office of Publication: 6461 Sunset Blvd. (Los Angeles P. 0.), Hollywood, California
Telephone: Hillside 9189 Publication Date: 5th of Each Month
111-QgEBS-
BROWN-CAlDWEll
GOERr
KINO-HYPAR LENSES
I f:2.7 and f:3
{ for regular and color ; movies of surprising qualify. High chromatic correction . . .
Focal lengths 15mm to 100 mm — can be f in suitable focusing mounts to Amateur Professional Movie Cameras.
"1
itted and
COERZ Reflex FOCUSER
— Patented — for 16mm Movie Camera users — voids PARAL- LAX between finder and lens — provides full- size ground-glass image magnified 10 times. Adaptable to lenses 3" and up. Also useful as extension tube for shorter focus lenses for close-ups. Extensively used in shooting surgical operations, small animal life, etc.
I
COERZ Parallax-Free FOCUSER I and FIELD FINDER CONTROL >
for Filmo 121 and Simplex-Pockette, no more off-center pictures, magnifies 4 and 8x.
For Detailed Information Address Dept. IP I
C. P. Coerz American Optical Co.
317 East 34th St., New York
I
American Lens Makers Since 1899
Subscribe Now!
INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER
$2.50 in U. S. A.. $3.00 in Europe and Canada
Efficient Courteous
Service
■
EVERYTHING PHOTOGRAPHIC
Professional and Amateur
■
New and Used Equipment Bought, Sold and Rented
m
ART REEVES
Camera Supply Co.
1515 North Cahuenga Boulevard
HOLLYWOOD Cable Address:
CALIFORNIA 'CAMERAS"
LIQUID SUNSHINE"
By William Mortensen
MONTAQE
!
The studied carelessness of effect, told in a few feet of film, must be carefully exact.
Montage! A little known but lusty infant imong the sundry arts whose final assem- )ly is the motion picture production. Little ;nown. but growing fast. Paced by its own nner fire "tempo," it has seemingly at one troke surged to a position of major influ- ■nce as a tool for telling the picture story.
Define montage? No. As well define an a mood, induced by the in- creates impressions —
mpression
angible. Montage
noods. Through its devious mechanics the
nontage says, "It is Spring!"; "This is a
onely house!"; or "This man drinks too
nuch and is unkind to old ladies and little
logs!"
Montage mounts its impressions with consummate cunning. The impact of its inferences are at once studied and careless, never to be analyzed, yet instantly under- stood. Tempo is the life and blood of mon- tage. Whole chapters of a novel may tell of the boyhood struggles of a leading character. Montage says it in eighty cryp- tic feet. When, in a picture, a montage impression has passed, an audience must know and understand its message as thor- oughly as the one created in a novel.
So montage, with all its studied careless- ness of effect, has in its practice and achievement of this effect all the craft and
LiMITATIONS EINCOUNTEREd by
phoToqRApkERs of tIie nucIe
By WILLIAM MORTENSEN
The Artist in all times has been sub- ected to various limitations. He is limited >y the peculiarities of his medium and the naterials he works with. He is limited by economic stringency and social prejudice, rhese are time-honored limitations. Oddest )f all, perhaps, and most annoying, is the imitation of the contemporary photogra- pher by postal regulations.
Our postal regulations are sometimes strange. Some of the strangest are those in the use of the nude in photography. Under them, a nude is very apt to be udged ipso facto obscene — no matter what ts aesthetic worth. At the same time, a lude rendered in any other medium re- ceives the official blessing — no matter what is aesthetic worth — because it is "Art." \11 of which points to very confused think- ng among those who make the rulings.
For their predicament, the photogra- ahers themselves are not wholly without jlame. For, by bad taste, by offensive iteralness, by vulgarity, and by occasional lownright lewdness, a few thoughtless and gnorant photographers have brought re-
proach upon sincere workers in this deli- cate and difficult field of pictorialism. But to base official rulings upon these offensive performances, and upon these alone, is ob- viously absurd — just as it would be absurd to judge the moral worth of English po- etry by the specimens that sometimes ap- pear on the walls of public lavatories.
The photography of the nude must not be attempted frivolously, or in any mood of casual experimentation. The nude is the most difficult of all things to do in photography. Despite all your care, not more than one exposure in a thousand will be worth saving. Yet it is a labor worth while; for the human body, rightly comprehended, expresses the essence of all plastic form, of all beauty.
Data on the Picture
Leica camera, 50 mm Summitar lens; Agfa Finegrain Plenachrome, without fil- ter; developed in DK 20; printed on De- fender I 22, with Powder and Abrasion.
precision of a musical composition. "Tempo" is the uncompromising master who remorselessly dictates every device and part of montage. Do the years pass? They fly like a shower of leaves! Does the locale change? Before you the world spins to a new continent! Is it spring, and does "our hero" lazily catch fish? It is and he does — in seven feet! Tempo — simplicity — mood - - symbolism — action - - im- pact — montage!
Naturally, for this complex medium, new methods, new conceptions have been imperative. Gone quickly were the first faltering steps of assembling cuts from the production itself. At best the message was muddled, halting and of dubious value. Montage must be made for its own pur- pose, carefully, exactly.
Today a script scene says: "Montage. Purpose: Boy and girl thrown more con- stantly together develop love to the point of marriage. Cut to ..." A large order! A story in itself. And, as is learned, the picture is long so it must be told in fifty feet of film. At the beginning of this mon- tage a boy has just met a girl. At the end of this montage the audience must feel that it is high time he slipped the ring on the proper finger!
At Warner Bros, the problem is attacked in the most advanced manner. The Special Effects department has as one of its busiest divisions the montage unit. This unit is a miniature production company in itself. Director Donald Siegel includes in his crew his editor, James Leicester; his assist- ant Fred Tyler; prop man "Pat" Patter- son. Head einematographer Robert Burks has in his crew; second man Archie Dal- zell, assistant James Bell.
Siegel, Burks and Leicester form the council of war on the planning of the me- chanics of the montage "productions." When the precedure has been set, these scenes are released in script form, budg- eted and scheduled as carefully as any part of the main picture.
Of especial interest in the shooting of montage are the problems of the cinema- tographer. During the course of one scene he may be faced with the shooting of min- iatures, projection process, split-stages, straight production sets and even highly mechanical inserts. Robert Burks through his 12 years of experience in all branches (Continued on page 13)
'Citizen Kane," Orson Welles' RKO Production.
I
Intkhnationai. Photographer for January, 1941
Four Top Pictures Off Stage Shots
By Alexander Kahle
Candid studies of Welles reading the script, study- ing the set-up and finally issuing instruction how he wants a scene played. Stills hy Alexander Kahle.
International Photographer for January. 1941
weIIes AiNd tNe cameraman
Kahle has been a still photographer for about seventeen years, and during that time he has con- stantly studied the art of making stills. He has advanced with the times instead of standing still. Entirely unaware that we were making notes dur- ing his conversation, we pass along some of it which we feel sure will be of interest to our readers.
"Some shots have no effect unless they convey the idea of the size of the room. If the room is huge, that impression should be found on the print. Show ceilings whenever possible.
"Very often straight shots are not half as effec- tive as they would have been if shot at an angle. When I started at Fox six years ago shooting at an angle they feared the worst. Since that time the angles have found favor.
"Take for instance a drunken man. Shot straight-on it doesn't convey nearly the idea that it would if shot at an angle. I have observed in some stills that the drunk just looks as if he were in pain. Suppose the inebriated one is shown asleep at a table. A straight shot would indicate him merely sleeping, but if taken at an angle, one is sure of his condition.
"I am a firm believer whenever possible in getting the camera low and shooting up. This is especially effective if the subject happens to be gazing upward.
"Before shooting I decide what I want to emphasize and then concentrate on doing just that. Perhaps it is only a gesture, or a facial expression. By placing my camera at a low angle it is possible to make the person to be emphasized appear larger than the others. Some- times a shadow three times as large as the sub- ject will convey just the desired effect."
(EDITORIAL NOTE.)
When I heard I was to make the stills for Orson Welles' first RKO picture the assignment was more than welcome. I had heard of his plans to film Conrad's tropical tale, "Heart of Darkness" and of his theories for that picture which, as you will immediately see, were of tremendous interest to any photographer. Welles wanted to make the camera tell the story, be the principal character, as a matter of fact. This presented highly fascinating technical problems to the cameramen and it was a disappointment when he was un- able for various reasons to make the film.
However, work on "Citizen Kane" turned out to be just as interesting, since Welles and Gregg Toland, his cameraman, are nothing if not experimental. The pic- ture represents to some extent, a develop- ment and extension of the beautiful camera work Toland did in "The Long Voyage Home," with certain amendments by Welles.
The two saw eye to eye from the first and the initial days of shooting represented a series of experiments. Welles, for in- stance, put ceilings on every set, had the
By Alexander Kahle
characters occasionally look right into the camera and generally violated all the cliches of Hollywood photography. The ceilings on the sets aided the intensity of the scenes enormusly and, combined with Welles' and Toland's penchant for a very tight composition, resulted in the use of the camera as an adjunct to the creation of mood and feeling. Not just the recorder of events.
But the biggest and most startling thing about the photography is the use of the new coated lenses and an effort, com- pletely successful, to keep the whole area of the screen in sharp focus at all times. There are no blurred foregrounds or back- grounds and some of the shots traversed two full sound stages, about two hundred feet from lenses to back of the set.
The tremendous depth of field, the ceil- ings and the general effort to make the settings look completely natural, (great attention paid to shadow detail ) made necessary a new attitude toward lighting. It is too common for Hollywood product to look completely washed out, with every- thing having equal values in the lighting. It is not noticed particularly but that is because the audiences have become so used to it that it has become a convention. Like the two dimensional screen. The Welles- Toland lighting is as near to three dimen- sion photography as you can come with the materials at hand.
The particular virtues of the sharp focus and naturalistic lighting are that they will not be noticed at all by the non-camera minded audience. They will do their work as an aid to photography without making themselves apparent. The sharp focus, of course, puts a new responsibility on every- one concerned with the scresn. You can- not just go out and shoot the usual script with the Welles-Toland method. The script must be written with the process in mind and the director must make the actors com- port themselves with the thought that now the film audience will have the same priv- ilege of looking at any part of the screen, as in the theater where if the leading man is a bore you can watch the pretty maid in the background. This is not to indicate that the closeup has been done away with.
CAMERA CATCHES WELLES IN ACTION:
Directing, Awaiting the Action, on Snow Set.
Welles has simply added one more thing to the art. He uses every trick in the hag. There is a good deal of special effect work, by Vern Walker and his crew and it should be stated that Toland's veteran crew ( the) have been with him for years) were able to get what he wanted with a minimum of time. The camera operator was Bert Ship- man: assistant cameramen. Eddie Garvin and Ledge Haddock: head electrician, W. T. McClellan: the grip. Ralph Hogge.
"Citizen Kane" was more than a pleas- ure to shoot. In the first place, of course, there was Welles, who is an enormously engaging and cooperative subject. He never let down for a minute and was practically always doing something worth a picture. Then the story of "Citizen Kane." with its 110 settings, lasting through one man's lifetime, presented endless backgrounds for stills. Welles, who carried his charac- ter from the age of twenty-five to seventy- five, wore a series of amazing costumes. His face and figure, also altered, and he never looked the same from day to day. It got so after a while that he wouldn't get past the gate man on his own face.
"Citizen Kane" is the story of a million- aire whose ambition wrecks his life. As a young man he buys a New York news- paper and marries a prominent young debutante. He runs for governor and his wife leaves him when a political opponent exposes the fact that he is living with another woman.
Defeated, but not broken, Kane marries his mistress, | and though she has small talent he decides to train her so she will become a famous singer. He goes so far as to build an opera house for her.
Her debut as a singer is a rank failure and the newspaper critics do not soften the blow in their columns.
Despite the tremendous home and lux- uries he has bestowed upon her. his lack of love and understanding have made her unhappy and she leaves him — alone, with all ambitions shattered.
Bombs Destroy Camera Eqpt.
German bombs dropped recently around a 20th Century Fox film crew working in Wales, Director William Wyler learned today in a cable from Frances T. Harley, studio production chieftain in London.
The crew was filming background shots at the time for Darryl F. Zanuck's produc- tion of "How Green Was My Valley," the Richard Llewellvn best seller about the Welsh coal mines.
The cameramen took to cover at the lust air raid alarm. When they returned after tin- all clear signal, they found their equipment destroyed.
Harley advised the studio thai the cam- eramen would continue working in Wales for the next four weeks in spite of the dangers.
CO'OpERATJVE RESEARCh
LAboRATORy Needed
"There is an urgent need for an experi- mental studio or laboratory, co-operatively owned by all the producing companies, where special effects men could work and try out in advance new devices and ideas in their highly specialized field."
This is Larry Butler's conclusion after a lifetime in the business. His views on the problems of the trick and special effects man are simple and to the point.
"It is unfair to expect a producer to be more than ordinarily sympathetic to the problems of special effects. Most of the time, experiments have to be made at the producer's risk.
"This is why I feel there would be so much time and money saved bv having this sort of research lab where we could con- duct experiments in printing and develop- ing between pictures. Where we could ex- change ideas for the good of the business. Where we could try out innovations with- out the risk of holding up production."
After five years in England working at thQ Denham Studios of London Films for Alexander Korda, Larry Butler returned to Hollywood, where he is now working stren- uously on the unusually large number of special effects required for "Lady Hamil- ton." His first job here was to complete work already started in London on "The Thief of Bagdad." This picture was in the nature of a Roman holiday for a spe- cial effects expert.
The flying horse, the magic carpet, the spider and his web, the Genii and his materialization from thin air. the world-
wide soaring of the Genii, a score of other minor effects, and all in Technicolor, with most of the job done in war-time — well. Larry was surely glad to get back to the peace and calm of Hollywood last June.
He sums up this "Thief of Bagdad" as- signment as chiefly "making, or trying to make, traveling mattes work." Larry is a firm believer in this technique.
"There are only two ways of handling film for special effects. Double printing or double exposing. It seems to me that trav- eling mattes have been too long neglected.
"I had a good chance of seeing whether I was reasonably right in this assumption on 'The Thief of Bagdad' job. Time was always an element. So decisions had to be made quickly and the results had to prove the experiment."
There is no office marked "Lawrence Butler" at the Korda studios, although they tried their best to furnish him with one. He can usuallv be found anywhere between the prop department, the lab, this, miniature stage, the process department and the tank.
When he was in London, he inherited a 5ne suite of offices, complete with leather - covered chairs, a battery of telephones, a swell mahogany desk, and a good-looking secretary. He never used any of them. There was too much to do, working with eager but plodding mechanics, technicians earnest and ambitious but in many cases inexperienced compared to the Hollywood men.
Thoughtfully he says, "Five years in
«
Traveling matte set-up. International Photographer for January, 1941
England taught me tolerance and patience — that the other guy often has an angle and often is right. And that being right or wrong is in many cases just a matter of the point of view.
"You see, there are not the number of skilled studio mechanics and expert studio technicians in the English studios as com- pared with Hollywood. But they are eager. They work their heads off to get a thing done. They are enthusiastic and they put everything they've got into helping you. Of course, there is afternoon tea and other old British customs and the weather often drives you nuts. When you pray for an hour of sunshine and all you get is rain, rain, rain, or days of fog and skies of heavy, gloomy clouds.
"The machine shops at Denham were swell. Those chaps were fine craftsmen and wonderful machinists. In converting optical printers, used for black and white work, to color, we had to develop a lot of gadgets and many problems had to be overcome.
"I think the most difficult re-adjustment to be made while working in England is to realize that you are in a different coun- try, yes, in a foreign country, where cus- toms and manners and ideas are different than your own.
"Because the language presents no dif- ference, you are inclined to expect the same reactions as you would get at home or in Hollywood. And you get a lot of dis- appointments. So there has to be give and take, adaptability all around, and you have just got to be patient and tolerant. There are two men I think the world of, Vincent Korda and Bill Menzies. They are wonder- ful, tops to work with. And I could never have a better boss than Alexander Korda. They made my job at Denham smoother. Alex Korda has a complete understanding
and appreciation of the problems of spe- cial effects. His encouragement means everything in getting a job successfully completed."
Larry is very emphatic that no trick de- partment is better than the art director who conceives the ideas.
Special effects can take those ideas and get them on the screen. If the art director is "trick minded," has imagination and vision, the job of the special effects depart- ment is so much easier. Vincent Korda, Larry maintains, has that kind of mind. Nothing is impossible, if you have the time, the men, and the machines to do the job.
Machines and machine shops have al- ways been important to Larry Butler. Com- ing to Burbank as a kid from Ohio, he went to Burbank High and was flunked out because he spent all his time at the school machine shop instead of at his studies. His teacher at this shop was one Ernzer, a man who loved his work, and tried to teach young Larry everything he knew. He had a lot to do with his pupils viewpoints.
He gave the young hopeful every en- couragement with the result that Larry got his first job with DeMille, casting dishes for the Last Supper in C. B.'s "King of Kings."
While working on "Hell's Angels," he got his first training on miniatures with Roy Davidson. Then on Frank Capra's "Dirigible," he learned his job thoroughly from Ned Mann. From each expert, he added to his knowledge of his job.
He joined Ned Mann as first assistant when Ned went to London, and their first challenge was "Things to Come," one of the biggest jobs ever tackled by special effects and trick departments.
When Ned Mann returned to Hollywood
two years ago, Larry stayed on to head the department until last June. This young wizard has a simple philosophy regarding his job. "Once in a while you can pull a shot out of the bag, for buttons. Generally every shot has its price tag."
He insists that the use of traveling mattes must be developed. "The Thief of Bag- dad" proves their practicability. A differ- ently designed printer and more control in developing are needed. Processing and de- veloping of film have not kept pace with the industry's needs, he feels. Each optical department should have its own developing and printing lab.
Too much experimental work has to be done right on the job. Were there an ex- perimental or research lab available to the industry's special effects workers, time and money could be saved. Ideas could be pooled for the good of the business. There are few trade secrets today. More impor- tant is cooperation. A new technique of developing is needed, Larry thinks.
"I am not criticizing the lab work. It is excellent. But for traveling mattes, there have to be improvements. Perhaps by using a new type of developing machine whereby the developer, fixer and washer are applied to the film instead of the film to them. Perhaps loop machines may go into disuse. A system of constant and con- trolled agitation in a drum type of ma- chine may solve the problem.
"Image size and position can be changed in development. Film, as you know, can be exposed more accurately than you can develop it. Then the improvements must come in the technique of development."
The problems he has encountered in "Lady Hamilton" confirm this. . . . Some- day there will be that experimental and research lab and then we shall see.
Views of optical and projection printer.
^Jechnlcolop
^_Xs / road of Jst$ Contribution to ^hrotluwood 5 Current and Comina ^Jop J roductii
ions
^Tioma of the S^outh S5ea5 (J->eiie ^tarr
M9 iL JdJ
(J— titter S^weet
(J->looa ana ^>ana
Blood Witt Veil
d5lo55oni3 Jsn the aLjust
L^haa ^rranna
&Down ^rraentine l/Uau
^jrantadia
fjortl, West WountejPoL
Reap t/,e WfJ Wind
i^oaa to rCio
S^hephera of- the ^rrillS
^Jhc f\eluctant <^Draaon
^Jhe ^Jhief of (J3aaaaa
^Jh e Ljearlin a
Vu
'irainia We 5 tern Ujn i
on
^Jechnicolor / / lotion J icture Corporation
^rrerhert ^J. ^J\almuS, /resident
JO International Photographer for January, 1941
fOLR yEARS JN AN ICE hpUSE
With the inception nearly four years ago of Hollywood's "Low Temperature Sound Stage," California Consumers Corporation, in keeping pace with the studios' demands, has made consistent improvements both in design and quantity of equipment for use in studio snow scenes.
Expanding the number of complete snow machine units from a beginning of one unit, California Consumers Corpora- tion now has available on short notice seven units that can be brought into use at one time. Six of these snow machines are electrically driven; one is operated by a gasoline power unit.
The introduction of Technicolor pic- tures to the Ice House created an immedi- ate need for greatly increased refrigera- tion capacity. Wholehearted acceptance of the Ice House by the studios brought
about larger sets which in themselves re- quired increased capacity in refrigeration equipment. Modification of the Ice House, interior and exterior, was continually un- der way, in addition to the usual normal maintenance work that was continued, even during the periods the stage was unoc- cupied.
During its brief period of operation, the Ice House or equipment has been used in nearly all pictures that have elaborate snow scenes, and hundreds of studio tech- nicians have shivered in its arctic temper- atures that are controlled at will.
In the studios' use of the Ice House, many of the technicians and members of the cast have been guests of the Los An- geles Ic3 and Cold Storage division (across the street from the Stage), visit- ing the sub-zero freezing; rooms where
hundreds of tons of frozen fish, armored with a coating of ice, are stacked like cord- wood.
