Americancinematographer18 1937 01

Starting off the NEW YEAR
with
DU PONT NEGATIVE
REG. U. S. PAT. OFF.
Du PONT Film Manufacturing Corporation

35 WEST 45th STREET SMITH & ALLER, LTD.
NEW YORK CITY 6656 . . SANTA MONICA BLVD.
PLANT . . . PARLIN, N. J. HOLLYWOOD, CAL
January, 1937 • American Cinematographer 1
AMERICAN
CINEMATOGRAPHER
A Technical and Educational publication
of motion picture photography.
Published monthly by the

AMERICAN SOCIETY
OF CINEMATOGRAPHERS, INC.
1782 N. Oranee Drive
Hollywood, California
Telephone CRanite 2135
JOHN ARNOLD, President, A.S.C.

FRED JACKMAN, Treasurer, A.S.C.
Volume 18 Jonuary, 1937 Number 1
What to Read
A.S.C. MOVES Into New Home 5
ATTACKING the Problem of

Color Stills
By Wm. Stull, A.S.C 6

The Staff
KRASNER Capitalizes Available Assets EDITOR
By Harry Burdick... 8 Charles VerHalen
J.
TECHNICAL EDITOR
PRODUCING SHORTS Down in Tahiti
Emery Huse, A. S. C.
By Max Dupont, A.S.C 9
ASSOCIATES
BI-FOCAL LENS System for Karl Hale
Optical Effects Walter Blanchard

By Joseph Valentine, A.S.C 10 CIRCULATION MANAGER
L. Graham
A.S.C. Members on Porade 12 ADVISORY

EDITORIAL BOARD
Victor Milner, A. S. C.
James Van Trees, A. S. C.
Next Month Fred Jackman, A.

Farciot Edouart, A.
S.
S.
C.
C.
Fred Cage, A. S. C.
• A New Device has been designed and put
Dr. S. Watson, A. S. C.
J.
into use atone of the major Hollywood studios Dr. L. A. Jones, A. S. C.
to secure photographic effects more smoothly Dr. C. E. K. Mees, A. S. C.
and without stopping the camera. We will Dr. W. B. Rayton, A. S. C.
tell you about it next month. Dr. Herbert Meyer, A. S. C.
Dr. V. B. Sease, A. S. C.
• More important technical developments are
in Some that have been theoretical
progress.
for some time. We'll tell you about one of FOREIGN REPRESENTATIVES
them next month. CvJorges Benoit, 100 Allee Franklin,
Pavillions-sous-Bois. Seine, France. Tele-
• A.S.C. Members are returning from foreign
phone LeRaincy 13-19.
assignments. We'll try to corner a few so as
to give you their impressions of the motion
picture business in other localities. NEW YORK REPRESENTATIVE
S. R. Cowan, 19 East 47th St., New York
City. Phone Plaza 3-0483.
ESTABLISHED 1918. Advertising Rates on application. Neither the American Cinematographer nor
Subscription: U.S. $2.50 a year; Canada, $3.50 a year;
the American Society of Cinematographers
Foreign, $3.50 a year. Single copies, 25c; back num-
bers. 30r is responsible for statements made by au-
Foreign single copies, 35c; back numbers,
40c. COPYRIGHT 1937 by American Society of thors. This magazine will not be responsible
Cinematographers, Inc. tor unsolici''ed manuscripts.
2 American Cinematographer • January, 1937
he AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CINEMA-
T TOGRAPHERS was founded
purpose of bringing into closer confederation

In 1918 for the
and cooperation all those leaders in the cinema- AMERICAN

tographic art and science whose aim Is and ever
SOCIETY OF
will be to strive for pre-eminence In artistic per-
fection and technical mastery of this art and science. CINEMATOGRAPHERS

Its purpose is to further the artistic and scientific
advancement of the cinema and Its allied crafts
through unceasing research and experimentation OFFICERS

JOHN ARNOLD President
as well as through bringing the artists and the scien-
VICTOR MILNER First Vice-President
tists of cinematography into more intimate fellow- CHARLES LANG Second Vice-President
JAMES VAN TREES Third Vice-President
ship. To this end its membership Is composed of the
FREDJACKMAN Treasurer
outstanding cinematographers of the world with FRANK B. GOOD Secretary
Associate and Honorary memberships bestowed

BOARD OF GOVERNORS
upon those who, though not active cinematog- John Arnold Frank Good
Bert Clennon Fred Jackman
Dan Clark Ray June
raphers, are engaged none the less In kindred pur- Elmer Dyer Charles B. Lang, Jr.
Arthur Edeson Victor Milner
George Folsey Joseph Walker
suits, and who have, by their achievements, con- Alfred Gilks James Van Trees
Vernon L. Walker
tributed outstandingly to the progress of cinema-
Frederick L. Kley, Executive Business Manager
tography as an Art or as a Science. To further these
PAST PRESIDENTS
lofty alms and to fittingly chronicle the progress of Philip E. Rosen Hal Mohr
Gaetano Gaudio Homer Scott
cinematography, the Society's publication. The James Van Trees John F. Seitz
John W. Boyle Daniel B. Clark
Fred W. Jackman
American Cinematographer, is dedicated.
HONORARY MEMBERS
Mr. Albert S. Howell
Mr. Edward O. Blackburn
Mr. George A. Mitchell
PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE

John Arnold
Charles Bell, St. Paul, Minn.
Georges Benoit, Paris, France
John W. Boyle, London, Englar.d
Ariel Verges, Tokyo, Japan
Edwin L. Dyer, Detroit, Mich.
Charles W. Herbert, New York City
Lloyd Knechtel, London, England
John Dored, Vienna, Austria
Max B. DuPont, Papeete, Tahiti
Philip M. Chancellor
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
George Folsey Dan Clark
Alfred Cilks
ENTERTAINMENT COMMITTEE
Elmer Dyer Frank B. Good
Charles B. Lang, Jr. Vernon Walker
Arfhur Edeson
WELFARE COMMITTEE
Ray June James Van Trees
Fred W. Jackman
RESEARCH COMMITTEE
Victor Milner, George A. Mitchell, Dr. Herbert
Meyer, John Arnold, Farciot Edouart, GENERAL COUNSEL
Emery Huse Arthur C. Webb
I
— s
LIGHT TO THE DESERT

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yet that is what was done in filming the “Garden Some of the powerful carbon arc lamps which
of Allah.” ^
ith the brilliant sunlight of the were used in the filming of these desert scenes
desert flooding the scenes, carbon arcs were used are shown in this behind-the-scenes shot of one
to “boost” the light intensity at the center of of the huge oases constructed for this magnifi-
interest and action. cent production.
i
!
[
Behind the scenes dnrini/ ihe fihnimj of Selzniek Internationnr

allTechnieolor prodneUori, ’-The (iarden of Allah." from the
Boherl [lichens filay and hook. Co-slarrini/ Marlene Dielrich
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1848 Larchmont Avenue, Chicago
New York: 11 West 42d Street • Hollywood: 716 N. LaBrea Avenue
London: 13-14 Great Castle Street
January, 1937 9 American Cinematographer 5
American January
1937
Cinematosrapher
A.S.C. Moves Into New Home

E HAVE MOVED into our new home. Still in much as the membership and officers desired as the
the heart of Hollywood, but tucked in beneath association did not have quarters that would permit
the mountains with spacious grounds and a fine rambling gatherings of this kind. This new home, however, offers
house to accommodate all of the American Society of facilities of a club and a meeting place for the mem-
Cinematographers' activities. bership that is not equalled by any other organization
For many years the Society occupied the offices it in the motion picture industry. The grounds are large
owned in the Guaranty building on Hollywood Boule- enough to permit of parking of members' cars. It has
vard. The sale of the building gave the officers and books and magazines that will allow those who desire,
board of governors an opportunity they were looking to delve into the newer things in photography and also
for for the past several years: a building that could to do a bit of research.
act both as a club house and a business quarters for Current photographic and cinematographic maga-
their association. zines from all over the world are on file. Latest books
This new home, located at 17I2 N. Orange Drive, is on all phases of the Industry are kept in the library.
only a few blocks from Hollywood Boulevard, and Experimental facilities will be added where members
directly back of the famous Grauman's Chinese thea- of the research committee and other members can
tre. It occupies the corner of North Orange Drive and have laboratory facilities. It is the plan to erect a
Franklin Boulevard. The structure is a one-story build- small studio for experimental photography and por-
ing with a penthouse. traiture adequately equipped with lights and the other
The building itself houses a commodious rotunda, a facilities necessary to properly carry out this work.
billiard room, library, directors' room, card rooms, din- The new home of the American Society of Cinema-
ing room, locker rooms, kitchen, and offices for the tographers is emblematic of many years of patient,
clerical force. industrious and sincere work on the part of the Cine-
The spacious outdoor grounds will contain a cage matographers of Hollywood. It is an emblem of an
for practicing golf; a Badminton court and later a ideal set out to achieve almost twenty years ago. It
swimming pool. stands as a monument to the camera profession as a

The American Society of Cinematographers, as is well symbol of their earnestness, their sincerity and their
known, is the oldest organization in the motion picture ability to hang together.
Industry. Its purposes, in addition to being technical The cinematographer may point with considerable
and scientific, is to also have a social angle. This phase pride to the new home of the American Society of
of the Society could not be entered into in the past as Cinematographers.
egardless of whether
or not the present interest
R in
picture
problem to solve.
productions continues, the motion
natural-color
has o definite and growing color
industry
This is the question of supplying on
increasing demand for natural-color still photographs.
Newspapers, rotogravure supplements, "fan" magazines
and the so-called "class" magazines are making more and
more use of color in their pages. Since motion picture
personalitiesare not only news but also (especially the
feminine contingent) excellent pictorial material, Holly-
wood's press-relations bureaus are receiving an increasing
number of requests for "color art." This pressure, in
turn, is being passed on in no uncertain terms to the pho-
totechnical artists in the studio still departments.
The demand for color stills is from three principal
Stills From “The Carden of Allah”
sources, each setting its own standards of color excellence.
The first is from the growing group of newspapers using
what might be termed "semi-color" pictures in their
dramotic sections. All of them are somewhat limited by
the technical problems of reproducing full-color pictures
with the coarse-screen engravings which must necessarily
Attacking
be used when printing on newsprint paper. In their sim-
plest form, these journals' attempts at color may be said
to paint their pictures „with a very broad brush indeed;
they suggest color, rather than actually reproduce it.
Broad areas of the background, costumes, and in some
cases a player's flesh-tones or hair are printed in color,
though it may bear little enough relation to the coloring
of actuality. Details, such as eyes, jewelry, etc., are gen- paper reproduction, is an ordinary black-and-white stili,
erally left to black-and-white. None the less, this form hand-colored. This is usually done on an 11x4 print, _with
of color reproduction can be surprisingly effective. oil colors.A well-colored example of this type can be
In a few instances, some large newspapers have made quite pleasing. There is a distinct advantage in that a
very praiseworthy attempts at reproducing bona-fide color print from any existing negative may be transformed into
in spite of the limitotions of their printing materials. a color-print by this method, at a minimum of expense.
The second group includes several Sunday rotogravure There is a further advantage at times in that the colora-
supplements and the majority of the "fan" magazines. tion of the print may be based more on art than on fact.
These use a higher grade of engraving and, in the latter The extent of detail-coloration, too, may be coordinated
group especially, better paper and printing. Obviously, to the newspaper's needs.
they must have a finer type of color photograph with which The intermediate group may as a rule be served with
to work. natural-color transparencies which, while good, need not
The third though definitely in the minority in
group, adhere to the perfection demanded by the highest-class
point of numbers, makes up for it in prestige. This group group. Virtuolly all of this field is supplied with trans-
comprises one or two of the highest-grade "fan" maga- parencies made by the Dufay process. This consists simp-
zines, and such "class" magazines as "Esquire," "Stage," which may be exposed any still-
ly of a special film, in
"Vogue," and the like. Their engraving, paper and color- camera. Special filters make it possible to photograph
printing are unsurpassed. Certain of them justifiably
boast the finest color reproduction in the world.
Dufaycolor stills under any light condition daylight. —
Photoflash, normal incandescent lighting, or arc lighting.
Obviously, these three groups need pictures of different The base of this film is covered with a pattern of micros-
standards of quality. A picture which would make a very
acceptable newspaper color picture might prove entirely
copically fine rulings in the three primary colors red, —
blue and green. When the film is placed in the holder
too crude for the perfected reproduction of one of the with the emulsion-side away from the lens, this screen
class group, while a "Vanity Fair" type of color still (reseau) acts as an infinite number of tiny filters. In
would prove no better than an ordinary color shot if given the image of a red object, for instance, the blue and green
the adequate but not superlative reproduction of the aver- rulingswould absorb the light falling on them, leaving only
age paper or magazine of the middle group. the emulsion behind the red rulings to receive an expos-
Inevitably the question of cost enters. Natural-color ure. The exposed film is developed, floshed and reversed
stills are more expensive to make than black-and-white into a positive. When the picture is viewed by transmit-
ones. They require more care in the dark-room, and pho- ted light, the tiny filters reproduce the color of the orig-
tographic printing in color is as yet relatively slow and inal subject.In our red object, the reversal process has
costly. Throughout, a certain degree of specialized tech- left innumerable tiny sections beneath the red-filter
the
nique is required, the more so, naturally, in producing rulings clear, while those beneath the blue green lines re-
the
highest-grade color pictures for the de luxe magazines. main opaque. Thus we see that part of the picture only
Accordingly, in almost every studio, three different through the red-line portions of the screen, and the image
grades of color stills are turned out, to serve the three is reproduced in red. If the object were some other color,
different types of outlet. its image would be reproduced by a combination of varying
The most elementary type, used principally for news- degrees of density in two or more of the primary-color
which permits the duplication of positive natural-color

transparencies on any scale. In this process, the taking
and viewing screens are separate units. The exposure is
made with the taking screen in contact with the negative

plate. This is developed in the usual way, as a black-and-
white negative. Any number af positives — in full color
may be printed from this negative. The positive is a glass
plate bearing, in addition to the sensitized emulsion, a
suitably ruled viewing-screen. Registering marks are pro-
vided on the negative, and before making the print, these
are registered with the positive's screen. The print is
made and developed in the usual manner, and gives very

fine color-reproduction. The costs of this are about on a
par with Dufay, and there is the advantage of being able
to produce as many duplicate calor-transparencies as may
be desired. A further advantage is the fact that the cost
of negative-making is low, and negatives may be proofed
in black-and-white before incurring the expense of making

color-prints.
In this process, as in Dufay, there is the slight disad-
the Problem vantage of the screen-pattern in engraving; but the makers
provide excellent "block-out" screens for making the color-
separation engravings. The excellence of the results ob-
tainable with this process may be indicated by the fact
of that a majority of "The National Geographic" Magazine's
color photos are Finlay plates.
Philip M. Chancellor, A.S.C., A.R.P.S., F.R.G.S., who
Color Stills is probably the outstanding Finlay exponent on the coast,

