The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-01-10
EDISON'S PICTURES
CAN NOW TALK
N PERFORM

New York, Jan. 1O-Talking pictures
are at last a reality. This newest form
Of amusement is to be offered TO New
York city in h course OF Q II or five
weeks. The inventor. Thomas A. Edi-
son promised it yesterday afternoon
after a ADMINISTRATION of his latest in
vention in the directors room of the
Edison laboratory in West Orange, N.
j. Arrangements had been made TO
install the talking motion picture ma
chine in four vaudeville theaters in
Manhattan and three in Brooklyn.
After many Years OF experimental
ton Mr.. Edison has at last perfected
a machine synchronizing the motion
picture and h p%honosraph, solving
tention and study Of investigators in
every country where the motion pic
ture is known.
The demonstration at the laboratory
was witnessed by several Of his asso>
ciates n employees and the veteran
inventor was an interested spectator
himself. He occupied a seat on the
front row. where he could best catch
the strains from ONE of his favoritc
selections.
In all seven reels were exhibited.
er advancing to the front Of the stage,
: bowling to the audience and proceed
ing in good voice to describe the new
invention. which he called the kline
tophone." the words having Been plac-
ed in his mouth. after the fashion of
ve%ntriloquists. by the ~synchronized
photograph behind the curtain. He
then made several tests to establish
his assertion OF perfect s%ynchronisim.
4 piece Of chinaware was dashed to
the floor with a crash. Horns and
whistles We're blown, followed by pi-
ano. violin II vocal solos. When
collie dogs that actually barked We're
introduced into the picture. the
shadowy lecturer. apparently satisfied
that his audience was convinced,
came forward again and said:
ITO what vast purpose it can at
tain can only be guessed. Consider.
for instance. the historic value Of a
Kinetophone production of George
Washington ii it We're possible to
show it now. and YOU will realize the
splendid opportunities of future gen
erations to study the. great men OF to-
day. The political orator can appeal
to thousands While remaining at his
w fire side; the worlds greatest
statesmen. actors, singers. can be seen
and heard in wen the smallest ham,
let. not only today, but 100 years
hence. In fact. there. seems to be no
end to the possibilities Of the great
est invention of the wizard of sound
and sight. Thomas a. Edison"
Mr.. Edison. taken by surprise at
the complimentary utterances of the
picture talker. looked as embarrassed
as a %schoolboy, and. fearing that
there might be further tributes to
himself on the unwound reel. straight
way demanded of his chief engineer,
NJ. II. Hutchinson, that the perform
ance be discontinued.
h next reel showed the miser
scene from TIT 44"Chtmes Of Norman
die" and in turn the Miserere from
.Trovatofe.' the quarrel between Bru-
tus and Cassius from Julius Caesar"
a comedy sketch entitled THE Poll
tictan." and two others, Her Re
demption," and Dick, the Highway
man."
In light and grand opera, in comedy
n serious drama. the movement of
the actors and singers We're marked
by the realism OF the ~present-day
stage. Distinct articulation was at
tanned. and this made it all the more
obvious that voice and action had
been ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. In or
der to synchronize light and sound
wave it was necessary to have a re-
corder of sufficient .delicacy to be at
fected by the minutest sound waves at
a distance of fully forty feet, so that
the recording apparatus would be out
side the field Of the lens. The phono-
graphic recorder was attached to the
picture machine. and it was only left
Tor the actors to perform in the g
lar way to make a dual record.
The record thus made is reproduced
in the same way that all motion MIC
lures are projected. with the addi-
ton of the synchronized phonograph
hat interprets the pictures from be-
hind the curtain. The. phonoEraph
can be removed from the picture ma
chine at distances varying up to 900