With the introduction to the Ice House of Paramount's Technicolor production "Untamed" many changes were necessi- tated due to the enormous increase of car- bon arc illumination required for Techni- color work. In close cooperation with Paramount's Technical Engineer, Mr. A. C. Zoulis, the Engineering Department of the California Consumers Corporation finally arrived at the conclusion that nearly 650 tons of refrigeration would be required to offset the lamp load of approximately 17,000 amperes. These 650 tons of refrig- eration were needed to chill approximately 65,000 cubic feet per minute of fresh air required to replace the foul air contam- ( Continued on page 26)
Forming an iceberg in studios with the use of real snow.
11
at
ARMYt^
SERVICE
OUR ARMY OF TECHNICIANS IS ALWAYS READY TO CARRY OUT YOUR ORDERS IN EVERY DIVISION OF OUR INDUSTRY
* * * 35MM * * * 16 MM ***
NEGATIVE DEVELOPING * DAILIES * RELEASE PRINTS TITLES * OPTICAL EFFECTS * INSERTS BLACK AND WHITE and THE NEW MAGNACOLOR
FILI11 lilDUSTRIES, II1C.
NEW YORK 1 HOLLYWOOD
New Kalart Factory
The Kalart Company announces the opening of their new factory at 114 Man- hattan St., Stamford, Connecticut. The general sales office continues in New York.
Repairs, installation and service will be handled at Stamford and should be sent there. In the near future service and in- stallation for metropolitan dealers will be provided in New York also.
for SPEED GRAPHIC OWNERS only!
supe1T speedflash shots
Are Easy With
SISTOCUN!
Here's an instrument designed by news pho- tographers especially for Super-Speedflash Pho- tography— it's the Kalart Sistogun. Today — ace photographers use and endorse this focal plane Shutter Synchronizer for 3V4 * 4l/( and 4x5 Speed Graphics.
The Kalart Sistogun is a compact, precision instrument which really completes your Speed Graphic. It's low priced, you can install it your- self. It may be used with battery cases of most synchronizers. With Sistogun and long-peak wire-filled flash bulbs, you can get action shots even at 1/1000 sec.
See the Kalart Sistogun. Try it. You, too, will say it is made to order for those who want real action FLASH PICTURES— at SUPER SPEEDS! Price $12.00.
THE KALART COMPANY INC.
/>«•/»». /-i
619 TAFT BLDC.
HOLLYWOOD, CALIF.
KALART
12
Intkknational Photographer for January, 1941
MONTAqE
f
(Continued from page 3)
of Special Effects work is peculiarly and happily fitted to cope with all of the con- stantly arising problems of novel effects and scenes. His crew with Dalzell and Bell have been assigned to him for like reasons of greatly varied experience.
Director Siegel and Cinematographer Burks like to point with satisfaction to ringing the bell successfully in such pic- tures for Warner Bros, as: "All This and Heaven Too," '"Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bul- let," "The Fighting 69th," "My Love Came Back," "Sea Hawk," "They Drive Bv Night," "Til We Meet Again" and "The
Lady with Red Hair." Part of their satis- faction which is particularly gratifying is the fact that their technique has been clever enough to conceal to any but the initiated that in these pictures there is any such thing as a montage!
Watson Booklet
Burke & James announce that the new Watson Booklet, just off the press, is avail- able free to readers of International Pho- tographer. Address Burke & James, 223 W. Madison St., Chicago.
RETRACTION
• In the last issue of International Photographer an article headed "Special Effects at R.K.O." should have been headed "Cosgrove Special Effects Department of David 0. Selznick Productions."
This department, under the technical supervision of Clarence Slifer, has been responsible for all of the fine Technicolor and black and white special effects on pro- ductions, "Gone with the Wind," "Rebec- ca," "A Star is Born," "Garden of Allah. "Tom Sawyer," "Prisoner of Zenda," etc.
Much of the equipment developed for these productions has been accepted by many of the various studios. At the pres- ent time the department is engaged in sev- eral new ideas which should revolutionize the Special Effects field.
This still by Elmer Fryer shows the crew in operation shooting James Cagney in Warner Bros. Pro- duction, "Strawberry Blonde." Standing, left to right: Dick Williams, sound man; "Red" Breen, stand-in; Robert Burke, first cameraman; W. G. Buster, grip, and James Cagney. Seated, left to right: Donald Siegel, montage director; Arch Dalzell, operating cameraman ; James Bell, assistant cameraman ; Pat Patterson, prop man; Robert Le?. Sound Mixer.
13
"I Wanted Wings," Paramount Production.
Showing the camel formation of planei
14
By KEN LOBBEN
iv it work as well as efnited States Army.
15
|
5 ' |
||
|
**\, ►' V |
". |
|
|
*J&£ |
."> **■ |
|
|
» lfc___» ' |
' 3 |
"I Wanted Wings". Willi the exception of the lower left these stills were made by Tommy Morris with a Leica Camera. Lower left showing Leo Tover, first cameraman; Ernie Laszlo, second and Frank Burgess, assistant; by Ken Lobben.
In
International Photographer for January. 1941
ThE CAMERAMAN ilN tNe MR
By Tommy Morris
If anyone ever steps up and offers you an opportunity to handle a camera in an air picture — my advice, which usually isn't worth much, is to jump at the chance.
I'm speaking from experience this time, for only recently I was fortunate enough to be included in the large camera crew which went to Texas to film Paramount's "I Wanted Wings." It was a lot of work, of course, but an experience and a thrill that was well worth having.
"I Wanted Wings'' is the story of the training of air cadets for the American Air Corps. We were quartered in San Antonio, for both Randolph and Kelly Fields, the primary and finishing instruction bases, are located near that city.
Ray Milland, Brian Donlevy, William Holden, Veronica Lake, Constance Moore and Wayne Morris play the principal roles, with Mitchell Leisen directing. In all, there were about 140 persons in the troupe.
We had our headquarters in the St. An- thony Hotel, and had excellent accommo- dations and meals. The entire location was handled perfectly. A production office was set up at the hotel, and all arrangements were conducted in the same manner as they are at the studio. Whenever we wanted anything, or needed something done, we merely called this production office, in- stead of trying to locate a business man- ager or assistant director. It saved time for everyone.
Our camera crew was an extensive one, with plenty of work for everyone con- cerned. The first unit was headed by Leo Tover, with Ernie Laszlo, Otto Pierce, Frank Burgess, Byron Seawright and Charles Russell. Loyal Griggs was in charge of the second unit and transparency backgrounds, aided by Arthur Lane, James Grant and S. A. Sanford. The air crew consisted of Elmer Dyer and myself, ably piloted by Paul Mantz, the noted flier. Kenny Lobben and Don English made up the still crew.
An air picture naturally takes more equipment and planning than is normally used — much more than one would think. We had three special camera planes, for example, and two air cameras.
One plane was a fast little Boeing, on which we fastened a stationary camera, either on a wing or in the landing gear. Paul lined his windshield up as a finder, and operated the camera from a switch in the cockpit.
He was welcome to those shots, by the way, for they were all fast dives, follow shots and forced landings.
The other two planes were a high-wing Vega for side and down angles, and a low- wing Orion for shooting up at formations from underneath.
The Vega was used most, as the majority of the shots we made were down or at an angle out the side. Mantz built a sliding camera mount which fitted in the doorway. By moving it out we were able to shoot nearly straight forward or backward. To reload all we had to do was to slide the camera into the cabin, out of the slip stream. The force of the slip stream, at 250 miles an hour, is tremendous. It is so strong that it can break a man's arm should he be so incautious as to suddenly thrust an arm into the open air.
On some days we went on four hour flights, and would reload six or eight times in the air. The sliding mount proved itself of immeasurable value in this point alone. But we did discover we should be careful. One day we forgot to lock the mount, and when Paul went into a steep bank, the camera slid out to the end of the track and nearly took Elmer with it.
As mentioned, we used two cameras on the job. One was Dyer's Akeley, for fast- panning action shots, and the other his special rack-over Bell & Howell for plates.
I'd like to say right here that a lot of credit should go to Paul Mantz. What a flier he is! I'd be willing to go up in any- thing he could get off the ground. We had a few trips in pretty rough weather and wondered if the plane would hold to- gether, but we always got home all right. Paul has a great mechanic, too, in Jim Barton, who always had the planes in tip- top condition. In fact, his only advice to us was: "As long as I stay in the cockpit, boys, you stick with me. Don't bail out unless I do." He never did — so we didn't either!
Elmer had a plenty tough job on the stick end of his camera against that fast air speed. It was no fun, as he was usually lying on his stomach fighting the wind and nearly being torn apart holding his cam- era in position.
My job was to assist Elmer in the usual work — change filters, lenses, reload, keep records of jshots. In addition I wore a re- ceiving headset and talked with Mantz by microphone, relaying signals from Elmer regarding plane positions and speeds.
Paul was in radio contact with the Army ships, so we managed to get some nice formation shots.
The biggest thrill to me was hedge- hopping about ten feet off the ground, just skimnmg trees, barns, houses and fences. One day Mantz phoned back to us and said to look out the windows and hold our hats. We did — and he promptly flew right between two huge oak trees, sliding underneath the lowest branches by inches.
Our greatest inconvenience was temper- ature. It usually was about 100 degrees or more on the ground, and 30 degrees (two below freezing) at 16,000 feet. We had to put on coveralls and jackets before each flight and got awfully hot if we didn't go up right away. Five minutes later we'd be in freezing temperatures. Sometimes we had to drop down to around 6000 feet, thaw out, then go back up again. One morning I got my face terribly sun and wind-burned, went aloft in the afternoon and got it frozen. The skin didn't peel off — it came off in chunks.
Flying with the Army planes was a great thrill. We dodged in and out of forma- tions and covered all angles. For most shots we used either 18 or 36 ships because that number was enough to fill the screen for comparatively close shots. Our biggest day was a graduation of cadets from Kelly field, and we flew with 96 beautiful silver pursuit type of planes.
The young men the army is training for air work are really magnificent. They're 100 per cent in physique, mental- ity and personality. They first get a four- week course in basic flying. They then are graduated, and move to Kelly field and are instructed in the use of a faster and better type of plane. After Kelly, the boys be- come officers and either go into the service or become instructors at the various C.A.A. fields throughout the country.
From now on I'll never begrudge a single cent of taxes that goes towards this preparedness work. Just the sight of that graduation at Kelly Field was worth the price!
For myself, I'm sorry I couldn't have gotten more Leica shots of my own. Usu- ally I was too busy with pencil and tele- phone, but I did manage to get a few. Those silver ships from Kelly, and the dark blue and yellow ones from Randolph are great subjects.
Come to think of it, I wouldn't mind winning my wings myself.
17
THE Kodak photographic paper mill — only one in the western hemisphere — turns out more than a hundred different brands of paper, all noted for their quality, uniformity, and ease of manipulation. And, counting various sizes, colors, weights, contrasts, and surfaces, Kodak is ready on short notice to ship any one of more than 60, 000 paper items.
In this vast variety of products you are sure to find the right types of fine papers for all your needs. Among the most widely used are VITAVA
PROJECTION — a fast enlarging medium, par- ticularly valuable for exhibition prints; VITAVA OPAL — a warm-toned material suitable for both enlarging and contact printing; KODALURE — for prints of exceptional, warm quality and depth from negatives of average contrast.
For complete data on the characteristics, pur- poses, and manipulation of the papers men- tioned and others, write for the 48-page book- let, Eastman Photographic Papers (price, 1 5 cents). It's a dependable guide to best results.
EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY, Rochester, N. Y.
la
International Photograph kk for January, 1941
JHB
Shooting backgrounds at World's Fair for "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," Alfred Hitchcock's new RKO picture. In the back seat are George Hcnners, first cameraman ; Bill Anzel, assistant (both of New York Local 644), and Vernon Walker, Process Department, RKO, Holly- wood. Owing to the narrow space between posts along the walks, a Crosley car was used as camera car.
19
Camera crew on Columbia's "Penny Serenade." Reading left to right: Victor Seheurich, Jack Young, Tom Jackson, Lee Davis, Buddy Harris, Emil Oster (head of camera de- partment). Bill Jolley, Joe Walker, Fayte Brown, George Keller, Roy Babbitt, Bob Wasserman, Jack Rus- sell. James Goss; sitting in the fore- ground (holding hat) is Sam Rosen, author of the article on facing page, and George Stevens, director. Still by Irving Lippman.
Scene after the "earthquake.
20
Intkrnationai. Photographer for January, 194]
coluivibiAs quaIie shakes eiqkr
By Sam Rosen
Apparently Hollywood can never be sat- isfied.
It is a matter of record, if the seismo- graph at the California Institute of Tech- nology is to be believed, that Southern Cali- fornia receives its shares of earthquake shocks.
But what did Hollywood do? It created its own earthquake for a breathless minute in a motion picture and one so violent that even Dame Nature must have blushed with envy.
Although the movie quake lasted for less than two minutes it was in the making for three weeks. It provides the dramatic mo- ment in Columbia's "Penny Serenade" when, in Tokyo, Cary Grant and Irene Dunne are planning the future of their unborn heir. But an earthquake strikes; Miss Dunne is crushed beneath the debris and the expected child never arrives.
George Stevens, the producer-director, wanted his earthquake to be the most real- istic one ever filmed. For it, Columbia's Stage Eight, one of the largest, was con- verted into a Tokyo scene. Built entirely on movable stages, on iron wheels and steel rails, a two-story Japanese pavilion, completely furnished upstairs and down, filled the foreground.
Beyond, through wide glass doors, were spacious Japanese gardens with rock foun- tain, bridged flowing brook and flower beds. Beyond the garden and the tall bam- boo fence and ornate gate was a full sized Tokyo street with buildings built to per- spective and the Tokyo skyline in the dis- tance.
Daily, for a week, technicians tested the earthquake set. For the actual filming, Stevens chose Saturday night for two rea- sons ... so that the tremendous racket would not interrupt other companies at work and to avoid visiting studio workers on the dangerous set.
For five hours before the quake, Stevens rehearsed, checked and rechecked his de- struction crews. Surrounding him were Joseph Walker, head cameraman, and ten complete camera crews. The Operators were George Kelley, Victor Schuerick, Lee Davis, Dave Ragin, Jack Russell, Buddy Harris, Fayte Brown, Guy Wilkev and Jack Young. The Assistant Cameramen as- signed were Bill Jolley, Sam Rosen, Joe Citron, Jimmy Goss, Enzo Martinelli, Bob Wasserman, Irving Klein, Tom Jackson, Roy Babbitt and Jack Kenny. Each camera was focused on the vital points of the planned catastrophe and the camera mo- tors at various speeds. Van Pelt operated
a motor driven Eyemo for real action stills and Irving Lippman shot the production stills. Emil Oster, head of Columbia's cam- era department, stood by to see that all cameras were mechanically fit. On a plat- form commanding the complete scene, the director sat before an illuminated master keyboard. On the keyboard were twelve red lights and electric switches. Each light and switch controlled many stations stra- tegically placed around the set, where fifty specialized Special Effect men supervised by Dave Vail awaited Stevens' red-light cues.
A final rehearsal was called, Stevens throwing his switches. No. 1 station — Steam hammer ready; No. 2 station — Steam winch ready; No. 3 station — Water gusher ready; No. 4 station — Falling build- ing ready; No. 5 station — Falling building and overhead dump table ready; No. 6 station — Gas explosion in street ready; No. 7 station — Falling gate and garden wreckage ready.
On down the list, with split second pre- cision, Stevens called the roll of his de- stroyers. The roof was ready to crash the glass doors. A two-foot square beam was poised to penetrate a wall. The second floor was ready to collapse and the stairs has been prepared to crumble.
"Release safeties," Stevens called to his crews.
"Test cameras!"
Briefly, the cameras rolled, the experts released the scores of safety devices for the falling debris, crumbling walls and floors. All persons except those absolutely necessary to film the quake were ordered from the stage. The cameras and camera-
men were protected beneath a heavy wood- en canopy.
Cameras were rolling for the take and chaos struck savagely. The steam hammer pounded the two-story house back and forth. The steam winch shook the out- side gardens and the street violently. In the garden the rock fountain crumbled, shoot- ing a great geyser of water over the tremb- ling set.
In the background, a wall fell out of a building, baring its innards, spraying it with debris. Another building toppled . . . a cloud of dust arose. In the street, a gas main exploded, ignited and shot huge flames upwards. The garden gate fell, the roof of the pavilion plummetted down, shattering big window panes in the house.
In the garden, Cary Grant was continu- ously being thrown off his feet. In the house a shrieking Irene Dunne clung to the palsied stairs. The garden gate collapsed. Water gushed from the garden brook. A huge beam was shot through the wooden wall. The ceiling collapsed and the two rooms of furniture shot downward. In the immediate foreground, a great mass of broken timber, balsa wood and bricks, shat- tered furniture and rubbish clattered onto the canopy over the cameras and bounced off.
Less than two minutes later, a set that had taken three weeks to build was com- pletely demolished in one "TAKE."
Director Stevens and Cameraman Joe Walker started over to the next set for the next day's work.
It was just another days work in Holly- wood.
Landers Camera Rentals
CAMERA RENTALS SERVICE
Blimps, Dollies, all Accessories CAMERA CRANE
*
DAY-
-PHONES-
-NIGHT
Hillside 8333
6313 SUNSET BOULEVARD
Near Vine Street
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA
HEmpstead 1311
21
l6lVIM. dEpARTMENT
While Thinking about Mr. Unseld's article on Lens Perspective in this depart- ment last month, we began wondering whether we had not jumped a little ahead of ourselves. Frequently, in this and other technical fields ,we are prone to take many basic established facts for granted with- out understanding why they are basic facts, and to work on from there, often achieving a high degree of proficiency with a me- dium about which we are none too familiar from the "why" standpoint.
Generally speaking, the amateur who is seriously interested in cinematography thinks of his lens as an integral and im- portant part of his camera and that is either good, bad, or indifferent, according to the price that he was able to pay for it and the job that it has to do. He devotes most of his time to doing those things. However, there is much to be said in favor of knowing why those things that take place do, aside from the feeling of per- sonal satisfaction that comes from know- ing the subject thoroughly. This can all be summed up in the statement that this knowledge removes the mystery of why any particular shot was a success or a failure due to optical reasons.
This article does not pretend to remove all that mystery for the obvious reason that a subject of such scope could not be treated completely within these limits. It will, however, give a basic understanding of the principles involved that will form a foundation for further reading.
Lens action is based on the principle in physics known as refraction. Reduced to everyday English, it is the bending of light rays. We are all familiar with the sight of a spoon in a glass of water or tea, where the spoon appears to be bent at the sur- face of the liquid. We have watched an object lying at the bottom of a shallow body of water and seen it change its shape — become elongated, shortened, or other- wise distorted — as the ripples of water flowed over it. And we have watched the "heat-waves" rising from the surface of the highway while driving along and seen the "ripples" make the distant objects ap- pear to be fluttering in the "waves." These are all everyday instances of refraction.
Refraction takes place when a ray of light passes through one or more mediums of varying density, or when a medium of a single density varies in thickness and its surface beemnes curved. In the case of the water and I he spoon, the water is one me- dium and air the other, and obviously, they are of two different densities; hence we see the rays, or, in this case, the spoon bent at the point where the water or tea meets the air — the surface. In the case of the object lying on the bottom of the stream with ripples flowing over it, the object appears elongated or shortened by
the ripples because of the curvatures pre- sented by the surface of the wave forms.
In the case of the "heat-waves" rising from the surface of the road distorting familiar objects, the air itself will be the only medium, but will vary in density as it becomes alternately hotter and cooler according to the "waves" of heat coming up from the pavement. Since hot air ex- pands and cool air contracts, and as the air expands it occupies more space for the same actual amount of air, its density will decrease when it is heated and in- crease when cooled. It is this continuously changing density due to the "waves" of heat that will give the objects the appear- ance of fluttering, because the rays of light they are sending toward us are being bent by the changing density of the air.
Basically, a lens works on the same gen- eral principle, although, strictly speaking, more like the second example given. Hav- ing a medium of constant density, glass, it is the curvature that it presents to a medium of second density, air, that brings about the bending of the rays. But here is where the similarity stops, because from here on everything is carefully planned to do a specific job. Instead of the rays be- ing bent in any which way that nature might find them, they are bent according to a definite formula, so planned that they will come to a point, or converge, a short distance behind the lens. The rays of light coming from any ordinary object travel in straight lines — parallel lines. The lens bends these straight lines, brings them to a point, known as the focal point (or just plain focus), and the distance behind the lens at which these rays come to the point is known as the focal length, a very im- portant measurement. The point at which the rays come to a focus is the point at which we will see clearly projected on to anything which we may wish to place in this particular position ( film, ground glass, paper, etc. ) , an image of whatever may happen to be in front of the lens.
A lens of the type described is known as the simple meniscus lens. It is a single piece of glass with a convex curvature on both sides, or a double convex lens, and of the type generally found on box cam- eras, and is the simplest lens known. This lens has many defects, however, and is not generally useful for good photography be- cause of these defects, or aberrations. A lens of the simple meniscus type will not bring into focus at the same point on the film all objects which are in a straight line the same distance away from the lens, or camera. In other words, if our camera were placed fifteen feet away from a group of people in a straight line, all of these people would not be in focus on the film at the same time, even though they are all exactly fifteen feet from the camera.