has in collaboration with the well-known optical engineer
Hartley Harrison, developed a remarkable optical device
far eliminating grain in Finlay reproductions.
The and as yet the most costly development of
highest,
color photography is the making of three-color prints
still
by
on paper from three color-separation negatives exposed
William Stull, A.S.C. simultaneously in the so-called "one-shot" cameras. Due
to the elements of complication and expense, the use of
this type of color is generally restricted to pictures made
especially for use in the very highest type of magazines.
filter rulings.Black would mean opacity in all three sec-
Practically every studio has been doing some research along
tions; white, uniformly high transmission in all three.
these lines, and a few have plans for entering the field on
Dufaycolor has a number of distinct advantages for this In addition, certain individual
a relatively large scale.
work, together with a few disadvantages which somewhat
photographers, here and in the east, have made this type
limit its scope. It may be photographed very easily by al-
of picture on direct assignment from various magazines.
most any capable still photographer; it requires no special
Two types of "one-shot" cameras exist: the full dialyte
equipment other than the filters used to balance it to the
type and the semi-dialyte type. Both work with some
different light-sources. Its sensitivity is relatively high
type of optical beam-splitter. In the full image
dialyte the
(Weston 8 for daylight, and 2 for Mazda light), permit-
is three ways, either by prisms placed behind the lens,
split
ting short exposures and excellent photoflash results.
or two transparent mirrors arranged to transmit one
by
Compared photography, it is
to other types of direct color
image straight through to the rear of the camera, while
relatively Against these advantages may be
inexpensive.
reflecting two other images to two other plate-holders
set the fact that each Dufay shot results
in but a single
placed at suitable positions at the sides of the camera.
positive transparency, which must as a rule be considered
Suitable filtering records the red on one plate (or film),
as an exclusive picture for one paper, even though a du-
the blue on a second, and the green on a third. In the
plicate (if such could be made) might very well be used
semi-dialyte cameras, a single mirror is used to reflect one
in several other journals circulating in other parts of the
image to a single emulsion, while the direct beam passes
country. There is also the mosaic pattern of the reseau to
through the mirror to record the remaining two colors on
be considered: this pattern, unless a special technique is This, in principle, is similar to the working of
a bipack.
used in making the color engravings, can conflict objec-
a three-color Technicolor cine camera. Theoretically, the
tionably with the halftone screen used in the cuts. This,
full dialyte type will give superior definition, as well as a
while it is primarily a problem for the printing and engrav-
more perfect color separation, but in practical use the
ing staffs of the journal using the picture, is something
delicacy of the beam-splitting elements is a distinct liabil-
the studios must sometimes consider. A surprisingnumber
ity. The semi-dialyte is more simply constructed, and in
of the best newspapers, rotogravure supplements, and
practice gives definition much better than purely theo-
"fan" magazines, however, use Dufay stills with satisfac-
retical consideration would anticipate.
tory results.
With the three color-separation negatives made with
In this connection, it seems strange that the studios have
either of these types of camera, the problem of making
without exception ignored the well-known Finlay process. Continued on page 14
—
M
decades.
prefaced,
ilton KRASNER,
this
little
This
when he was
interesting
A.S.C., has been engaged in
strange industry of ours, which has to do with
spools of celluloid ribbon, for well on to two
just
interval of career service was
o sprout, by o period of ob-
servation o proud
in palace in
picture of oil places! —
Brooklyn. Here he was in the projection room. Between
spaces of glueing on eye to the peek-hole to view the
screened galloping images, he performed o highly useful
task. He rewound the reels os they come from the pro-
jection machine.
This, of course, was many years bock. But the im-
pressions gained at that vantage post were so indelibly
impressed as to remain to this day. It equipped him with
a priceless catalog of audience reaction to basic screen

situations and treatments. And, as basic human emotions
change little over the centuries, today he finds himself
with camera deliberately and purposely playing on the same
emotional chords that responded so fully to the cruder
works of studio pioneers. A most valuable and useful
cinematographic talent. Whatever other ingredients his
pictures may contain, you may be assured they are well
packed with that intangible something known as Audience
Appeal. Which may be one reason why his cinematogra- Milton Krasner, A.S.C.
Krasner Capita i z e s AV a i I a b e I
phic attentions are in constant demand by canny producers.
away
As may have been gleaned, Krasner
of fellow. And his
for fuller contemplation.
observations
Many
are
is an observant
unfailingly
years ago, he found
sort
stored
Assets
himself pondering, from keen observation of subjects com-
ing before his camera, the unfamiliar truth so well known
by
to medical men that few human bodies beyond infant age
are structurally perfect, either objectively or subjectively. Harry Burdicl<
More within camera range, few if any heads and faces
functioning under studio lights are anatomically perfect
from a photographic standpoint, either as to general con-
formation or detail of feature. women players with whom beauty
This applies mainly to
This incomplete degree of prevailing physical perfection, is men who, at the most,
of greater screen value than with
even among hand-picked nominees, worried him no end. need only appear as handsome rascals.
to
Until he dug deeply into the topic and found it to be a In this semi-clinical vein, Krasner studies his stars in
normal condition. terms of inches, lenses and lights. He has evolved an in-
Infants are practically perfect photographically. Na- clusive classification of types, each calling for specialized
ture has provided symmetry to their features and a firm, treatment, for beautiful women rated solely by the means
well-modeled texture to their skin. As they grow, the har- with which they can be most effectively photographed.
mony of line gets out of balance; Nature is busy in other His screened results are highly pleasing to audiences
departments. and, needless to mention, to the individual stars. As re-
As the adult stage is reached, a man or woman with sult, there is always considerable maneuvering on the part
photographically perfect face is a freak, viewed physiolog- of players to function before his lenses. Krasner has shot
ically. Tissues are constantly breaking down. Metabol- every picture one prominent star has made in Hollywood
ism brings about subtle and gradual physical changes im- for the past seven years and, so help me, she looks younger
perceptible to the eye perhaps but glaringly apparent to now than then.
the camera. Sensitivity of nerves and muscular tone are With male players, he strives more for personality and
affected. Texture of skin is constantly changing. It's character delineation. That's why he fairly roHicks through
all entirely natural and normal. dramatic scenes done in low key.
Now realizing that all players must possess facial fea- He employs little light, comparatively, and few units of
tures both "good" and "bad" as judged by general audi- light. The fewer the units, the better the control of light,
ence standards of accepted beauty, Krasner resolved to he feels. And this helps in achieving his purpose of ap-
make cinematic assets of the "good" points available parent simplicity in scene revelation; simple and easy for
and let the liabilities fall where they may
shadows.
preferably in
He would photograph only the best features.
— audience assimilation, that is.
Continued on page 16
i"
Producing Shorts Down in
he island hardly seems like a producing Ta h i t i
1
T center.
Popotee could claim
statements are true and
of Tahiti
One would not
I
a
am
believe that the town of
35mm Both
laboratory.
lord and master of both by
enterprises.
Max Dupont, A.S.C.
About four years ago went to Tahiti with my family.
I
At that time did the camera work on Douglas Fairbanks'

I
picture "Robinson Crusoe." While the picture has gone

down in history my enterprises in Tahiti still continue. In not self conscious which gives them neither that awkward
addition to my have this small 35mm laboratory
plantation I
restraint nor the tendency to over-act.
which has a capacity of a thousand feet or so a day. This One of the most interesting pictures have made in Ta- I
same laboratory does considerable still printing for the hitiwas a record of a leprosy case for the French govern-
Papatee. It also turns out a large number of
retail stores in ment. They use a medicine which when injected turns
post cards for popular consumption. the diseased portions of the body blue. In photographing
In between these activities my son and myself turn out this naturally secured the proper contrast by using a red
I
about three to four short subjects each year for the French filter. This held the blue back making it dark and the red
government and a like number for private distribution in lightened the natural brown colors of the native's skin so
France. that the doctors could quickly determine what portions
Naturally in four years we have solved what might be were affected and how the medicine was working on the
termed the technical side of picture making in this South patient by the reducing of the blue area as time went on.
Seas island. We not only have humidity to fight but also This experiment was photographed over a period of three
intense heat at times. This latter taught us never to months with daily takes which were immediately developed
place our film on the ground. The heat given off from and printed in my laboratory for observations by the doc-
the sand is too intense for the film to stand. We always tors in charge.
keep the film a few feet off the burning sand. When While I was operating on a small scale, still when oc-
photographing natives hardly use any filter stronger than
I
casion demanded we could do a very acceptable job, on
the K-2. The reason for this is that we do not want to order, in view of the fact that my son is also a sound en-
lighten them too much, but want them to appear as na- gineer as well as being schooled in the operation of a cam-
tives of the South Seas. A heavier filter would lighten era. He acted as my second whenever occasion demanded.
them too much. One of the greatest interests among the natives of Ta-
While on the subject of photographing the Tahitian I
hiti is the motion picture. Papatee has a picture house. It
might say they are all more or less natural born actors, shows twice a week. A native would sell anything to se-
this is possibly because they always act natural. They are Continued on page 15
At the left the star of “Tabu” still acting and

the idol of the island.
iii
Bifocal Lens-System for Optica

is a very considerable advantage, in making
here
T
the camera.
any kind of a "trick"
shot, if the completed effect
can be seen at the time, by visual inspection through
Not only does it make for better photog-
Effects
raphy, but it makes possible a more understanding co-
operation between the Cinematographer, the Director, and
the players. No better proof of this need be mentioned
than the universal use of the projected background pro-
cess. Before it was developed, we had a variety of methods
by which virtually the same composite effects could be
by
obtained: but we did not use them to anything like the de-
gree we use "process" today. In all of them, the people
Joseph Valentine, A.S.C.
on the set were working more or less blindly, for too much
of the was done afterwards.
trickery You might know
what was to be added to the shot, and tell your people,
"Stop here, for there is a wall. And there's going to be
a tree there —
you can't stand in that spot." But as they
could see nothing, they could not be altogether natural
the photography of "The Top of the Town," a spectacular
nor convincing in their actions. With the projected back-
musical film. At the same time, too, Harrison and hit
ground, the player can easily see what the finished shot I
will look like. —

He and the Director, as well can do his — upon the correct constructional principles for our device.
Accordingly, one was built and put into practical use in
work more intelligently because of that knowledge.
filming one of the production's most spectacular dance
In the same way, there are several existing ways of
routines. For the first time, it became possible to pro-
producing the type of multiple-image tricks about to be
duce the effect of a mirror floor without the limitations of
discussed; optical printing, matte shots, multiple printing
multiple printing methods, or the expensive construction
with fixed or travelling mattes, and the like. But in all
of an actual glass floor which would, incidentally, be likely
of them, one works blindly, with only a mental picture
to defeat itself by reflecting all the overhead lighting and
of what the finished scene is to be.
other unwanted things, as well.
In collaboration with Hartley Harrison, have recently I
developed a simple device which enables one to make

The "bifocal" lens-system which Mr. Horrison and I
many of these effect shots directly in the camera, with have built is a simple device which can be fitted onto any
Mitchell camera. It is compact. It permits easy and posi-
the exact effect visible at all times on the ground glass.
tive adjustment to meet any condition. The camera may
The device had its beginning about four years ago, when I
be perambulated or panned without destroying the mirror

was photographing a musical film at another studio. At
effect. —
And the effect can be seen exactly as it will ap-
that time, filming a dance routine, felt that the effect-
iveness of the scene would be markedly enhanced if the
I
pear on the screen —

on the ground glass of the camera
before the shot is made!
number were portrayed as though the chorus were per-
The device consists of a lens in a standard mount, with
forming on a mirrored glass floor. It would then, as now,
the bifocal duplicator adjustably mounted in front of it.
have been possible to produce the effect by the conven-
The lens used has a focal length of 28mm.; due to the
tional method of optical printing. But felt that method I
action of the duplicator, it has an angular field approxim-

offered too much complication, and too many shortcom-
ings. For instance, any type of multiple printing involves
ating that of a 55mm. objective.
a delicate job of matting, and the matte-line between

The duplicator consists of either a prism or a front-sur-
the feet of the dancers and their apparent reflections would face mirror mounted at a certain angle below the lens,
be glaringly obvious; it would shout of "trick photography" with a dividing flap placed along the optical axis of the
lens, normally dividing the lens in half horizontally.
even to the layman, and destroy the illusion was trying I
to create. Also, these methods involve more or less "dup- In use, the upper half of the lens functions normally,
ing" of the negative, with consequent losses in photo- and forms the direct image of the objectin the usual man-
graphic quality and uniformity. ner at the lower half of the camera's aperture. The dupli-
felt sure that some sort of reflecting surface could
I
cating reflector reflects an inverted image of the object
be placed in front of the lens to reflect an inverted image on the upper half of the aperture. These images are only
of the scene into the desired position. It was easy enough half the size they would normally be with a lens of given
to determine that the idea was theoretically sound. But focus, since but half the lens is used to produce them.
it seemed impossible at that time to work out the con- To be of practical utility, the device must of course be
structional details satisfactorily. Several preliminary de- capable of adjustment, so that the reflected image and
signs were tried, but they did not produce the effect I
the direct one may be coordinated. This is done by a con-
wanted. There must be a very definite relationship be- trol which tilts the reflecting surface, thereby moving the
tween the photographic lens, and the size and position reflected image up or down in relation to the direct image.
of the reflecting unit. The dividing flap is also capable of adjustment, and pro-
During the intervening years, both Mr. Harrison and I
vides a clean, natural-looking blend between the two
have carried on considerable research into the problem, images. There is no heavily-defined "matte-line."
and have naturally hoped to be assigned to a production
I These adjustments would in themselves be useless if it
which would make such an effect desirable. That oppor- were not possible to turn the device, to "level up" the
tunity came this fall, when Universal assigned me to direct shot laterally. The entire mount may be rotated on the
An enlargement from a 35mm frame of negative

shot during production. The mirror effect was
lens, and secured in any position from the horizontal to secured by the method described by Mr. Valentine
in this article.
the vertical.
In actual use, the bifocal duplicator ismost simple to
use. Since it shows to the eye exactly what will be seen
on the screen, it is quickly adjusted to produce the desired images can not only be positioned accurately, but made
effect. It may
be adjusted to reflect any desired part ot very smooth and convincing.
the scene: the reflection may cut the scene exactly in half, The
possibilities opened up by this device seem endless.
or comprise a greater or smaller portion, as may be re- It can of course be used as freely and even more ef- —
quisite. Since it is virtually a part of the lens, it is pos- fectively —
in color as in black-and-white. It permits the
sible, once the unit has been adjusted, to pan or dolly making of many types of matte shots; of certain types of
the camera quite normally, retaining the mirrored effect. "wipe" effects; of dual-roles, disappearances, etc., with
A surprising thing about the unit is the fact that al- the utmost facility. The exact effect will be instantly
though theoretically one would expect a considerable loss visible on the camera's focusing-screen, so that not only
in exposure-values, due to using but half of the lens, and
the Cinematographer, but the director and actors as well
to the added glass-air surfaces of the duplicator, there is will know precisely what is being done. There should be
no appreciable loss of exposure. In our preliminary tests, a definite financial saving to the studio in making these
the same scene was photographed simultaneously by an shots directly on the set, without special after-treatment
ordinary camera, and by a camera equipped with the dupli- or delays. The limits of the application of this principle
cator. Both shots were made with the same diaphragm seem to be set largely by the limits of the user's imagina-
and shutter settings. As far as- exposure values go, there tion.
was not a particle of difference between the two negatives: I would
like to pay tribute to Hartley Harrison who, as
both received the same development, and printed on the an optical engineer, collaborated so extensively with me
same light. No difference in density or contrast was dis- in the design of the duplicator, and who, when the design
cernible on the screen.
was finally evolved and an apportunity to make practical
The optical characteristics of these shots are noteworthy.
use of the unit suddenly arose, performed miracles in con-
In a multiple-printed reflection shot, there no apparent is
structing a device such optical and mechanical per-
of
falling off in the definition of the "reflected" image,
whereas in actuality, there should be a certain falling off fection in an unbelievably short time. It is greatly to his
toward the reflection-line. In similar shots made with the credit that the device worked perfectly the first time it
duplicator, this natural falling off is noticeable, adding was tested. With a few minor refinements that actual use
considerably to the naturalness of the effect on the screen. has suggested, the duplicator is being patented, and will
In addition, the blend between the direct and the reflected in time be made available commercially.
12 American Cinematographer o January, 1937
• Dr. Herbert Meyer, A.S.C., who has headed the Holly- • Paul Eagler, New Yorking it. He's hoping
A.S.C.,
is
wood Research Laboratories for Agfa Ansco Corp., has re- the snow stays up Santa Claus land until he finishes his
in
signed from that company to become financially interested background shots for Goldwyn and 20th Century-Fox.
in C. King Charney Inc., American distributors of Agfa While in New York City Eagler is headquartering with
35mm products in America. Frank Zucker.
Meyer will continue in both an executive and scien-
Dr.
He will su- • Georges Benoit, A.S.C., writes us from France that the
tific capacity with the Charney corporation.
Paramount studios which were being rented for the past
pervise much of the local laboratory research work as well
three years will now be closed completely.
as giving part of his time to other executive duties.
Benoit himself is just finishing a production with Sacha
• Frank Good, A.S.C., recently wrote an article for this Guitry, one of France's celebrated authors and actors. His
publication on the use of the exposure meter for balancing next production will be "Blanchette" with Marie Bell. This
set lighting. In the course of the article there was a state- will be the third feature Benoit shot with this star. Fol-
ment made that a certain lens setting would over-expose. lowing the Marie Bell production, Benoit is assigned to
This should have read under-expose. The change was direct cinematography for a Joan Warner picture. Miss
made by our good proof reader who recently bought a Warner is an American appearing in French music halls
brownie. —
the combination of owning a brownie and read- doing a fan dance. Benoit opines it's going to be funny.
ing proof on the American Cinematographer naturally made
• Charles Lang, A.S.C., directing the photography for
him an authority, so he changed Frank's terms. You see is
struggling with the idea of F:16 being the Hathaway production "Souls at Sea" at Paramount
that fellow is still
a smaller opening than F:8. It just can't be it's a larger — studios.
number. Anyhow, those who gloated over this mistake