This defect is known as spherical aber- ration. Secondly, lines that would be straight in the scene would appear to be curved on the picture (curvature of the field ) . Another defect that would be found would be that objects possessing the usual colors would not have the different colors come to a focus at the same point on the film — this defect is chromatic aberration. And still another difficulty would be astig- matism, or the inability of the lens to bring horizontal and vertical lines into focus at the same time.
To correct these difficulties the modern "anastigmat" lens is actually a system of three or more lenses, or components, with the simple meniscus as its basis. In word, the solution is a simple one: algebraically, a plus two and a minus two equals zero. In the simple meniscus lens, the defects are measured as a definite positive quantity, then these same defects are ground in the opposite direction into another lens, or as a negative quantity. In practice, this "corrective unit" consists of two lenses, or components, one of them a positive lens, and the other a negative one, so that their dioptic power (their power as a lens) is zero also, leaving the simple meniscus lens in the rear of the system to do all the actual work of focusing the rays to a point. In this manner we have the simple lens working unmodified or otherwise changed by the system in front of it, yet with its defects or aberrations eliminated by can- celling them out with the front compo- nents.
Scheibe's Hotspot Iris
Projectionists who are employed in the transparency department find that they are bothered with the "hotspot", a flare of light on the screen that is the result of the arc in the center of the picture being hot- ter than on the sides of the picture. Many devices and methods have been tried to offset the "hotspot", but with the devel- opment of background projection effects a decade ago some cure was needed. I de- veloped what is known as the "Hotspot
In ris.
Scheibe's Hotspot Iris is adjustable in many ways. It is used on the projector to eliminate the "hotspot" in the center of the screen so it will photograph as evenly as the sides of the screen. The Hotspot Iris is moved toward and away from the projection lens until the hotspot is elim- inated from the screen.
After the "hotspot" is eliminated the screen is photographed with the actors and actresse bet wen the camera and screen. Cameramen go out on location to photo- graph backgrounds for process work the world over and the Hotspot Iris aids mate- rially in making such efforts possible. The Hotspot Iris is made in 6" x 6" and 8" x <>" with a blue or a neutral color in the center. About .50 neutral is the best color to use, though any desired color will he made.
22
International Photographer for January, 1941
A COMPLETE MEANS OF INSTANTANEOUS PARTICIPATION IN SIGHT AND SOUND
TCLE V
Reprinted from the Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, hy special permission.
Summary — The Television Committee of the Society during the past year has car- ried out a considerable amount of work as listed :
(1) Flicker and visual fatigue in tele- vision has been studied, a preliminary re- port on which work is presented herein.
(2) A study of the most suitable type of film for television transmissions has been carried out, a report on which will be presented also.
(3) More material has been added to a bibliography and glossary of terms in the field of television, which work was started more than a year ago and which still continues.
Preliminary Report of the Sub- Committee on Flicker and Visual Fatigue
General — Since early May of this year, a sub-committee has been actively studying the problem of frame frequency in tele- vision. In this assignment, it was instructed to correlate available information on the subject as affected by three major factors, namely: (1) Flicker. ,(2) Portrayal of mo- tion. (3) Visual fatigue.
The need for such a fact-finding com- mittee has become more apparent within the past year and it was felt at the outset that the motion picture industry as a whole was peculiarly well situated to assist tele- vision in this work. Because of its familiar- ity with existing experience, the ability within its ranks, and ts tools for prosecut- ing new experimental work when the need for such work was determined, the Society of Motion Picture Engineers is in a par- ticularly favorable position to sponsor such work.
The first task was to index and abstract as much of the existing literature as seem- ed pertinent and possible. Following this work, the gaps in existing knowledge would be more apparent and as the need for further work was apparent, experi- ments and means for performing them could be devised.
This report covers the first part of this program.
Bibliography — A list of the articles and books found to date relating to this sub- ject is appended. It is not hoped that this is complete and since it is only necessary that the information obtained be compre- hensive, pertinent, accurate, and descrip- tive of the essential facts, completeness in the bibliography was not considered vital. Summary of Findings — Since television observation, as a visual task, is not essen-
tially different from motion picture ob- servation, it is possible to correlate data from the latter field for direct use in the former. One important element in such considerations is the average brightness level found in current practice.
a
<j S so
t in
U <D
it
a 40 <"
|
s 8 |
||||
|
£^A --'D |
||||
.8 1.2
Log. I
1.6
2.0
Fig. 1. Critical frequency vs. log intensity for 4 degrees diameter of stimulation area for 4 subjects (P. A. Snell, J. Soc. Mot. Pict. Eng., May, 1933, p. 367).
General experience shows that visual fatigue accompanies any prolonged visual task and since motion picture observation can be no exception to this, it is not to be expected that television observation will be an exception. Opthalmological re- search has revealed the importance of ob- ject brightness in the problem of visual fatigue; therefore, data on the present screen-brightness practice in the motion picture theater is of fundamental import- ance to the object of this work. The data submitted have a direct bearing on the television problem since some general knowledge obtained from practical or every-day experience is available to every-
Field brightness ca1dle5 per s«. meter
Fig. 2. Critical frequency vs. brightness for square wave — white light illumination cycle (Fig. 94, "Principles of Optics," Hardy and Perrin, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York).
one and correlated technical data are available to the specialist from the field of motion pictures.
A survey made early in 1940 and cov- ering a group representative of the larger theaters in the United States (seating ca- pacity from 2300 to 3500) shows a range of central screen brightness of from 6 to 10 foot-lamberts, as reported by Mr. A. C. Downes of the National Carbon Company. These measurements were made with the projector operating without film For the smaller theaters , which are in the vast ma- jority, it has been reported that a com- parative figure would be about 4Vij foot- lamberts under similar and favorable con- ditions.
Since these figures are significant in the study of flicker and visual fatigue, they are included in this report in order that the present practice may be correlated with the optical requirements. Reports from for- eign sources indicate that brightness levels of the order of 10 foot-lamberts are being realized. This falls within the range of 10-+-4 to 10 — 1 foot-lamberts which is the present SMPE Recommended Practice.
Flicker — Since the visual apparatus does not respond instantly to a stimulus or to its removal, persistence of vision can pre- vent flicker from being observed. It has been shown that above the frequency at which flicker is not observable, the appar- ent brightness of an object viewed in in- terrupted illumination is the average brightness, provided the illumination is continued for more than 3 per cent of the cycle. It should be noted that under the most favorable conditions of brightness and flicker frequency, the least perceptible change in brightness is of the order of 1.5 per cent.
The sensitivity of the eye to flicker has been tested by numerous investigators who agree in general that the frequency at which the phenomenon disappears, called the critical frequency, is a linear function of the logarithm of the brightness within the range of present interest. Certain au- thors carefully specify a constant area of stimulation (see Figs. 1 and 2).
At least one authority is convinced that flicker is still apparent on the screen and, furthermore, feels that present brightness levels are so low that a change in the di- rection of "easiest seeing" would result in still greater flicker. It seems, however, to have been generally granted that the flicker situation has been considerably im- proved.
23
The seriousness of flicker is due to the duration of the exposure when observing motion pictures of television programs. It has been found that at a constant average brightness the percentage duration of the light stimulus during the cycle affects the critical frequency (Fig. 3).
The same authority states that the funda- mental component of the Fourier series expressing the stimulus for constant aver- age brightness exerts a major control on the critical frequency except when the stimulus is off for only small percentages of the cycle, in which case the perception, as well as the further depression of the critical frequency, is due to the higher order components. The critical frequen- cies were found to be lower when the sur- roundings were dark than when they were made equal in brightness to the field of the test and that results for a reduction of the field of test to 1/5 with surround- ings left equal to the previously employed field were than either. Differential sen- sitivity as measured by the inverse of the Weber Fechner fraction AB/B was found to be highest when the test field lay in surroundings of about its own bright- ness, the sensitivity being lower for dark- ened surroundings and considerably lower as the surroundings level was increased over that of the test field. These findings are said to be parallel to the relation be- tween sensitivity to brightness difference and comparative brightness conditions of
the test field and surroundings. Other in- vestigators have reported similar findings and state that the sensitivity of the eye to flicker is increased when adapted to bright light as well as when the region around flickering area is illuminated. Maximum sensitivity occurs when the surrounding field is equal to the test field. The process of adaptation continues for as much as a half hour I see Fig. 4).
It is reported that maximum sensitivity to flicker occurs at yellow in the spectrum, being less at either end.
It has been found that the retina is not uniformly sensitive to flicker over its en- tire surface. The region within 10 degrees of the fovea demands the highest critical frequencies. Since this area is most com- monly needed for viewing motion picture and television programs it is indicated that results for this area should be satisfied in both fields.
Flicker tests with a cathode-ray tube screen having an exponential decay curve falling to approximately 2 per cent in 1/24 second have been reported in which the room lighting was about 1/10 foot- candle. At a screen brightness correspond- ing to 1 foot-lambert, the flicker was said to have been just noticeable at 38 frames per second, noticeable at 35 frames per second, and disagreeable at 28 frames per second. It was concluded from the curves shown and data presented that a satisfac- tory solution for reduction of the frame
Motion Picture Equipment
Studio and Laboratory Tested Since 1929
AUTOMATIC DEVELOPING MACHINE COMPLETE IN EVERY DETAIL
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT WILL BE ON DISPLAY AT THE NEW SHOW ROOM, IN CONNECTION WITH MY
New Address:
1515 Cahuenga Blvd.
Hollywood, California
ART REEVES
Cable address: ARTREEVES
V o
V z r o
d »
UJ 0!
U u
a. a-
j v>
< UJ
U -I
t y U
|
16 |
||||||
|
/z |
||||||
|
8 |
||||||
|
A |
||||||
|
ft |
o .5 1.0
Relative Duration
of Illumination over Cycle.
Fig. 3. Variation of critical frequency with relative duration of illumination for spectral blue light in range where critical frequency does not change with intensity (P. W. Cobb, J. Opt. Soc. Amer., April, 1934, p. 107).
frequency under 30 per second would not be found in an exponential light-output decay curve.
It is important that effects such as this be reduced to a minimum. Standards of ideal performance should not be dictated by those best equipped visually, but the average of those with "impaired vision" must be seriously considered.
It is apparent that frame frequency is not the only source of flicker either in the theater or on the television screen but since the work of this committee was pri- marily related to the effects of frame fre- quency upon certain phases of the tele- vision viewing problem, of which flicker was one, no attention has been given to collateral causes and effects of flicker in this field. It is assumed that those effects not being fundamentally subject to Stand- ards having the relationship of the "key and lock," could be considered in other ways.
The Portrayal of Motion — This problem has been the least satisfactorily treated, the literature being meager to the extent of almost non-existence. Resort has been taken to correspondence with the produ- cers of animated cartoons. Only a few re-
|
^ A |
||||||||||
|
Sh |
||||||||||
|
o |
-2 -l.fc -.11
.8
LOG|0 B (FT. LAM&ERTS)
Fig. 4. Wcber-Fechner fraction as a function of bright- ss (B. O'Brien and C. M. Tuttle, J. Soc. Mot. Pict. Eng., 1936, p. 577).
plies have been received at this time. An- swers to this correspondence are still ex-
24
Intkhnationai. Photographer for January, 1941
pected but so far they do not contain full information of the kind sought.
It is appreciated at the outset that in this regard television is at present under some handicap in relation to the motion picture. In motion picture production sequences having considerable action are taken by careful choice of the most favorable angles. This necessitates use of lenses which will cover a fair depth of field, the remaining inaccuracies being compensated for by the skill of the cameraman. In tele- vision, it has not been found possible as yet to use lenses of the same or equivalent depth of field; hence, it seems reasonable to assume that the cameraman will be forced to choose less favorable angles or risk inexact focus. If the former choice is made, the problem of adequate portrayal of motion becomes much more serious especially if the frame frequency is re- duced.
It was reported by J. A. Norling of Loucks and Norling Studios, from experi- ence in days of silent pictures when "pro- jected at 16 frames per second, which then was the theoretical projection speed, an animated cartoon thus made showed rather jumpy action but when the frame fre- quency was increased beyond 16 frames per second . . . this jumpy action became smoothed out."
He continues, "I review these matters merely to add emphasis to the need for a higher picture frequency than the 8 to 12 picture frequency employed in 2-frame ex- posures and with projection speeds of 16 frames per second to 24 frames per sec- ond"
Commenting on the previous problem (flicker), it was further stated that, for light changes such as prduced by a shutter, for screen illuminations of as much as 12 foot-candles (produced by no film in the projector ) , flicker is apparent at 96 pe- riods per second ( as obtained from a 3- bladed shutter) but the correspondent in- dicated that smooth motion and not flicker was the essential problem if reduction of frame frequency were considered.
Mr. D. Fleischer of Fleischer Studios, Inc., stated, "In regard to cartoons, we have found the 24 per second frame fre- quency the most practical for our use and. as I believe animated cartoons will be an important factor in television, I hope that this will not change in their adaptation to this medium."
Mr. W. E. Garity of the Walt Disney Productions stated that the number of drawings used depended on the speed of the motion being photographed and that "for slow movements, a drawing for every frame is necessary."
The committee is still expecting more complete answers to its correspondence and hopes to amplify this section of its progress report when and if this informa- tion becomes available.
Visual Fatigue — Visual fatigue is a tech- (Continued on page 28)
TRBDEWIflDS
Swivel Lens Mount
An ingenious swivel lens mount for all Solar enlargers will soon be released by Burke & James, Inc., 223 W. Madison St., Chicago. The swivel lens mount enables the operator to tilt the lens for correcting
distortion and creating comic effects. It has the advantage of permitting a substan- tial angle adjustment in all directions.
The mount consists of a lens flange, swivel joint with ring lock and 4x4 inch lens board. It is adaptable for use with most all 3 or 3% inch lenses. The lens is held securely in place when the desired angle is obtained, and it is the work of only a moment to substitute the regular straight mounting when a change is de- sired. The new mount I patents pending ) will list as a Solar accessory and sell for $5.50 less lens.
Agfa Darkroom Outfits
Two new Darkroom Outfits designed for developing and printing requirements of amateur photographers have just been an- nounced by Agfa Ansco. Identified as the No. 1A and No. 2A Outfits, the develop- ing kits provide all necessary material for developing and printing, differing from one another in elaborateness and quantity of equipment.
Both outfits are entirely made in U. S. A. and are obtainable through all regular photographic dealers, the No. 1A at $2.45 list and the No. 2A at $4.95 list.
New Leiea Booklets
A new pamphlet has been issued by E. Leitz, Inc., which describes the popular Leitz VIII-S projector. Its various features are outlined and illustrated and in addi- tion, there is information on how to use the VIII-S for micro projection, stereo projection, automatic projection, etc. An- other Leitz pamphlet just off the press de- scribes the Models V and VI Synchronized Flash Units.
The number of this pamphlet is 1284; the one on the VIII-S Projectors is 1285. Both may be had by writing to E. Leitz, Inc., at 730 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. Y.
COOKE LENSES
have earned world-wide pref- erence among experienced cinematographers because they give superior results un- der all conditions. Focal lengths for every need. Write for descriptive circular.
BELL & HOWELL
COMPANY
Exclusive World Distributors of Taylor- Hobson Cooke Cine Lenses
1848 Larchmont Ave., Chicago New York: 30 Rockefeller Plaza Hollywood: 716 N. La Brea Ave. London: 13-14 Great Castle St.
FAXON DEAN
INC
CAMERAS, BLIMPS-DOLLYS FOR RENT
No. 22184 4516 Sunset Boulevard Night, SUnset 2-1271
25
Pfl T e n TS
By ROBERT W. FULWIDER Patent Attorney, Los Angeles
No
No. 2,219,304 — Colored Photographic
Multilayer Material. 4 claims. No. 2,219,305 — Photographic Multilay- er Material for Color Photographic Purposes. 5 claims. No. 2,219,306 — Photographic Material. 6 claims. Bela Caspar. Hollywood, Calif. Applns. Dec. 3, 1938. In Great Britain Dec. 9, 1937. Color films having a plurality of emulsion layers with one or more of the layers con- taining dyes which are fast to ordinary photographic treating solutions. No. 2,219,850 — Sound Picture Appara- tus. Herbert Norman Schwarzkopf, Law- renceville, N. J., assignor to Radio Corp. of America. Appln. March 28, 1936. 2 claims. A removable flexible floor covering having sockets on said covering for fixing the position of a camera, other sockets on said covering for fixing the position of micro- phone supports, and other sockets on said covering for fixing the position of a gradu- ated screen in alignment with said camera. No. 2,219,987 — Multilayer Material for Color Photography and Method of Making the Same. 7 claims. No. 2,219,988 — Light-Sensitive Multi- layer Photographic Material and Process for Making the Same. 5 claims. Bela Caspar. Hollywood. Calif. Appln. Dec. 3, 1938. In Great Britain Dec. 9, 1937. Color films having a plurality of emulsion layers with one or more of the layers con- taining dyes which are fast to ordinary photographic treating solutions. No. 2,223,525 — Film Magazine Light Trap. Charles Melvin Miller, assignor to Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corpor- ation. Appln. May 9, 1938. 7 claims. A motion picture camera which has light proof doors at the film apertures which lead to the film magazine the doors open- ing and closing as the lock on the camera door is operated.
No. 2,224,163— Color Photography. Vir- gil B. Sease and Dearie R. White, assig- nors to Du Pont Film Manufacturing Corp. Appln. March 20, 1937. 3 claims. A method of producing individual color component records from superposed image records by printing an intermediate record of the superposed record, bleaching the superposed records in a non hardening bleach sail until the outer image is con- verted to silver salt, removing the salt in a fixing hath, and then reforming the elim- inated record hv printing through both the intermediate record and the remaining rec- ords of the original superposed record.
2,224,329 - - Color Photography.
Gustav Wilmanns, Wilhelm Schneider, and Gerhard von Kitjawa, Germany, as- signors to General Aniline & Film Cor- poration. Appln. Oct. 28, 1937. In Ger- many Oct. 31, 1936. 1 claim. A method of producing color pictures by making an exposure on a multi-emulsion negative having special color formers fast to diffusion in it, and printing onto a multi-emulsion positive having color form- ers fast to diffusion while adjusting the color of the printing light.
No. 2,224,383 — Film Footage Indicator. Otto W. Githens, George Kende, and Everett M. Porter, assignors to Univer- sal Camera Corp., New York. Original appln. April 7, 1937. Divided and this appln. July 19, 1939. 7 claims. A footage indicator for motion picture cameras having a spring motor, the indi- cator being driven by the spring motor by means of a ratchet wheel.
No. 2,224,726 — Photographic Camera.
George B. Finnegan, Jr., and George D.
Creelman, Mountain Lakes, N. J., said
Creelman assignor to said Finnegan, Jr.,
and Hobart N. Durham, Munsey Park,
Long Island, N. Y., a partnership.
Appln. Aug. 25, 1938. 5 claims.
A camera having a photocell control for
the diaphragm and also a heat sensitive
control to vary the transmission of light
to the film in inverse proportion to the
amount of radiant heat energy in the light.
Ice House
(Continued from page 11)
inated by the gases of the many arc lamps. Roughly, 650 tons of refrigeration which would supply the entire needs of a small city for a long time, barely meet the re- quirements under the numerous arc lamps used in a shooting period of one day of Technicolor.
An ideal setup for refrigerated air con- ditioning would be an empty cube or cyl- inder permitting an unobstructed flow of chilled air.
We are certain that the readers of International Photographer are aware of how much free area there is on the average set, coupled with the large back- ground or cycloramas used to extend the horizon limitations of the sets, creating a genuine headache on air circulation. Forcing approximately 65,000 cubic feet per minute of fresh air, chilled to about 20°F. or less at floor level, gives an idea of the heat generated by the arc lamps when you realize that the air escaping through the exhaust hatches in the ceiling has increased in temperature from 20° to 70°F. Bodily discomfort has been a pri- mary consideration among the operating
CINEX
Light Testers — Polishers used by all Major Studios. We are the sole Manufacturers and Distributors.
Manufacturer of 16mm and 35mm Record- ing Heads, Developing Machines, Bipack Color and Black and White Printers, Re- winds. Special Machinery built to order.
CINEMA ARTS-CRAFTS
914 No. Fairfax HE 1984
Hollywood, Calif.
Cable Address: "CINEBARSAM"
A CAMERA TABLE TOP MICROGRAPHIC COPYING LENS CHANGE HORIZONTAL
'^fi-
SOLAR GIVES Y0HAUS/X
A Solar will bring out the "Prize Winning" qualities 01 every negative — in every print. It gives you all the wanted features for perfect enlarging — adjustable condensers, perfected light and optical system, micrometric focusing, etc. In addition your Solar can be instantly converted to a portrait and copying camera — coupled to a microscope for scientific work
l r^^ir^^i^Wv — or '* may also be used as a copy stand
with your regular camera. Eight models cover 35mm. to 5x7 inch negatives. Prices start at $34.50.
ENLARGING TREATISE FREE
Prepared by experts and written in the amateurs' own language. Thirty-six pages profusely illustrated. Tells you how to transform your ordinary negatives into big beautiful pictorial enlargements. Loaded with meaty in- formation. Answers every enlarging problem.
Ask for Enlarging Treatise IP141. It's Free.
*'V- '
®
BURKE & JAMES, Inc.,
223 W. Madison St. Chicago
26
International Photographer for January. 1941
factors of the Ice House during the past four years. Paramount's Mr. A. C. Zoulis was insistent that during the prolonged stay of Paramount's "Untamed," comfort of the cast and technical crew was a ma- jor condition. This was amply provided for by construction of a large vestibule surrounding the doors of the Ice House, maintained at an intermediate temperature, which reduces to a large degree the bodily shock of temperature change, that on many occasions would amount to a 70° change in temperature. Again, the serving of hot chocolate, soup, and coffee through- out the working day compensated to a large degree the effects of an arctic tem- perature on workers accustomed to a tropical climate.
In the four year period of operation studio prop departments have used in the Ice House nearly every form of wild life that would be found in a cold climate, and the bewilderment of these animals and their subsequent enjoyment of the snow and cold climatic conditions has been the cause of much merriment among the crews.
Of course, snow fights and snow balling have not been neglected by the various personnel, and at times the barrage of snow balls equals the well-known Euro- pean "Blitzkreig."
The activities of the Ice House Techni- cal Department have not been confied to the low-temperature stage proper, but have been in constant call to one or the other lots of the studios. Thousands of tons of ice have been used on the various studio lots, where practical snow greatly out-distances the older substitutes. Of course, it is advisable to continue using substitute snow on roof tops and window ledges or places where the problem of drip may be encountered, but where action is to take place, the using of a layer of prac- tical snow is far superior to any of the substitutes. Outdoor activities of the Ice House Equipment have been used with great success in pictures such as Para- mount's "Spawn of the North," where the glacier ice breakaways were done in min- iature and even though the miniature set was approximately 32 feet high, the fall- ing ice would actually have swamped a full sized boat through sheer weight. Other outdoor activities requiring snow have taken advantage of these unique services and have used practical snow suc- cessfully on ski jumps and for contrast exploitation stunts of our local Chamber of Commerce, that delights in advertising bathing beauties enjoying a shivery frolic in snow amid waving palm trees.
In a summing up of the four-year period of the Ice House, and adjustant activities, the department handling the snow busi- ness, under the leadership of Nels H. Ros- berg, has enjoyed an active and varied existence with a closer understanding of the climatic problems of the studios.
They sAy*"
• Hill Skall's assignment as first camera- man on "Billy the Kid," MGM Production, coincides with Skall's perennial youthful- ness. Joining him are Charlie Boyle and Len Smith, first cameramen: Charles Sal- erno, second cameraman; Paul Hill and Duke Callahan, Technicolor technicians; Al Scheving, assistant; Al Bayliss, loader and Milton Brown, still cameraman.
• Jack McHenry, Universal newsreeler, now the hushand of charming Anita Jenkins.
• Mack Stengler working over at Dis- ney's, following Bert Glennon who com- pleted the assignment there.
• Hal Mohr on Jimmie Roosevelt's "Pot of Gold." To be specific, he is shooting the picture.
• Roy Seawright and Bill Draper putting their heads together at Hal Roach Studios to give us another of those enjoyable "Topper" pictures.
• Plaudits to cameraman Eddie Linden for giving so many of the boys a break on Korda's picture, "Lady Hamilton." Eddie tried to make it a cheerful Christ- mas for many of the brothers.
• In from location on "The Outlaw," Hughes Production, are Lucien Ballard, Harry Newman, Harry Zech, first camera- men; Lloyd Ahern, Arthur Lane, Jeff Gibbons, William Knott, second camera- men; Al Smalley, T. F. Jackson, Paul Cable, Roy Ivey and Jimmie Murray, as- sistants.
• Walter Bader, of whom very little is heard these days, is in charge of optical printing at National Screen Service.
® Jack Thomas also is busily engaged optical printing at Universal.
• President Gus Peterson on the go shooting "Picture People" for Pathe Pro- ductions, following his recent engagement with Jam Handy.
© John Stumar back in harness at Col- umbia Studio.
• John Burton of Schlesinger Studios, member of Local 659, is general super- visor of all productions at that studio. Burton has contributed much in the way of special title work to various major pro- ductions.
• James Buchanan, Local 644, is now a full fledged major in the United States Signal Corps.
• Harry Smith, Local 644, en route to South America for Pathe Productions.
• Sam Greenwald, news reeler, in Mexico City shooting the Mexican president — with camera.
• Ray Fernstrom busy as a bee writing, supervising and photographing ad films, as he calls them.
By RELLA
• Word from England through the Jour- nal of the Cine Technicians states that Leslie Rowson is in the R.A.F.
• Harry Perry on his way to Haiti shoot- ing backgrounds for Paramount.
• John Nicholaus assistant cameraman, is the son of John Nicholaus, head of the Lab Dept. at MGM. The latter's keen judg- ment of photography is acknowledged by all cameramen.
• Camera Department at Columbia is proud of the fact that Joe Walker and Fayte Brown have been mentioned for the best photography on "Arizona." Harry Hallen- berger who also contributed much to the photography on that picture comes in for praise, although he is better known as a Paramount man.
• Jack Anderson, assistant cameraman, who has not aged a day in the last ten years, still performs as male lead in Col- umbia Cubs Productions.
• As the year draws to a close and we enter 1941, it is the wish and hope of all members of Local 659 that they will em- bark on a constructive program to assist and aid those who have been unfortunate in getting their due share of the work. We realize that being a cameraman surrounds itself with certain trials and tribulations over which there is no control. At the same time, when all join hands not only to guide a boat, but share room for those who are uncomfortably crowded, it makes for bet- ter feeling and understanding amongst those who are engaged in the same voca- tional enterprise. Perhaps the solution may not be found over night, but the willingness and urge of those who can help will sym- bolize a spirit of fellowship. The problem is: What can you do for your brother member and fellow-man; thus not to be- come estranged from the unfortunate. It is with Faith, Hope and Charity that good can be done for so many. We believe that mem- bers of Local 659 will intelligently con- tribute to and support such a program and we know that 194l will have this report to make to the year of 1942.
S.M.P.E. Pacific Coast Election
J. G. Frayne has been elected chairman of the Pacific Coast Section of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers for 1941, as- suming office January 1st. He succeeds Loren Ryder, who becomes member of the board of governors of the national SMPE group for 1941-42. C. W. Handley as- sumes post of secretary-treasurer of the local section, with F. J. Durst, Barton Kreuzer and S. P. Solow being elected to section board of managers for the next two years.
27
TelEvisioN
(Continued from page 25)
nical phrase employed to indicate that the apparatus of vision has sacrificed some of its reserve capacity for seeing (suffered a decline in activity) as a result of previous activity. It must be carefully distinguished from a physical fatigue. In the latter, consciousness of the fatigue is general, whereas in visual fatigue consciousness of the fatigue is rare and then generally ex ists due to an over-exercise of the function of vision. At such stages, it can be serious enough to cause injury to sight depending on the nature and cause.
Motion picture and television obser- vation need not be more fatiguing in a visual sense than many other visual tasks, but their seriousness is due to the pro longed activity involved as well as the sur- rounding conditions. The accompanying visual fatigue is said to be largely retinal and not muscular. The "redeeming" fea- ture of the task when viewing motion pic- tures, according to one authority, lies in the use of "far vision." In home television, the vision is not so "far" but fortunately, it is not quite as "near" as when reading a book. In this regard, more information is needed to determine the effect of tele- vision observation on visual fatigue due to the distance function alone.
The greatest difference in viewing tele- vision and motion pictures is in this res- pect, that most screens in theaters can be assumed to be at a distance of 20 feet or more from the viewer, which for all prac- tical purposes can be considered at infin- ity, at which point the normal eye is at rest. Whereas, with television, the object can be assumed to be from 6 to 8 feet from the eye, entailing an accommodative action and thus necessitating muscular accom- plishments for neither near nor far vision.
Visual fatigue has been found to be oc- casioned by high degrees of contrast either between adjacent areas in the field of vision (even including the border of the screen ) or in time as would be the case due to flicker phenomena, the need to see finer detail, and illumination levels below those associated with "easiest seeing." It is said that the apparatus of vision at- tempts to compensate for any decreased efficiency and this effort is translated into visual fatigue or even pain and injury to the sight.
One authority states that the present theater levels are far too low for "easiest seeing." If this is correct, television, which generally operates with an average screen brightness below that of large theaters, should devise and make experiments on the visual fatigue involved.
While the level of theater screen bright- ness is probably actually below that for "easiest seeing," it is probable that the decreased need for discernment of fine de- tail— the fact that speech and action tell much of the story — reduces the burden, so
that even at the present average level of screen brightness the work involved is not in excess in that for other every-day visual tasks of equal duration. Probably the same is true of television to a lesser degree due to other effects. Experimental evidence would be needed for confirmation. It would be complicated by the possible lati- tude and resolution of the medium.
The resolution of fine detail is limited by visual acuity, which is simply 1 /angu- lar size. Greater brightness is required for greater visual acuity. Maximum sensitivity is reached only when the visual angle is not less than about 4 minutes. Continued use of the eyes to discern detail near the limit of visual acuity or near the limit of the Weber-Fechner fraction for brightness difference results in visual fatigue.
Screen surroundings which are less than about 1/100 of the field brightness have been proved to be detrimental, caus- ing visual fatigue. In theaters, a border brightness between 0.05 and 0.2 foot-lam- bert was most frequently chosen when the observer was permitted to choose this level. In the same tests the screen brilliancy chosen was that corresponding to the order of 30 foot-lamberts if the projector had been operated without film. This would correspond under picture conditions with the lO foot-lambert level generally given for close desk work.
Flicker was mentioned as a prominent cause of visual fatigue. Intermittency of illumination was found not to be a serious cause of visual fatigue provided it was not discernible to the vision as "flicker." Some evidence was found that flicker due to frame frequency is still a factor in visual fatigue in the motion picture theater. However, other causes of flicker may be even more serious.
One has only to look across the beam from the projector in a darkened theater to see that a series of "shocks" are presented to the eye due to the normal shifting of scenes and motion of objects in each scene. Television and the motion picture may, by careful choice, reduce this considerably but it can hardly eliminate it. It seems certain that as the screen brightness in- creases, more experimental work could very well be done on visual fatigue. The case of seeing and the effect of flicker may have mutually opposite trends under the influence of increased screen brightness but whether or not visual fatigue could be re- duced would seem to require experimental verification.
Furthermore, it would seem desirable, if possible, to devise experiments designed to reveal the portion of visual fatigue in any given motion picture or television per- formance which may be assessed solely to frame frequency.
{To be concluded next month )
Intricate Electrical Eqpt.
One of the most unusual sets ever con- structed for a motion picture has been completed at Universal for use in the
studio's new "horror" melodrama, "The Mysterious Doctor R."
Elaborate and complete, the set repre- sents a modern electrical research labor- atry in which Lionel Atwill, as a half-mad scientist, subjects Lon Chaney, Jr., to ex- periments attempting to prove a theory that human beings can be controlled by electricity.
Replicas of such intricate equipment as an electrostat table, high tension insulators, an atomic bombarder, a control cabinet and an oudin coil were enstructed in the studio's technical department under the supervision of Eric Wybrow, noted elec- trical expert.
Laboratory sequences are calculated to be dramatic high spots of "The Mysterious Doctor R," which is being filmed under the direction of George Waggner.
Lillian Russell Collection
A large mass of original material deal- ing with the life, romances and career of Lillian Russell, one of the immortals of the American theatre, soon will find its way into the archives of the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania public library for future study by interested historians. The mate- rial was accumulated by Alice Faye, film star.
Included in the collection are numerous theatrical programs, original photographs, shoes worn by Miss Russell, one of her hats, a number of original photographs and a mass of newspaper and magazine clippings.
Miss Faye is now completing work in her latest starring vehicle, "Tin Pan Alley',' a musical cavalcade at 20th Century-Fox.
CLASSIFIED
LARGE QUANTITY OF PROFESSIONAL CAM- ERAS AVAILABLE. WRITE FOR BARGAIN BOOKLET. BURKE & JAMES, INC., 223 W. MADISON ST., CHICAGO, ILL.
WANTED TO BUY FOR CASH
CAMERAS AND ACCESSORIES MITCHELL, B. & H., EYEMO, DEBRIE.
AKELEY ALSO LABORATORY AND CUTTING ROOM EQUIPMENT CAMERA EQUIPMENT COMPANY 1600 Broadway New York City-
Tel. Circle 6-5080— Cable : CTNEQUIP
BELL & HOWELL, 5 WAY SOUND PRINTER.
CAMERA EQUIPMENT COMPANY
1600 Broadway New York City
Tel. Circle 6-5080— Cable: CINEQUIP
FOR SALE: Combination 16 mm. and 35 mm. optical printer very reasonable. Will accept Bell it Howell 35 mm. camera in exchange. Address Box BD 25. International Photographer, Hollywood.
FOR SALE: Like new. H.C.E. "Hollywood" Com- bination 35 mm. and 16 mm. automatic one-man developing machine. Operating capacity 3000 feet of positive or 1500 feet of negative per hour. Price $1250.00. HOLLYWOOD CAMERA EX- CHANGE, 1600 N. Cahuenga Blvd.
AKELEY CAMERA No. 113. Pair 2-inch matched lenses Zeiss F.3.5 — 654-inch Cooke F.3.5 lens, four 200-foot magazines, tripod. Case for camera, case for magazines — $550.00.-
DEBRIE PARVO MODEL L with pilot pins and intermittent pressure plate, automatic dissolve, 50mm Zeiss F.2.7 Debrie tripod, 6 magazines and case. Camera case, Debrie motor — $595.00.
METAL DEBRIE PARVO MODEL G. automatic dissolve 50mm Zeiss F.3.5. Tripod, 6 magazines and case. Camera case — $250.00.
UNIVERSAL CAMERA with automatic dissolve. 50mm Hansel) .V Lomh F.3.5 lens, three .'110 foot magazines, Pan and tilt tripod — $90.00. MOTION PICTURE CAMERA SUPPLY, INC
723 7th Ave., New York City BRyant 9-7754
28
Intkknational Photograph kr for January. 1941
J. E. BRULATOUR, INC.
Extends to
THE CINEMATOGRAPHERS
of the
Motion Picture Industry —
Good Will
and
Good Wishes
for a
SUCCESSFUL HAPPY PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR
J. E. BRULATOUR, Inc.
DISTRIBUTORS
i»Ki;i;>n\i;\ i
ALL three Eastman negative films make important coiitribiitions to the startling beauty of today's screen productions. Un- varying dependability and wide latitude make them the established favorites of critical cameramen. Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y.
J. E. BRULATOUR, INC., Distributors Fort Lee Chicago Hollywood
PLUS-X SUPER-XX
for general studio use when little liuht is uvuilable
BACKGHOUXD-X
for buelturounds and aenerul exterior work
EASTMAN NEGATIVE FILMS
FebRUARy, 1941
25 CENTS
t
SUPERIOR-1
MINUTES
i i r
LOS EXPOSURE (REL)
24 30
TYPE
104
A NEW FILM — Finer Grain
For exterior and background cinematography
Superior-1 (type 104) sets a new mark for fine grain quality in a panchromatic film. Prints made from it have greater resolving power and perceptibly better definition. This improvement commends Superior-1 for the making of background negatives in particular and for all-around exterior use in general.
The speed of this film is entirely adequate for well illuminated subjects. Like other Du Pont Cine Negatives, it possesses a wide exposure latitude, a well balanced panchromatic color response and good non-halation pro- tection. The developing characteristics are normal. The curves and 20 diameter grain enlargement reproduced above were obtained by processing Superior-1 in a stan- dard borax developer, formulated for machine use. Du Pont Film Manufacturing Corporation, New York. (Smith & Aller, Ltd., Hollywood.)
CINE
FILM
|
FILTER |
. FACTORS |
|
|
Filter |
'Times" Factor |
"Stop" Factor |
|
Aero - 1 |
2.0 |
1 |
|
Aero -2 |
2.5 |
1M |
|
21 |
3.2 |
1V2 |
|
23A |
5.0 |
2H |
|
25A |
10.0 |
3M |
|
29F |
16.0 |
4 |
|
12 |
2.5 |
13-4 |
|
15G |
3.2 |
iy2 |
|
56 |
3.5 |
i% |
|
3N5 |
4.0 |
2 |
|
5N5 |
6.3 |
2V2 |
|
25ND |
1.8 |
1 |
|
50ND |
3.1 |
Wi |
|
75ND |
5.6 |
2Vl |
|
100ND |
10.0 |
3M |
Vol. XIII
International phoToqRAphER
February, 1941
No. 1
On the Cover
"Tobacco Road,7' Powolny & Kornmann. See also pages 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
LEADING ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE
Tribute to the Model, Mortensen — Page 3 Negative Exposure, Norwood — Page 8 Candid Photography, Starre — Page 16 Very too Happy, Please, Dela plane — Page 18
PICTORIAL FEATURES
"Tobacco Road," Powolny and Kornmann — Pages 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 "Cheers for Miss Bishop," Wallace — Pages 13, 14, 15 "Legacy" with Ratoff in Action, Gold — Pages 16, 17 "Sentinels of the Dawn," Hoke — Page 10
REGULAR DEPARTMENTS
They Say, Rella — Page 19 Patents, Fulwider — Page 20 16mm Department — Pages 22, 23 Trade Winds — Pages 24, 25 Television — Pages 26, 27 Books— Page 28
Editor, Herbert Allek
Business Manager, Helen Boyce. Art Editor, John Corydon Hill. Contributing Editors: D. K. Allison, George Hurrell, J. N. A. Hawkins, Roman
Freulich, Ernest Bachrach, Alvin Wyckoff, William V. Draper, Fred Gately,
George Scheibe. Copyright, 1941, by Local 659, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees
and Moving Picture Machine Operators of the United States and Canada.
Entered as Second Class matter, Sept. 30, 1930, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, Cali- fornia, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
International Photographer, as the monthly official publication of International Pho tographers, Local 659, of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and Moving Picture Machine Operators of the United States and Canada, not only represents the entire personnel of photographers engaged in professional produc- tion of motion pictures in the United States and Canada, but also serves technicians in the studios and theatres, who are members of the International Alliance, as well as executives and creative artists of the production community and executives and engineers of the manufacturing organizations serving the motion picture industry. International Photographer assumes no responsibility for the return of un- solicited manuscripts or material.
Subscription Rates: U.S.A., $2.50; Canada-Foreign, $3.00 per year. Single Copy, 25 cents. Australian Representative: McGill's News Agency, Melbourne.
Office of Publication: 6461 Sunset Blvd. (Los Angeles P. 0.), Hollywood, California
Telephone: Hillside 9189 Publication Date: 5th of Each Month
BROWN-CAIDWEU
GOERZ
KINO-HYPAR LENSES
t f:2.7 and f:3
t for regular and color movies of surprising quality. High chromatic correction . . .
Focal lengths 15mm to 100 mm — can be fitted in suitable focusing mounts to Amateur and Professional Movie Cameras.
COERZ Reflex FOCUSER
— Patented — for 16mm Movie Camera users — voids PARAL- LAX between finder and lens — provides full- size ground-glass image magnified 10 times. Adaptable to lenses 3" and up. Also useful as extension tube for shorter focus lenses for close-ups. Extensively used in shooting surgical operations, small animal life, etc.
COERZ Parallax-Free FOCUSER and FIELD FINDER CONTROL
for Filmo 121 and Simplex-Pockette, no more off-center pictures, magnifies 4 and 8x. For Detailed Information Address Dept. IP 2
C. P. Coerz American Optical Co.
317 East 34th St., New York t
American Lens Makers Since 1899
Subscribe NoW
INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER
$2.50 in U. S. A., $3.00 in Europe and Canada
Efficient Courteous Service
u
EVERYTHING PHOTOGRAPHIC
Professional and Amateur
■
New and Used Equipment Bought, Sold and Rented
■
ART REEVES
Camera Supply Co.
1515 North Cahuenga Boulevard HOLLYWOOD CALIFORNIA
Cable Address: "CAMERAS"
International Photographer for February. 1941
"TANYA"
By William Mortensen
TnibuTE to The mocIeI
By WILLIAM MORTENSEN
This month I want to pay a small tribute to the forgotten girl — the model who poses for our pictures — yours and mine. Seldom do we give her a thought after we have succeeded in getting a good print, but it is her hearty and self-effacing collaboration that makes our pictures possible.
In the Elizabethan era. tolerant and pro- gressive though it was in many respects, women were not permitted to appear on Ithe stage. It was not until the free and easy times following the Restoration that women were allowed to tread the boards |of the English theatre. These courageous pioneers had to contend against intense social projudice. The ladies of the the- iatre, in fact, were rated only a little high- er than the ladies of the evening. It is only ; within recent memory that the last of this ancient prejudice against "actresses" has evaporated.