• Paul Perry, A.S.C., returns to Hollywood next week from
can now go back to their own mistakes and have a good
a trip around the world. Perry has been in Manila for
time.
more than two years, a year in India and Malay and in
• William Dietz, A.S.C., is batching while Mrs. Dietz London for the past few months. He was with the Gran-
visits in Canada. Bill is cultivating a beard. ville Expedition in India. Welcome home, Paul.
• Hal Mohr, A.S.C., started the direction of his first pic-
ture, "Class Prophecy," for Universal studios, under his
dual contract of Director of Cinematography and Director
of Production.
• Milt Krasner, A.S.C., has a two-year-old boy. He has

shot 16mm of Krasner Jr. since he was born. Milt is fin-
ishing his first Kodachrome reel of the youngster.
• Dwight W. Warren, has a unique hobby: he

A.S.C.,
builds telescopes. Dwight does the whole job, even to
grinding the lenses and mirrors. Wonder if our Associate
Member, Dr. W. B. Rayton, who designs lenses for Bausch
and Lomb, doesn't complete the gag by making 16mm.
movies his hobby? If so, he and Dwight ought to get to-
gether. Joe Walker, A.S.C., would make it a swell three-

some, for Joe collects lenses!
• Hal Rosson, A.S.C., got plenty of compliments after the

preview of his latest, "The Garden of Allah," but he's
still trying to figure out whether one telegram from a golf-
ing crony was a compliment or a dirty dig. The wire read:
understand how a guy who plays the kind of golf
"I can't
you do can photograph a picture like that!"
• Dave Abel, A.S.C., is being labeled the "Tap Dancing

Cinematographer" by the boys in R.K.O. studio Dave has
been shooting the Astaire pictures and it is claimed can
Karl Freund, A.S.C., is rickshawing Director Sidney
Franklyn on “Good Earth” location. Whether
Karl is paying a bet or indulging in a new bit
of exercise has not been explained to us.
lanuary, 1937 • American Cinematographer 13
VERSATILITY
UNUSUAL and special though it is in its
characteristics, Super X fills every require-
ment of general cinematography. Proof?
It is used throughout features and shorts
made under every possible eoiiditioii. In
Super X, specialization has surprisingly
led to supreme versatility. Eastman
Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y. (J. E.
Brulatour, Inc., Distributors, Eort Lee,
New York, Chicago, Hollywood.)
EASTMAN SUPER X
PA N r H II O M AT I r N E <i ATI VE
M American Cinematographer • January, 1937
Attacking the Problem of Color Stills

If ifs hard to shoot
Continued from page 7
— use the economical paper prints in color remains. tion Browne, this department
of Milton
1.3 SPECIAL
Several studios have gotten excellent
F results from Chromatone and allied pro-
is laying for on extensive color
plans
laboratory, separate in both plant and
COOKE SPEED cesses. In this process, a black-and-

white print is made from each separa-
personnel from the black-and-white still
laboratory, and turning out hand-col-
tion-negative on a sheet of a special ored stills, Dufay transparencies, and
stripping-paper. After developing the both Chromatone and Corbro prints.
prints, each is toned its proper color Construction is slated to begin soon on
(i.e., the color COMPLEMENTARY to this plant, which it is stated will repre-
that of the filter through which its sent on investment of $10,000 or more.
negative was exposed). The gelatine With o corps of laboratory specialists in
emulsions ore then stripped from their the color field, working in their own
paper bases, and reassembled one over plant, Brown should certainly improve
the other, in register, on o white paper the already outstanding results his staff
base. When the print has dried, the hove been achieving, and moteriolly les-
result is a permanent unit,reproducing sen the costs of color stills. He has very
the picture in full natural color. wisely chosen to specialize in the labor-
Ray Jones and Lynn Vinnette of Uni- atory end, holding that the best results
versal's Still Department have taken a in photographing will come from using
definite lead in this field, using a pro- his regular still photographers, careful-
cess of this general type which they ly coached in color-technique by factory
W’hen the light drops down beyond the have developed themselves. Despite experts, to moke the pictures them-
limited laboratory facilities, they are selves. Results so for appear fully to
safe working point of the average lens . . .
doing excellent work, turning out a sur- justify this course. Virtually oil of his
when a slow motion shot demands that prisingly large number of really fine men hove at one time or another mode
color prints each week. Upon the com- excellent Dufoycolor, and oil received
you open up your lens farther than it can
pletion of expansion now
laboratory special instruction from Dufay factory
possibly go . . . when you have to bring planned, Jones
to be expects
able experts, who hove since praised MGM's
back a negative in almost impossible to produce upwards of twenty first-class Dufays very highly.
color prints per week, at o cost low At Paramount, while research in col-
working conditions — slip in an F 1.3 Spe-
enough to be commercially procticol. or-still work has been retarded by the
!
cial Cooke Speed Panchro and go to work. For color prints of the very highest studio's recent reorganization, Horry
quality, three-color Corbro is unques- Cottrell and his staff hove done excel-
This superb Cooke lens has an unusually
tionably the ideal process. Unfortun- lent work. In addition to hand-coloring
high transmission coefficient, coupled ately, this process is slow, complicated and Dufay, some work has been done
with full chromatic correction —and it’s and expensive. In some instances it with specially built "one-shot" cameras,
has been possible to turn out Corbro and especially in the problem of print-
especially designed to meet today’s emul-
prints for os little os $30 per print; ing from separation negatives. Praise-
sions. For descriptive folder, address in most instances the cost is consider- worthy results hove been hod from
ably greater. In this process, three or- lithographic color-printing, o method
BELL & HOWELL dinary

the three
bromide prints ore
separation-negatives.
mode from
Three
which if used in volume should go for
to reduce the cost of prints, though it
COMPANY appropriately colored Corbro tissues ore

"sensitized" in o both of Potassium
is very costly if used on o small scale.
Now that studio's difficulties ore at an

1848 Larchmont Ave., Chicago
Bichromate, Potassium Ferricyonide, and end, Cottrell has ambitious plans for
New York, 11 W. 42d St. • Hollywood, 716 Potassium Bromide and then immersed meeting the demand for color.
N. LaBrea Ave. • London, 13-14 Great Castle St.
brieflyin o weak solution of Acetic Warner Brothers, under Elmer Fryer,
Acid, Hydrochloric Acid and Formalde- hove concentrated principally on Dufay,
hyde. The tissue is then squeegeed in- and with o new building housing Fryer's ts
to contact with its appropriate bromide department, increased work in color is
A REAr RARRAl^ print, which
has previously been thor- planned. At RKO, Ernest Bochroch is
2 AKELEY CAMERAS, Complete oughly soaked. The two ore left in con- taking o different course, considering it
Each has 6 magazines, carrying
tact for 5 minutes or more, and then
1 better to stick to hand-coloring until
cases, tripod, extra lenses. Both
in perfect mechanical condition. separated. The tissue is then squeegeed o more commercially satisfactory meth-
Camerai K«|ui|»iiiont, Ine. to o well-soaked sheet of transfer paper, od of producing direct color is found.
I 1600 Broadway New York City allowed to remain in contact therewith Several of the studios ore either buy-
for half on hour, and stripped off, while ing or building various types of "one-
the transferred image is developed in shot" cameras. The most popular appear
worm water. The three color-separa- to be the imported Bermphol, and the
’ÛARIABLE AREA RECORDERS tion prints locally-manufactured Curtis camera. A
MTCNT NO. IMSSM. OTHCRS PENOINC
ore naturally superimposed
ALSO
3Smtn to 16 mm in register to form the final full-color fuller description of these and other
REDUCTION SOUND PRINTER cameras will be given in o later article.
print, on on appropriate paper base.
AND
SOUND EOmPMENT While several studios hove turned out There ore in addition several inde-
CaMe address CRSCO varying numbers of Corbro prints, pendent photographic artists who have
C R. SKINNER MFC. Co. Metro-Goldwyn-Moyer seems most ac- done more or less natural-color work
290 TURK STHeCT. PHONE OROWAV 6909
San Frandsco. California U. S. A. tive in this direction. Under the direc- among the studios, usually on ossign-
merit from magazines. James N. Doolit-

tle is one of the leaders in this field,
producing outstanding three-color prints,
and Edwin Bower Hesser, who has devel-
oped his own process, “Hessercolor,"
has a long
covers to
line
his
of excellent
credit.
magazine-
While these two
BiRnoT-mnuRER
monopolize most of this type of work, 35 mm. Model “E” High Fidelity Variable-Area
locally, several others have been carry- sound -on -film Recording Unit . Characteristic
ing on research, and more than a few
eastern color-still experts have from
time to time come to Hollywood on
special commissions.
This development of color photog-
raphy in the studios is bound to have
far-reaching effects on commercial col-
or. The major part of the cost of color
to a magazine is the cost of the nat-
ural-color photograph.
Recording Optical System . . .
Locally, these
costs range from a minimum of The B-M Model “E” Recording Optical system requires no attention after
$150 per picture to $500 or $1,000 per installation, as it is put into permanently correct adjustment before de-
picture, while eastern workers commis- livery. Replacing an exposure lamp has no effect on the optical system
sioned to produce Hollywood "art" may, adjustment if standard B-M lamps are used for replacement.
with transportation, expenses and all,

easily increase the price to $2,000 or BERNDT-MAURER Model "E" High Fidelity
Recording Galvanometer, frequency range
$3,000 PER PICTURE. The economic
0 to 10,000 cycles $350. F. O. B.
result when the studios begin turning New York.
out equally good color prints, and sup-
plying them to the magazines gratis,
will —
be interesting -except to those con- THEBERnDT-mnURER CORP.
I
INCHES
117 East 24th Street • Reiu Varh City I ’I 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7|
cerned in keeping color expensive.
And while our studio "still men" may
not have enjoyed the widespread pub-
licity some of the outside color experts
have received, it is safe to predict that
they will need little more than the ex-
pansion going on right now to equal and
outstrip these more publicized colorists.
Producing Shorts in Tahiti III 1937

cure money to go to the movies. They

are especially fond of western pictures
those we see are from five to six years
old.
Some time ago four youngsters rang-

ing from
island
1 0 to 14 years sailed from an
900 miles away to come to Pa-
Solarspots
patee merely to see a picture. It is un-
canny how the natives can judge direc- for tlio

tion. While there is a school of navi-
gation operated on the island
youngsters make first rate navigators
these
BEST IN LIGHTING
without that knowledge. It seems to be
a sixth sense with them. In other words

they have a feel for navigation. MOLE-RICHARDSON, Inci
These four boys were exhausted when 941 Xo. Sycamore Avenue
they landed as their food had run low.
Their entire supply consisted of native Hollywood, Calif.
fruits and water.
Those natives who know something

about acting, having served for some of
the Hollywood companies that have
come down to Tahiti, are becoming
wise in the way of pictures. The fellow Cinematographic Annual Vol. 1 h'Jow $2.50
who acted forMirnau in "Tabu" is insis-
— —
tent that close-ups be made of him in

any picture in which he might appear.
TKCHNICOLOR
Astro F 1.8
F 2.3
If sufficient
walks off the set.
where the camera
close-ups are
And
must
not shot he
he knows just
be set for a CAMEKA STAAD
3 COLOR CARTOON
LENSES close-up.
The natural beauty of Tahiti is a
photographer's paradise. While spent I
NEW
to be
LIKE
sacrificed for quick
outfit consists of;
sale
Camera stand with motor zoom and

considerable time in the laboratory I
pan table
am sure exposed more film than
I I
1 —
— 75mm.
&
Bell Howell camera No. 759
F.2 speed Panchio lens
would have exposed Hollywood on an 1
ordinary job. was not con-

This
in
film
1
6
—
— Filter
baby spot
sliding mechanism
lights
fined to any particular type of photog- 1
1
— Frame optical glass
Stop motor device with DC motor
raphy, but was over a wide range giving and automatic clutch photograph-
me additional knowledge of photographic ing three color separation frames
2 Bell & Howell 400 ft. magazines
effects because was not restricted to
I
PRICE F °.B. New York

(tnr\r\n
any particular set. It taught me many ONLY Complete
ways of handling sun and shadows when Stand alone without B. & H.
the light source was not exactly to my camera, lens and magazines. .$1 200
Photographs on request
liking. It gave me an education in the
handling of people that could not have
4''ainern Equipment, Inc.
for sale by I
1600 Broadway New York City

secured any other place.
Mitchell Camera Corporation Constant photographing of the na-
665 North Robertson Blvd. tives, scenes in hospitals for the French
West Hollywood, California government and scenes of activities, NEW SUPER
documetary in nature for the govern-
ment to study not only offered a wide
CIAEGILOW
latitude photography, but demanded
of X9
a versatility of expression thatwas ne-
MOVIOLA
FILM EDITING EQUIPMENT
cessary to bring out all the charms na-
tive to the island.
THREE
Recording
ELEMENT
Used in Every Major Studio.

Illustrated Literature on request.
Lamp
Krasner Capitalizes Assets A true, high fidelity,
MOVIOLA CO.
ultra violet, modulating
Hollywood, Calif Continued from page 8
1451 Cordon St. light source.
• High Intensity Expos-
He has long been of the belief ure.
doubtless a hang-over from his youthful • Long Lite.
— • Uniform Quality.
SALES projection
terest
that sequence.
lies
room days
in Star and
that audience in-
Story —and in
Blue Seal
SERVICE In this
what they want.
respect, also,
He
he
lights his set,
gives them
then Sound De vices
Incorporated
RENTALS his stars in balance. He builds his

room, so to put it, then furnishes it. The
resulting composition reveals sharply
723 Seventh Ave.
New York. N. Y.
•• CAMERAS •• etched characters performing in bold re-
against an enhancing background.
BLIMPS ' lief
DOLLIES
ACCESSORIES ly,
On the set, he works swiftly and deft-
aided by a camera crew of several WE WANT TO BUY
years uninterrupted association thai All Kinds of Cameras
MOVIOLAS ^ functions with the well-timed co-ordina- Mitchell, Bell & Howell, Eyemo,
and tion of a Notre Dame backfield. DeBrie, Akeley and other makes.
SOUND EQUIPMENT There is, he confesses, one angle of Also all camera accessories, tri-
pods, lenses, motors, laboratory
his reputation for capitalizing visible
Exclusive Eastern physical sometimes
and cutting room equipment.
assets that is dis-
Representative for tressing. Whenever the studio has gar-
We Pay Highest
Cash Prices.
MITCHELL* CAMERA CORR nered a stage or radio celebrity and tests
Get in touch with us at once.
• FEARLESS PRODUCTS- are in order, he is requisitioned for the
important assignment. This, he swears,
Camera Equipment, Inc.
•HARRISON FILTERS- 1600 Broadway New York City
•ARRO LIGHTS- inevitably occurs while he is between
pictures and is just stepping up ta the
TEAGUE BACKGROUND PROCESS!
first tee or climbing aboard some
J.Burgi Cort+ner friend's boat for a holiday. But as it all
adds to the family exchequer, he bears
MOTION PICTURE manfully.
it
Usg
. juc« anA
CAMERA SUPPLY He has presided over cameras in
most of the major studios. Currently he
Effvcls ioDaytirnv'Fo»j Scvnvs-
Hiffu'svd Focus, ani many cHicr rffrcts
Inc. Wfth any Camera " In any Climate
is of that hand selected band of front- ''Goorae H. ScKeibo
723 7tb AVE.
NEW YORK ORIGINATOR OF EFFECT FILTERS
CITY flight cinematographers carrying the 1927 WEST 7S™ ST. LOS ANGELES. CAL
PHONE CABLE
BRYANT 9-T754 CINECAMERA new Universal banner. Under that
studio's policy of encouraging the utmost

of cinematographic achievements, films
of notable significance can well be ex-
pected to flow from his cameras. Sure-
ly, audiences will like them. And that,
when all is said and done, is the ultim-
ate cinema criterion of the day.
GRUSH PASSES
9 Mr. Merton
of C. P. Goerz American Optical
E. Crush, president
Mitchell Cameras
Company, died suddenly on Dec.
1 ,
at his residence in Winchester,
AND ACCESSORIES
Mass.
Mr. Crush became president of
Bell & Howell Cameras
the C. P. Goerz American Optical
Co. at the time the ownership of Moviolas

the company was acquired through
Make our office your head-
purchase by a group of Amer-
Panoram Dollies and Blimps quarters when shooting back-
icans. He was always keenly in- grounds and scenes in New
terested in the success and growth York. All necessary cameras
of his business. \eu' and used equipment is
for backgrounds and other work
aUvays available are immediately available.
Our SERVICE DEPARTMENT, under experienced tech-

nicians, does every kind of camera and studio equipment
servicing and repairs.
A. S. C. On Parade
rz _ - _ _

cmn€-Rfi €QUN>m-€nT, ino
rieui York Ci+tj
l600>Broaduuay
• Harry Perry, A.S.C., went a-hunting
for deer up in Utah. His hunting pal was CoJ€e, AOORESSi CINEQUIP
Captain A. H. Hardy, one of the coun-
try's best known all-around marksmen;
representative for the Peter Cartridge 1 nder the personal snpervisio/i of FRANK ZL CKER
Company for the past 40 years. He took
^
Hardy along to show him how to shoot; 1
how an expert really bags a deer. Harry

got a deer and Hardy is still up there
banging away trying to get his first for
the season.
Everything Photographic
for Professional and Amateur
• Max Dupont, A.S.C., is Hollywood
in
New and Used, bought, sold, rented and
from Tahiti on a visit. Max has been repaired. Designers and manufac-
away from these shores many years. turers of H. C. E. Combination
lens shade and filter-holder
for any size lens.
• Fred Jackman, A.S.C., has gone real
Hollywood Camera Exchange
estate. Fred opened a subdivision adjac-
1600 Cahuenga Blvd.,
ent to Lakeside golf course.
the The Hollywood
Tel. HO 3651
Jcakman subdivision has its own private
Cable Address: HOcamex
lake. Fred's doing it in a big way . . .
Send for Bargain Catalog
and the lots are really selling.
• Paul Eagler, A.S,C., went east

for the Goldwyn company to make pro-
35MM
cess shots in and about New York City.
Paul will be away for about a month.
---CIXEX--- FRIED
• Light —
Testers Polishers used by all
major studios. We are the Sole Mfrs.
LIGHT TE§TEU
In use by Hollywood Laboratories.
• Len H. Roos, A.S.C., suffered a and Distributors.
tragic loss in the recent death of Mrs. • Mfr. of 16mm and 35mm
Recording Price Complete $625.00
Heads, Amplifiers, Developing Machines,
Roos while Len was making travel-films
in North Africa, Mrs. Roos had for
Printers, Etc.
Fried Camera Co.
CINEMA ARTS— CRAFTS 6154 Santa Monica Blvd.
some years been a victim of severe pul-
914 N. Fairfax HE-1984 Hollywood, Calif. Hollywood, Calif.
monary ailments, and was at home in
California at the time of her death.