A similar prejudice has been held against those girls who pose for artists. This feeling has been particularly in evi- dence against those who pose in the nude. In Victorian times, of course, when virtue was practically inseparable from clothes, the prejudice was at its strongest. Some people, unfortunately, have not yet rid themselves of it, and are still convinced that a girl who poses thus is not quite 'nice."
Photographers, being more ignorant of artistic tradition than they should be, sometimes make this mistake. A few fool- ish photographers of my acquaintance have gained in wisdom, I am glad io say, by having their ears resoundingly slapped down when they assumed that a model doffed her dignity along with her clothes.
A model who poses in the nude offers much, and she is justly proud of it. None
but a boor or an utter ignoramus would do anything to blemish this fine instinctive pride. Pride in the body has been charac- teristic of the best and most productive ■i\ ilizations, so these girls bear themselves like the aristocrats they are.
I have rather specialized in the represen- tation of the nude, and, in the last twenty years, I have honestly lost count of the scores who have posed for me. But, in all the lot, I have never encountered anything cheap or vulgar. These girls have, with the fewest exceptions, been good sports, eager and cooperative in the tasks assigned them, taking it uncomplainingly on the chin when the lights were hot and the hours long. Their greatest joy was pride in a job well done. And they should be proud: for they bring us the most vital fruit of good breeding, good health, good living, good manners and good sense.
UqkriiNq "TobAcco roacT
No matter what inspired mood may have helped a writer turn out a perfect script and what understanding a director may put into the handling of the players and the scenes, it is still a long way from being a perfect picture unless the work of the cam- eraman matches their contributions.
That this three-way artistic combination has been reached is the opinion of those at 20th Century-Fox who have seen the first cut of "Tobacco Road." Nunnally John- son, who wrote the script and acted as as- sociate producer, and John Ford, who di- rected it, both agree that the camera work of Arthur Miller had a large share in giv- ing complete realization to the ideas they were trying to portray.
While the bouquets are being tossed back and forth amongst this triumvirate, Arthur Miller now confesses that he had little sleep during the entire production. Night after night he would lie in bed worrying and planning the next day's shots.
"Everything in the picture was entirely unorthodox from the cameraman's point of view," Miller said. "The character work in this picture demanded a new set of tech- nical principles which we had to work out as we went along.
"And before we go any further, I want to credit John Ford with a great deal of the success we had with the camera in the filming of 'Tobacco Road.' Any camrea- man who has worked with Ford can tell
you that his technical knowledge of the camera's capabilities and his imagination makes the cinematographer's job one of vitally interesting teamwork.
"When I say that our methods were un- orthodox, I can mention, for instance, John Ford's idea of reversing the usual proce- dure in utilizing outdoor light.
"There were sequences in the picture which were in a low mood, requiring a low key lighting. For those scenes, Ford pick- ed the dullest, cloudiest days on which to shoot outside. There were many times when we worked indoors while the sun was shin- ing the brightest. About three o'clock in the afternoon when clouds would begin to cover the sun and things turned gray. Ford would rush us off the set and spend the rest of the afternoon getting outdoor shots.
"For one sequence showing Charley Grapewin and Elizabeth Patterson as Jeeter and Ada Lester on their march to the poor farm we had a very painstaking camera job, because bits of the sequence were filmed here and there, indoors and out- doors, over a period of time.
"Mood and character had to be kept consistent. This was one of the low key sequences where we picked clouds and gray weather whenever we could get them. Then there were some of the shots that had to be done on an indoor set that had to be light- ed to match the almost lightless outdoors."
One of the biggest helps in the filming
of "Tobacco Road," Miller admitted, was the new camera recently developed and put into operation by 20th Century-Fox. It was the use of this camrea that allowed excellent results under low light conditions. Its shutter opening of 220 degrees gave it a latitude that was not possible with the earlier camera. Its coated lenses allowed shooting directly into sunsets without any resulting flares, and they could have shot into sunrises as well if John Ford ever got into the habit of starting work that early in the morning.
"Realism was the principal aim in this picture," Arthur Miller said. "Artificiality of every kind had to be avoided, particu- larly in lighting and camera setups.
"Not one single closeup, as we generally know it, was made for this picture. There were no big heads, and the closest shots made throughout the entire production were from the waist up.
"There was n6 fancy movement of the camera, and. as a matter of fact, the cam- era rarely moved throughout production. Dolly shots were conspicuously absent and there was an absolute minimum of panning.
"In very few spots where it was abso- lutely necessary in the telling of the story to follow the action did the camera move with it. On the whole, the camera setups were all stationary.
"The entire picture, according to John Ford's conception and execution, consists
International Photographer for February, 1941
'TOBACCO ROAD," 20th Century-Fox Production
Ward Bond as Lov Bcnsey Gene Tierney as Ellie May
Slim Summerville as Henry Peabody Zeffie Tilbury as Grandma Lester
Stills by Powolny and Koriiman
Charley Grapewin as Jeeter Lester Elizabeth Patterson as Ada Lester
William Traey as Dude Lester Marjorie Rambeau as Sister Bessie
International Photographer for February, 1941
William Tracy as Dude Lester, Marjorie Rambeau as Sister Bessie and Slim Summerville as Henry Peabody in a scene of bucolic romance.
Charley Grapewin as Jeeter Lester and Ivar McFadden, an inmate of the poor farm, swap views over the fence.
The cast of principals of "To- bacco Road." Left to right: Ward Bond as Lov Bensey; Gene Tierney as Elbe May; Charley Grapewin as Jeeter Lester; Elizabeth Patterson as Ada Lester; William Tracy as Dude Lester; Zeffie Tilbury as Grandma Lester; Marjorie Rambeau as Sister Bessie; Slim Summerville as Henry Peabody.
of a series of impressions. Each shot was framed, and the action and movement took place within that frame. The first shot of the march to the poor farm, which I men- tioned before, consisted of the two figures, a tree, a fence and the horizon. All inani- mate objects within the frame are as im- portant in the creation of mood and char- acter as the actors themselves and are used with telling effect."
Lighting went through revolutionary in- novations in the filming of "Tobacco Road." The preponderent use of shade was one of the things that caused Arthur Miller many sleepless nights because it is very easy to get bad photography with too much shade. Keeping it from going beyond bounds at any time was Miller's main problem.
"But even a bad photographer cant get a bad picture when he works with John Ford,' Miller said. "He is the best direc- tor for any cameraman to work with be- cause he always knows what he wants and how to get it.
"What interested me more than any- thing else in filming 'Tobacco Road' was the use of one source of light only and the minus of backlight. There could be no artificiality with this system, and the re- sults as we viewed them in the daily rushes were vitally interesting.
"Those cases where we did have back- light were in outdoor shots where the main characters and the action were in the fore- ground shade and the background was in the natural sunlight. But this, like the use of one source of light, added to the natur- alness and realism.
"Absence of makeup on all of the char- acters, except Marjorie Rambeau, who played Sister Bessie, was a great factor in attaining camera naturalness."
It was a very minimum of makeup which Miss Rambeau was allowed to use. and it was checked carefully every morning by Miller and his second cameraman, Joe La Shelle. For the first two or three weeks on the picture, Miss Rambeau couldn't gel out of the habit of using lip rouge with the makeup. Miller and La Shelle had to re- mind her every morning with the admoni- tion of. "No lips. Miss Rambeau," to wipe it off before she began work.
Not only did the otherwise glamorous Gene Tierney use no makeup in "Tobacco Road." but her face and limbs were treated every day to a generous coat of dirt. First the skin was rubbed with oil in order to provide a base for the dirt to stick to, then the dirt was rubbed in until it was well imbedded in the pores.
The famous movie boner of having a backwoods girl with perfectly coiffed hair was scrupulously avoided when John Ford ordered Gene Tierney not to wash or dress her hair in any manner throughout the entire period of production. It was kept stringy and unkempt at all times.
William Tracy, who played the role of
Dude Lester, added another touch of real- ism by sacrificing some expensive bridge- work and exposing the gap of a missing front tooth.
"With realism extending into every de- partment in the making of the picture, the total effect could not have been achieved if the camera had not also done its utmost to match this effect with its work." Miller said.
"We continually took advantage of weather to create mood. So far I have mentioned mostly the filming of the low moods in the picture, but there are many comedy sequences. For these, of course, we took advantage of bright sunlight in our outdoor shots.
"It is John Fords practice once he has started a sequence to follow that sequence through to completion in script order. However, changes in weather many times made him suddenly switch to other scenes when sun or the absence of it made condi- tions just right for certain lighting moods that he wanted to get.
"On our main location at Sherwood For- est we had two important sets. One of these was Jeeter Lester's cabin and farm, and the other was a decrepit old mansion which had seen its last good days during the Civil War period and was now inhabit- ed by sharecroppers.
"These two sets were strategically situ- ated in relation to the course of the sun
and the shadows it cast. The shooting sche- dule was worked out so that we always shot the cabin in the morning and the mansion in the afternoon, at which times the light conditions were ideal for these sets.
"An exact duplicate of the cabin and farm was also built on Stage 5 at the studio. On this studio set we filmed our night shots, rain scenes and a few of the day scenes which we could not get on loca- tion on account of rain.
"On the outdoor set, the distant back- ground consisted of trees and low hills. To match this on the studio set we had a foreground fringe of trees and then filled in the background with acid smoke which gave the illusion of distance."
Unlike the play by Jack Kirkland, the picturization of "Tobacco Road" took in many sets, utilizing action and back- grounds which were in the original novel by Erskine Caldwell. Scenarized by Nun- nally Johnson with the accent on comedy and entertainment. Director John Ford nevertheless utilized every mood, from the very high to the very low. in telling this story.
This was the pattern which Arthur Miller and his camera had to follow. What de- gree of perfection they have attained will be determined by that ultimate critic of all motion pictures — the man who puts four bits on the line at the box office.
Looking over the setup for a street scene for "Tobacco Road" on the 20th Century Fox back lot. Seated in the chair is Director John Ford talking it over with bearded Charley Grapenin in the role of Jeeter Lester. In the center background, with arms folded, is Arthur Miller, Director of Photography. Paul Garnett is shonn in extreme left and next to him, wearing sweater, is Paul Lockwood. The only thing visible of Joe La Schelle is the top of his head behind the camera.
International Photographer for February, 1941
INEQATIVE EXPOSURE
By CAPTAIN DON NORWOOD, LI. S. A., Ret'd.
One hundred and fifty years ago, in Southern California, the old Mission Padres associated distance to be traveled in a day with the rate of speed at which a mule traveled. The missions located rough- ly 25 to 30 miles apart stand as evidence of this.
In a later period when there were roads of a sort, and horses and coaches, stan- dards of the distance to be traveled in a day were changed and extended. Today, an automobile will cover five or six hun- dred miles easily in a day, while an air- plane will cross the continent in the same length of time. Again the standards have changed. Time moves on, and as it does, men's standards in various fields of activ- ity change and progress. This is true in the photographic field of the standards set up for negative exposure.
Thirty years ago if a negative carried an image at all it was considered passable. The image might be very dense from over- exposure, or very thin from underexposure. The laboratory people would try to doc- tor it up. It could be further juggled around when it came time to make a print. Anyway it got by somehow.
About seven years ago the advent of photoelectric brightness meters occurred. Brightness meters being those which meas- ure the light reflected from a scene. These meters were a big factor in changing the standards of negative exposure. By the use of these meters it became possible to so expose negatives that the entire image density range of all normal scenes would lie on the straight line portion of a char- acteristic H. & D. curve. It was still neces- sary, of course, to adjust printing expos- ures to compensate for variations in nega- tive image densities.
Now the time has come when it is pos- sible to move on to still higher standards of negative exposure. This is made pos- sible through the development of a new photoelectric meter known as a "Prevail- ing-Illumination" meter.
Negatives exposed under the control of this meter are so precise that all may be printed within a very narrow range of printing exposures. Assuming, of course, that processing is maintained at a high level of constancy.
The principle on which this new meter operates will be described. Let us first i onsider a photographic scene. To a pho- tographer, a photographic scene may be defined as follows: "A complex array of assorted brightness, emanating from var- ious sized areas, located at varying dis- tances from the camera; further compli- cated by the clfccls of color."
Consideration of this definition will lead
one to realize what a tough proposition a brightness meter is up against. Of all ihose brightnesses in a scene, which should be measured? How much weight should be given to each measurement when balancing them off to arrive at a significant figure for the exposure? What about contrast as it affects exposure? What about correc- tions for color? What about corrections for distance? Haze? Backlighting?
The problem is a serious one indeed. A careful and extended study was made in order to discover if it could not be sim- plified in some way. This study brought out the fact that all the brightnesses in any given scene have one factor in common. This common factor is the prevailing-illum- ination. The prevailing-illumination can be measured by a suitably designed in- strument, and the value so obtained can be used for exposure control.
The reason for the above is as follows: Any photo subject brightness is a product of two factors, namely, illumination, and its own reflectance. Reflectances remain substantially constant. Prevailing-illumin- ations show wide variation.
The range of diffuse reflectances encoun- tered in photographic subjects may extend from that exhibited by black velvet at two per cent, up to that of white velvet at eighty per cent. It will be noted that these values of two per cent and eighty per cent cover a range of 1-40. This range of 1-40 fits very easily into the latitude of negative emulsions which is usually about 1-125.
Since the range of reflectance can be taken care of by the film latitude, it then remains only to measure the variable, the prevailing-illumination. With this done the lens diaphragm and shutter time may be properly set to compensate for the variable. In this manner the group of re- flectances to be found in a scene will al- ways come through onto the film with the same range of values.
Consider some given scene. In one stu- dio it may be lighted up to a level of 350- foot candles. In another studio it may be lighted up to a level of only 50 foot candles. We know that the release prints carrying this scene may be practically in- distinguishable one from the other. In addition, the two negatives carrying the scene may be practically identical as re- gards densities.
The range of reflectances remained the same of course for both takes.. On one case we had a high level of illumination, which was pulled down by the camera ex- posure controls. In the other case a low level of illumination, of which a much larger percentage was passed by the camera exposure controls.
The point which it is desired to empha- size, however, is that in order to get per- fect negatives for both takes, the factor which logically should be measured is the only one which shows variation, that is, the prevailing-illumination. The range of reflectance constants will be taken care of by the emulsion latitude. When prevailing- illumination is measured, and then com- pensated for by the camera exposure con- trols, it will be found that any given sub- ject reflectance will always show up with the same density in the negative.
Consider a face in close-up for example. Flesh tones have a reflectance of between 30 and 40 per cent. A girl's face may show a reflectance of 40 per cent. In a print this should always show up at about the same given density. When the method of negative exposure control described herein is used the face will always show up with a constant density in negatives. Piecing these two facts together will show why it is possible to print all negatives with a fixed printing exposure, or within a very narrow range of printing exposures.
It is interesting to examine prevailing- illumination as such. All prevailing-illum- inations may be classified into three types. Examples of each type may be visualized if we consider a white stucco garden wall with sunlight shining on it through the branches of a tree.
Type 1 Prevailing-Illumination. See Figure 1 . In this type the subject and scene is for the most part in direct illum- ination from the primary light source. The wall has only a few leaf and branch sha- dows on it. In this case the prevailing- illumination is the clear sunlight, and that is what should be measured for exposure determination.
Type 2 Prevailing-Illuminating. See Figure 2. In this type shadow area fills most of the scene. Only a few shafts of direct sunlight strike through onto the well. Or there might be none. In this type the prevailing-illumination is that ex- isting in the shade. Its value should be measured at the position of the principal subject.
Type 3 Prevailing-Illumination. See Figure 3. In this type the sunlight and shadow portions of the wall are about equal in area and importance. The prin- cipal subject is illuminated by patches of both sunlight and shadow. In this case the prevailing-illumination is a mean between the illumination value existing in the sha- dows and that existing in the direct light. For exposure determination both should be measured, and the mean value determined. It might be further noted here that this Type 3 Prevailing-Illumination is not con-
a
|
' : II |
|
Iducive to attractive pictures. It is a type lof illumination that is avoided by good photographers as being lacking in balance. Types 1 and 2 are much to be preferred for all normal pictures.
Although the typical scenes described are outdoor scenes, the same principles apply to interiors. For interiors the cine- [matographer will achieve a balanced il- lumination by arrangement of his lighting Jiinits. Then when a satisfactory lighting [arrangement has been achieved, the pre- vailing illumination may be measured at
■ the center of interest. The reading so ob- Itained will be used for exposure control.
In this matter of defining prevailing-il- lumination consider how the human eye (functions when viewing a scene. The eye (has an automatic diaphragm. Under high
■ levels of illumination this diaphragm stops >away down. Under low levels it opens up. i When viewing any given scene it recog- nizes the level of prevailing-illumination, land automatically adjusts itself in accord- ance therewith.
We can very well follow the example of [the eye in this matter, because after all the ultimate product of all photographic effort lis something that is going to be viewed 'by the eye.
In order to set the camera controls prop- lerly it is necessary to have some means sof accurately determining the level of pre- ivailing-illumination. With an instrument fat hand which will accomplish this pur- : pose it is possible to set the camera con- trols to correspond to the natural auto- matic action of the eyes.
The meter used for measuring the value fof prevailing-illumination is customarily used at the position of the subject. See Figure 4. It is pointed at the camera lens. In this position it acts as a miniature sub- ject. All light which would be effective in illuminating the subject for photogra- phic purposes will be accepted by the meter, integrated and evaluated. Since photo subjects are usually three dimen-
Fie. 3
sional objects, and illumination usually comes from a three dimensional space, it follows that the light pick-up surface of the meter must be three-dimensional in design.
It has been found that a hemi-spherical surface is best suited to this purpose. See Figure 5. When properly oriented it pre- sents surfaces in planes at all angles that are visible from the camera position. These surfaces correspond to all surfaces of the subject which will be illuminated for the camera's benefit.
For outdoor pictures where considerable distances are involved it is not necessary to use the meter strictlv at the subject's position. Usually the illumination under such conditions is substantially uniform over considerable areas. Under these con- ditions the meter may be used at any po- sition where the illumination is compar- able to that on the subject, right beside the camera if desired. It is only necessary to see that the meter is properly oriented with respect to subject and camera.
The meter is universal in use, function- ing equally well indoors or out, under any type of illumination. Since the principle of operation of the meter is sound, the same method of use is employed at all levels of illumination, high or low. The meter will function in exactly the same manner under very low levels of artificial illumination on interiors, and under bright- est sunlight outdoors.
One model of this meter was made up in triple range. The scale units were se- lected to tie in with the Weston system. The meter then read for full scale, 0-1000, 0-100, and 0-10. When using the 0-10 scale it is possible to read down to .05 unit. At the other extreme of illumination, the meter when pointed directly at the sun at noon on a summer day gives a needle deflection of 450.
Since this type of meter measures il- lumination, rather than light reflected from the photo subject, it is unaffected bv such
Fig. 4
matters as subject contrast, relative size of light and dark areas in a scene, chro- matic variations in a scene, distance from subject, effect of haze, back lights, etc. It is excellent for black and white films and ideal for natural color, due to its high precision qualities.
Since illumination is always stronger than light reflected from the subject the meter has more light to work with, and in consequence has very great sensitivity. It is easily possible to get significant readings with the meter in a living room of a home, where the only illumination is the day- light filtering in through the windows. This feature of this type of meter makes it well adapted for use in connection with the new highly sensitive emulsions which are now available.
It is believed that the matter of placing
Fig. 5
International Photographer for February, 1941
"Sentinels of the l)awn,, by Ira Hoke. Kr«un Howard Hughes Production "The Outlaw." 10
( Eastman Infra Red, 25 A filler)
negative exposure control on a precision basis will be a double benefit to the cine- matographer. It will assure the finest pos- sible negative quality for every scene ex- posed. And it will allow the cinematogra- pher to release his attention from the ex- posure problem, and exercise to the fullest extent his unique talent as a master artist dealing in the medium of cinematography.
Important IMoTicc
For our National Defense Program. THE UNITED STATES ARMY, will require men experienced in still and sound motion picture production for service in the event of emergency.
The basic enlisted organization of the G. H. Q. Signal Corps Photographic Unit is now in process of formation. We want to create a list of qualified men who will simply express their willingness to serve in this motion picture organization in case of complete mobilization of the United States Army.
Those who have reached their 18th birth- day and those who have not yet reached their 45th birthday will be eligible to join this organization.
This presents an opportunity for men in the motion picture industry to serve, in emergency, in the branch for which they are best qualified.
Those interested may register by writing
the RESEARCH COUNCIL, Academy of
Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, 1217
i Taft Bldg., Hollywood, California. Give
| complete information on age, education,
present position, studio with which con-
> nected, number of years in motion picture
industry, etc.
We will require several men of the fol- lowing classifications to complete the tenta- i tive organization: Animation and title su- ' pervisors"; camera repair supervisors ( mo- ; tion picture and still ) ; cameramen ( motion picture and still) chemists (motion pic- ture and still laboratory; clerks, cooks; editors ( picture and sound ) electricians ((motion picture); laboratory equipment engineers; laboratory supervisors (motion picture and still) machinists; motion pic- ture engineers; motion picture camera de- partment supervisors; negative cutters and assemblers, photographers (copy and printer) developers, projectionists; sound recording and re-recording engineers; su- pervisors; mixers; maintenance men, boom operators; recording and re-recording ma- chine operators.
YOU WILL NOT BE REQUIRED TO FORMALLY ENLIST OR ENROLL AT THIS TIME. This survey is for the pur- pose of obtaining information on qualified motion picture men willing to serve in time of national emergency.
Tested Quality-
Every Improvement that has been found to be Practical by the most skilled engineers is incorporated in a
^Mitchell Camera
MITCHELL CAMERA CORPORATION
665 NORTH ROBERTSON BLVD. WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIF.
Cable Address "MITCAMCO" Phone OXford 1051
ACENC I ES Bell & Howell, Ltd., London, England Claud C. Carter, Sydney, Australia
Motion Picture Camera Supply Co. New York City Fazalbhoy, Ltd., Bombay, India D. Nagase & Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan H. Nassibian, Cairo, Egypt
International Photographer for February, 1941
11
1. New "Positive" Viewfinder
Magnifies rather than masks . . . with any lens, fills entire finder aperture with large-size upright image . . . eliminates eye parallax.
2. New Viewfinder Turret
Enables Eyemo user to select matching viewfinder objective unit with same speed he picks lens. Convenient. Fast. Accurate.
WHEN the shots come fast and various, and you must get the picture . . . that's when you most appreciate the versatile Eyemo. For it's instantly ready to meet the emergency!
What will you have? A swift change of lenses? . . . conversion from 100-foot film capacity to 200- or 400-foot magazines? ... a tripod mount or a light, easy-to-handle hand camera? ... a change from electric to spring or hand drive?
... a silent camera or a hookup for sound? . . . slow motion or silent or sound speeds? Whatever the demand, Eyemo meets it.
Send the coupon now, and get complete details on this unsur- passed portable camera. Do it to- day. Bell & Howell Company, 1848 Larchmont Ave., Chicago; 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York; 7 1 6 North LaBrea Avenue, Hollywood; 13-14 Great Castle St., London. Established 1907.
EYEMO can be equipped with many accessories for stiti/io anil location work, or it can be stripped clown to a li:J>t. compact, spring- driven hand camera.
PRECISION-MADE BY
CONVERT YOUR EYEMO
Eyemo owners may convert their Eyemos to include the following new features at very moderate cost. Write for details.
I New "positive" viewfinder
I New viewfinder turret
o New flat base — 2V2 in. square
4 Locking screws to lock each lens in focus
J Turret lock for Eyemos with offset turret
6 Detachable cord for electric-drive models
BELL & HOWELL COMPANY ,
1849 Larchmont Ave., Chicago, 111.
( ) Send details about new, improved Eyemos.
I own Eyemo Serial No
Am interested in converting it to include
BELL & HOWELL
12
"cIieers For miss bishop'
By WILLIAM WALLACE
In running these pictures of Martha Scott, the
editor offers the prediction that she is the great-
I est exponent of histrionic art that Hollywood has
found in the last five years. She is the person
' who would he most comparable to Helen Hayes
! and eventually will be accorded such status by
the stage and screen of this country.
(Editor's Note)
Richard A. Rowland's production, "Cheers for Miss Bishop," is perhaps the most outstanding example of a perfect welding of the art of photography and the art of make-up.
For the finished work of art in the weld- ing of these two essentials considerable credit goes to the director of photography, Hal Mohr, and to the make-up director, Don Cash.
As one sees this picture unreel and wit- nesses the gradual aging of the players as the story progresses one cannot but be strikingly impressed by the advances that have been made in both these arts in the last few years.
These stills of Martha Scott, taken dur-
The stills of Martha Scott as Miss Bishop, shown on pages 14 and 15, are evidence of the cooperation that existed between the publicity director, the still cameraman and the make-up artist.
ing the production of the picture by the author, exemplifies the task that was ahead of all concerned when Producer Rowland set out to film a story which called for his characters to age gradually in the story over a period of sixty years.
So natural are each of the characters during the transition that it is not until one leaves the theatre that he is conscious of the illusion that has been wrought. Not only are those in the profession singing the praises of the fine artistic photography and make-up manifest in the picture, but the laymen who have seen the film are finding the fine work a subject for enthusi- astic praise. This itself is truly unusual for the average theatregoer seems gener- ally to be indifferent to the artistic and technical efforts that go into the making of a film production.
In photographing these stills of Miss Scott, and the same was true of the stills of William Gargan and others in the cast, the still man had to do a right about face.
Instead of working for those so-called beautiful effects in portraiture from the
standpoint of lighting and composition, I had to do just the opposite. As Miss Bishop aged in the picture I had to work for reality, flattening the lighting to emphasize the wrinkles that the make-up produced but which in ordinary photography one would try to hide.
Here was one of the cases where the stilbnan had to keep the retoucher under control.
Before the picture started Murphy Mc- Henry, publicity director, and I had num- erous conversations as to the value of depicting the aging character at the ex- pense of quality in portraiture, and we agreed as to the importance of adhering to this principle.
After working on seven pictures with McHenry as publicity director, I realize and appreciate what the cooperation of the publicity director means to the still cam- eraman. He was always willing to listen to my problems with the utmost under- standing and his help meant a great deal in enabling me to produce the desired results.
%attIe of seattIe"
As a part of one of the first demonstra- tions of West Coast metropolitan air raid defenses the 'Battle of Seattle" recently took place in which Battery "D," 205th Coast Artillery (A. A. ) set up the Army's most modern anti-aircraft guns in down- town Seattle, while in another part of the city citizens tried out the West Coast's first air raid shelter. It was a realistic show, with attack planes diving on troops, warn- ing sirens wailing, and men, women and children dashing for the sandbagged bomb shelter.
Photo shows: Newsreel cameramen who covered the "Battle" : Earl Nelson, Univer- sal Newsreel ( left ) and C. L. Edwards, Paramount News ( right ) equipped with gas masks, film planes overhead as local citizens peer from Seattle's first air raid shelter. The shelter, conceived by Hilmer Benson I wearing white shirt), a Seattle merchant, is an old wine cellar, made of steel reinforced concrete and banked with sand bags. Benson believes his shelter would afford protection from anything but a direct hit, in the event of an attack. — (Photo by Grant Macdonald, Wide World Photos.)
International Photographer for February, 1941
13
"CHEERS FOR MISS BISHOP," Richard A. Rowland Production
Reading across the two pages, upper: Martha Scott as Ella Bishop at the age of eighteen; just entering college; thirty years old; <lr
By William Wallace
ist in gasoline buggies at forty-nine ; as the schoolmarm ; at fifty-six; on to sixty-five; taking life leisurely at seventy-nine. See page 13.
CAOidid PhoToqRAphy
By Starre
Starre is a member of Local 659 who writes under a pseudonym. He will be glad to answer any correspondence on this subject.
( Editorul Note)
These pictures of Gregory Ratoff in action, ebullient with emotion, telling the actors how to play a scene while directing the picture, "Legacy." were presented to me for perusal and accompanied by a request that I define candid photography.
So much has been said on this subject that I hesitate to offer my opinion with- out feeling that someone will be prompted to say, "So what!'" It is my humble sug- gestion that this person understand that opinions offered to constructively assist should never be frowned upon. If the re- sult is only to arouse interest and conver- sational tones that may be heard in the next room, the objective base has been struck and the result is only a matter of time.
Some years ago it was unorthodox as well as an infringement on good taste to photograph anyone not properly dressed and posing in the conventional sitting or standing position. With the development of cameras and film, discovery was made that movement and speed could be visual- ized photographically. Following these in- novations, if they may be called such, there came into being the miniature camera which enabled the photographer to dis- pense with the obvious in the way of dis- cretion and take pictures whether or not they accorded with the subject's wishes. Yet cameras and pictures have not been completely controlling — publicity, fan mail and streamline effects modernized in every type and form to show people as they are, helped create a new photographic era. Though perhaps not the best example, but direct and unequivocal, comparison might be made with the nudist who helps destroy modesty, be it false or otherwise.
The ice having been broken with the help of such magazines as Life, Look, Pix, Click and many others, candid photography grew to tremendous proportions. The answer is obvious to me. Demand controls supply. The magazines succeeded in influencing people, other barriers gradually were de- stroyed. The vogue became stark realism : shoot people as they are, how they work, the way they really act, so we can sec it I Continued on Page 27)
Reading down: Scene from Columbia pro- duct ion, "Legacy" ; Gregory Ratoff, direc- tor, issuing instructions and judging from his expression in the lower picture those instructions were carried out to his entire satis faction.
16
Gregory Ratoff in action, directing Columbia production, "Legacy.
Stills bv Milton Gold
Left to right: Talking it over; driving home the thought; discussing minute details; telling Warner Baxter what he wants; making the players warm up; through the finder. Shot with 4 by 5 Speed Graphic on Dupont Super-sensitive film.
International Photographer for February, 1941
17
VERy TOO llAppy, plEASE
Reprinted from San Franeiseo Chron- iele, Deeember 14, 1940
By STANTON DELA PLANE
In a photographically correct scene and with a script rewritten to the tastes of the newsreel patrons, Captain Leland E. Haw- kins received the highest decoration which the Japanese government gives an alien — the Fifth Class Order of the Rising Sun.
Last year Captain Hawkins' tanker Asso- ciated picked up 209 people from the ni- trate-fired Bokuyo Maru. Yesterday on the after sundeck of the Asama Maru. at Pier 11. he was given the red-and-white stripped ribbon and ruby medallion entitling him to attend special functions held for the Em- peror.
The only witnesses were the press and three longshoremen who were busy arguing about the war.
As usual, the newsreels took charge. Re a range Scene
Before the participants had arrived, the newsreel men were busy rearranging the scene and the speeches. A pair of tables and bundled American and Japanese flags were whisked away.
The fifth class was dropped from the title of the decoration.
"Gives it more class," explained the sound men.
The hand-rails were like ice and every- one was bundled to the ears except Captain Hawkins and Acting Consul General Ichiri Kawasaki. The Captain wore a blue suit and the Consul wore diplomatic morning coat and striped trousers. They lined up with ship's officers and consular attaches. Flashlights began to pop.
Spins Lenses
Kluver of the newsreels slipped on his head phones, spun his lenses and squinted through the eyepiece. The Consul looked around for confirmation and then said that he was happy to present this medal from the Emperor.
He took the medal from a black lacquer- ed box and hung it in Captain Hawkins' buttonhole.
Captain Hawkins said to tell the Emperor he was grateful and anyone in his position would have done the same. The longshore- men began to argue on the deck just below the microphone.
""Is that your gang in the hold said one of them.
"What about it?" said the winchdriver.
"They're screwballs," said the longshore- man. "They load that mail like it was hay."
Yells "Quiet"
Kluver slipped off his headphones and yelled "Quiet!"
"Let's try it again," he said. "Turn to- ward me when you say, "and I feel anyone in my position and so and so'."
"I'm cold," said Captain Hawkins. The Japanese all smiled politely.
"Please give my thanks to the Emperor and I feel" — the medal fell off his coat. The Captain juggled it back into his but- tonhole and continued — "I feel that anyone in my place would have done the same."
"You hesitated," said Kluver.
"I know it," said the Captain. "The medal broke."
Two still cameramen came over, fishing in their bags for pliers. Kluver pulled out a pocket knife. They huddled until the Captain took the medal away from them and put it together. He put it in his but- tonhole.
Captain Leland F. Hawkins, General Kawasaki and party aboard Asama Marn, where the Captain was presented with the Fifth Class Order of the Rising Sun, the highest decoration the Japanese Government gives an alien.
18
Photo In CLEM ALBERS
The cameras were moved up to a close- up and the Captain repeated his speech, adding this time that anyone would have done the same "where humanity is con- cerned."
The Japanese had quietly faded from the deck. There was some argument as to whether the ruby in the medal was real, the majoritv holding that it probably was.
"I'm cold," said the Captain.
"We reallv ought to tell what its for,'" said Kluver. They set up the cameras again and someone asked the Captain how it happened.
"We were on a return trip from Manila." said the Captain, while the newsreel men squinted in their eyepieces. "We got an SOS from the Bokuro Maru. and we were the nearest ship. When we arrived we found the lifeboats and floating wreckage and we took the people aboard."
"We ought to get in something about it exploded and burned to the waters edge, or something like that." said Kluver. "Let's do it over."
"It all depends on whether you want the truth or a story," said Captain Hawkins. Grits Teeth
A still cameraman asked Kluver to hurry it up. "You're holding up a drink," he complained.
Under prodding, the Captain gritted his teeth and told the staring camera that he had come to the Bokuyo Maru, which had fire in the hold, and later exploded and burned to the water's edge, in response to an SOS. The part about his being the nearest ship was deleted.
It was suggested that everybody go be- low for a drink.
"1 guess there's no law against it." said Captain Hawkins through chattering teeth. "Where's my medal? I'm cold!"
fflBSpEE
sizes ,
The photographer who works with large negatives will appreci- ate the powerful light and optical system of Solar studio enlargers. The brilliant project- ed image makes for ease in securing criti- cal focus — and mini- mum exposure time. Full tone scale and contrast of the nega- tive is reproduced at full value See a Solar before you buy!
VALUABLE ENLARGING TREATISE IP241. FREE.
BURKE & JAMES, Inc.
223 W. MADISON ST.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
They sAy*
© Earl Nelson, Universal newsreeler who covers the Northwest territory, looking over Southern California and taking the missus around busy Hollywood.
• Willard \anderveer, who collaborated with Joe Rucker on Byrd's first expedition to the South Pole, now with Pathe.
• Kay Rennaban, first cameraman; Irving Rosenberg, Bill Abbott, Don Anderson, sec- ond cameramen, and technicians Thad Brooks, John Gustafson and Nelson Cordes are in Mexico City covering a genuine bull fight for "Blood and Sand." Ironically, the matador originally scheduled to work in the picture was gored to death previous to the arrival of the crew.
• Reggie Lanning occupying the berth of first cameraman at Republic Studios.
• Dick Fryer, Jimmie Palmer, Perry Fin- nerman, Les Schorr, Leo Hughes and George Bourne were seen at Talisman Stu- dios on the Feher musical shorts.
• Joe Rucker in town covering Tourna- ment of Roses activity. By coincidence Rucker and Vanderveer have met for the first time in many years on the same job.
• Dan Fapp, second cameraman. Para- mount, is the father of a newly arrived son whose aspirations undoubtedly will be to direct what dad photographs.
• Charles Chaplin is to be commended for his expression of good will to Local 659. Chaplin permitted Rollie Totheroh to use the words I.A.T.S.E. after his name on the program.
• Joe Citron, asistant cameraman at Co- lumbia Studios, holds the degree of P.H.C. from the University of Southern California.
• Members of Local 659 are happy to know that stillman Sherman Clark's wife is recovering from a very severe operation. © Cliff Shirpser surprised us by staving only five or six days at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital to recover from an appendix oper- ation. Cliff says he will be looking for a long engagement to make up for the costly short one.
© Vic Milner at Universal Studios after seventeen years at Paramount. He will con- tinue his fine record in his new home. © Alfred Harvey back in Hollywood after working with Hurrell at his special studio in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. New York City. Al tells us how brother Hurrell did Washington's political persons and the New York blue bloods in his inimitable style, creating nothing short of a sensation among New York's distinguished photo- graphers. Strange to say, the work of an ace cameraman, as a rule, implies motion picture work: vet Hurrell's still camera work means more to many eastern lights than anv of our ace cameramen in Holly- wood. The camera enthusiast and movie fan only knows an ace cameraman as one
By RELLA
who stands and directs the photography in Hollywood. Such is the difference of opin- ion on who's who in the photographic world.
© Dewey Wrigley and Lothrop Worth off for Havana, Cuba, and it is rumored that their destination is Lisbon, Portugal. Prob- ably if the world were at peace members of Local 659 would really be traveling to all parts known and unknown.
• Manuel Corral, Schlesinger Studios, was an all-round athlete and baseball play- er at Loyola College.
© William Collins, asistant cameraman, reports for duty in the National Guard, State of California, shortly. © Joe Novak, second cameraman. Repub- lic Studios, is known to his friends as "Crooked Arm" because of his pitching prowess utilized sometime ago at Chatta- nooga Baseball Club and also in Flint, Michigan, playing ball.
• Jobn McBernie, second cameraman, Re- public, played in the outfield for the old Vernon Baseball Club, Los Angeles.
• Ray Flinsky is a linguist according to the Christmas card he sent out.
© It is not often that any single camera- man is paid tribute to, as this column writes news as only such. However, we cannot omit comment concerning Leon Shamroy, whose great interest seems to be in rendering help to those in Local 659. He is found constantly pondering and wondering how an individual organization can substantially aid the cameramen who find^ themselves without work. The spirit of Shamroy is admirable and we feel that his efforts eventually will result in some progressive plan.
© George Dye and Tommie Morris each have a pair of twins.
© Roy Kluver announces the release of a new star, William Conrad Kluver. pro- duced by Mr. and Mrs. Roy Kluver. © Jack Smith, first cameraman; Kymye Mead and Josiah Roberts, operators: Matt Klusnick, Ken Meade and Frank McDon- ald, assistants; and Frank Bjerring. still man, leaving for Sun Vallev for MGM.
CINEX
Light Testers — Polishers used by all Major Studios. We are the sole Manufacturers and Distributors.
Manufacturer of 16mm and 35mm Record- ing Heads, Developing Machines, Bipack Color and Black and White Printers, Re- winds. Special Machinery built to order.
CINEMA ARTS-CRAFTS
914 No. Fairfax HE 1984
Holly-wood, Calif.
Cable Address: "CIINEBARSAM"
International Photographer for February, 1941
19
PflTCIITS
By ROBERT W. FULWIDER
Patent Attorney, Los Angeles
No. 2,224,901— Camera Dolly. Harry G. Cunningham, assignor to Radio Keith Orpheum Corp. Appln. July 20. 1937. 10 claims. A camera dolly having a substantially horizontal frame plate with a screw adjust- ed column in the center and a counter- balanced camera boom mounted on top of the column.
No. 2,224,947 — Film Processing Appara- tus. Jesse M. Blaney, assignor to Cin- audagraph Corp., Stamford, Conn. Appln. Feb. 21, 1938. 16 claims. A machine for processing a continuous length of film, and making use of a series of loops of constant length, with a loop of variable length adapted to provide a con- stant tension.
No. 2,225,035 — Projection Apparatus. Alan A. Cook, assignor to Bausch & Lomb Optical Company. Appln. Dec. 31, 1938. 2 claims. A projector for projecting pictures to a screen below the projector, the latter hav- ing a horizontal lamphouse with a prism for deflecting the light downwardly.
No. 2,225,219 — Filter and Sound Gate Mechanism. Oscar J. Holmes, Chicago, 111. Appln. May 28, 1937. 9 claims. . A film driving means which is driven by a shaft to which is attached a flywheel which alone drives the shaft, the flywheel being coupled to the source of power in a man- ner that prevents the flywheel from exert- ing a driving reaction on the coupling.
No. 2,226,188 — Speed Control Assembly. Otto Wittel, assignor to Eastman Kodak Co. Appln. Feb. 3, 1939. 13 claims. A centrifugal governor adapted to operate at a plurality of predetermined speeds. with a brake member adapted to be moved to a position corresponding to the speed selected.
No. 2,226,339 — Three-Color Film and Method of Makinc Same. William T.
FAXON DEAN
INC
CAMERAS, BLIMPS-DOLLYS FOR RENT
No. 22184 4516 Sunset Boulevard Night, SUnset 2-1271
EASTERN
headquartersi RENTALS * SALES * SERVICE
FOR THE
CAMERAMAN
PtoLaiAdOtuU Studia and Cutting Roam. ZquipmetU
Available At All Times
* MITCHELL — Standard, Hi-speed, Silenced and N C Cameras *
* BELL & HOWELL — Standard, Hi-speed, Process and Eyemo Cameras * •k WALL — Latest Model Single System Sound Cameras *
* FEARLESS BLIMPS, FEARLESS and RABY
FANORAM DOLLYS. FRICTION and GYRO TRIFODS * INTERLOCK. SYNCHRONOUS, HI-SPEED and VARIABLE SPEED MOTORS with TACHOMETERS * 3Smm DOUBLE SYSTEM RECORDING EQUIPMENT *
* COOKE SPECD FANCHRO and ASTRO FAN TACHAR LENSES
all fecal 1 1 1 ■ t h » — F I LT E R S and LIGHTS *
MOVIOLAS + SYNCHRONIZERS * REWINDS
WE SPECIALIZE in REPAIR WORK on MITCHELL and BELL&HOWELL CAMERAS
FRANK-ZUCKER
CABLE ADDRESS: CI N EQUIP
l-AMERA EQUIPMENT
1600 BROADWAY nyc
CIrcle 6-5080
Crespinel, assignor to Cinecolor, Inc.