Len made one of the fastest air-and-

Fully Guaranteed Used 35mm Equipment sea dashes on record in his race against
death from Algeria to Hollywood. The
Mitchell, Bell & Howell, Akeley, Holmes Projectors, Sound and Si-
DeBrie, Universal, Pathe Cameras. A.S.C. extends its sincerest sympathies
lent.
to Len, the more so since Mary Roos
Portable Sound Recording Outfits. DeVry Suit Cose Model Projectors.
Eymo and De Vry Spring Driven We was one of the most popular of A.S.C.
buy, selland rent
Cameras. wives.
anything Photographic.
Camera Su|»ply Co., Ltd.

• Many messages for the holiday were
1515 No. Cahuenga Blvd. Hollywood, Calif.
Cable Address: CAMERAS received from members over sea. Some
were for the society itself and others
for individuals. It was fine to see that
mail pouring in during the Holidays.
Perhaps a few felt a bit home sick.
However, we envy those who partook of
a bit of Ye Olde Englishe Plumbe Pud-
TRUEBALL dinge and a spot of ole.
TRIPOD HEADS • And for those over seas here's one

ALLOY
OF SPECIAL that will make you feel a bit jealous.
LIGHTER WEIGHT The studios here Hollywood actually
in
The Same Efficient Head closed for the three days of Christmas,
For follow shots, known for Saturday and Sunday.
their smoothness of opera-
tion and equal tension on
all movements. • And say you fellows over there, here
Unaffected by temper- is another bit of news. The Santa Anita
ature. track opened as usual on Christmas day
Model B Professional $300.00 and of course the usual thing. Some are
Model A for Ama- out and some are in.
For Bell & Howell and Mitchell teur motion picture
Cameras and their respective cameras. Attaches t^
any standard STILL
Tripod. With the ORIGINAL Tripod, $12.00. • It's a bit too early in fact several
instant release telescopic
Trueball tripod days or we would tell you who won the
handle.
heads are unexcelled Rose Bowl game.
for simplicity, ac-
curacy and speed of
FRED HOEFNER operation.
• There was a liberal painting of snow
GLodstone 0243 The Hoefner four-
inch Iris and Sun- on the mountains over Hollywood during
$319 Santo Monica Boulevard shade combination the Holidays. You missed something.
LOS ANGELES, CALIF. is also
product.
a superior
The weather was also o bit unusual we —
had a darn good thunder storm.
Film Te^fc^d Laboratory and Sound lle€*ordiii|n> Ef|iiipment
Art Reeves
MOTIO.\ PICTI KF E<|UIPME1ST
(Ur> North Martel Avenue Cable Address ARTREEVES
Hollywood, California, U.S.A.
1 O
‘i&iD
‘
p. O . :
LIQUID FOUMDATIO
AAAKE -
A KEVELATION IN FACIAL
To ALL CAMERAMEN
o ur gratitude
and appreciation
for the part we have
been privileged to play
in this great industry
and its artistic improvement

particularly
during 1936
1 BRULATOUR, Inc
E.
EASTMAN FILMS
show every film at its best-
on a Filmo sound or silent
projector ******
Before you buy any projector, make one simple visual
test. Take a film of your own and run it through the
projectors under consideration. Check, point by point,
for brilliance and uniformity of illumination. For flicker-
free, steady screen pictures. For sharpness of focus. In
sound projectors, for natural musical quality and clear,
crisp speech reproduction. Then examine the projec-
tor. Check its drive, its controls, its ease of operation
and maintenance. See if the moving emulsion touches

any stationary part. See if it has metered lubrication.
Bell & Howell Filmo silent and Filmosound projectors

give you all of these— and more— because they are
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Don’t buy any projector until you have seen these great
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Filmosound 138
A one-case sound-on-film projector for home, school, and
BELL & HOWELL COMPANY
club use. Projects silent films, too. 750-watt illumination. 1848 Larchmont Avenue, Chicago
i6oo-foot film capacity. Special wide range amplifier using NEW YORK • HOLLYWOOD . LONDON
new all-metal tubes.
Filmo Auditorium Projector,

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This, the most powerful of 16
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Filmo JJ Projector {Right)

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Filmo JJ is fully gear-driven, even
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January
1937
H
. 1
'
\
4^
ii
•k WE’VE GOT OLD MAN WINTER LICKED! k

O LD Man Winter used to chase
the movie cameras up on the
closet shelf.
and panchromatic. Its speed in
fully
daylight is approximately that of the
famt)us Agfa Superpan.
Then . . . thanks to Agfa Fine-Grain And speaking of Superpan ... don’t
Superpan . making indoor movies
. . forget to keep a supply on hand for
became a favorite winter sport. those indoor shots. Superpan gives
And now thanks to a brilliant neti'
. . .
your indoor movies the same depth,
Agfa film you can go outside and
. .
.
brilliance and detail that Hypan brings
get just as good outdoor movies today to your outdoor work.
as you'd get on the 4th of July. Agfa Hypan comes in 100-foot rolls
This remarkable new film is Agfa at S6.00, and in 50-foot rolls at S3. 2 5.
6mm Hypan Reversible Film. It is Agfa Fine-Grain Superpan Reversible
amazingly more brilliant and gives . . . comes in 100-foot rolls at $7.50 and
you sparkling screen results with in 50-foot rolls at
$4.00. All prices in-
added snap and luster. It is fine grain clude processing and return postage.
AGFA ANSCO CORPORATION, BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK
II
AMATEUR
MOVIE
SECTION
Contents . . .
RUTH STUART WINS Triple Recognition

in 1936 Contest 25
CUTTING TO BALANCE Atmosphere

and Action
By Baron Basil Wrangell 26
A FAMILY SCENARIO of Interiors

By Stan Barry 28
SOCIETY
DRAMATIZING a Cow Proves
Good Business
OF AMATEUR By J. R. Jameason 30
HOW TO SHOOT Kodachrome Light Effects

CINEMATOGRAPHERS By Harold Rosson, A.S.C 31
WHEELS of Industry 32
BOARD OF REVIEW AMATEUR MOVIE Club News 34

John Arnold, President, A.S.C., Executive Direc-
tor of Photography, M.G.M. Studios
Next Month . . .
Karl Struss, A.S.C., Director of Photography,

Paramount Studios, Academy Award Winner, • The Cinematographer in the
Professional
studio has a language all his own. He has
1928
given names to articles, equipment and acces-
sories that are colorful. We will give you
Fred Jackman. Treas., American Society of
some of these names next month and tell you
what they mean.
Cinematographers
• There will be more about the Prize contest
Dan Clark, A.S.C., Director of Photography, pictures. We will give you the list of winners
"Country Doctor," 20th Century-Fox of honorable mention.
• We will also give you the cue music to the

David Abel, A.S.C., Director of Photography of prize winning productions. This is music to be
Fred Astaire Productions, R.K.O. Studios picked from practically any record catalog.
t*
ti
W hetlier you'ro start in<i the year with a new “Xmas'

eamera, or the old. resolve now to <iet “full value'
from the time and money you invest in your j)hoto>i
raphy . . . from loday on. A weston will insure eor
reel exposures . . . eomplete satisfaction , . . e\(‘r\
time you use your camera. See the westox at yom

favorite dealer's today, or write for literature . ,
Weston Electrical Instrument ('or[)oration, 598
Frelinjihuysen A\(miuc, Xt'wark, New Jersey.

1 9 3 6
Ruth Stuart Wl N N E R S
RUTH STUART, Manchester, Eng-
land. Received the award for Out-
Wins Triple
standing Film of
phy and Documentary film
contest. Photogra-
for the
one entry "Doomsday," a subject
approximately 200 ft., 1 6mm.
MYRON F. PETTENGILL, Lynn,
Recognition Mass. Received the award for Scen-
ario pictures with his production
"The White North." 16mm.
in 1936 Contest JOCELYN F. HOLLYWOOD,
York City was awarded the Home
New
Movie trophy for his picture "Two

Kids and a Pup." 8mm.
ach year the contest sponsored by the American J. KINNEY MOORE, Beverly Hills,
E
the
Society of Cinematographers through
seems
8mm
to bring
cinephotographers have been
forth a surprise.
this
setting
magazine
For several
the
years
pace,
Calif.,
special
was awarded recognition
class created
"Special Effect Photography" for his
for his
in
picture
a
but never has any of them reached the goal achieved this picture "Nite Life." 16mm.
year by Miss Ruth Stuart.
L. CLYDE ANDERSON, Salt Lake
Miss Stuart has been a contributor to this contest every
City,Utah, was awarded the medal
year for the past three years; in 933 1 she was given the
for Color photography, for his picture
medal for travel pictures.
"October By-ways." 16mm.
Her 200 ft. 6mm subject "Doomsday" was also award-
I
ed honors in the British contest conducted by the British

Institute of Amateur Cinematographers. In the American
Society of Cinematographers contest just closed she was wanted it and finally a compromise where it is agreed one
given a recognition for the Outstanding picture, in pho- day the boy is to hove the pup and the next day the girl;
vjgraphy and Documentary pictures. the children thus to alternate for peace's sake.
It will be surprising to many that this unusual honor Then is shown how the boy plays with a dog. He goes
should befall a woman. Photography, by the unwritten to a wooded lot, pretends to be hunting, etc. The girl,
law, is supposedly the realm of the male species. Miss however, treats the dog the same as she would a doll.
Stuart, however showed such a fine understanding of the Makes clothes for it, dresses it up and places it in the
value of pictures that move, how to fabricate these mov- doll buggy.
ing photographs into an interesting document that would Then comes the day when the decides to cheat girl
hold any audience anywhere in the civilized world. For a bit and rushes home to be the first have the dog. When to
a person who films she must have developed a stony heart the boy arrives she has the dog completely covered in the
in order to cut as judiciously as this picture indicates. doll buggy. However, at the crucial moment it rears its
There is a tempo to the production that is very seldom head and the fight is on.
achieved by an amateur. There are no obvious pet shots The mother then decides to settle the controversy by
or scenes. Each sequence, each scene, each picture was having the children stand at one end of the yard while
left in the production for a purpose to give it atmosphere she takes the dog to the other end. They are to call the
to help the story along. dog and the one to whom the dog goes is to play with it
Miss Stuart is not only a photographer, but she is an that day. They are set, the dog is let loose and just at
editor and a cutter of high ability. Her selection of types that moment another dog passes by and the pup rushes
and the manner in which she hadled them shows a large between the children after the other dog and thus the story
measure of directorial ability. ends.
It was the belief of the judging committee that Miss Hollywood's cutting and photography were good. And the
Stuart was richly deserving of the honor bestowed upon handling of the whole picture was highly commendable.
her. Kinney Moore receives the first recognition of that
J.
Myron F. was awarded the trophy for Scenario
Pettengill type offered by the society to an amateur. The medal
pictures. This is a 16mm
film of about 400 ft. It is a for Special EffectPhotography for his picture "Nite Life."
story of the Northwest Mounted. Pettingill is to be com- This, by the way was shot in color.
mended for his direction, his types, and the way in which The story is merely a fabrication to take care of the
he costumed his people. He injected little touches in his many trick things Moore wanted to do. He uses split
characters that left no doubt as to what they represented. stage a great deal. His work has been done very smooth-
He costumed them convincingly. It had many indoor ly. For instance you see him from his bed, while he
rise
scenes and of course a large amount of outdoor snow still lies there, much as they do in death scenes in the
scenes. There was a fine handling of the camera. professional movies when the soul is supposed to be leav-
The Home Movie award went to Jocelyn F. Hollywood ing the body. Possibly we will have to credit Mrs. Moore
for his 8mm picture "Two Kids and a Pup." The subject for some of this work as obviously Mr. Moore played the
was truly home movie in nature. A brief continuity that part of the two in one person. However, according, to
showed the pup being brought home; both boy and girl Continued on page 37
— —
he first thing anyone should realize about "cut-
T
scissors.
ting film"
as much
There,
is the fact that a good cutter does quite
of his job with his brain as he does with his
suspect, is where many a good 16mm.
I
and 8mm. meets its Waterloo: the scenes are neatly

film
spliced together; the bad shots and fogged frames are cut
out —but beyond this elementary assembling, the film
isn't really "cut" at all, in the professional film-editor's
sense. Actually, this stage should be only the beginning
of the job: the point where you can stop thinking of your
film as a collection of individual scenes and begin to view
it more broadly, as a whole production.
From then on, you've got to ask yourself, "Does this ad-
vance the idea my production is trying to put over, or is it
side-tracking it?" Generally speaking, a picture, like a
train, should be kept on the main line; but sometimes it
is just as necessary to slip onto a side-track. Knowing
—
when to do this and when not to is what makes the —
difference between good editing and bad.
One of the most important of these little side-tracks
is what the "atmosphere" or "local color."
writers call
Rightly used, it willmake any
picture more convincing.
Wrongly used, it can make even
a good film seem os bor-
ing as one of those political orators who talk all night and
say nothing.
"Atmosphere" may be defined as the innumerable little
details which combine to make up the individuality of any
given place. When you are actually there, you may not
notice them consciously, but they nevertheless form a sort Cutting
of identifying pattern in your mind. If, in a picture, they're
missing, you not realize what it is, but you know some-
may
thing is wrong, and you feel that the picture is somehow
incomplete —
unconvincing. Sometimes these things are big;
sometimes they are little. Anyone who has been in Chi-
cago, for instance, will remember the wind on Michigan
Avenue, and the unique whistle-notes of the traffic police- sequence. That is the logical way to present things, for
men. In New York, the ubiquitous "15 and 5" on taxicabs we've only let the atmosphere intrude at a time when some
is as much a part of the scene as is the more publicized change in action or locale has made a break in the audi-
skyline. On the other hand, much of the intimate action ence's train of thought.
you'd shoot on a vacation Yosemite could conceivablyin There is, for example, the sequence in which Wang re-
have been filmed somewhere else: but if you give the audi- turns to his home in the country. The first shot of the
ence a glimpse of Half Dome or El Capitan somewhere in sequence is made lacking through the cart in which he is
the sequence, they know it's Yosemite, even though the riding. We see Wang in the cart, and the bowed top of
close-ups were really made in your home-town park! the cart serves as a frame for an extreme long-shot of the
You will have some sort of "atmosphere" to contend valley in which the native village lies. Everything seems
with in almost every type of picture, regardless of the sub- the same as when he last saw it: and in the succeeding
ject-matter. In some films — especially travel reels — the atmosperic shots, the audience sees the countryside and
atmosphere is virtually the story. In others, the atmos- its details through Wang's eyes. When the cart stops,
phere, while subordinate in importance to the action, is and Wang is ready to get out and find his friends, the
nevertheless an important part of the picture. In still local color is thoroughly established, and we are ready to
others, the atmosphere, while it can't be wholly eliminated, carry on with the story. Yet there is no feeling that the
must be very distinctly only a background for the action story has been interrupted! When, in the background of
and an unobstrusive background, at that. later shots, we see these details —
when we see the coolies
"The Good Earth," which
Professionally, a picture like ploddingly working the treadmill that pumps water to ir-
somewhat spectacular example
recently edited, offers a rigate the rice-fields —
the long-horned, shaggy buffalo
I
of the blending of atmosphere and action. Dramatically, the dyked rice-fields —

the terraced hillsides the crumbly- —
"The Good Earth" has a very strong story. At the same walled village —
we aren't surprised: like Wang, we knew
time, the action is laid in a richly atmospheric locale. And they would be there. We'd seen them before; they had
that background ploys a vital part in the lives of the char- become a natural part of the picture.
acters portrayed. The background itself helps you to It was the same with many other important sequences.
understand why "Wang" and those around him act as The start of the picture, naturally. The locust sequence.
they do. The city sequence, where through Wang's eyes, we saw
Just the same, that background can't be allowed to leap the sights of a teeming Chinese city that had so much won-
forward and stop the story: so how do we arrange it? In der for a poor country farmer.
general, we establish our atmospheric background at the Of course, in a film like "The Good Earth" we had a
beginning of a sequence, and then let it flow along as a rather extraordinary problem in balancing action and at-
natural undercurrent behind the action of the rest of the mosphere. Not every production offers such a wealth of
^
A scene from “Good Earth’’