Appln. Jan. 3, 1938. 9 claims. A process for producing a colored photo- graph which includes: Producing two sup- erimposed positive silver images on a pho- tographic film; converting said images to a blue metallic salt capable of reacting with dimethylgloxime by treatment with solutions containing a soluble ferricyanide, a soluble ferric salt and a soluble nickel salt; and converting one of said images to a magenta color by treatment with a solu- tion containing dimethvlgloxime.
No. 2,226,638 — Motion Picture Camera. Walter Riedel, Germany, assignor to Zeiss Ikon Aktiengesellschaft, Dresden, Germany. Appln. Jan. 30, 1939. In Ger- many Feb. 11, 1938. 3 claims. A motion picture camera having a pair of vertically aligned reels between which the film passes in a substantially straight line, with the lens located between the reels at their point of least separation.
No. 2,226,639 — Color Photography. Karl Schinzel, Czechoslovakia, assignor to Eastman Kodak Co. Appln. April 29, 1937. In Austria May 9, 1936. 5 claims. A process of color photography making use of separate emulsions, the one nearest the support being a silver bromide and the one farthest away being a silver chlor- ide, which is treated by a developer which acts on the chloride before a useful image is formed in the bromide.
No. 2,226,971 — Motion Picture Camera.
Leo Goldhammer, Germany, assignor to
General Aniline & Film Corp. Appln.
Dec. 10, 1938. In Germany December
11, 1937. 14 claims. A motion picture camera having a norm- ally closed gate which is opened when the cover of the camera is opened, the cover having spring plates which bear against the side of the film and push it into place as the cover is closed, the gate closing after the film is in place.
No. 2,227,201 — Method for Producing and Exhibiting Sound Motion Pic- tures. Oscar A. Ross, New York, N. Y. Appln. April 17, 1936. 5 claims. A method of producing foreign language sound films by recording the pictures and native tongue sequence on separate nega- tives, and then making a foreign language sound record of same length and word spacing, and combining the foreign lan- guage sequence and the picture into a single film.
No. 2,227,269— Fire Protection Device for Motion Picture Projectors. Et- win May, Wetzlar, Germany, assignor to Frank Dumur, Lausanne, Switzerland. Appln. June 3, 1939. In Germany June 10. 1938. 2 claims. A safety device for motion picture pro- jectors which closes the dowser before the motor is stopped, and starts the motor be- fore the dowser is opened.
20
WTEX BEST" ALL OX EASTMAN FILM
EVERY one of the Ten Best Pictures, se- lected in the Film Daily's critics poll for 1940, was made on Eastman Negative Films. This impressive record speaks for itself. In 1941, these exceptional films will continue to contribute to the success of outstanding screen productions. Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y.
J. E. BRLLATOl R. INC., Distributors Fort Lee Chicago Hollywood
PLUS-X SUPEB-XX
for general studio use when little light is available
BACKGROUXD-X
for backgrounds and general exterior trork
EASTMAN NEGATIVE FILMS
International Photographer for February, 1941 21
l6MM. dcpARTMENT
The Chicago Cinema Club
The Chicago Cinema Club, organized in May of 1927, is typical of ihe numerous clubs and organizations of amateur cinema enthusiasts in the country. Every week on Thursday nights about one hundred and fifty men and women from all trades and professions get together in the Lighting Institute in Chicago's Civic Opera Bldg. to analyze, tear apart, and reconstruct the various phases of their common hobby- amateur movie making.
Their programs are varied. Once a month, usually the night of their business meeting, a "Film Analysis" is held: on an- other night, a technical lecture; one night is spent in their "little"' theatre viewing pic- tures made by amateurs of other clubs. And one night a month includes a visit to a studio, plant, lab or other commercially engaged organization to see how things are done professionally.
"Film Analysis" night sounds like a very serious, profound affair. While it is se- rious in that it gives an amateur a chance to get the opinions of others, it still re- tains something of the "Fite Nile" about it — with everyone taking sides! The films are screened and then the meeting is thrown open for discussion and criticism. In this way he may get the benefits of the opinions of the group on the relative merits and faults in his work.
One of the most praiseworthy activities engaged in by the club is under the com- mittee chairmanship of Mr. Robert O'Shea. This is the "Outside Activities" committee. Settlement house, orphanages, hospitals, or even private individuals are singled
Chicago Cinema Clnb
out and films screened for these people.
Mr. S. J. Hofreiter tells of his experi- ence with a boy who had been bed-ridden for a long time. This boy was unable to sit up, or even to get into a lying position from which he could look straight ahead and see the screen. Mr. Hofreiter's solution to the problem was to place a mirror at a 45 degree angle a short distance away from the projector and to shoot the image up onto the ceiling. This involved turning the film around in the projector so that the picture could be seen "right sideto." And in this manner the entire picture was view- ed on the ceiling. Even by the dog. Mr. Hofreiter tells of the dog either tiring and falling over on his back as a result of his continued watching, or just deciding that it would be the easiest thing to do; the fact remains that the dog watched the greater part of the showing on the ceiling lying down on his back.
Another activity is the school that is con- ducted for those desiring formal instruc- tion in amateur cinematography. In con- nection with this we wish to say something that we feel would be of help to all those interested in amateur movie making gen- erally. One more or less unfortunate condi- tion exists in cinema work that does not in "still" photography: It is very difficult. if not impossible, for the amateur movie maker to process his own film. Developing and printing one's own film gives an in- sight into the workings of an emulsion that cannot easily be had otherwise. The still photographer has the advantage of being able to conveniently develop his own nega- tives, and to make the prints. When the
By Warren Sandage
resulting prints are not to his satisfaction, he investigates. Too much development. An overtimed print. Or some other reason for it. He gets to the point where his pro- cessing is correct, and then begins to see the defects in his camera work, and is able to correct this. Working with his own nega- tives, or at least in close contact with them, he is able to follow through and get a closer, more intimate feeling than if he had some one else do it for him. Now, it is not necessary to always keep doing one's own processing to turn out fine work; it is just that there is a greater intimacy with the medium if one has a working knowl- edge of that medium.
The amateur cinematographer is at a disadvantage there because he uses reversal film in the great majority of cases, and, even if he did use negative, the cost of the processing equipment would make the ven- ture prohibitive. Amout the only suggestion that could be offered would be to acquire a small still camera and try out the same ideas with the same type of film, lights, etc. (not lenses!) as used with the movie camera, and to develop and print those films. A lot could be learned from that.
The club's president is dynamic Mr. I. Vise. A lawyer by profession, we wonder how he manages to keep his mind away from amateur movies during the day.
TkE Projector
By Hamilton Riddel
Winter months mark the beginning of a busy season for your home movie projec- tor. There will be more than one occasion at your home when good friends get to- gether, and they will call for: Movies!
So be ready to give them a show . . . a real show!
Nothing contributes so much to satisfy- ing pictures as a well-cleaned, smooth- running projector. So let's give the ma- chine a close check-up to insure the maxi- mum results which it is capable of deliv- ering. It would be a good idea, too, while you are at it. to re-read the instruction manual. Then you will be sure not to overlook any important points in servicing your projector.
Be sure to oil your machine as indicated in the manual. Don't use too much lubri- cant, for an oil-soaked projector is almost as bad as one with none at all. A drop of oil, at each lubrication point, is usu- al l\ sufficient; and wipe off any excess that appears. Thus you prevent an ac- cumulation of dust and dirt that causes excessive wear in the mechanism.
Next, your attention should be directed to cleaning the sprockets, film gate and claw -movement. As films thread their way through these passageways, there is a grad- ual accumulation of dust, emulsion par- ticles and other foreign substances that make your machine noisy and which will most assuredly tend to scratch your films.
22
Such deposits can be removed with a slight- ly moistened rag and discarded toothbrush. Under no circumstances use a fingernail file or knife in cleaning the film gate: you can't afford to scratch or mar any metal parts that the film comes in contact with. The optical system of your projector comes next. Make sure that the silvered reflector, located directly behind the pro- jection bulb, is in proper alignment with the lamp, and that it is free of dust and finger-marks. You should also polish the projection bulb. If it is excessively black- ened through long use or, as is sometimes the case with the higher wattage type, if the bulb has a "heat blister" on it. you will do well to discard the veteran, in favor of a newr lamp. Then proceed to the con- denser lens. Carefully remove any oil. and all dust, and replace the lens. And lastly, remove the projection lens and polish it gently. Careful, now! For optical glass is relatively soft, so don't use too much "elbow grease" in this operation.
Do not overlook the film aperture plate in your servicing. A soft brush, usually furnished with most projectors, will wipe away all unwanted dust and emulsion par- ticles that have collected on the plate. Your movies will then be free from fuzzy border lines that dance and detract from the pic- tures on the screen.
Check carefully the various controls on your machine and don't overlook the take- up reel. So often a bent flange on such reel stops the show, almost before it is under way, when the film is jammed out of alignment as it feeds on to this lower reel.
Our attention is next directed to a typi- cal set-up for a home movie show ... a show which will have all the professional aspects of your favorite theatre, vet afford your friends the enjoyment of a private screening, in the comfort of your home.
Comfortable visibility for your audience is the most important factor to consider in setting up for a home movie show. Try to avoid hasty, crowded arrangements that make it necessary for a number of vour guests to sit on the floor of your living room, as they view the movies, ready as are some people to assume this informal position in spite of all you say. Such guests will only get a poor impression of vour pictures, caused by the distorted view- ing angle and uncomfortable posture they are in. Another thing, don't let your friends sit too close to the screen. You can't expect compliments for your movie efforts if. in such close proximity to the moving hadows, your friends' eves are dazzled by the gyrations of the millions of particles of grain that make up the screen images.
Set your screen on a level with that of the projector. Arrange chairs well back from the screen, but in as near a straight line with projector and screen as you can without interfering with the "throw of
the show. Your audience will then be in best position to enjoy the movies.
Provide a table for your projector which is large enough to provide room also for the projection reels which you are to pre- sent. Keep the reels in numerical order, and out of the humidor containers, so that there will be no hitch in your show. Ev- erything necessary for your presentation should be at your finger-tips, ready for instant use, with no time out for fumbling!
Incidentally, don't stop to rewind each reel after its presentation, as this practice causes too much interruption in your show. It is far better — far easier, for that matter — to leave all rewinding jobs until after your guests depart.
There's difference in opinions as to how dark a room is desirable for a satisfactory showing of home movies. Manv people favor a semi-lighted room . . . often are careless in allowing extraneous light to reach the screen. However, it is the writer's feeling that a room, in which movies are being projected, should be in total dark- ness. While this requirement may be over- looked in the presentation of regular black and white movies, it would appear to be most important factor in showing natural color films. A great part of the gorgeous color renditions, now obtainable on ama- teur film, are lost unless full opportunity is given the projection lamp to bring out the colorful pictures on the screen, with- out undue competition from some extran- eous living room light fixture! So again we say . . . keep your home theatre dark, very dark, while you're showing your pic- tures.
Most everyone has reels of mixed pic- tures, some of the regular black and white spliced onto the natural color variety. Each type of film, viewed as an entirety, is satisfactory, but when immediately fol- lowed upon the screen by natural color presents an unwelcome studv in contrast. Many home movie fans will overcome this condition by tinting and/or toning their black and white films. Nevertheless, some will not care to trouble themselves with this additional processing, or for one rea- son or another thev will not care to impart a permanent tint to their films. But there's an easy way out, and the answer is: Use a selective color wheel in front of your pro- jector lens; Fashioned somewhat like the gelatine color wheel used on spotlights in theatre presentations, which give the lime- lights their array of tinted lightbeams, the amateur cinematographer can easilv con- struct such an attachment, made from small bits of colored gelatine or colored glass, and position the device before the lens of his projector. Thus, supposing your nat- ural color film has passed through the pro- jector gate, it is only a matter of a split second to swing your color wheel into nos'tion when vour regular black and whit ■ film follows along. With this attachment you wont let your audience down!
In presenting your movies, prove your-
self a showman. Be sure to gauge your audience well . . . give them the movies you know will click. And don't run too manv films The best test for your home movie show is that it ends with the audi- ence asking for more!
New Negative Filing System For Miniature Negatives
There is always that controversial sub- ject amongst 35mm small camera users as to the method of filing their negatives.
For the "strip filers," E. Leitz, Inc., has recently introduced a new filing system. This consists basically of film "jackets" each of which holds a six negative strip The "different" feature of the filing system is the fact that the "jackets" are made of a transparent material which is relatively thick and which therefore, does not have a tendency to curl. Another novel feature of this new film "jacket" is that it is not necessary to push the strip of film in from one end in order to insert it into the "jacket." The Entire '"jacket" opens up through a "zipper-like" action.
New Kalart Speed Flash
The new: Kalart Compak Speed Flash works with all low priced Kodak, Agfa and other cameras fitted with pre-set auto- matic I self-setting I shutters. Designed ex- pressly for the low priced midget bayonet- base flash lamps the Battery-Flector unit of this synchronizer comprises Kalart's popular Concentrating Reflector with its exclusive bulb ejector and a built-in bat- tery holder containing two standard size batteries. The whole unit will fit in your pocket — even with a dozen bulbs!
Famous Persons in "Sergeant York'"
• Major General George B. Duncan, re- tired, who commanded Sergeant York's World War division, is the latest historical figure to give consent to his portrayal in 'Sergeant York," which Jesse L. Lasky and Hal B. Wallis are producing for War- ner Bros. General Duncan is living at Lexington, Va.
Other noted figures of the World War era who have granted permission for their screen appearance in the drama are Sec- retary of State Cordell Hull and General John J. Pershing. Howard Hawks will di- rect the production.
for difficult shots — THE ORIGINAL
Scheibe's Monotone Filter
INDICATES instantly how every color and light value of a scene or object will be ren- dered in the finished print before taking the picture. always ready.
GRADUATED FILTERS
fW*,)* mi MiffcKfMc FOG SCENES, DIFFUSED FOCUS AND OTHER EFFECTS
Gcorqe H. Scheibe
ORIGINATOR OF EFFECT FILTERS 1927 WEST 78TM ST. LOS ANGELES. CAL.
International Photographer for February, 1941
23
Brilliantly engineered and as precise as it is handsome is the new Eastman Kodak Ektra 35 mm. Camera. Interchange- able magazine backs and lenses; precise range finder; local plane shutter of outstanding performance; individual adjustments for user's vision; variable power view finder for both normal and long focus lenses and numerous other technical refinements.
TRflDfUJ
Eastman Announces New 35 mm Camera
• I If raided as "the world's most distinguished camera." a deluxe 35mm. camera, the Kodak Ektra, is announced hy the Eastman Kodak Com- pany. Rochester.
Designed for the serious worker who prizes quality and precision in photographic equipment, the Ektra includes as an integral part of its de- sign certain new features never before available in any 35mm. miniature camera.
For this camera, six superb interchangeable lenses are announced, incorporating new optical techniques which insure a quality of performance unequalled elsewhere. Focal lengths range from 35 tn in. I<p 153mm., with other lenses to come, and a program of fine accessory equipment is also planned.
Magazine Backs Are New
A distinct departure in miniature cameras, the Svodak Ektra is the first to provide both inter- changeable lenses and interchangeable Magazine Backs for 35mm. film. These Magazine Backs enable the Ektra owner to switch from one type of film In another in the middle of a roll, quickly j.nd without loss nt a single frame.
Other outstanding features of the new Ektra — in addition to a host ol minor refinements — include:
1. Precise range finder, coupling automatically
with all focal lengths of Ektra lenses, and equip- ped with an adjustment for individual vision.
2. A focal plane shuter of unique precision and stability of performance, with speeds from 1 sec- ond to 1/1000, and ••bulb."
Finder Sets jor Lens in Use
3. A variable-power view finder which sets b> a simple dial for lenses of focal lengths from 50 to 254mm., corrects automatically for parallax, and has an adjustment for individual vision.
4. A rhythmic operating cycle for all major adjustments, with all operating controls at the finger tips of one hand, and the other hand free for gripping camera.
5. Full visibility of all scales and dials from the top of the camera (including the direct-read- ing depth-nf-field scale and aperture scale on most of the lenses) so that all operating data are available at a glance.
6. Rapid film advance and rewind, with a visible indicator actuated by the film itself — pro- viding a sure and accurate check on film move- ment. Advancing the film simultaneously resets the shutter for another exposure.
Rapid Manipulation, Clear Scales
7. All control dials designed with a distinctive milled edge for rapid, convenient manipulation, and marked in large, clear numerals.
These spotlighted features are in addition to
such technical refinements as an automatic ex- posture counter on the Ektra body and a manual sel exposure indicator on each Magazine Back; a visual signal which shows after each exposure until the film is advanced; positive prevention of accidental double exposures; a velvet-smooth shut- ter release plunger — absolutely eliminating re- lease shock — with a quick-set lock to prevent acci- dental release; a delayed-action mechanism for self-portraits and similar work, and other features. A neat brown cowhide combination case is available for the Kodak Ektra, to accommodate the camera with lens, an extra Magazine Back, two extra film cartons, and several filters. All Wratten Filters, Kodachrome Filters, and the Kodak Pola-Screen are available for use with all the lenses.
The Kodak Ektra may be purchased with any desired lens. Additional lenses and additional Magazine Backs may be purchased separately as desired. The prices are: Kodak Ektra with Ektar f/3.5, 50mm., $235.00; Kodak Ektra with Ektar f/1.9, 50mm., S300.00; Kodak Ektra with Ektar f/3.3, 35mm., $243.00; Kodak Ektra with Ektar f/3.5, 90mm., $260.00; Kodak Ektra with Ektar 173.8, 135mm., $305.00; Kodak Ektra with Ektar f/4.5, 153 mm., $325.00; Magazine Back, indi vidually fitted, $55.00 (price includes fitting at Rochester); Ektar f/3.3, 35mm., $68.00; Ektar f/3.5, 50mm., $60.00: Ektar f/1.9, 50mm., $125.00; Ektar f/3.5, 90mm., $85.00; Ektar f/3.8, 135mm., $130.00; Ektar f/4.5, 153mm., $150.00; Combina- tion Case, brown cowhide, $15.00.
An illustrated lecture, covering the feature* and capacities of the Ektra, is now in preparation. It will be available for showings by arrangement with the Camera Club Photographic Service of the Eastman Kodak Company.
CE. 3-Light Photo Enlarger Camp
• Development of a 50-100-150 watt "A 21" white Mazda Photo Enlarger Lamp designed to provide amateur and professional photographers with three intensities of light from a single source
ha* ju>t been announced bv General Electric's lamp department al Nela Park, Cleveland, Ohio.
For proper operation, the new "A 21" requires special accessor) equipmenl which is bring built into new enlarger* soon to appear on the market or which should be built into existing equipment.
Chief among these "necessaries" arc a 3 contact
porcelain socket and a wattage selection switch.
Anion" outstanding advantages claimed for the
new lamp an- tin- following: Use of the 50-watt
filament provides ample light for the setting-up and focusing operations which frequently con- sume considerable time; the relatively little heat produced by the 50-watt filament permits leisurely setting up and focusing without "cooking" the negative; for making exposures, two higher stage* of light are available; one an intermediate in- tensity from the 100-walt filament alone, the other a much higher intensity of light from use of the 50 and 100-watt filaments each burning at the same time. List price 60 cents.
Kalart Sistogun
9 Among newspapers and picture services now using the Sistogun are listed Associated Press,
World Wide Photos, New York Daily News, Acme News Pictures. International News Pic- tures, New York Sun, Daily Mirror, Philadelphia Inquirer, New York World-Telegram, New York Journal-American, News Week, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Charleston Observer, PM.
Leda Dubin, in charge of the West Coast Office of Kalart, Taft Bldg.. Hollywood, tells us thai during the Sistogun campaign, the unit will be installed free of charge if purchaser will bring in or send his camera to the Hollywood office.
Miss Dubin further informs our readers thai any repairs, installation and service of Kalart products are handled without delay at the office in Hollywood. This means a great saving in time for West Coast users.
24
Movie Forest Fires
Forest fires in the movies are staged with all the precision of a hallet routine. The star follows a course through the flaming woods that has been charted as carefully as a danseuse's steps.
"If the actor loses his way, he's in se- rious trouble,' explained Otto Brower, the thrill director of Hollywood. "An assistant sounds the alarm and the firemen rush in with hoses to throw a wall of water around the player. That seldom happens, though, since we go through so many rehearsals that he knows exactly where he is going."
Brower, who has filmed earthquakes, simoons and other catastrophes for some of the movies' most exciting scenes, has been directing a $150,000 conflagration on 20th Century-Fox' backlot for the last month. The scenes are for Zane Grey's "Western Union," which is being filmed in Techni- color.
The studio built a forest that spread over 17 acres. The trees were real. Scores of Los Angeles property owners who want to clear trees out of their yards telephone the movie lots every week. The studios, if they are in need of a forest, do the ex- cavating free.