— It pervaded with
mosphere”
is
of
“at-
a Chinese
countryside.
a crystal formation in a mineral. You could get the whole

thing over within one or two micrographic shots of the
to Bal ance crystals. But that would leave a lot of questions un-
answered. What kind of mineral was it? What did it look
like? Where did it come from? How was it found? Was
Atmosphere it picked up, or mined?
in its
How was it prepared: was it kept
natural state, refined, smelted, alloyed, cut, flaked,
or broken? How was it magnified to make the shot; in
fact was it magnified at all? If so, how much? If you
and Action answer all of those questions —

and all but the first and
the last can best be answered in pictures you'll have a
pretty complete reel leading naturally up to the actual
—
cinemicrographs, which form the climax of the "story"
your picture is telling.
by Suppose, on the other hand, that you visit the Shanghai
Baron Basil Wrangell race- track to see the race for the Sassoon Cup. Your actual
Film Editor of "The Good Earth." story is, of course, the race itself. But it's the local color
that will make your film different from any other horse-
race at any other track. If you miss that atmosphere,
you might as well have stayed at home and filmed a race
atmospheric material, nor does it offer such spectacular for selling-ploters at the county fair! You should begin
opportunities to make it an integral part of the story. But your picture with some shots that definitely establish the
nearly every picture has some atmospheric color that has facts of Shanghai: the Bund; the amazingly cosmopolitan
to be blended with the action to make a coherent, con- crowds in the Foreign Quarter —
Occidentals of all nations
vincing whole. And most of them can be handled in this —
and classes natives; Mandarins, War Lords, coolies, and
same way. the like — —
the bearded Sikh policemen from India glit- —
The same treatment can be applied
And don't make
to home movies, too.
the mistake of thinking that you haven't
tering Rolls-Royces 'rickshaws —
wheelbarrows. Through
these shots, work progressively ond quickly closer to the
a dramatic story in your home movie, you haven't a story race-track enclousure. Show the track itself, and its set-
to tell, or that you haven't local color to establish! You
have, if you will only stop to figure out what they are.
ting. —
Then show the crowd faultlessly clad Britishers, as
formally correct as though they were at Epsom on Derby
Every picture worth making —certainly every picture worth — —
Day uniformed French precise Jopanese, camera in hand
showing, has same idea to get across to whoever sees it. — pretty Chinese girls in their heavy silken pajama-like
That's the story! The people or things portraying that costumes —
wealthy Chinese merchants in elaborate, skirted
idea have to move against some background, and that
background will inevitobly have details that differentiate
—
gowns brisk, Americanized "young China" in Hart-
Schaffner & Marx suitings and straw hats. Next show the
it from any other. There's your otmosphere! Blend the stocky little Manchu ponies and their riders: you can't find
two judiciously, ond you have a complete picture
thot tells you what is done, shows you unmistabably where
—
one their like at Santa Anita or Churchill Downs! Finally —
the race itself!
it is being done, and (if necessary) who is doing it. make are the more "homey"
But perhaps the pictures you
—
Take the least likely subject say a photomicrograph of Continued on page 36
A Family Scenario of nteriors for Winter

uring winter weeks of indifferent sunlight and
D frigid exteriors
indoors for activities.
many amateur cine-cameras
Here, with lighting conditions
completely under control, photographic values and mood
turn Shooting
can be definitely set and subjected to the creative talents
of the home cinematographer. There is no more conveni-
ent nor suitable location for this exercise than your own
by
home, nor better players for your lens than members of
Stan Barry
your own family. So here is a bit of domestic drama
that requires practically no staging. Yet it is opportunity
for effective family portraiture which will find valued
place in the household film album.
This skeleton scenario makes continuity easy to attain
hand comes into the scene extending a small or child-
in the editing. It permits endless variation to accommo-
size cake pan. It gets a pinch of flour from Mother.
date your particular menage. Mother plays the main SCENE 12: CLOSE UP. Daughter's two chubby hands
supporting role with Daughter, or Daughter and Son, or
any casting combination your home contains, in stellar
shaking the tiny baking pan
SCENE MEDIUM SHOT.
— just asMother did.
13: Mother takes the bowl
character parts. You are free to operate in your multiple of batter as if to pour it in her cake pan. Daughter makes
identity of producer-director-cameraman-electrician and
violent protest. Smilingly, Mother lowers the bowl to
financial backer.
Daughter's level. Daughter takes an overflowing spoonful
MAIN TITLE: of batter and transfers it with great attempt at neatness
SCENE 1 LONG SHOT. Full figure view of Mother in to her miniature pan.
—
:
kitchen busily occupied at kitchen work-table. SCENE14: CLOSE UP. Daughter's little hands one
SCENE 2: MEDIUM SHOT of Mother at the table. A grasping the cake pan, the other the spoon as the batter —
spread of cake-making utensils nad materials is recogniz- is smoothed out very evenly in the pan.
able on the table as Mother is vigorously beating with a SCENE 15: MEDIUM SHOT. Mother hears the tele-
spoon the batter in a bowl. phone bell off-stage, places the batter bowl on the table,
SCENE 3: CLOSE-UP. Mother's face as she is in- hurries away — into camera.
tently stirring the mixture. CAMERA TILTS down to SCENE 16: LONG SHOT. The telephone stand in
catch her hands engaged at the mixing bowl which can your home. Mother enters rapidly, from camera, takes
be seen together with its whirling contents. CAMERA receiver and enters into conversation.
PANS slightly to pick up opened cook-book leaning against SCENE 17: MEDIUM SHOT. Daughter, at the table
cup, its pages evident. INSERT of portion of cook-book own devices, places her pan on the table,
alone, left to her
page with the identifying recipe caption "Chocolate Cake," reaches up and gives the batter another stirring.
to establish the fact that cake is in the making. SCENE 18: CLOSE SHOT. Daughter is stirring the
SCENE 4: MEDIUM SHOT. From a low angle. batter. She stops, looks about the table at the collection
Kitchen door opens Daughter appears, makes a survey of of materials spread out there. Taking the flour sifter,
the kitchen scene and then scampers in. she tries to add more flour. But it is empty. She puts
SCENE 5: MEDIUM SHOT. Mother at the table. it down and looks for other suitable ingredients to add.
Daughter runs in. On tip-toe oeers into the bowl. An Her hand picks up a large salt container, brings it above
inquisitive little finger steals into the bowl. the bowl, tips it up and long streams of salt flow freely
SCENE 6: CLOSE SHOT. Daughter's finger wipes a and continuously into the batter until they dwindle away,
sample of cake batter from the bowl, makes fast time to the container empty. Again, Daughter helpfully stirs the
her mouth. She tastes the sample elaborately and critic- batter.
ally. It wins her approval. SCENE 19: MEDIUM SHOT. At the telephone. Mother
SCENE 7: MEDIUM SHOT. Mother at table with concludes her conversation, turns away to the kitchen.
Daughter avidly interested at her side. Mother reaches SCENE 20: MEDIUM SHOT. Daughter stirring the
tor flour sifter, proceeds to sift the last bit of flour from batter. All traces of the salt have disappeared. Mother
it into the batter. Daughter must help; she begs to handle comes in, takes bowl and empties contents into her cake
the flour and reaches for the sifter. pan.
SCENE 8: CLOSE SHOT. Daughter's tiny hands sift- SCENE 21 LONG SHOT. Mother takes up her filled
:
ing the flour into Her face beaming proudly.

the bowl. cake pan and Daughter takes hers. CAMERA PANS to
SCENE 9: MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT. Mother stirring follow them to the stove where both pans are placed in
the flour into the batter. Daughter insists she take a turn the oven. As the oven door closes, we FADE OUT.
at it, is awarded the spoon and stirs as best she can. SCENE 22: FADE IN on LONG SHOT in your living
SCENE 10: MEDIUM SHOT. Mother takes over the room. It is late afternoon. One or more neighbors or
stirring process from Daughter. Then, the batter com- relatives must have dropped in and are being given tea by
pleted, Mother takes up a cake pan, sifts into it a dust- Mother and Daughter.
ing of flour. SCENE 23: MEDIUM SHOT. Mother serving the
SCENE 1 1 : CLOSE SHOT. Pan being shaken by freshly-baked cake.
Mother to distribute the flour evenly. Daughter's small Continued on paê 39
character. By some unknown means, the camera empha-

sizesthem. But they must be natural. The camera is
quick to detect and magnify artificiality in this regard.
The first visit of the selected unknown is to the make-
up room. Here, under photographic light, the face is
studied. Particularly with women, the hair has much to

do with appearance.
facial It is a frame for the picture.
The hairdress adopted by most women is not necessarily

the most advantagous coiffure from a pictorial angle. We
do not hesitate to rearrange it with particular eye to the
play of light and shade on the new style.
Any obvious physical defects, such as a blemish or two,
can be taken care of with make-up. You can get the
same make-up that we use, in small inexpensive kits with
directions for application. It is worth toying with. You
want your players to look as well as possible on the screen.
With appearance taken care of, we search for a role
suitable for the individual capabilities of the candidate
for acting honors. We don't expect a jolly chap with face
lined from smiling to portray a dour character. try We
to make it possible for him to be himself. feel this to I
Scene from S. D. Child’s picture, “I’d Be Delighted be extremely important in casting amateur actors. Don't
To.’’ This picture evidenced great care and
many rehearsals. require too much character acting from them. Pick peo-
Making Cinema Stars of Amateurs

SUPPOSE I am closer to the acting problem of the ama-
teur film maker than the average studio executive.
I For my job has to do almost entirely with amateur ac-
by
tors; amateur in the sense, at least, of being without pro-
fessional experience before studio cameras, although many S. Sylvan Simon
of them have well-won reputations gained from the theater Test Director, Universal Studios
or microphone. am the one who directs the screen tests
I
you read of in your favorite, if any, movie chatter column.

My work is very much parallel to that of the amateur
cinematographer who is searching for an acceptable cast
to enact a playlet before his camera. The procedure we
have evolved from long experience may be helpful to you.
It is no idle rumor that Hollywood studios ore constant-
ly on the lookout for new faces, new material for the end- pie for your parts who are of themselves the needed char-
less film manufacturing process that carries on year after acters. A comic should be a comic, not a stooge.
year. Actors ore our stock of trade. They ore what we A college boy is pictorially a better campus character
moke pictures of. Old ones become obsolete. New models than is an insurance salesman of the same age and get-
must be found to take their places. up. So, the insurance man is pictorially a better business
Here at the new Universal studios, we hove o special character. A nurse in nurse's costume is —
a nurse. But
department engaged in this work. It functions os o sepa- some other young lady, even though she be your wife's
rate but complete producing unit and it deals mostly with — best friend, in the same costume is not perforce a nurse
actors unfamiliar with camera technique. I'll tell you on the film.
how we go about getting results. With a suitable part for the applicant to play, or with
overage around forty interviews o day with applicants
I our play suitably cast, we are ready for the camera. First
for film work. Many ore movie-mod gals whose main is a make-up test, with actor in costume and make-up.
reliance is o cosmetic kit. A few hove potential and sin- It runs 65 to 100 feet of film, in 35mm. of course. It is
cere possibilities. These ore the ones we take in hand worth while, for in it any pictorial deficiencies can be
for testing. checked. The actor is in repose, sitting usually, and the
In these applicants I look first for o reasonably normal shot includes the face fram profile to full face ta the
and presentable appearance. But personality is what I
ether prafile —
thus getting all the angles.
watch for. An individual with winning personality will New Your playlet is in script farm,
for the actual acting.
transmit that characteristic to the screen. The reverse is af caurse. Give a copy to each actor. Let him study it
likewise true. If you place a dull and cold personality in at leisure and get the spirit of the thing. Then tell him
your picture, it simply will not have a warm appeal to you your conception of the story as an entirety, and its devel-
or your audiences. apment scene by scene. Give him time to commit it to
By personality, mean individual traits, mannerisms, memory.
—
I
expressions, facial gestures the visible indications of Continued on page 40

-
Dramatizing a Cow Proves to be Good

T IS A MOOT QUESTION whether persons of exceeding
I
innate resourcefulness and creative
amateur cine-cameras or whether
pulsively attracted by
ingenuity are im- Business
the usage of the compact cinematographic instruments
brings to the surface and develops these estimable human
qualities.
by
Either way, the fact
cine-filmers are wholly
constantly being evidenced that
is
capable of turning out cinematic J. R, Jameason 4

i
compositions of such originality of conception and mag-

nificence of production as fairly to astound the onlooker.
Indeed, these smaller cameras seem to offer constanr He was convinced that a film properly made would be
challenge to the individual's inventive talents. Where good investment. In the face of three previous disap-
mechanical limitations of the equipment leave off, sheer pointments, he was tackling a tough assignment. But the
creative expedients move in. very thoroughness with which he was forced to prepare
Outstanding instance is the 2,000-foot 16mm all-color his preliminary material contributed in no mean measure
film, "The Story of Linetta," produced las tyear by Frank- to the film's ultimate success.
lin P. Judson, a comparative camera neophyte of but four He wrote a story —on paper. He put it in scenario
years leasing experience. form —on paper. He selected some four hundred loca-
Frankly, it is a commercial picture designed to further
the advertising program of Adohr Milk Farms, a promi-
tions —
and camera set-ups and put them on paper. In
fine, much thought and consideration went into the plan-
nent Los Angeles producer and purveyor of dairy products. ning of the picture.
And, as such, it is pertinent example of the 16mm film's Then, synopsis in hand, he visited and conferred with
invasion of industry formerly usurped by the larger 35mm various groups —
women's clubs, civic organizations,
relative.
A
staunch believer in modern publicity media, the Adohr
schools and such —
and ascertained their interest in a
film to be produced to this plan, thus assuring future
concern had, during the previous ten years, contracted audiences for the picture.
for making of three professionally-made films.
the Re- He devoted three months to shooting the picture —
sults were not entirely encouraging.
were coldly commercial.
Firstly, the pictures and every one of the four hundred scenes was shot ac- m
Secondly, the promised theatre cording to script! Another month went to cutting, edit-
showings did not always materialize and audience response ing, titling and the recording of musical and narrative
was vague and untraceable. accompaniment on discs. Four months of patient work
Judson is a member of the company's publicity staff. and an expense sheet running above the five thousad dol-
lar mark. A sizable undertaking with a photographic
instrument frequently labeled a "toy."
He used no professional actors, built no sets. The film
is an actual document of actual events, and he had to
grab them as best he could.
His star is, as the title implies, Linetta, a buxom but
beauteous matron scaling some one thousand pounds. The
film traces her life and her upbringing from the time she
was a mere seventy-two pound infant to her triumphant
coup of annexing top national honors in the only type of
beauty contest she could enter. Linetta is a prize-win-
ning champion Guernsey cow, pride of the famous Adohr
milk-producing herd.
Except for the fact that practically all of the scenes
take place on Adohr farms and ranches, there is no ad-
vertising whatsoever in the picture.
Judson's deft imagery makes a "glamour girl" of Lin-
etta as surely and by the same means as a studio cine-
matographer englamours his two-legged stars. The screen-
spectator finds himself warming under a definite sympa-
thetic attitude toward the young lady and shares in her
ultimate victories. Suspense is exciting os the judge nar-
rows his selection to Linetta and a competitor in the finals
of the championship competition. In short, he has taken
a most commonplace subject —
a cow, albeit a very noble
lineaged cow —
and dramatized it into an absorbing item
of screen entertainment.
Upwards of one hundred thousand people have seen this
film since it was first exhibited in January of this year.
O NE OF THE first things to learn in any kind of col-

cinematography is the fact that good lighting is
or
good lighting whether you ore shooting black-and-
white or color. In other words, it has been my experience
both with Technicolor and with Kodochrome that the mere
fact of color does not demand on uninterestingly flat light-
ing. That myth originated years ago, when it was a real
problem to get enough light to make a color-film expos-
ure in any process. found it possible to balance my
I
lighting in 'The Garden of Allah" exactly as would had I
I been shooting black-and-white. In my substandard