"We gave the players asbestos clothes for the scenes where they're working with- in a foot or two of flames,' said Brower. "Even at that, it's dangerous. Bob Young lost his eyebrows the other day. The heat singed them off before he realized what was happening. Dean Jagger suffered minor burns when he strayed two feet off the course we had set for him."
The studio kept 15 firefighters, two fire trucks, a doctor, two nurses and an ambu- lance standing by.
"The special effects men can tell within inches just how far away the flames are going to leap from a burning tree," said Brower. "They have perfected a chart over the years which takes into considera- tion the wind, the humidity and the type of timber. The flames were within 18 inches of Bob Young several times."
Burning wagons rolled almost into the camera for "Western Union," which is a pioneer story, and blazing pines fell a few inches away from the camera platform. It will all look on the screen as though it had just happened that way and yet a crew of 120 "built" the forest fire thrills as an architect would a house, blueprints and all.
Fox to Film O'Henry Story
© "The Gift of the Magi," often consid- ered the best work of America's genius of the short story, O'Henry, has been bought from the O'Henry estate by 20th Century - Fox.
Jo Swerling, who recently completed "Blood and Sand," has been signed to write the screenplay under supervision of associate producer Robert T. Kane. Actu- ally, "The Gift of the.Magi," a short story, will be only the basis for the motion pic-
ture. It will provide the famous O'Henry snap ending for an original plot devised by Swerling and Kane.
New Graphic View Camera
For the first time since as far back as anyone can remember, there is something new in view cameras. The Folmer Graflex Corporation ha> just announced the Graphic View Camera, which, for the first time, brings modern design, engineer- ing and production methods into a field that has been long neglected. This new 4x5 camera is made entirely of metal and offers a unique com- bination of versatility, rigidity, lightness, and simplicity.
The front of this camera rises three inches, tilts either forward or backward, swings and shifts either to the right or left. Its back also swings, tilts and shifts. These two in combination give the photographer all the adjustments he needs to solve practically any problem of linear perspec- tive, sharp field or form.
Its removable lensboard permits the use of a wide variety of lenses. The camera also accepts lensboards of the 4x5 and 5x7 Speed Graphic cameras enabling Speed Graphic lenses to be used interchangeably on either camera without disturb- ing their flash synchronizer adjustments. A 12]/i>- bellows extension is provided. Ground-glass focus- ing is available with either "Graphic" or "Graflex" back.
A real departure in view camera design has been employed in this new camera. An inverted V-section bed of aluminum alloy forms the sup- port upon which both lens and film may be focused to give complete control of focus and scale when working at extremely close distances. Smoothly-operating rack and pinions which may be locked in any position are actuated by large, convenient controls. This type of construction makes it possible to shift the entire camera for- ward or backward to preserve camera balance with heavy lenses or to prevent cut-off when
working with wide-angle lenses. It is also one big reason for the camera's unusual rigidity, sta- bility and lightness.
Built integrally with the camera is a combined camera base and revolving-tilting tripod head of which all movements are controlled by a long, accessible handle. This feature greatly facilitates positioning the camera.
A built-in spirit level is provided on top of the camera. The reversible back may be removed and re-positioned for either vertically or horizon- tally proportioned pictures. Built to close toler- ances and with component parts of great intrinsic strength, the new 4x5 Graphic View Camera is definitely a precision instrument. Graflex dealers now have it on display.
New Graphic
Motion Picture Equipment
Studio and Laboratory Tested Since 1929
AUTOMATIC DEVELOPING MACHINE COMPLETE IN EVERY DETAIL
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT WILL BE ON DISPLAY AT THE NEW SHOW ROOM, IN CONNECTION WITH MY
~New Address:
1515 Cahuenga Blvd.
Hollywood, California
ART REEVES
Cable address: ARTREEVES
International Photographer for February, 1941
25
A COMPLETE MEANS OF INSTANTANEOUS PARTICIPATION IN SIGHT AND SOUND
TC L C V
In the beginning there were magic lantern slides. Then came the dawn. Silent motion pic- tures, silent and yet strong in their appeal to the imagination — an imagination that went one better and brought forth sound pictures which in turn quickly raised an acoustically sensitive proboscis and readily remedied an era referred to as "the smellies." This was accomplished by ihe geniu- of craftsmen within the industry, many of whom about this same time were silently working be- hind locked doors on the perfection of a system for the immediate transmission of image and sound, which we accept today as of sufficient merit to take a position alongside the electronic arts of the age. That is Television!
The year 1941 will leave a definite impression upon the pages of Television history. The early granting of many licenses by the Federal Com- munications Commission for the furtherance ol experimental activity is only to be topped by the granting of commercial licenses to some fifty odd embryonic stations throughout the nation. Money and manpower sufficient to make this all a reality awaits only the granting of said licenses. Manpower that eventually will be represented by si\ hundred thousand strong, that being the esti- mate made by David Sarnoff, President ot Radio Corporation of America.
The furtherance of Television in Europe has been frustrated by the tenebrousness of war. Yet, an inkling to the effect that Television has been successfully employed in reconnaissance ac- tivity can readily be taken for granted when we consider the fact that here in America television as applied to military purposes is being instruct- ed to some eighty young men, members of the first Television I nit to be formed for that pur- pose, in the United States.
Under the command of Captain William L. Prager, whose articles on Color and Television have previously appeared in The International Photographer, Television Unit No. 1, of ihe Sig- nal Corps. Military Order of Guards. U. S. A..
By DUSTER EVANS
is a reality. A civilian training organization oper- ating by Act of Congress and authorized by ihe War Department, is training young men, and men young of mind, under competent instructors, the military adaptation of Television. With a working laboratory of its own, and equipment, Television Unit No. 1, with headquarters in I lol- ly wood, is making Television history. The com- pany is made up of men from all walks of life, hut naturally there is a predominance ot men from the picture and radio ranks, for like its predecessors, television finds its followers firmly planted in the entertainment capitol of the world.
With Paramount Pictures holding fifty per cent interest in DuMont Television and various other picture and radio interest financially set into the television picture, it is only to be expected that Hollywood will likewise become the Television capitol of the world. It now possesses the loftiest transmiter in the world, at an elevation of eigh- teen hundred feet. Over twice that of the Em- pire State Building in New York. For, with the inauguration of the new three-story Thomas S. Lee Station, W6XAO, atop of Mount Lee, with a transmitting radius of over sixty miles, Holly- wood, and all of Southern California, is soon to be treated to a form of television entertainment not to be surpassed by any one other part of the country.
Many other licenses have been granted for the experimental telecasting in the California area, both south and north. In the Los Angeles district alone there have been a sufficiency to tax the re- ception of the better receivers with five channels capacity. Those licensed have been Television Products (Paramount). Hughes Tool (Howard Hughes), The May Company, LeRoy Jewelry Co.
On the receiving end there are over ten dif- ferent makes of television receivers selling from less than one hundred twenty-five dollars for the smaller picture area types, to the largest DuMont combined Television and Radio receiver with a
First Television Unit, United States Army
1
picture area of 169 square inches, and priced at about double of that of the smaller sets. All in all. when Television has reached development cor- responding to the current radio development. Doctor Ortestes H. Caldwell, Editor of Radio Today, foresees a billion dollar sales volume, annually!
Thus, predictions too become realities. Tele- vision has arrived. It only awaits the granting of commercial telecasting to set off the spark, and at a time when wars and rumors of wars seem destined to further retard the rational and sane efforts of our pioneers of vision. Those pio- neers whose efforts have not been in vain, to the end that radio and pictures (be they instantan- eous or filmed) together, neither supplanting the other, shall bring into the American home and theatre the last word in entertainment or educa- tion— TELEVISION !
Television stations licensed by the Federal Communications Commission: W9XAL, Kansas City, Mo. (First National Television, Inc.); W1XG, Boston (General Television Corp.); W9XG, West Lafayette, Ind.; W2XDR, Long Island City (Radio Pictures); W3XAD, Camden, N. J. (Portable) ; W3XEP, Camden, N. J. (R.C.A. Manufacturing Co.); W9XK, Iowa City, Iowa; W9XUI, Iowa City, Iowa (University of Iowa);
Renewed as of March, 1940: W2XAB, New- York City; W2XVT, Passaic, N. J. (Allen B. DuMont Laboratories, Inc) ; W2XH, Schenectady, N. Y.; W6XAO, Hollywood, Calif. (Don Lee); W2XBS, New York City (N. B. C.) ; W2XBT, New York; W2XAE, Philadelphia; W3XP, Phila- delphia (Philco) ; W9XZV, Chicago, 111. (Zenith).
With the government spending billions of dol- lars on the navy, the army and airplanes for our preparedness program, there also will be needed several thousand radio and signal men for the army and navy.
Gaglielmo Marconi, Dr. Lee De Forest, G. W. Pickard. Edwin H. Armstrong and Philo T. Farnsworth perhaps never realize the many men who would receive work through their inventions.
Those wishing to enter this field may secure information by addressing the author, care of International Photographer.
George H. Seward, Television Pioneer
Following is copy of letter received from sub- scriber Winslow Stewart, Associate Member Tele- vision Engineers Institute of America, R-74643, "X" Flight, R.C.A.F., Canada:
"It is with deep regret that the writer notes the death recently in Hollywood of George H. Seward, President of the Television Engineers In- stitute of America, Inc., which organization he founded and the admirable objectives of which lie formulated.
"Like most pioneers Mr. Seward will be un- able to observe the culminations of past and pres- ( nt research and development of the television ait in the near and distant future, a future in which he held such abounding faith.
""Mis untiring efforts during the past many years to foster public interest in television have cot been wasted and should not go unrecognized h\ the Radio-Television trade press. His name and reference to his television activities have ap- peared in many prominent publications.
'During the past summer the writer had ihe privilege of working with Mr. Seward as his
26
assistant in organizing and conducting the First National Television Convention in Hollywood. It was unfortunately the last of Mr. Seward's series of pioneering efforts in the behalf of tele- vision; unfortunate because he had outlined plans for many further efforts.
"Thus the writer believes he speaks for all those who have had the opportunity to work with Mr. Seward and be touched by the spirit of pioneering, devotion and integrity which was abundantly his."
Reprinted from S.M.P.E. Journal
( Concluded from January issue. )
Future Work — It is recognized that this report does not consider color. More time will be required to investigate this phase of the problem adequately from the stand- point of flicker and visual fatigue. Like- wise,- more data are needed on the ade- quate portrayal of smooth motion as a function of frame frequency. It is believed that some additional work of an experi- mental nature is desirable to determine effects of certain of these phenomena in the television field. So far as the work has gone, there seems to be a trend of evidence pointing to the conclusion that television will not be on technically safe ground if the frame frequency is reduced below that now in use for motion picture work. BIBLIOGRAPHY
O'Brien, B., and Tuttle, C. M.: "An Experi- mental Investigation of Projection Screen Bright- ness," /. Soc. Mot. Pict. Eng., XXVI I May. 1936), p. 505.
Beers, G. L., Encstrum, E. W., and Maloff, I. G.: "Some Television Problems from the Mo- tion Picture Standpoint," /. Soc. Mot. Pict. Eng., XXXII (Feb., 1939), p. 121.
Gricnon, L. D. : "Flicker in Motion Pictures," /. Soc. Mot. Pict. Eng.. XXXIII (Sept., 1939). p. 235.
Snell, P. A.: "An Introduction to the Experi- mental Study of Visual Fatigue," /. Soc. Mot. Pict. Eng., XX (May, 1933), p. 367.
Lowry, E. M.: "Screen Brightness and the Vis- ual Functions," /. Soc. Mot. Pict. Eng., XXVI (May, 1936), p. 490.
Hyde, E. P.: "Talbot's Law as Applied to the Rotating Sectored Disc," Scientific Paper 526, National Bureau of Standards, March 1, 1906.
Dow, J. S.: "The Speed of Flicker Photo- meters," Electrician. 59 (May 31, 1907), p. 255.
Ferry, E. S. : "Persistence of Vision," Amer. J. Science, 144 (1892), p. 192.
Porter, T. C: "Contributions to the Study of Flicker," Proc. Royal Society, 63A (1898), p. 347.
Porter. T. C: "Contributions to the Study of Flicker" Proc. Royal Society, 70 (1902), p. 313.
Lythgoe, R. J., and Tansley, K.: "The Adap- tation of the Eye, Its Relation to the Critical Frequency," Med. Research Council, Special Re- port Series No. 134, 1929 (Great Britain).
Hecht, S., and Verrijp, C. D.: "The Influence of Intensity, Color and Retinal Location on the Fusion Frequency of Intermittent Illumination," Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., 19 (May, 1933), p. 522.
Cobb, P. W.: "The Dependence of Flicker on the Dark-Light Ratio of the Stimulus Cycle," /. Opt. Soc. Amer., 24 (Apr., 1934), p. 107.
Luckeish, M., and Moss, F. K.: "The Rate of Visual Work on Alternating Fields of Different Brightness," /. Franklin Inst., 200 (Dec, 1925), p. 731.
Lythcoe, R. J., and Tansley, K.: "Relation of the Critical Frequency of Flicker to the Adapta- tion of the Eye," Proc. Royal Society, Series B. 105 (1929), p. 60.
Ives, H. E.: "Studies in the Photometry of Lights of Different Colours," Phil. Mag., 24 (Sept., 1912), p. 352.
Zworykin, V. K.: "Television," Television, RCA Institutes Press, I (1936), p. 242.
Kell, R. D., Bedford, A. V., and Trainer, M. A.: "Scanning Sequence and Repetition Rate of Television Images," Television, RCA Institute Press, I (1936), p. 355.
Ives, H. E.: "Studies in the Photometry of Lights of Different Colours," Phil. Mag. (Series 6), 24 (July, 1912), p. 149.
Engstrom, E. W.: "A Study of Television Image Characteristics," Proc. I. R. E., 21 (Dec, 1933), p. 1631.
Encstrom, E. W. : "A Study of Television
Image Characteristics," Part Two, Proc. I. R. E., 23 (April, 1935), p. 295.
Ives, H. E.: "Studies in the Photometry of Lights of Different Colours," Phil. Mag. (Series 6), 24 (Dec, 1912), p. 845.
Gace. S. H., anl Gage, H. P.: "Flicker with Moving Pictures," Optic Projection. Comstock Pub. Co. (Ithaca, N. Y.), p. 423.
Zworykin, V. K., and Mortons "Television," John Wiley & Sons, Inc., N. Y., 1940.
W|lson, J. C. : "Television Engineering," Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons, Ltd., London, 1937.
Wolf, S. K.: "An Analysis of Theater and Screen Illumination Data," /. Soc. Mot. Pict. Eng., XXVI (May, 1936), p. 532.
Luckiesh, M., and Moss, F. K.: "The Motion Picture Screen as a Lighting Problem," /. Soc. Mot. Pict. Eng., XXVI (May, 1936), p. 578.
Cobb, P. W. : "Some Comments on the Ives Theory of Flicker," /. Opt. Soc. Amer., 24 (March, 1934), p. 91.
Geld\RD, F. A.: "Flicker Relations within Fovea," /. Opt. Soc. Amer., 24 (Nov., 1934), p. 299.
Ives, H. E.: "Critical Frequency Relations in Scotopic Vision," /. Opt. Soc. Amer., 6 (May. 1922), p. 254.
Ives. H. E.: "A Theory of Intermittent Vision," /. Opt. Soc. Amer., 6 (June, 1922), p. 343.
Graham, C. H., and Granit, R.: "Inhibition, Summation, and Synchronization of Impulses in the Retina," Amer. J. Physiol., 98 (1931), p. 66.
Creed, R. S., and Ruch, T. C. : "Regional Va- riations in Sensitivity to Flicker." /. Physiol., 74 (1932), p. 407.
Hecht, S., and Verrijp, C. D.: "The Relation between Intensity and Critical Fusion Frequency for Different Retinal Locations," /. General Physiol., 17 (1933), p. 251.
Ghanit, R., and Hammond, E. L.: "The Sen- sitivity-Time Curve and the Time Course of the Fusion Frequency of Intermittent Stimulation," Amer. J. Physiol., 98 ( 1931 ) , p. 654.
U. S. Army Requests "Teddy the Rough Rider"
Twenty-two prints of "Teddy the Rough Rider," Warner Bros.' historical featuret staring Sidney Blackmer, have been re- quested by the U. S. Army, for morale and entertainment use in their training camps.
Warner Elevates Five Players to Stardom
% Jack L. Warner, vice president in charge of production at Warner Bros., and Hal B. Wallis, executive producer, ele- vated five players to full-fledged stardom with a single stroke of the pen, as a result of their work in 1940 films. The fortunate five are Eddie Albert, Brenda Marshall, Dennis Morgan, Ronald Reagan and James Stephenson.
CANdid phoToqRAphy
(Continued from Page 16) the only difference between human beings is a matter of money.
At the same time it became apparent that the candid camera could tell a story, show the background from which so much origi- nality is gone and give the outsider an in- sight into the other world. What greater curiosity can one have than to know how the other lives?
Today candid photographv depicts im- portant personalities sneezing, standing in awkward or other positions, or doing this or that, as long as it is a real happening in real life. So much time and space is devoted to candid shots because of the al- leged human interest. However, I am in- clined to believe that it has its cycle and at present ranks high among photograph- ers. On the other hand, like human life, it has its end. Whether even after its de- parture it will have a different effect of doing away permanently with the present accepted type of photographv remains a question to be answered through photo- graphic history.
Candid photography is characteristically not photography as the artist sees it. There are lacking all the essentials of beauty, symmetry, color balance and composition. Planning a candid shot is momentary. Shooting a beautiful still to be hung on the wall, or put on a shelf, or use in some portion of the room, is meditated and planned photography. A candid shot is examined and commented upon only once as a rule, then cast aside to be forgotten. Such is not the case with a beautiful still. Yes, there are exceptions, but not enough to offer substantial argument. Logic and reason force us to our conclusions. Candid photography is passing through a photo- graphic cycle, perhaps at its half-wav mark.
To photographers who labor industrially to satisfy a querulous public, my only an- swer is to shoot candid photography and fall in line with the parade, make it ring home, let it live, spare the subject, prac- tice moderation for the sake of being dis- creet. Photography, like painting and mu- sic, can be deftly applied. In the motion picture world, as the cinema-addicts crave it, intimate close-ups of people at work, be they director, actor, cameraman or elec- trician; nature in the raw photographically speaking, is the vogue, so to the still cam- eraman I say: Let it be candid and may the portion not be a war ration.
Next Lupino Vehicle
• Ida Lupino's next picture at Warner Bros, studio will be "The Damned Don't Cry," by Harry Hervev. The story deals with the efforts of a girl to lift herself out of the environment into which she was born.
International Photographer for February, 1941
27
booh
Reviewed by Ernest Baehraeh
"The American Annual of Photo- graphy, 1941," published by Amer- ican Photographic Publishing Com- pany, Boston, Massachusetts. Paper bound $1.50; cloth $2.25. 276 pages plus advertising. One for the shelf. This annual is one that I would recommend purchasing yearly- Profusely illustrated from the pick of the pictorial field. The articles are written in a comprehensive way by skilled craftsmen. The most interesting feature of the book is that the publishers have kept pace with the modern trend, but still retain all that is fine and wanted from the accepted art point of view. Possibly this is because they themselves are accomplished in their line of endeavor.
Included are eighteen articles and of special interest are "The Paper Negative," by Adolf Fassbender; "Color Photogra- phy." by Joseph S. Friedman; "Making the Most of Architecture," by Robert R. Miller. Hy Schwartz's "Photoflash Pho- tography" and Roy Gallaghers "Fluores- cent Light in Photography" are well worth reading.
Inasmuch as this book is so well known more need not be said. It is a good buy, on sale at most photographic supply stores and book stores.
"Copying Technique," American Photographic Publishing Company. Boston, Massachusetts. Cloth bound $1.50. 128 pages. This textbook, a compilation of Frank R. Fraprie and Robert H. Morris, prob- ably was intended for the unitiated camera enthusiast. There are a number of short articles dealing with equipment: prepara- tion of work; black and white and color copying; the use of infra-red, ultra violet.
etc., which might well have appeared in monthly articles as space fillers. Each problem of copying has its own solution. To the average man the book is not worth the price.
"Modern Photography," 1940-41. The Studio Publications, Inc., New York City. 120 pages, of which 103 are reproductions. Paper bound $2.50, cloth $3.50. A miniature edition of U. S. Camera, less grooved, but leaning toward "The cultiva- tion," as the editor phrases it, "of modern photography." A foreword by Alexander King, associate editor of Life Magazine, once more impresses us with the fact that raw and unbeautiful truth is to be desired, even to the beauty of an intelligently cre- ated picture of a battered garbage can.
Can't say much for the book at the price asked with such books as the above men- tioned American Annual and U. S. Cam- era as competition.
"The Science and Technique of Advertising Photography," by Walter Nurnberg. The Studio Pub- lications, Inc., New York City. Cloth bound $3.50. 94 pages, illustrations and text. Had to read this book through twice be- cause of the highly controversial text. One's thoughts on the subject may not coincide with the author's. As this is an ambitious attempt to orient one with a highly spe- cialized form of photography plus the per-