Kodachroming, also light exactly as
I would in black- I
and white. In each case, get a better effect than

I I
would in monochrome, because color gives me a more

natural picture than can monochrome.
Of course you must use more light in shooting color,
for the light has more to do. In Technicolor, the light
that makes your picture is spread out over three separate

films. Kodachrome, it must act upon three separate
In
emulsion layers in the one film. With more work to do,
but no more time to do it in, there must simply be more
light to do the job. But as the Eastman emulsion experts
are constantly increasing the sensitivity of their films,
especiallyKodachrome, we are finding it possible to use
lessand less light all the time.
In any event, the safest course to take in exposing Still of Marlene Dietrich in “The Carden of
Allah” photographed in color by Harold Rosson,
Kodachrome is to follow the dictates of your exposure- A.S.C.
How to Shoot
meter. The Technicolor people centainly have had more
experience shooting color than any other group in the
world, and notice they carefully check up on the lighting
I
Effects
of each scene with a special Weston photocell illumino-
meter. If they can take time to do this on productions
where the overhead is mounting at the rate of many
hundred dollars per minute, we home-movie makers cer-
tainly should do so too.
There is an old saying among photographers, "Expose by
for the shadows; the highlights will take care of Harold Rosson, A.S.C.
themselves." It is an excellent axiom for black-and-white,
but it does not hold true in color. With any color process,
the highlights are the troublesome things; if they are
overexposed, they become just a colorless white glare. So
in color, the safest rule is to expose for the highlights,
to keep the light altogether away from these shadows,
and balance the shadows to them. since the process has considerably less latitude than black-
The matter of shadow-lighting depends to a great ex- and-white; but you should see to it that there is a con-
tent upon the kind of shadows you want. In any event, siderable difference in intensity between the middle lights
don't be afraid of shadows in a color shot. They "make" and the shadows.
the picture, even more than they do in black-and-white. For more normal effects, you naturally want more light
And on you can control the sha-
interior scenes especially, in your shadows. For this sort of thing, a good ratio is
dows to suit your need. You can get soft, luminous half- 1 That is, one-third as much light in the shadow areas
:3.
shadows, if you want wholly natural effects. And you can as in the highlights. An easy way to balance your light-
also get rich, jet-black shadows if you want stronger ef- ing to this ratio is to light your highlights first, taking
fects. Personally, I revel in the latter type of shadows as readings with the "B" (normal) pointer on your Weston
Kodachrome reveals them: the process gives you shadows of meter. When this illumination is built up to the right
such body you feel that they might almost have been cut point to give a good exposure, take further measurements
from black velvet. of the shadow-lighting, keeping the dial on your meter
For this type of shadows, simply light for your high- set as befare, with the "B" pointer on the highlight read-
lights and middle lights, and keep the light away from ing. If your shadow-side reading corresponds to the light-
the shodowed areas as much as possible. You don't have Continued on page 38
WHEELS
OF INDUSTRY
VIII. High Speed Photography not exceed 4 '/4x4 '/4x3 Its optical
IX. Stereo-Photography: (a) prints equipment consists either an f/6.3, of
(b) transparencies(c) motion pictures f/4.5 or which may be fo-
f/3.5 lens
8mm Camera X. Photography in Physics and Chem- cused as close as 3 ft. Manipulation
istry: (a) X-ray spectrography (b) cos- is simple setting of lever actuates
• Bell & Howell Company mokes the . . .
has started deliv- mic and other ray effects (c) miscel- mirror and shutter simultaneously. The
announcement that it
two new lower-priced Double laneous ground glass finder shows an image of
ery on
These XI. Photographic Sensitivity: (a) the subject sharp delineation and for
in
Eight motion picture cameras.
Company's photographic effects (b) light-sensitive critical focus, a magnifier is provided.
cameras differ from the
other,and earlier, Double Eight model substances The PILOT 6 has 3 essential speeds,
XII. Miscellaneous 1/25, 1/50, and 1/100 second, also
(134-A) only in the following respects:
IZ'izmm. F3.5 instead of IZ'/zn-'m. All correspondence in regard to the time and bulb. Other refinements in-
Exhibition, or requests for entry blanks clude easy observation of diaphragm

F2.5 lens; handset footage dial ratner
should be addressed to the Secretary, stops from camera, place for
top of
than automatically reset footage dial;
The C. B. Neblette, F.R.P.S., Department of cable release, wire frame finder for eye-
no viewfinder field area masks.
Photographic Technology, Rochester level observation and tripod socket.
lens seat is the same as the present
Filmo 8mm. cameras so that lenses moy Athenaeum and Mechanics Institute,
Moving
be interchanged at will. The new cam- Rochester, New York.
eras are Model 34-C with 8, 16, 24,

1
• Neumode Products Corporation of
O Burleigh Brooks announces the DOL- 427 West 42nd Street, New York City,
and 32 speeds at $49.50, and Model
LINA II, a miniature camera using moving its present quarters on the
134-D with 16, 32, 48, and 64 speeds is
at $54.50.
35mm. cine film — possessing a coupled, 4th floor, and will occupy the entire 7th
built-in range finder and selling with floor of the same building.
• Burleigh Brooks announces a new varying lens equipment. A range finder The larger quarters were made neces-
RCLLEICORD camera in the 6x6cm. of conventional type and precise optic sary with the addition of a completely
(2'/4"x 2'/4") size. This model is now is synchronized in this camera with the equipped modern machine shop, where
equipped with either a Zeiss Triotar camera lens. It has a rapid Compur in addition to the other work, experi-
f''4.5 or f/3.5 lens and has a high-speed shutter with speeds up to 1/500 sec- mental and development work will be
(f/3.2) focusing finder lens. Addition- ond, automatic counting and film lock- carried on.
al refinements include a Depth of Focus ing device, optical, tubular view-finder Oscar Neu, president of the Cor-
F.
scale, eye-level observation of ground and readily accessible focusing knob as- poration, announces that the new quar-
glass image and automatic film trans- suring quick and accurate focus. It is ters will be officially opened on Decem-
port. fully self-erecting. A sturdy cast metal ber 30th.
body encloses all the delicate parts. Its
O An International Exhibition of Ap- dimensions are: 5x3 '/ixl 2/3 inches and New Foth Camera
plied and Scientific Photography will be it makes 36 exposures on 24x36mm • A new Foth-Derby Camera incorpor-
held in Rochester in March, 1937, under cine film. It comes equipped with
ating all the advantages and refine-
the sponsorship of the Rochester Scien- either the Xenon f/2, the Xenar f/2.9,
ments of the standard instrument has
tific and Technical Section of the Pho- the Tessar f/2. 8 or the Radionar f^2.9.
been placed on the market. This mode!
tographic Society of America. The ob-
has an all cast metal body and is pro-
jective of the exhibition will be to show Expansion vided with a dependable, optically pre-
examples of the application of photog-
cise,built-in range finder.
raphy to the various branches of science © Harry Lott, who for the past twenty
and technology. years has handled sales and service for
Palarization Filter
The following sections have been or- Bell and Howell's New York City office
ganized ;
is now associated with Motion Picture • The Kin-O-Lux Company of New
I. Color Photography; (a) processes Camera Supply, Inc., acting in the same York City announce the taking aver of
in detail (b) transparencies (c) prints capacity. the Marks Polarization Filter. According
II. Astronomy and Metrology J. Burgi Contner, having recently as- to their claims this filter consists of a
III. Aerial Photography sumed sole management of the organ- single crystalline sheet with effective
IV. Photomicrography: (a) metallog- ization, advises that Mr. Lott will also polarization throughout the entire vis-
raphy (b) other subjects direct service work and repairs on lab- ible spectrum. They claim high trans-
V. Medical Photography; (a) prints oratory and camera equipment in the parency, uniform color response and
(b) radiographs (c) motion pictures newly equipped machine shop. that it does not scatter the rays. They
VI. X-Ray in Industry O Burleigh Brooks announces a new claim it can be used in ordinary filter
VII. Documentary Photography: (a) camera, the PILOT 6 a reflecting — mounts without lens hood. They claim
small film library work (b) instrument camera making 16 pictures on 120 roll- a light transmission of almost 50% or
reading (c) miscellaneous film. Its dimensions when closed do an increosed exposure time of one stop.
6
UNDISPUTED LEADER OF THE 16 MM. FIELD
BASIC FEATURES
Adjustableopening shutter
•Variable camera speeds
from 8 to 64 frames per sec-
ond • Ground glass focusing
• Interchangeable 100- and
200-foot film chambers •
One- and eight-frame hand

cranks for forward or reverse
film winding • Individual
foot meter • Single frame
counter • Double lens turret
ACCESSORIES
Tripod • Tripod truck • Masks
of any desired design»Six in-
terchangeable lenses ranging

from 1 5 mm. wide angle to 6-
inch telephoto • Lens exten-
sion tube outfit for filming
objects as small as .047 inches
in width • Electric motor
drive • Electric release con-
trol outfit • Remote control
outfit • Reflex finder image
magnifier
. . . here, obviously, is the outstanding camera in the

1 mm. field. See it at leadirrg Cine-Kodak dealers'.
EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY, ROCHESTER, N. Y°.

:
34 American Cinematographer January, 1937
AMATEUR MOVIE
CLUB NEWS
film that has received an award at any previous club con-
test will not be accepted.
• The Portland Cine Club has closed a busy year. The
nnual election was held by Angeles
A
the Los
annual prize pictures will be announced in February. Sec-
8mm club on Saturday night, Dec. 19th. Dr. F. R.
retary Arthur E. Gibbs announces more than a dozen prizes
Loscher succeeded Dr. Henry Linek as president.
will be awarded.
Other officers elected and installed were J. E. Walters,
vice-president, and M. R. Armstrong, secretary. • The Los Angeles Cinema Club held its annual meeting
The meeting was opened by retiring Vice-President Earl and banquet on December 1st in the dining room of the
Janda in the absence of Dr. Linek, who was sick. Los Angeles Stock Exchange club. More than a hundred
This annual affair of the 8mm club takes the form of were present.
a banquet, cocktail party and dance. There were more This dub has an annual contest among its
instituted
than 00 present.
1
members. This year their pictures
were judged by the
The winners of the annual contest included Alexander members of the Sunkist Movie Makers. Mr. Elbert Grif-
Leitch for his picture "Gun Law," the second prize went fith of that organization was present to announce the find-
to Clifford Carpenter for his picture "Dod's Day Off," ings of the Sunkist organization.
and the third prize went to Bion Vogel for his picture The first prize went to Mr. Guy Nelli for his picture
"Rowdy's Pals." There were eight prizes in all to be com- "The Lost Wax Process." The second prize was given to
peted for by eleven entrants. Major Rutland for his film "Yosemite in Color"; the third
• Titles and Editing was the subject of the November award went to I. 0. Levy for his picture "Our Vacation,
meeting of the Philadelphia Cinema Club. This talk was July, 1936"; the fourth to Franklin Skeele for his picture
given by Mr. Neil P. Horne of the Home Movie Service of "Clouds for Sale." The fifth prize went to Dr. A. Free-
New York City. The Horne organization specializes in bairn for his picture "Magnet"; the sixth prize went to
16mm photography and projection, according to the an- Fred L. Wright for "San Joaquin Valley," the seventh to
nouncement, and is at present making several industrial Ed Pyle for "Death Valley and Boulder Dam."
and commercial films. Mr. Horne presented sample titles The new officers elected for the coming year were as
to illustrate his talk. follows: Dr. LeRoy Bailey, president; A. L. Gram, vice-
The December meeting which was held on Tuesday night, president and Dr. A Freebairn, secretary.
December 8th, in the Gold Room of the Engineers Club, had
• Japan is now going to be numbered among those coun-
as its main speaker Dr. James Monroe Thorington, Editor
tries conducting annual contests. Fred C. Ells who was
of American Alpine Journal.
awarded a prize by this magazine several years ago for
• The Metropolitan Motion Picture Club held its Decem-
his fine production of "Rice" and who last year contributed
ber meeting on the 10th of the month. The speaker of
that beautiful picture "In The Beginning" is among those
the evening was J. D. Smith of the Fairchild Aerial Sur-
sponsoring this competition. He sends us the following
veys Inc., who spoke on Filming from the Air. He de-
notice
scribed interesting experiences and suggested means of
"His Excellency Prince Yamashina, member of the Japan-
obtaining successful results in this type of movie shoot-
ese Imperial Family, as Honorary President of the Sakura
ing. He projected two of his own reels taken from the
Kogata Eiga Kyokai, issues a world-wide invitation to all
air.
amateur 16mm. movie makers, to participate in Japan's
Other screenings were films made by Sidney Moritz.
first international amateur movie contest, closing August
He presented "Italy" and "The Nearest East." A school
31st, 1937.
play, "The Spanish Grandee," was projected by Vincent
"An accomplished cameraman himself. Prince Yamashi-
McGarrett. Miss Annette Decker showed "From Geyser
na heads the Empire's largest movie club of nearly seven
and Lake."
hundred members, among whom are K. Tsukamoto and
• The Metropolitan Motion Picture Club held its Decem- F. C. Ells, medal winners in several international contests,
structions for advanced amateurs and a group of talks and many other enthusiastic workers. The Sakura Eiga
far beginners. These discussions take place immediately Kyokai, which translated reads, "Cherry Amateur Movie
after the screenings. Society," holds meetings monthly, at which technical lec-
This club alsa announces an increase in their member- tures are given by outstanding amateurs and professionals;
ship dues from $3.00 to $5.00. publishes a bi-monthly magazine in Japanese which is dis-
The club's annual contest closes on January 1st. The tributed to members free of charge, and holds club com-
rules are as follows: All entries must be in 16mm or 8mm petitions twice a year.
size. The maximum footage is 400 ft. for16mm and "Japanese amateurs have contributed liberally toward
200 ft. for 8mm. There will be three groups. Travel competitions in other lands and now look forward hopefully
and Scenic; Photoplay; Miscellaneous. No limitations as to seeing the best work the Western movie makers have
to color. Only members in good standing are eligible to to offer for 1937. Further particulars regarding the com-
compete. A member may enter only one film in any petition may be had from Mr. C. Aochi, care R. Konishi &
group and not more than two in the entire contest. A Co., Muromachi San Chome Nihonbashi, Tokyo, Japan."
H-
I'
p-
^ÊAR by year, VICTOR SUPREMACY has
blossomed with greater vigor and fidness than ever
before. 1936 brought increases in popularity, and

necessitated enlargements in facilities, and additions to
personnel that shattered all previous records. Mindful
that this growth was fostered by the confidence of dealers
and users whose first consideration is for Quality and
Integrity, VICTOR pledges a Future Quality of Product
and Calibre of Service that we hope will be looked upon
as a fitting mark of appreciation.

Cutting to Balance Atmosphere and Action

SERVICE For
Cinematographers Who Need Continued from page 27
^PROJECTION PRINTS 16mm & 8mm
9 FROM 35-28-17.5-16-9.5-8
9l^>^rn &
^16mm
8mm DUPLICATES
NEGATIVE Cr POSITIVE
sort — informal glimpses your own
of action, it is best to tell it in close shots.
For instance, the dog that brings in the

Your own home
9 PRINTING & DEVELOPING family.
much local color, if
has just as
you'll only stop to newspaper. Show a two-shot of the news-
9_COPIES TYPE-HANDLETTERED
MAPS-CHARTS-PHOTOS
of
think about it. What are the things boy giving him the folded pa.oer. Then
9 Lbb ALL EFFECTS & TRICKS
I II that make your home different from that a close follow-shot of the dog trotting
They are the things into the house. Finally, o close-up of
9 LEICA & MEMO PRi*hfTiNC^ of your neighbor?
that will make your home movie differ- him putting the paper in his master's
Geo. W. Colburn ent from any that anyone else could lap. From this, you can proceed with your
Laboratories
Special Motion Picture Printing make! don't mean the obvious things, other scenes of the master and the rest
—
I
1197 MERCHANDISE MART— CHICAGO necessarily the house itself and its fur- of the family.
and the family. There is always a question about get-
nishings, or even you I
mean the little details — the cat curled ting these atmospheric shots. Editing a
picture already mode, you simply have
up by the fireplace, or your dog calmly
usurping your private chair; Junior's toys to make the best of what you actually
"•In ArtlaiuF" care'essly scattered about the place; one have. But you'll naturally get the best
’This is a genuine authentic and un-
of Sister's dolls sprawled rakishly on the results if you keep an eye open for local
censored motion picture of the ac-
tual daily routine of events inside piano. And in this sort of picture, litt'e color while you are shooting if you —
one of California’s largest Artland characteristic cctiors are as truly atmos- plan for it ahead of time. A profes-
Colonies. Over fifty disciples of ART
are shown in outdoor games, athletic pheric as places or things. knew a man I
sional film editor seldom has much op-
stunts, at rest, dining, swimming, and
who had a cat whose pet trick was to go portunity to be in on the planning. He
all the daily normal life as carried on
in an Art Colony. Scores of beautiful to the window and spit at an imaginary takes what the director gives him. But
women and men with perfect form dog; another, whose dog always brought he is working with a man who appreci-
and physiaue are to be seen in this
film. An ideal picture for artists and the newspaper in to his master. They are ates the value of atmosphere, and takes
sculptors to work from. care to get it. Some directors have an
part of the atmosphere that makes
16MM. — 100 Feet - - - - $5.00
all
one home differ from another. They inborn instinct for such things, and shoot
.1. .1. llAEE<mA]%'
5657 De Loneore Ave. should certainly be glimpsed in a home their action and atmosphere with such
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA movie. precision that very little editing is need-
Getting down to details, how should ed; they virtually cut with the camera.
we cut these atmos.oheric shots into our Others, equally successful, haven't this
picture? Should they be close-ups, or knack, but they take endless .pains to
long-shots? provide sufficient footage of everything
Generally speaking, think that whereI
so that the film editor has a world of
the atmosphere is part of a background material to select from: innumerable
— as in "The Good Earth," or the Shang- varied angles, 'ong-shots, medium-shots,
BINDER hai race —

it should usually be presented and detail close-ups.
expose a tremendous amount of fi'm, but
Some of them may
in long-shots. You aren't so much inter-
Holds ested in the details, as you are in the they leave no stone unturned in their ef-
12 copies of composite effect produced by them. And fort to give the editor a complete selec-
in a case like that, if you single out onv

tion of material.
Americon a
particular detail or individual, your audi- The non-professional filmer has, in
Cinemotogropher
ence will jump to the conclusion that it way, a certain advantage over the pro-
and costs only fessional. Usually he is his own Camera-
is a part of your story, rather than the
atmosphere. They will expect to see man, his own Director, and his own Film
$
2 00
. ^ more of it later. Of course, there are Editor. Perhaps he hasn't a Van Dyke's
instinct for cutting with his camera. Cer-
exceptions; some atmospheric details
American Cinematographer tainly he can't afford to expose the end-
simply demand closer shots, just as in
1782 N. Orange Drive real life they would demand closer in- less footage a professional could. But
Hollywoiod, California since he himself is to edit the scenes into
spection. In a Chinese setting like thot
of "The Good Earth," the coolie-power a complete picture, he is in an enviable
position to foresee just what he, as edit-
water pump calls for closer shots; but
PROFESSrONA L unless the water-pumpers are to figure or, willneed, and to shoot it.
view of can't help hoping
9 HAIVD SET 9 in the story, we needn't be interested in In all that,
that a little thought in the amateur's

I
6mm-Titling —
close-ups of their faces; their feet, end-
1 6mm Editing- 1
film-editorial capacity will prevent him
lessly climbing the treadmill, are more
Ray Motion Picture Laboratories from letting his enthusiasm for pretty
important. In the same way, the wild
114 N. Catalina Ave. cameraman run away with
animals of Yosemite or Yellowstone are shots as a
Redondo Beach, Califarnia
importont .parts of the atmosphere, and him. In too many amateur films you will
should be shown in close shots. But if see a .nretty scenic shot effective in —
none of your particular picture-party is itself — fol'owed by two, three, or half-a-
feeding the bears or the deer, you'd bet- dozen duplicate scenes, identical except
C I N E A N D
MINIATURE ter make your close-ups of the animals for some small detail of filtering or ex-
CAMERA MORGAN
CAMERA being fed by offstage hands, and avoid posure. Once is enough! The most beau-
SPECIALISTS SHOP getting close shots of .people who aren't tiful shot, repeated, loses effectiveness
SUNSET AT VINE a real part of your cast. with each repetition. The ideal thing
HOLLYWOOD the other hand, where your atmos-
On todo would be to be so sure of the best
phere is more a matter of characteristic way to treat a shot that you only need
January, 1937 o American Cinematographer 37
to shoot it once. you must ex-

But if
periment, don't weaken your picture by

showing all the less successful "takes"
on the screen. There is a great deal of
See YOUR
merit in the way one celebrated photog-
rapher used
photography.
to teach
He would give them o
his pupils still- HOLIDAY MOVIES
camera with only a single plate in it,
and tell them, "Bring me bock a picture.
on a
Take all day to make it if you wish.
Make sure that you can't possibly im- Da-Lite Screen!
prove either your subject or the way you
photograph it. But only expose that one you thought that taking those Christ-
plate —
and bring me back a picture!"
If
mas movies was fun, just wait until you
Finally, here's a suggestion I gleaned see them on a .Da-Lite glass-beaded The Da-Lite Chall enger
from a 16 mm. reel one of my friends Screen You will be amazed at your
I
picture-taking ability. Millions of tiny

made motor tour he and his wif3
of a
glass beads, embedded in the screen sur-
made. All along the trip he got shots
face, assure maximum reflection, of light
of his wife pointing out scenery. These
and bright, sharply defined screen im-
were excel ent introductions to the scenic ages. Un'ess otherwise specified, the
shots. But he was too busy to get any glass-beaded surface is standard on all
shots of himself. He realized this, and Da-Lite Portable Screens. Many ex-
planned beforehand how to get around clusive convenience features make Da- — the most popular portable on the mar-
it. When he got home, he made a dozen Lite Screens the easiest to operate as ket. Can be set up anywhere and raised
well as the most efficient. Styles and to height desired. Catch automatically
or more shots of himself, sitting at the locks screen support in place. No thumb-
wheel of his car, busily engaged in emp-
sizes from S.^.OO up. See them at your screws. Seven sizes 30"x40" up to —
dealer’s today or write for folder! 70"x94" inclusive.
tying a wicked-looking bottle down his
throat. When he cut his picture, he used
DA-LITE SCREEN CO., INC., 2723 No. Crawford Ave. CHICAGO, ILL.
that as a "running gag." Every time he

opened a new scenic sequence, he show-
ed his wife pointing out the s'enic feat-
ures. And he showed himself too busy
wetting his whistle to be bothered about
— clA-lLITIE S CREIEhIS
scenery!
if
It made the picture complete,
not altogether characteristic.

furnished a series of amusing, human
And it
AND MOVIE ACCESSOWIiIs:
touches —
laughs that balanced the im-
pressiveness of the scenic pictorialism.
3'iltellte -ituvliton
Foto Shop 16mm
CRYSTAL BEADED SCREENS
Ruth Stewart Wins FILM 82.19
2 lOO ft. Rolls - - 84.00
Moore's report there was a fine bit of FOTOSHOP Pit ICES

co-operation and certainly a great deal aro LOWEST!
of painstaking and careful figuring to By maintaining our own laborator-
secure the smooth results. ies for the processing of CINE and
L. Clyde Anderson was an given STILL films we can speedily and
efficiently your order at big
award for Color photography, for "Octo-
fill
savings.
ber By-Ways." We want to congratu-
late Anderson
Mr. for his selection
RAPID PANCHROMATIC
of colors.
It is one of the very
per 100 roM $3.50
first amateur pictures we have seen ft. . . .
where color was really properly balanced. You’ll never know how much true
There were no harsh notes to distract,
quality your pictures hold until they’ve
JLTRA-RAPID PAN $4.25
been projected on a BRITELITE TRU-
VISION Crystal Beaded Screen. These 2 100-ft. rolls $8.00
but he chose scenes where the ensemble
screens are scientifically produced from
blended and where there was a fine eye- the finest materials available. They FREE CIRCULAR
resting balance of color and also color bring out every desirable tone and
was obvious that An-

—
quality of depth in your film actually sent on request giving details on
composition. It make your pictures appear sharper! our ECONOMY cine films.
derson used haze on his outside

filters BRITELITE-TRUVISION Crystal
Beaded Screens are sold in all popu- MOTION and STILL picture equip-
scenes as the sky does not have that lar types, sizes and models, priced to
ment bought, sold and exchanged
postcard-blue effect, but has been re-
duced to almost a gray haze which noips
suit individual requirements.
. . . most liberal allowances at —
Write for New 1937 catalog of com-
the fall colors in the trees and does not plete line of Screens and A ccessories
tK-or get it from your dealer.
take the eye away from the main points
of interest.
MOTION PICTURE SCREEN
FOTOSHOP. Inc.
The medal awards this year are in 136V^-A West 32nd Street
the form of a pen and pencil desk set, & ACCESSORIES CO., INC. New York City
the colors being black and silver. In 520.W. 26 STREET » NEW YORK, N. Y.
the center of the set is a sphere repre- As usual, entries came from practic-
senting the world, with the eastern and ally every country in the civilized world.
western hemispheres engraved on it. The contest was truly world-wide in
This is to represent the world-wide na- nature. Next month we shall give tne
ture of the contest. On this sphere is names of those who were given honorary
L E S E K p!aced the raised man and the sphere is mention and other highlights of the con-
In the manufacture of Coerx Lenses, engraved with the award given. test.
conscientious and intelligent applica-
tion is displayed in each successive
process —from the careful selection of
the optical glass used to the last, ulti-
mate polish and adjustment of the lens
elements.
KINO-HYPAR Anastigmat for
Professional and Amateur
f 2.7 aand f
to
3.
100mm.
Focal Lengths:
Use.
15 How to Shoot Kodocrome Light Effects
CINECOR High Speed Lenses.
Ideal for Color work as well, f 2.7
and f 2.5. Focal Length: 40 to Continued from page 31
00mm.
telestar
photo
—
type,
1
lens of the tele-

value number one point to the LEFT of ground fall off into inky shadows. One
f 4.5. Focal Length.
6 1 4 to 13 1 2 inches. the "A" (left-hand) pointer, the sha- of the most effective scenes in "The
CINEMATIC ACCESSORIES
Including the Coerz Effect Device, the dow is receiving approximately /3 as 1
Garden of Allah" was the scene where
Coerz Variable Field View Finder and Charles Boyer admits to his wife that
the Coerz Reflex Focuser
much light as the highlight. Increase
useful . . .
and precise instruments that enhance or cut down your shadow illumination by he is a renegade monk. In that scene,
the pleasure of movie making. we see only Boyer's tortured face,
moving your lamps nearer to or farther
Send for Cataicg ts i strongly illuminated, against a sky
C. P. Goerz American Optical Co.
from your subject until the meter tells
317 East 34 Street New York you you have struck this ratio —and lighted by a setting sun.
ii...3d feet —
The scene
far longer
there you are, with your lighting nicely
than any possible combination of act-
balanced
ing and photography could have carried
Semi-silhouetted “contre-jour" ef-
the same treatment in black-and-white.
KVEItYTIII.XG fects can be very effective in color-shots In general, women should receive a
f4ir 5lovie ^laker of people against a strongly illuminated relatively soft lighting in color as in
16imn. Film Splicers, combined
background, with only enough front- black-and-white, while men's faces call
editing, cutting and splicing
machine, parabolic mag. light striking the figure to avoid a ful- for more vigorous, contrasty treatment.
mirror $ 8.95
Film Rewinds, sturdy, perfect, ly silhouetted effect. But in making The same is true of photographic dif-
from 2.95 these shots, as we did several times in fusion. Diffusion is rarely advisable in
Tripod Screens, Crystal bead- "The Garden of Allah," we found that
ed, ;30"x40" 19.95
long-shots, but in medium-shots and
Humidifying Film Cans, 400' as we progressed from the long-shots to close-ups in color it can be very pleas-
reels .44 the close-ups, it was necessary to use ing. And as you move the camera
Safety Reels 400' 7"
Steel -
more front-light the closer we came. closer to your subject, you can use more
si>ecial .42
Get our prices before you buy This was not for any strictly technical and more diffusion, naturally using more
reason, but because in the closer shots for close-ups of women than you would
s. iK s. c;oiii* »
audiences expect to learn something for close-ups of men. But if you are
1600 -F Broadway New York City
from the facial expressions of the going to intercut the two, don't diffuse
players. To reveal those expressions, we the close-ups of your ladies and use no
CRAIG
needed a stronger front-light. diffusion on similar shots of men; that
Italways well in any cine lighting
is discloses the trick, and robs it of its ef-
to concentrate the illumination more on fectivness.
the face than on the figure. Of course, Finally, remember that in color, even
SPLICER and REWINDS in a picture of a pretty girl, the face more than in monochrome, it is import-
is by no means the only attraction; but ant to have what a professional calls
it should be made the focal point of
the audience's attention. The surest
a "key light" —
a main source of light
from one side or the other. Suppose we
way to do this is to make the face the have a long-shot of a person sitting in
central point in your lighting scheme. a chair, reading. The logical main
By the same token, the central point source of light would be the reading-
of interest in the face itself should be lamp beside the chair. Your actual il-
CRAIC JUNIOR COMBINATION S8.50
junior Splicer with two geared rewinds the eyes. Arrange your lighting so lumination probably cannot come from
1053
all mounted on 21" board.
CRAIC MOVIE SUPPLY CO.
So. Olive St. Los Angeles, Cal.
that the eyes are the dominant feature
through being the most strongly illumin-
that lamp —
but by having it come from
that side, it can apparently do so. If
ated. Then let your illumination fall you move in to a close-up, the reading-
off on the rest of the face. If you have lamp may no longer show in your pic-
16mm 1
4ii«xneral Eine }
a good reason for it, you can even cast ture, but the same key-light should be
strong shadows across parts of the face; maintained. You may actually use a
Supersensitive - — Panchromatic 16mm
— they make very effective close-up light- stronger light from that side, or a
NEGATIVE Positive Film
100 ft. . $5.00
ings in color. But remember, keep the weaker one; you may fill in the sha-
.
Specialists in Developing — Printing,

eyes dominant!
When you have a strong face to pho-
dows differently, or add new light some-
and Editing where else to model the face more
Titles
GENERAL CINE SERVICE tograph —

one that expresses really in- pleasingly: but the main source of light
204 East 18th Street New York teresting character —
color helps you to should still be from the same general
make the face dominate your composi- angle the "key light" from the reading
Sound Silent
1 1 tion. Don't be afraid to let the back- lamp would logically come from. Larger
)
units, using either the new "No. 2" ment value and audience appeal, and
photofloods or even the mogul-based be without open sales solicitation. The
Aiinoiincifig
4" cold picturization of factory processes
'"No.
stronger
photofloods
source-lighting,
ore very useful
while does not suffice.
MARKC
for this
the regular "No. 1" photofloods, either For this work, he finds the 1 6mm. POLARIZATION FILTERS
the handy clamp-
medium eminently satisfactory both for Photographic Grade
in stand units or in
leasing and for projection. Portability A Marks Polariza-
on reflectors, ore fine for the general tion Filter inserted for
and efficiency of current projection in your regular fil-
"filler light." But don't forget the im-
equipment solve many a problem. ter mount and ELIMINATING
portance of establishing and maintain- clamped to your GLARE AND
camera lens will
ing the "key light," for in finding it, you eliminate glare REFLECTION
will have found the key to your whole Family Scenarios and reflection in IN YOUR
photography, will PICTURES
problem of lighting. bring out detail
Continued from page 28 more clearly, ob-
viate halation, offer a truer rendition of
textures and surfaces, improve the value
SCENE 24: of color in color photography and achieve
CLOSE UP of Mother as
Dramatizing a Cow Proves to be she puts piece of cake in mouth, tastes
sky effects otherwise unobtainable.
be used with any film on all movie or
May
Good Business
it —and registers vast astonishment. Fol-
19mm
stillcameras.
$5.75 25mm $7.75
low with CLOSE UPS in similar veiri 31 mm . . $1 1 .50 39mm .... $1 2.75
of the other partakers of
51mm $16.75
tea. ( unmounted
Continued from page 30 SCENE 25: CLOSE SHOT. Daughter Booklet M-8 on request
looks from face to face

—
in surprise and KIX-O-LUX. Inc.
All are in the delivery area of the com,- inquires Sole Distributors
A projectionist and full projec- TITLE: "What's the matter?

105 West 40th Street New York
pany. Isn't
tion equipment for picture and soui'd the cake good? Mine is." . . .
are furnished without cost to interested SCENE 26: MEDIUM SHOT. Daugh-
groups. The picture on special 2,000
is ter jumping up and scurrying from the
feet reels. A 1,000-watt Bell & Howell scene.
projector is used and,

images have been thrown as far as one
hundred and sixty feet
in hotel
to
ballrooms,
fill a full-
SCENE
distressed
ess.
27: MEDIUM SHOT.
guests and embarrassed host-
The
CINEQUE PRESENTS
sized theatre screen. To the casual on- SCENE 28: MEDIUM SHOT. A NEW LINE OF
looker, nothing is lost in detail or ef- Daughter rushes in, bearing her small
fect by
color
Its
this
film.
long range throw from the
intense audience appeal lies in the

cake from which one piece
sliced.
SCENE 29: CLOSE SHOT. Daughter

has been
16MM
cutting her cake, a piece for each guest,
treatment and in the
it brings real farm life before city dwel-
basic point that
which are handed about. MOTION PICTURE
lers. Judson tackled a homey, earthy SCENE 30: CLOSE SHOT. Mother
The tastes her portion of this small cake.
subject and treated
peaceful quietude of the farm, and the
it in vein.
She makes it wondering
evident she is
riLivio
why it tastes so different from the pre- SEMI-ORTHO
placid contentment of the cow, are cap- per 100 feet
3250
vious larger cake slice. Follow with . . . .
tivated in mood and key. Simplicity of

CLOSE UPS RAPID PANCHROMATIC
in similar vein of the guests
titles and absence of wipes, dissolves
and approving the cake.
per 1 00 feet .... .$4“
and other tricky effects required by — tasting
ULTRA-RAPID
PANCHROMATIC
camera limitations âdd to rather than — and
SCENE 31;
Daughter.
CLOSE
Mother
SHOT.
is
Mother
questioning
per 1 00 feet .... $5“
subtract from the film's value. Eastman SUPER-X Pan-
her young what might be
helper as to chromatic NEGATIVE
As an advertising medium, it is strict- wrong with her cake. Daughter gives it and POSITIVE
ly institutional in category. In far- a modicum of thought. Then her little
per 100 feet .... $7“
the Adohr people be- Pr ices Include Processing
sighted fashion, face lights up with a possible answer
lieve that company prestige gained by She runs out of scene. DUPLICATING ENLARGING
TITLING EDITING
showing the care given their cows will SCENE 32: MEDIUM SHOT. The Write to
be reflected in a greater public appre- expectant circle of guests.
Cineque Laboratories, Inc,
ciation and buying of its products. Re- SCENE 33; MEDIUM SHOT. Daugh-
123 W. 64th Street
sults to date prove the correctness of ter comes skipping in merrily. In her
New York City
their premise. The fan mail resulting hand is the empty salt container. Proud-
from a showing is surprisingly large. ly she hands it to Mother who now has
It is the first endeavor to dramatize the solution to her puzzle.
modern milk production, to visualize the

SCENE 34: MEDIUM SHOT. Mother
shakes her head in patient resignation,
scientific as well as the practical side
of this important food supply. It is es-
mourning the inedible cake. The guests 16mm Sound Recording
smile knowingly. Daughter takes up Full studio facilities for adding speech,
sentially educational in nature; the ad- music, and effects to 16mm silent
her piece of her cake and eats at it
vertising content is so subtle as not to films
proudly. Berndt-Maurer high-fidelity recording
be obtrusive. SCENE 35: CLOSE UP. Daughter's Exclusively.
Fifty cents a foot.
Of so-termed commercial films, Jud- face, a wide happy smile making proper McLarty Motion Picture Service
son has arrived at the firm conclusion disposition of a tasty piece of cake. Certain-Teed Building
Buffalo, New York
that they must have positive entertain- FADE OUT.
—
Making Stars of Amateurs
Rehearsols
take place on the set
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
chosen for the scene — to acquaint the Rates: Seven cents a
charge, one dollar per insertion.
word. Minimum BELL-HOWELL
ed for color,
CAMERA
variable
SILENCED,
area, single
adapt-
system
actor with his new surroundings. A sound. Complete outfit, like new, ready
to shoot. $2750.00. Hollywood Camera
high chair or packing box is moved to FOR SALE— MISCELLANEOUS Exchange. 1600 Cahuenga Blvd., Holly-
various places to represent changing wood, California. Cable Hocamex.
35MM. NEGATIVE Eastman and Dupont
fresh
camera set-ups. The whole idea is to stock — panchromatic — super-sensitive HERE ARE SOME OF OUR SPECIAL VALUES.
make the actor feel at home in rela- — superior
feet. 100
— grayback, $2.50 per hundred
daylight loading
RCA Galvanometers, $75.00; Western
Electric Recording Amplifiers, from $43.50;
ft., $2.75 rolls,
tion to the camera, to lose all self-con- each. 10% discount on all orders accom- W. E. Condenser Microphones, $95.00;
panied by this coupon. F.O.B. Hollywood. Fox Movie-tone Recording Cameras, $975.-
sciousness, camera-fright or nervousness
PACIFIC COAST RAW FILM CO., 1558 00; RCA Photophone Variable Area Studio
that may be present. No. Vine St., Hollywood, Calif. Records, brand new, $1495.00; Background
Action is run through — and in our
BELL & HOWELL 5-WAY SOUND PRINTER,
projection screens, $144.00. Loads of
case, dialogue — until a satisfactory per- Generators, Panel Control Boards, Duplex
Printers, Sound Moviolas, Developing Ma-
others; lists free. S.O.S., 1600-F Broadway,
New York.
formance is attained. This is done chines, Blimps, Dolly, B & H Splicers, Mit- DEBRIE 35MM CAMERA, four 400 ft. maga
scene by scene through the script. The chell and B & H Silent Cameras. Motors, zines, DeBrie Tripod. Tessar F.3.5 lens.
High Speed Gear Boxes, Light Testers, Outfit in perfect condition. Cheap. Write
actors can time their movements with Projection and Lighting Equipment. Guar- Box 267, American Cinematographer.
relation to others and with the set fur- anteed optically and mechanically perfect.
Send for 1937 Bargain Catalogue. Holly- WANTED
nishings. They are also coached as to wood Camera Exchange. 1600 Cahuenga
the direction of their eyes at all times Blvd., Hollywood, California. Cable Ho- WF WANT TO BUY
camex.
particularly in regard to avoid looking All Types of Cameras
squarely into the camera. WE BUY, SELL AND RENT PROFESSIONAL We pay the highest cash prices for Mitchell,
AND 16mm EQUIPMENT NEW AND USED, B & H, Akeley, DeBrie, Eyemo and other
We give them time to sleep over it, WE ARE DISTRIBUTORS FOR ALL LEAD- makes of cameras and camera accessories.
and next day assemble for actual shoot-
ING MANUFACTURERS. RUBY CAM- We also want tripods, motors, magazines,
ERA EXCHANGE, 729 Seventh Ave., N, cutting room and laboratory equipment. Tell
ing. Actors are fresh physically and Y C. Established since 1910. us what you have! Get Our price offer!!
mentally, and eager to move through WE HAVE WHAT YOU WANT. Brand new CAMERA EQUIPMENT, INC.
Bargaingrams describe Cameras, Tripods, 1600 Broadway New York City
roles they now know so well. Recording Systems, Projectors, Printers,
Here is the amazing point. In al- Moviolas, Motors, Magazines, Animators, TELL US WHAT YOU HAVE. Get our offers.
Galvanometers, new and used. We’ll trade We'll buy Used Cameras, Lenses, Recorders,
most every instance, the first "take" is S.O.S,, 1600-F Broadway, New York. Pr nters. Splicers, Tripods, Cinemotors,
the best. We run through the action Magazines, Microphones, Amplifiers, Pro-
SILENL.ED Mitchell Camera, 40, 50 and 75mm. jectors, Laboratory and Studio Equipment.
under the lights for the cameraman's Astro F2.3 Lenses, Upright Mitchell Finder, Trades taken Bargains — galore. S.O.S.,
benefit and also to refresh the actor's Mitchell Matt Box and Sunshade, two 1600-F Broadway, New York.
1000 ft. Magazines, Friction Tripod Head
memory as to Then we take
details. and Legs, complete equipment with Car-
WANTED. We
pay cash for everything pho-
tographic. Send full information and low-
the scene. There have been times we rying Cases, $2600. Camera Supply Co., est cash prices. Hollywood Camera Ex-
Ltd., 1515 No. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood,
have made re-takes, three or four of change, 1600 Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood,
them — în the hope of bettering the
WALL
Calif.
SINGLE SYSTEM SOUND CAMERA

Calif.
scene. But invariably it is the first one with direct drive motor, new type move- PATENT ATTORNEYS
we print. ment, variable area high fidelity galvan-
ometer, microphone, amplifier, lenses, fri- INVENTIONS PATENTED, trade marks regis-
Why? Because the actor goes through pod and accessories. Complefe, ready for tered, Samuel Goldstein, Registered Patent
his business fresh, with verve and spirit operation. Rebuilt silenced and standard Attorney, write for literature on success-
and natural unharnessed spontaneity.

Bell & Howell 170 degree Cameras Hi- — ful services performed, 275 E. Gunhill
speed gear boxes. Bell & Howell Hi-speed Rd., New York City.
He is not bowed down under the burden shuttles. Precision, DeBrie and Bell &
Howell pan and tilt tripods. Bell & Howell INVENTIONS
of acting. But after repeated rehears- 1000 ft., 400 ft. magazines. Motors, sun-
ing or he becomes studiously
re-takes, shades, finders, lenses and all accessories. I AM IN CONTACT WITH FINANCIAL IN-
Write, wire or cable. MOTION PICTURE TERESTS who finance and promote inven-
aware of the effort he is striving to put CAMERA SUPPLY. INC., 723 SEVENTH tions. Samuel Goldstein, 275 E. Gunhilll
forth and as a result becomes mechan- AVE., NEW YORK, N. Y. CINECAMERA. Rd.. New York City.
ical and not natural in his movements.

Screened images are not so pleasing.
can heartily recommend this ad-
I
Back Issues of American Cinematographer on Hand

vance-rehearsal method to every ama-
teur producer of photoploys. Particular- 1936 — All months, except Janu- 1927 — months All except Octo-
ary and February. ber.
ly with children will you find it pro-
1935— None. 1 — months.
926 All
ductive of fine effects.
more time and effort, but results more
It requires a bit
1934 — March,
January, April,
1925 — months
All except
than repay you for the outlay. 1933 —May, AugustMarch,
July,
Jan.,
September,
Feb.,
Nov-
June, October,
April,
1924 —
November.
months.
All
ember, December. 1923 —
1932 —
March,
January, April,
• Burleigh Brooks announces a new all months
All except Moy, July, August, Sep-
October.
1931 —
metal enlarging easel. This will be tember, December.
months.
All
marketed under the trade name of Bee 1930 — months.
All 1922 — January, February, March,
Bee All Metal Enlarging Easel. 1929 — months.
All
May, August, October,
1928 —
As the name indicates it is made en- November, December.
March,
Jan., Feb., April,
tirely of metal and it is the claim of
Brooks that this feature eliminates a
May, June, July, August, 1921 —cember.
October, November, De-
November, December.
lot of occasioned by materials
trouble
that will warp and otherwise not retain
All Back Issues A re Priced at 30c in Single Copies
their original shape. Inner margins are
controlled simultaneously with one lever. mencan Ciin ematograpner
It is claimed it is suitable for use with 1782 No. Orange Drive Hollywood, Californio
all enlargers.
A JUNIOR
SOCIETY
T he AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CINEMATOGRAPHERS
ized a junior
as the
branch of its
SOCIETY OF AMATEUR CINEMATOGRAPHERS.

has organ-
association for the amateur to be known
FOR MANY YEARS amateurs have been requesting the American

Society of Cinematographers to form an organization forthem that would
be representative, authoritative and instructive.
WHILE IT WOULD be easy to form such an organization in the

enthusiasm that usually accompanies such pleas, but to insure the
spirit of
continuance of such an association it needs real ideals and a constructive
policy.
j
THE APPLICANT must own a camera, he must have made motion pic-
tures,and he must submit a picture to the reviewing board which is made up
of members of the American Society of Cinematographers. This does not
mean that the amateur is going to be judged by professional stand-
ards as practically every member on the reviewing board operates either an
8mm or 16mm camera and is familiar with the shortcomings of the ama-
i teur’s equipment.
MEMBERSHIP will include a subscription to the “American Cine-

matographer”. It will also include the use of the outstanding films made
by members of the Society of Amateur Cinematographers. As films are
submitted, the best will be duplicated and an analysis prepared by a mem-
ber of the American Society of Cinematographers. This analysis will go
with the picture and the picture will be available to any member of the
Society of Amateur Cinematographers.
WRITE FOR APPLICATION BLANK AND FULL PARTICULARS.
6331 Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood, California

For the
Best Photography
Y esterday
Today
Tomorrow
ALWAYS
Mitchell Cameras
K
Mitchell Camera Corporation

665 N. ROBERTSON BOULEVARD
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIF.
Cable Address “MITCAMCO” Phone OXlord 1051
AGENCIES
BELL & HOWELL CO., LTD., London, England MOTION PICTURE CAMERA SUPPLY, INC., New York City
CLAUD C. CARTER, Sydney, Australia BOMBAY RADIO CO., LTD., Bombay, Indio
D. NAGASE & CO., LTD., Osaka, Japan H. NASSIBIAN, Cairo, Egypt

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Americancinematographer18 1937 01

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Starting off the NEW YEAR

REG. U. S. PAT. OFF.

Du PONT Film Manufacturing Corporation

Published monthly by the

Telephone CRanite 2135

JOHN ARNOLD, President, A.S.C.

Volume 18 Jonuary, 1937 Number 1

A.S.C. MOVES Into New Home 5

ATTACKING the Problem of

By Wm. Stull, A.S.C 6

Optical Effects Walter Blanchard

A.S.C. Members on Porade 12 ADVISORY

Next Month Fred Jackman, A.

tell you about it next month. Dr. Herbert Meyer, A. S. C.

he AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CINEMA-

T TOGRAPHERS was founded

purpose of bringing into closer confederation

and cooperation all those leaders in the cinema- AMERICAN

fection and technical mastery of this art and science. CINEMATOGRAPHERS

advancement of the cinema and Its allied crafts

through unceasing research and experimentation OFFICERS

Associate and Honorary memberships bestowed

PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE

LIGHT TO THE DESERT

Behind the scenes dnrini/ ihe fihnimj of Selzniek Internationnr

Carbon arc lighting has proved a necessity for color and is

• PROVIDE LIGHT OF DAYLIGHT QUALITY

Positive Sensitometric Control

BELL & HOWELL

BELL & HOWELL COMPANY

A.S.C. Moves Into New Home

swimming pool. stands as a monument to the camera profession as a

which permits the duplication of positive natural-color

made with the taking screen in contact with the negative

made and developed in the usual manner, and gives very

in black-and-white before incurring the expense of making

Color Stills is probably the outstanding Finlay exponent on the coast,

a priceless catalog of audience reaction to basic screen

phic attentions are in constant demand by canny producers.

Producing Shorts Down in

he island hardly seems like a producing Ta h i t i

At that time did the camera work on Douglas Fairbanks'

picture "Robinson Crusoe." While the picture has gone

At the left the star of “Tabu” still acting and

Bifocal Lens-System for Optica

will look like. —

developed a simple device which enables one to make

be perambulated or panned without destroying the mirror

pear on the screen —

action of the duplicator, it has an angular field approxim-

a delicate job of matting, and the matte-line between

An enlargement from a 35mm frame of negative

a smaller opening than F:8. It just can't be it's a larger — studios.

number. Anyhow, those who gloated over this mistake

• Milt Krasner, A.S.C., has a two-year-old boy. He has

• Dwight W. Warren, has a unique hobby: he

gether. Joe Walker, A.S.C., would make it a swell three-

• Hal Rosson, A.S.C., got plenty of compliments after the

• Dave Abel, A.S.C., is being labeled the "Tap Dancing

characteristics, Super X fills every require-

ment of general cinematography. Proof?

It is used throughout features and shorts

made under every possible eoiiditioii. In